2009 and the UK-NISP

Hello Everyone

It is quite a while not to have posted any updates. I guess it is still not too late to wish you a productive 2009. I think all of us are looking forward to the ISIE and ISDR conferences in 2009. Unfortunately, they are very close to each other perhaps restricting some of us to attend both.

A good news is that we have few new members who have joined the blog recently making a total of 30 contributors. Your support is greatly appreciated. I would encourage you to write small entries and update about industrial symbiosis and waste / resource efficiency efforts in your respective areas and also to send details of any research projects you are involved with, papers recently published etc. to keep each other updated and perhaps to seek collaboration e.g. for conducting comparative studies.

Also it would be useful to send me any links that you think are relevant to this blog and/or any papers and / or reports on industrial symbiosis and I can upload these on the blog for easy access for all.

In the mean time I have a little update on NISP activities / strategies / scope below:


1. Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis

NISP is moving their focus from demand led approach to Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis. Regional Economic Development through the Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis (RED IBIS) is their next slogan. And this perhaps demonstrates the change in the NISP strategy that may be required for the continuation of funding in the UK and to introduce / market NISP services in other countries.

Peter Laybourn said:
“East Midlands Development Agency and Advantage West Midlands (in the UK) are among the first to recognise the potential of a RED IBIS type approach. The former has commissioned a study on resource mapping and the latter has commissioned market ‘intelligence' based IS for two industry sectors.

It is anticipated that if the UK adopts the full RED IBIS approach then countries that are already emulating NISP, such as China and Mexico, will follow suit based on the UK's learning experience.” Peter Laybourn*

2. Scope of NISP Activities

The UK National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) has been making significant efforts to transpose the UK IS model in other countries of the world. Some of the NISP initiatives that are taking place internationally are outlined by Peter Laybourn:

“Chicago is home to the US's first ‘UK style' IS programme, ‘Waste to Profit'. Run in conjunction with the City of Chicago, the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD) and the Chicago Manufacturing Center with support from NISP, it is now in its third year. The Chicago Waste to Profit Network aims to continue to grow and promote economic development for the whole State of Illinois.

The US BCSD is soon to meet the new President, Barack Obama, and present a proposal to establish and develop a national US IS scheme based on the UK model developed by NISP. If successful, this could catapult IS onto a widely visible world stage.

IS regional schemes have also been established in China, Mexico and Brazil. Lessons learned in the UK helped shape a ‘circular economy' initiative in the Yunnan Province of South West China.” Peter Laybourn**

3. NISP Synergy Workshop

I attended / assisted with ((actually hosted a table)) a NISP synergy workshop recently which was focused on identifying the “WANTS” and “HAVES” within the food and drinks sector. NISP being publicly funded, it was obviously a free event (with free lunch) for anyone to attend. It was attended by food sector professionals, environmental consultants, waste service providers (representatives of companies that provide services e.g. In-vessel composting, anaerobic digestion etc.). The approach used involved discussing and identifying the wants and haves of the companies and mixing and matching the use of by-products. Appears to be quite an effective approach overall and NISP claims to have identified 100 potential synergies. Now the question is how many of these go forward to fruition; and are we lacking in the cross-sectoral and thus innovation approach to IS as this approach just seems to link the waste producers to waste sorters? Am I understanding this right? Any views?

That’s all from me today. Hope you find this interesting to read. I look forward to any of your views on the above and any updates from your respective areas / countries.

Thank you for your support.

Best

Abhi

www.abhibiz.co.uk

References:

* Laybourn, Peter (2008) RED IBIS set to become second generation industrial symbiosis, Environmentalist, Issue No. 63 Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment

**Laybourn, Peter (2009) Industrial Symbiosis – coming to a country near you!, Environmentalist, Issue No. 71, Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment