On Wednesday, 10th July, the Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency (MIEMA) will be launching a new EU-funded MED Capitalization project called MER – Governance and Marketing for Industrial Areas. The event, consisting of a seminar and press conference, will start at 9.30 a.m. at the Corinthia Marina Hotel in St Julians.
The conference will be addressed by the Hon. Dr Konrad Mizzi, Minister for Energy and the Conservation of Water, Dr Marino Cavallo, representing the Province of Bologna (MER Project Lead Partner), Prof. Alfredo Valentino of the LUISS University of Rome, Dr Euridice Cristo of Algarve University, Dr Stefano Mugnoz, from U-space and Roma 3 University, as well as representatives of the project partners and experts.
This Territorial Cooperation project aims at establishing a “network of networks” where to share experience and identify good practices which may be replicated to produce a European action plan, suitable to influence new policies towards a more sustainable development. MIEMA will also be hosting the kick-off meeting of the project, being held on Tuesday, 9th July.
The MER project is led by the Province of Bologna and includes other partners from Italy (ENEA – Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, and Informest – Service and Documentation Centre for International Economic Cooperation), Spain (FVMP – Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, and CEEI – Valencia Business and Innovation Centre), France (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice Cote d’Azur), Greece (Anatoliki S.A.), Portugal (CRIA – Algarve University), Slovenia (Urban Planning Institute) and Cyprus (CEA – Energy Agency).
All the project partners have been involved in transnational cooperation through the MED programme. In the MER project, they will be capitalizing on the results of their participation in previous projects dealing with energy, environmental issues and green marketing tools. They will now be producing guidelines, local action plans and a European roadmap to improve the region’s competitiveness within a framework of sustainable growth. Other project activities consist of study visits, conferences, joint technical workshops and training.
In Malta’s case, the project will focus mainly on the development of renewable energy sources for industrial areas. It will build on the action plan drafted for Malta through the ENERSCAPES project, a MED project led by the Maltese energy agency and implemented between June 2010 and May 2013. The Enerscapes action plan tackled the use of solar panels in industrial zones and areas like the engineered landfill at Għallis, whereas the MER plan will take into account different technical requirements needed to implement such projects.
MER will provide an opportunity for MIEMA to network with other European organisations that have undertaken similar projects, to identify ways of implementing the action plan. This will contribute to refine Malta’s energy and environmental strategies and will help in the rehabilitation and use of areas with low economic and environmental significance.
The MED programme is funded mainly by the European Union through its European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – forming part of the Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 “Europe in the Mediterranean”. MIEMA is assisted in the project by the Ministry for Energy and the Conservation of Water, which is providing the national co-financing required (15% of total budget).
Anyone interested in attending the launch event (free of charge) should register by sending an email to events@miema.org. A copy of the agenda is available by clicking on this link. Entities wishing to learn more about the project are invited to contact the energy agency.
