Climate adaptation innovations could significantly reduce Europe's exposure to climate hazards such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather. However, many innovations fail to reach the market because innovators lack the funds and ability to turn their prototypes into market-ready products. BRIGAID is a four year Horizon 2020 research project that aims to bridge the gap between prototype and market. It supports innovators to test and implement their innovation and develop their business. By developing practical tools and methods, BRIGAID aims to further climate adaptation innovation and ultimately reduce the impact of climate change in Europe.

BRIGAID's approach – testing, business development, and marketing support for innovations

To increase Europe’s resilience to climate change impacts, BRIGAID will support flood, drought, and extreme weather innovations in three ways:

• Testing and implementation: BRIGAID is developing a standardised methodology to test the social and technological effectiveness of innovations. BRIGAID will validate this methodology by assessing 75-100 existing innovations as to their social and technical readiness. BRIGAID will then improve 35-50 of these innovations, in part by testing and implementing these in BRIGAID-developed sites across Europe. To ensure effectiveness, BRIGAID will involve end users (e.g. policy and decision makers, risk managers, industry) and investors throughout the innovation process.
• Business Development: BRIGAID is developing tools and supporting innovators to advance their businesses and bring their innovations to market. A key output will be an online Market Analysis Framework (MAF+) that will support innovators to identify and understand the market for their innovation. 25-30 innovations will receive assistance to complete this, and by also identifying financing support and grant opportunities, BRIGAID will support these innovations to develop a sustainable business plan.
• Marketing: Finally, BRIGAID is supporting innovators to market their innovations to potential customers. This includes messaging and marketing support, real-world showcases, and an online climate innovation catalogue.

Ecologic Institute leads BRIGAID's market uptake support

Within BRIGAID, Ecologic Institute will develop practical market analysis and business plan development tools and support innovators to apply them. This includes:

• Contributing to a European market scoping exercise that ranks Europe’s regions in terms of their vulnerability to climate change hazards and their capacity to take up adaptation innovations;
• Developing an online Market Analysis Framework (MAF+) that assists innovators to identify and understand their market and position their innovation;
• Aiding innovators to find financial support for their innovations by identifying grant opportunities, appropriate business models, and prospective clients through a Public-Private Investment and Financing model;
• Supporting innovators to apply these tools and develop effective marketing and a sustainable business plan.