As the areas of production in environmental technology are particularly research and know-how intensive, there is an extremely high amount of ongoing research work in the environmental technology sector. This high level of demanding research and innovation leads to enterprises involved in environmental protection being strongly networked. The willingness of commerce, science and research to co-operate is significantly more marked than in other scientific sectors.

In Baden-Württemberg a dense network stimulates and supports the innovation process in the various areas of environmental technology. Through local collaboration and co-operation agreements between research facilities and enterprises, synergies are created and the intensity of research and development carried out by the enterprises is strengthened.

In Baden-Württemberg three regional centres for environmental technology have developed. The Rhine-Neckar region with its centres in Manheim and Heidelberg, the Karlsruhe region with the LOOP development and demonstration centre, which concentrates on the circulating capability of new materials. Plus the Stuttgart environmental region – a region with a concentration of efficiency technologies and sustainable mobility known throughout Germany.

In Stuttgart the environmental technology project centre and the environmental technology competency centre (KURS) support local enterprises involved in environmental technology in co- operation projects and in generating competitive advantage.