A new web portal is aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of eco-innovation research in the European Union by aggregating information from more than 1500 projects.

Europe is presently in the midst of an economic growth crisis. Economists are working hard to put forward recommendations that politicians can turn into policies that will restore growth, bringing with it the promise of more jobs and greater prosperity. But growth in much of the world has been based on exploitation of resources, an unsustainable practice in a world with an expanding population and resource limitations.

EcoNation, established in 2009 in Ghent, has developed the LightCatcher, a device that draws daylight into buildings in place of artificial light. The LightCatcher is a polycarbonate dome fitted with mirrors that watch the sky and find the point where the greatest amount of light is available. If a cloud blocks the sun, the LightCatcher uses a sensor to automatically readjust. The device also uses mirrors to amplify the amount of daylight brought into a building, so that, according to EcoNation, a roof opening of 1.6 square metres provides sufficient light for a floor area of 60 to 120 square metres.