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Action Research on Bioenergy Implementation in Umbria, Italy
27/04/2005

Since 1996, researchers at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University in Sweden have worked to integrate education, research and practical implementation through the Strategic Environmental Development (SED) program. In these exercises, students and researchers work with real-life case studies focusing on municipalities, enterprises, industrial clusters and regional development projects, which expose them to the various dimensions of sustainable industrial and regional development. In both 2003 and 2004 the IIIEE conducted the SED program in Umbria, Italy where there is an opportunity for bioenergy implementation. The IIIEE is expanding research efforts in Umbria in 2005 with the objective to apply the understanding of barriers to bioenergy generated through the Bioenergy NoE. The testing of barriers in real-life case studies to explain the difference between unrealised potential and success is a core part of the research activities in Research Area 5, Environment and Socio-economics. Umbria is a rural region in Italy where agriculture is the primary business activity, along with some industry (see picture). Tobacco plantations are quite prominent in the region. Tourism is growing in the region attracting visitors from Germany and the UK. The action research in Umbria focuses on the introduction of a small-scale biomass gasification plant to produce heat and electricity. There are 3 opportunities for using the heat under discussion, including the Eco-city project in the town of Umbertide, an industrial complex, and the district heating system existing in the town of Pietralunga. Additional information: Please contact Mr. Kes McCormick kes.mccormick@iiiee.lu.se