ACE - Eco-Partnerships Industrial Symbiosis Project

Hello again

I guess, most of us must be excited to go back to Kalundborg for the IS research symposium. At the same time, some of us (especially students) might not make it due to limited funds and we may have to make a choice between the ISIE conference and the IS symposium. Hope most of us will make it and the tradition of IS symposium continues with the same success as in the past.

On a separate note, I wish to inform you of a new IS initiative that is being launched in Scotland. Funded jointly by the University of Abertay, Dundee and the European Union to the value of 1.1 million, the IS initiative, known as ACE Eco-Partnerships, aims to explore opportunities for industrial symbiosis, where the wastes or outputs from one SME can be used by a neighbouring SME. More information about the project can be accessed through their website http://eco-partnerships.abertay.ac.uk/about_ace.htm

A press release detailing the launch of the ACE Eco-partnerships is available through the following link: News Release

Regards

Abhi

http://www.abhibiz.co.uk/

Industrial Symbiosis Research Symposium 2009

Please find below information about the next industrial symbiosis research symposium:

Dear Colleagues:

The Sixth Annual Industrial Symbiosis Research Symposium “Contributing to CO2 Reduction and Sustainability” will be hosted by The Symbiosis Institute in Kalundborg, Denmark June 18-20th, 2009.

Under this title researchers from all over the world will discuss and exchange experiences on the contribution of industrial symbiosis to the reduction of greenhouse gases and other sustainability issues.

The Symposium will begin midday on 18 June and close at lunch on 20 June. The Symposium is organized in cooperation with Yale University's Center for Industrial Ecology and the International Society of Industrial Ecology - Section on IS/EIDC. The International Society for Industrial Ecology will hold its 2009 Conference "Transitions toward Sustainability" immediately following the Symposium from June 21-24 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Visit The Symbiosis Institute of Kalundborg’s website at http://www.symbiosis.dk/ and click on "upcoming events" at the top of the screen for more information on the Symposium and registration information. Deadline for registration is April 20, 2009. Registration fees are $75USD and local hotel discounts have been arranged for participants so that the price for per room is about $100 per night.

A detailed agenda is to follow. Please forward this mail to any colleagues who might be interested in this event as researchers in industrial symbiosis.

For more information on the ISIE Conference in Lisbon June 21-24, 2 009 please visit: http://www.isie2009.com

We look forward to seeing you in June,

The 2009 Organizing Committee

John Kryger, Chair and Director, Symbiosis Institute in Kalundborg

Marian Chertow, Yale University

Jørgen Christensen, JC Consult and Symbiosis Institute

Ray Côté, Dalhousie University, Symposium Chair 2007

Gabriel Grant, Yale University

Peter Lowitt, Devens Enterprise Commission, Symposium Chair 2008

Melanie Quigley, Yale University

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