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Implementation period
September 2014 – March 2015
Scope of work
Adaptive management and governance
Participants
Alfredo Sanjuán info@alfredosanjuan.com
Jacob Delafon proyectos@kohlereurope.com
Universidad de Zaragoza https://www.unizar.es/contacto/
ZINNAEinfo@zinnae.org
Funding
This project has been funded by the national programme for clusters support “Ayudas a Agrupaciones Empresariales Innovadoras” (AEIs).
Description
The Plan to safeguard Europe’s water resources, published in 2012 by the European Commission, established water efficiency measures for saving water and associated energy to mitigate the impact of increased water scarcity and water stress. Among other measures, the Commission points out the need to introduce water-related products based on eco-design, favouring the establishment of an eco-label.
ZINNAE, through the project “Testbed for water-saving products”, aims to anticipate the regulatory framework and be a benchmark in knowledge and innovation through the analysis of the performance and improvement of water-saving products in real environments. To this end, a product innovation methodology called Open Innovation Space will be designed based on recognised methods such as ESdi and Living Labs. An experimental phase will also be carried out to try out the above methodology, to test, verify and improve energy-saving products, allowing more and better information to be obtained about the products, generating a framework for collaboration between product and solution companies and the scientific-technical sector of ZINNAE. In this way, the project brings together a representative critical mass of ZINNAE members to launch this innovative platform that aims to improve the competitiveness of the sector linked to construction and renovation, manufacturers, installers and trade, and members of the AEI.
Objectives
The general objectives of the project will be the following:
- Establish an open innovation space to assess the impact of new products linked to efficient water use. Its design will be based on the adaptation of the Social Spaces for Innovation (ESdI) methodology and the Living Lab research concept.
- To position ZINNAE and its member organisations as national and international leaders in the application of new tools for product innovation.
- Prepare a large-scale R&D&I plan based on the ecosystem created.
Results
The specific objectives of this first iteration will be the following:
- Quantify water consumption before and after the introduction of water-saving products.
- To compare water consumption in real environments concerning the standard set in the factory for each product installed.
- Carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the introduction of water-saving products in households based on the obtained water consumption data and assess the associated costs and benefits.
- Obtain information on the possible innovation that could be introduced in the design of these products.
- Promote the results obtained to stimulate the purchase of water-saving products in the domestic sector.
- Promote the methodology among other associated companies and companies in the sector interested in replicating it, allowing new members to be recruited to the AEI.
The importance of the results for the sector and the expected impact for the user are highly relevant, especially for the possibility of economic sustainability of the model in such a way that it has a long-term projection, for the economic efficiency derived and for the potential provided by the fact of involving ICT innovation in the process. The target sector is severely affected by the current financial situation, so the achievement of the general and specific objectives of the project can be of great importance.
