Birmingham will play host to the International Working Conference on Applied Industrial Symbiosis (IWCAIS), which takes place for the first time next month.
IET Austin Court, Cambridge Street, Birmingham
IWCAIS 2012 will run from 12-14 June at IET Birmingham: Austin Court and will see 150 leading businesses and policy makers from around the world converge on the city.
Industrial symbiosis encourages traditionally separate industries to work together for a more sustainable and efficient use of resources. Delegates will discuss how it can be used to address critical global issues such as Climate Change, Energy Security, Green Growth, Material Security and Regional Economic Development.
The three-day event will be formally opened by Janez Potočnik, the current European Commissioner for the Environment. It will also feature plenary sessions and workshops for the conference’s specially selected international participants, who have been chosen based on their expertise in the field of Applied Industrial Symbiosis or within the development of economic and environmental policy.
IWCAIS 2012 is managed by Birmingham-based International Synergies Limited, one of the world’s leading experts on the practical application of industrial symbiosis, and supported by Birmingham City Council and the Birmingham Convention Bureau (BCB), operated by Marketing Birmingham.
Global engineering firm URS, a leading provider of engineering, construction and technical services to governments and private sector companies around the world, will be a major sponsor of the flagship event. Other major sponsors are the Kalundborg Symbiosis Institute and DONG Energy based in Copenhagen with additional support from Plastics Europe, the Business Environmental Support Service for Telford and Johnson Matthey.
Peter Laybourn, Chief Executive of International Synergies, said: “Birmingham is the birthplace of the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP), the world’s largest and most successful example of the practical implementation of industrial symbiosis and International Synergies’ most celebrated project to date. So it seemed only right for Birmingham to be the ideal venue for IWCAIS 2012.”
Ian Taylor, Commercial Director at Marketing Birmingham, the city’s strategic marketing partnership which operates BCB, said: “Birmingham remains one of the busiest and most popular destinations in the business tourism world and is proud to have secured this inaugural conference for the industrial symbiosis sector.
“We look forward to welcoming international delegates to a city which prides itself on its sustainability and status as one of Britain’s greenest cities.”
Angie Devi, Senior Conference & Events Coordinator, IET Birmingham: Austin Court, said: “Hosting IWCAIS 2012 allows us the opportunity to show leading businesses and policy makers that we are as passionate and enthusiastic about global environmental issues as they are.
“IET Birmingham: Austin Court continues to develop its sustainability and is working hard to add to the Green Tourism Business Scheme’s Silver Level Accreditation achieved in January 2012.”