Changing consumers’ patterns and lifestyle requires a radical shift in behaviors and attitudes of a wide number of actors along key value chains. Greening and decarbonizing consumption can enable quick gains in terms of environmental, social and economic benefits, but require stimulating green choices of final consumers and enterprises alike. 

MedWaves uses a number of strategies to stimulate and manage demand for sustainable products and services.  

Demand can be considered as one of the major drivers of innovation: innovators, entrepreneurs and MSMEs will not be forthcoming unless there are significant market opportunities. That’s why it’s key to stimulate the demand of sustainable products and services from companies, public actors and consumers. Moreover, active and informed consumers perform a vital function– providing signals to markets, de‐risking R&D and closing the finance gap. 

MedWaves engages with different type of consumers: 

• Companies: through the externalization of their innovation processes and their procurement process, companies stimulate the demand for eco-innovative products. 
• Public sector: as a large‐scale purchaser of goods and services public actors can remedy market and system failures on the demand‐side. Public procurement for innovation should be seen as a strategical approach rather than just a transaction  
• Individual/group of consumers: the increasing awareness of the negative impacts of their consumption practices in the environment is opening a wide new field for eco-innovative solutions. Private consumers are fundamental actors to attain successful sustainable business models. MedWaves business development methodologies are based on co-creation processes, involving customers and stakeholders in the process of designing and delivering the business value proposition.  

To stimulate the demand and effective consumption of sustainable products and services, MedWaves supports consumers and SMEs to understand and integrate environmental criteria in their decisions on green products purchase, raising awareness, providing knowledge and boosting sustainable consumption practices. 

MedWaves carries out a number of interlinked actions to achieve this objective:

1. Performing analysis of key value chains with high potential for quick environmental and social benefits, identifying main hotspots and related circular business opportunities. Objective of this action is to build knowledge of business support organization and companies about new circular business models and solutions, integrating these in their innovation cycle.

2. Accelerating and improving access to solutions in response to the environmental challenges faced by the private and public sector entities based on open eco-innovation approach. MedWaves enables the matchmaking between seekers of green and circular business solutions (companies and public institutions) and providers (green entrepreneurs and innovators) using an Open Eco-Innovation approach. To do so, MedWaves: 

• Supports innovation enablers to develop open eco-innovation and to connect seekers of circular solutions and innovators. MedWaves builds capacities of public and private stakeholders, transferring its methodology and offering continuous technical assistance.   
• Makes available its Open Eco-Innovation Platform to enable cooperation between sustainable start-ups and established companies based on eco-innovation challenges, raising funds and providing technical assistance. 

3. Connecting SMEs and startups providing sustainable products and services with corporate buyers and retailers. Medwaves offers digital and direct marketing support through its platform The Switchers Products. It also assists entrepreneurs in negotiating and reaching business deals to promote vertical integration of sustainable products and services in key value chains.  

4. Raising visibility and impact of green and circular entrepreneurs, start-ups and MSMEs via The Switchers Community, a community of inspiring change-makers, offering a new narrative and a more differentiated picture of the Mediterranean Region. Thanks to The Switchers Community, entrepreneurs and SMES increase awareness of their businesses and brand, benefit from peer-to peer support and knowledge exchange, receive updated about fund and training opportunities and get invitations to speak at international networking events.  

MedWaves tells their stories of sustainable transformation and change, offers a space for them to meet and connect and works to increase awareness of sustainable consumption in the Region.