Europe is particularly prone to natural hazards and evidence is now ever stronger that damages will increase in the future. Yet, many innovations have difficulties in reaching the end users, and end users have limited insight in the performance of various innovations. Thus, while Europe generates world-class research and innovation, too little is transformed into successful businesses. The costs of this in terms of lost income and skilled jobs are substantial – and even larger when socially beneficial solutions, such as those that could protect Europe’s citizens from climate-related disasters, are left on paper.

BRIGAID is a 4-year project (2016-2020) funded by the European union under Horizon2020 and aimed to effectively bridge the gap between innovators and end-users by providing integral support for innovations for climate adaptation, focusing on climate-driven disasters like floods, droughts and extreme weather (please visit www.brigaid.eu for further information or to engage with us).

BRIGAID provides an integrated approach to the improvement of technical, social and market readiness of climate resilience innovations in a synchronous way. The innovation readiness approaches are defined as:

• Technical readiness is the performance and effectiveness of an innovation to reduce climate-related risks, as shown in field tests and operational environments. 
• Societal readiness is the extent to which the innovation complies with public and private end user priorities and needs, as well as the organizational and governance requirements.
• Market readiness is the potential of an innovation to develop a solid business case and attract investors.

To achieve this, BRIGAID has developed state-of-the-art, scientific knowledge and cutting-edge methods for advancing the socio-technical readiness of innovations. BRIGAID also offers matchmaking and networking opportunities and supports the development of successful business plans. Thus, BRIGAID contributes on one hand to make innovations technically stronger, more socially acceptable, and more attractive to investors in an integrated manner and on the other hand, to support end-users (e.g. municipalities) to find solutions that can be adapted to locally relevant problems, and by linking innovators, clients, funders, and investors. 

The interaction with a broad number of innovators and end users is proving that BRIGAID approach is particularly useful as an integrated offer to support the development of innovations improving resilience against extreme climatic events. Moreover, end-users have been closely engaged into the development and testing of several innovations through demonstration events, matchmaking and networking events and stakeholder workshops and conferences, both at city scale, e.g. Antwerp (Belgium) or Valladolid (Spain), or at regional scale (e.g. Albania, the Netherlands). This collaboration has turned into actual co-development processes where both innovators and end-users produce a ‘win-win’ situation which is directly translating into the development of better solutions to tackle specific problems with a strong consideration of local needs. 

BRIGAID approach has proven very effective in supporting innovators to get closer to improve their technology readiness level and get closer to the market and but also has developed methods and knowledge supporting end-users to participate in the co-development of ‘ad hoc’ innovations or to seek for solutions for their particular problems (see climateinnovtionwindow.eu). As an example, cities can benefit from BRIGAID approach by connecting to innovators and experts to facilitate co-creation, financing, and implementation of innovations, by getting support for the organisation of events to showcase excellent innovators and facilitate communities of innovation for the co-development of solutions in collaboration with end-users, and by receiving expert access for the provision of climate adaptation and business expertise.