Earlier this yr, greater than 60 cleantech ecosystem representatives from 11 international locations got here collectively in a web-based workshop to debate, consider, and share learnings from their collective ecosystem constructing efforts. The eleven low- and middle-income international locations are all companions in UNIDO’s International Cleantech Innovation Programme, which goals to advertise cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship to handle pressing environmental challenges.
The outcomes reveal uneven however encouraging momentum, formed by regional linkages, advancing coverage frameworks, and, in some instances, resilience within the face of adversity.
Momentum Accelerators: Who Is Advancing the Most, and Why
- A standout performer was Cambodia, which improved throughout 7 out of the 15 metrics. Progress was pushed by new inclusion and engagement applications, notably involving the Ministry of Financial system and Finance, the Ministry of Surroundings, and companions comparable to Techo Startup Heart. Further assist got here from expanded worldwide cooperation and government-led incubation for early-stage cleantech ventures. Cambodia’s transition from casual assist to structured institutional coordination has helped set up it as a rising cleantech hub in Southeast Asia.
- Kazakhstan additionally progressed in eight metrics and has seen cleantech exercise develop in Astana and Almaty. This was supported by nationwide technique enhancements by way of the Ministry of Ecology, businesses just like the Worldwide Inexperienced Applied sciences and Funding Heart (IGTIC) and larger cooperation with international locations throughout Central Asia. Though funding and commercialization mechanisms are nonetheless growing, the nation is turning into a key bridge inside the Eurasian cleantech panorama.
- Moldova is constructed on applications comparable to Tech Girls and She’s Subsequent, and strengthened coverage alignment by way of the Vitality Effectivity Company. The ecosystem is increasing entry to capital and mentoring companies, though assist for corporations in search of early development and the event of regional innovation clusters outdoors Chisinau stays restricted. Current pilot initiatives just like the Eco-Industrial Parks, led by UNIDO and the EU, as a part of the EU4Environment Programme, have begun laying the muse for brand spanking new native start-up accelerators.
- Türkiye, already having a comparatively developed ecosystem in 2023, superior throughout 5 extra indicators. It has expanded early-stage assist methods together with TUBITAK start-up grants and energetic participation in EU applications like Horizon Europe. Regional hubs comparable to Izmir, strengthened by the EU-funded BEST For Vitality undertaking, proceed to broaden worldwide collaboration. Efforts to shut the hole between companies and start-ups are gaining traction by way of demonstration funding and government-supported know-how switch applications.
- Morocco gained additional momentum by extending cleantech exercise to cities like Tangier and Agadir. Key initiatives and clusters embrace Cluster EnR, which helps the creation of the inexperienced tech sector, and Inexperienced Vitality Park, which supplies R&D and experimentation areas for renewable power applied sciences. New reforms by the Moroccan Ministry of Vitality Transition purpose to ease administrative boundaries round procurement and allowing. But, continued enhancements are wanted in areas like tailor-made monetary devices for growth-stage ventures and coordination throughout authorities ministries.
Battle and Realignment: Innovation Underneath Stress
Some ecosystems should discover methods to innovate throughout disaster. Ukraine, regardless of ongoing battle, confirmed robust efficiency throughout a number of ecosystem indicators. Whereas regulatory constructions stay beneath growth and nationwide assist is constrained by battle, the nation advantages from robust worldwide alliances, energetic diaspora involvement, and a dedicated civil society.
Organizations comparable to Greencubator have stepped as much as lead nationwide innovation actions. Their work contains offering coaching, convening ecosystem gamers, and enabling world publicity for Ukrainian cleantech entrepreneurs. The nation’s innovation priorities have shifted towards sectors that improve resilience. These embrace agricultural know-how, power self-sufficiency, and round textiles.
Exterior assist has additionally performed a task. EU-aligned applications and U.S.-supported transatlantic partnerships have given native entrepreneurs higher entry to financing, collaboration networks, and business alternatives. Ukraine’s evolving innovation strategy highlights a key perception–ecosystems working beneath excessive strain typically discover artistic momentum, not from central mandates, however by way of the decentralized dedication of their members.
First-Time Assessed: Constructing Robust Foundations
Amongst new members, Namibia and Senegal confirmed growing ecosystems with promising entry factors.
Namibia is attracting consideration by way of worldwide initiatives, comparable to Hyphen Hydrogen Vitality, and by growing cleantech applications that concentrate on ladies and youth from entities just like the Ministry of Gender Equality. Nonetheless, fragmented coverage constructions and restricted entry to blended finance choices proceed to hinder wider deployment efforts.
Senegal can also be advancing by way of its evolving local weather innovation agenda, supported by public establishments such because the Path du Climat and private-sector actors like Baobab Sénégal, which issued the nation’s first inexperienced, social, and sustainable bond in 2024. Nonetheless, most cleantech exercise stay centered in Dakar, underscoring the necessity to strengthen gender inclusion and higher interact casual entrepreneurs throughout the nation.
5 Systemic Takeaways
- Exterior connectivity fuels ecosystem development
Exterior linkages play a decisive position in ecosystem growth. Kazakhstan and Türkiye profit from commerce and expertise flows tied to close by markets, whereas Ukraine and Moldova have tapped into world partnerships and diaspora assist. To completely exploit their potential, these advantages should be matched by native coverage alignment and ecosystem readiness.
_ - Battle realigns priorities
In Ukraine, innovation is now not solely about development. The main focus now contains essential wants comparable to meals safety, home manufacturing, power independence, and round financial system options. Related shifts might happen in any area going through disruption, the place innovation turns into a instrument for resilience as a lot as financial growth.
- Inclusion is a development lever
Packages that assist the participation of girls and younger individuals, comparable to these in Cambodia, Namibia, and Morocco, show that inclusion fuels broader ecosystem engagement. These initiatives diversify management, broaden expertise swimming pools, and generate extra equitable innovation outcomes, notably when embedded inside nationwide methods and entrepreneurial assist methods.
_ - Coverage nonetheless lags funding ambitions
South Africa illustrates a typical problem. Dynamic start-up exercise might emerge, however coverage misalignment, restricted entry to growth-stage capital, and weak demand stimulation mechanisms typically stall progress. Ecosystems require not simply entrepreneurial power, but additionally enabling insurance policies and public instruments to maneuver from pilot to scale.
_ - Native Ecosystem Champions Speed up Progress
Native stewards such because the Path du Climat in Senegal, Techo Startup Heart in Cambodia, or Greencubator in Ukraine, play an important position convening, connecting, and main. Their capability to translate coverage into motion and maintain collaboration throughout sectors typically decide whether or not ecosystems advance meaningfully or stay fragmented.
Wanting Forward
Every ecosystem is a singular community of organisations, constructing on completely different industrial strengths, partnerships, skillsets and cultural cloth. Subsequently, identical to innovation, cleantech ecosystem constructing isn’t linear. Historical past, geopolitics, and obtainable sources all play an element.
GCIP wraps up in 2026, and as accomplice international locations look to construct sustainable initiatives past the programme, three priorities stand out:
- Strengthen ecosystem coordination mechanisms that hyperlink coverage, capital, and entrepreneurship beneath a shared nationwide long-term imaginative and prescient
- Put money into late-stage and demand-side assist together with cleantech procurement, scale-up financing, and market incentives
- Empower native ecosystem champions throughout ministries, cities, universities, and civil society with the mandate, instruments, and funding to steer transformation
The aim forward isn’t just to increase what GCIP began, however to embed cleantech capability within the establishments and economies of accomplice international locations. That may require built-in methods, daring experimentation, and a brand new stage of ambition. In cleantech, capability isn’t just constructed—it’s shared, supported, and scaled.
Cleantech Group’s cleantech ecosystem analysis methodology was developed in collaboration with UNIDO. The aim is to supply a standardized but adaptable technique for evaluating nationwide readiness to scale cleantech innovation.
The framework examines nation ecosystems throughout three core areas:
- Innovation Coverage and Ecosystem Help
- Cleantech Innovation Cluster Improvement
- Engagement of Ecosystem Actors