Earlier this 12 months, 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 World 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 circumstances, 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 packages, notably involving the Ministry of Economic system and Finance, the Ministry of Setting, and companions similar to Techo Startup Middle. Extra 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 Middle (IGTIC) and better cooperation with international locations throughout Central Asia. Though funding and commercialization mechanisms are nonetheless growing, the nation is changing into a key bridge throughout the Eurasian cleantech panorama.
- Moldova is constructed on packages similar to Tech Girls and She’s Subsequent, and strengthened coverage alignment by way of the Power Effectivity Company. The ecosystem is increasing entry to capital and mentoring providers, though assist for corporations searching for early development and the event of regional innovation clusters outdoors Chisinau stays restricted. Latest 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 inspiration for brand spanking new native start-up accelerators.
- Türkiye, already having a comparatively developed ecosystem in 2023, superior throughout 5 further indicators. It has expanded early-stage assist programs together with TUBITAK start-up grants and lively participation in EU packages like Horizon Europe. Regional hubs similar to Izmir, strengthened by the EU-funded BEST For Power venture, proceed to broaden worldwide collaboration. Efforts to shut the hole between firms and start-ups are gaining traction by way of demonstration funding and government-supported know-how switch packages.
- Morocco gained additional momentum by extending cleantech exercise to cities like Tangier and Agadir. Key initiatives and clusters embody Cluster EnR, which helps the creation of the inexperienced tech sector, and Inexperienced Power Park, which supplies R&D and experimentation areas for renewable power applied sciences. New reforms by the Moroccan Ministry of Power Transition purpose to ease administrative obstacles 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 Strain
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 below improvement and nationwide assist is constrained by warfare, the nation advantages from robust worldwide alliances, lively diaspora involvement, and a dedicated civil society.
Organizations similar to Greencubator have stepped as much as lead nationwide innovation actions. Their work consists of offering coaching, convening ecosystem gamers, and enabling international publicity for Ukrainian cleantech entrepreneurs. The nation’s innovation priorities have shifted towards sectors that improve resilience. These embody agricultural know-how, power self-sufficiency, and round textiles.
Exterior assist has additionally performed a job. EU-aligned packages and U.S.-supported transatlantic partnerships have given native entrepreneurs higher entry to financing, collaboration networks, and business alternatives. Ukraine’s evolving innovation method highlights a key perception–ecosystems working below excessive strain usually discover inventive momentum, not from central mandates, however by way of the decentralized willpower of their contributors.
First-Time Assessed: Constructing Sturdy Foundations
Amongst new contributors, Namibia and Senegal confirmed growing ecosystems with promising entry factors.
Namibia is attracting consideration by way of worldwide initiatives, similar to Hyphen Hydrogen Power, and by growing cleantech packages that concentrate on girls 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 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 have interaction casual entrepreneurs throughout the nation.
5 Systemic Takeaways
- Exterior connectivity fuels ecosystem development
Exterior linkages play a decisive function in ecosystem improvement. Kazakhstan and Türkiye profit from commerce and expertise flows tied to close by markets, whereas Ukraine and Moldova have tapped into international partnerships and diaspora assist. To totally exploit their potential, these advantages have to be matched by native coverage alignment and ecosystem readiness.
_ - Battle realigns priorities
In Ukraine, innovation is not solely about development. The main target now consists of important wants similar to meals safety, home manufacturing, power independence, and round financial system options. Comparable shifts could happen in any area going through disruption, the place innovation turns into a device for resilience as a lot as financial improvement.
- Inclusion is a development lever
Packages that assist the participation of girls and younger folks, similar to these in Cambodia, Namibia, and Morocco, exhibit that inclusion fuels broader ecosystem engagement. These initiatives diversify management, broaden expertise swimming pools, and generate extra equitable innovation outcomes, significantly when embedded inside nationwide methods and entrepreneurial assist programs.
_ - Coverage nonetheless lags funding ambitions
South Africa illustrates a typical problem. Dynamic start-up exercise could emerge, however coverage misalignment, restricted entry to growth-stage capital, and weak demand stimulation mechanisms usually stall progress. Ecosystems require not simply entrepreneurial power, but in addition 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 Middle in Cambodia, or Greencubator in Ukraine, play a significant function convening, connecting, and main. Their capacity to translate coverage into motion and maintain collaboration throughout sectors usually decide whether or not ecosystems advance meaningfully or stay fragmented.
Wanting Forward
Every ecosystem is a novel community of organisations, constructing on completely different industrial strengths, partnerships, skillsets and cultural material. Subsequently, similar to innovation, cleantech ecosystem constructing shouldn’t be linear. Historical past, geopolitics, and accessible sources all play a component.
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 below a shared nationwide long-term imaginative and prescient
- Spend money on 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 objective forward is not only to increase what GCIP began, however to embed cleantech capability within the establishments and economies of accomplice international locations. That can require built-in methods, daring experimentation, and a brand new degree of ambition. In cleantech, capability is not only constructed—it’s shared, supported, and scaled.
Cleantech Group’s cleantech ecosystem analysis methodology was developed in collaboration with UNIDO. The objective is to supply a standardized but adaptable methodology 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
