GTL – Green Tec Labs
This project is completed. Establishing support structures and an international network for green start-ups in Greece, Spain and Slovakia.
Economy Just Transition Sustainable Economy
Project info
Greece, Slovakia, Spain
11/20 - 02/23
Educational institutions, Local governments, Private sector
896,743.47 €
Contact info
Silke Steinberg
- FIAP - Research institute for Innovative and Preventive Job Design e.V.
- Asociación de Investigación y Cooperación Industrial de Andalucía (AICIA)
- City Council of Cadiz
- Deutsch-Griechische Industrie- und Handelskammer (AHK Griechenland)
- PEDAL Consulting
Background
The target regions (Athens and Crete in Greece, Andalusia in Spain and Nitra in Slovakia) are experiencing a comprehensive structural change as well as a structurally weak labour market. The development of new services and business ideas has the potential to create new, green jobs while at the same time supporting consumers in the use of climate-friendly technologies. To advance this process, it is essential to support young people in these regions in shaping structural change into new labour markets.
Active participants in a GreenTec Workshop, Photo: ©FIAP
Project
To achieve this, the project supported green start-ups and project ideas, addressing creative young people with technical competences who are interested in or motivated for green ideas. It particularly encouraged young women to develop and implement green business ideas.
The project established local, mobile and virtual labs which offer competence development and technical expertise for entrepreneurship. This included support in developing business ideas and professional ‘green’ competences, in legal issues and innovation management, as well as in developing green proposals for funding programmes. Furthermore, the labs offered trainings in network management, including knowledge exchange, cluster formation, co-creative cooperation management and peer coaching through existing green enterprises.
Another measure implemented by the project was to set up a transcultural “GreenTecLab” in the form of an interactive, virtual coworking platform. The platform featured virtual conferences, meetings, training courses and individual consultations in order to establish a network and knowledge exchange between and among the European partners and potential founders in the target regions.
Results
- Green start-ups strengthened and supported in the market: The project supported 51 green start-ups in Greece, Spain and Slovakia through training, mentoring, pitching and networking. These targeted programmes led to 14 start-ups successfully launching their products or services, while at least three others are preparing to set up their own companies. By providing practical training and closing gaps in expertise in green tech areas, the project made a direct contribution to the market maturity of climate-friendly innovations and strengthened green value creation in structurally weak regions.
- Innovation networks and European cooperation expanded: Regional networks were noticeably strengthened with local, mobile and virtual innovation hubs, boot camps, workshops and study visits. The exchange between the participating countries facilitated the transfer of knowledge and the joint development of solutions. The intensive European networking led to lasting partnerships and the signing of four memoranda of understanding, which ensure further support for the laboratories and start-ups. This created a stable innovation ecosystem that will support the development of green business models in the long term.
- Visibility and access to expertise for green business ideas increased: Multilingual online platforms gave the start-ups a Europe-wide stage for training, exchange and presentation. Formats such as "Start-up of the Month" created additional visibility for particularly innovative ideas and facilitated access to experts, funding opportunities and investors. The targeted publicity helped young green companies to build reach, trust and partnerships - a key factor for scaling and market success.
- Education and promoting young talent for the green transformation: By actively involving schools, universities and regional stakeholders, the project raised awareness of green entrepreneurship at an early stage. Teachers were trained, teaching units were organised and young people were sensitised to ecological innovation and start-up topics. At the same time, gaps in qualifications in future fields such as renewable energies, green hydrogen and heat pump technologies were closed. The project thus laid an important foundation for the development of skilled labour and the sustainable transformation of regional labour markets.
Last update: January 2026