Ecosystem Services
The efficient management of our use of natural resources, maintaining our impact within the carrying capacity of the environment and achieving our carbon output reduction goals.
Current Activty
Ecosystem Services Clustering in the Edinburgh
ECCI has identified an opportunity to initiate the development of an ecosystems services cluster based around the growing collection of ecosystem service expertise and service organisations centred in the Edinburgh area. This formalised cluster will bring together a group of organisations with shared goals and common interests and with the potential to develop into Europe’s leading Ecosystem Services Cluster.
In early June 2012 ECCI organised a meeting involving some of the key ecosystem service participant organisations from the public sector, industry and academia within the Edinburgh region. This meeting assessed the value and viability of developing a formalised ecosystem services cluster in the Edinburgh area. The group were all in agreement that there was a unique opportunity to develop a high profile cluster with the potential to significantly benefit all of the participants. The overall strategic goal is to generate wealth, knowledge and wider societal benefits through the sustainable use of our natural capital.
As a coordinated group the cluster would have the capacity to engage in a wide range of activities, such as:
- Enabling business growth and development through a trusted network of academics and practitioners.
- Encouraging an innovation culture, sharing ideas and matching solutions to practical applications.
- Managing technical and financial risk in an entrepreneurial culture.
- Skills matching and resource sharing.
- Improving access to academic expertise
- Collective marketing developing an international brand
- A collective shared awareness of sector needs and opportunities
- Attracting the best scientists and entrepreneurs
- Attracting investment and diversifying sources of funding
- Improved academic understanding of the real world needs in Ecosystem Services.
- Informing education, training and CPD.
It was agreed that the first priority would be to establish a brand identity and a website. ECCI is progressing the website development and once this is up and running there will be a participants meeting to fully launch the cluster and to outline its strategic direction.
Background
Government has recognised the importance of clusters to the development of a successful knowledge based economy, but attempts to create clusters have proved unreliable. The most successful clusters have developed naturally within an area and then benefited from further coordination and strategic development.