SPIRE, F3 show Sustainable ‘Cleantech’ Solutions

Both the SPIRE and the SusChem inspired F3 Factory project will feature at a lunchtime event at the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) office in Brussels on 21 March. The theme of the event is ‘Resource Efficiency. Novel Approaches – Products and Processes for a Sustainable Society’.

Global chemicals and manufacturing industries consume large quantities of non-renewable fossil-based raw materials and energy, but are at the core of our modern industrial society, developing and producing the key chemicals, materials, medicines and products that allow us to achieve ever better standards of living.

Current research and innovation trends offer significant opportunities to transform these industries into eco-efficient high-tech solution providers, by, for example, switching to bio-based feedstock, improving efficiency, recycling and reusing waste materials and looking at the industry as an integrated system.

Finding sustainable “cleantech” solutions requires a strong commitment between research and industry to establish a new paradigm in sustainable production methodology for the European chemical- and bio-industry.

SusChem inspired solutions
The event will be opened by Rainer Steffens, Head of the NRW representation to the EU, Svenja Schulze, Minister for Innovation, Science and Research in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Dr. Rudolf W. Strohmeier European Commission, Deputy Director-General, DG Research.

The F³-Factory (fast, flexible, future) is a FP7 project success story and an exemplary industrial case study. This original Suschem visionary project can allow the flexible, continuous production of chemical intermediates. The story will be presented by Dr. Frank Stenger of Evonik Industries and Dr. Sigurd Buchholz of Bayer Technology Services

Within the F3 project is a backbone facility: the INVITE research centre(pictured above). A joint venture with TU Dormund University its development and realisation will be told by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Engell.

Ed d‘Hooghe, Innovation Manager at Cefic will describe the Research and Innovation Public and Private Partnership (PPP) proposal, Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency (SPIRE). SPIRE aims to realise European competitiveness through improved resource and energy efficiency.

To achieve this SPIRE has the objective to develop enabling technologies and solutions along the value chain. These solutions are required to reach long term sustainability for Europe in terms of global competitiveness, ecology and employment.

The driving force behind SPIRE is the Resource and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REP) that brings together the collective expertise of more than 10 major industry sectors with strong connections to process manufacturing.

To find out more about the event contact the Representation of North Rhine-Westphalia to the European Union.

Environmental research
SPIRE, and other SusChem initiatives, will also be presented at the 20th anniversary seminar and workshop for the European Network of Environmental Research Organisations (ENERO). This all day event takes place on 29 March in Brussels.

The theme of the seminar is ‘Boosting and Securing Eco-innovations through new Partnerships’. The event will bring together key players to reflect on research organisations' role in producing sustainable innovations for the global market, and the links between environmental research and innovation.

Ed D’Hooghe will present SPIRE and other presentations will cover other areas of interest to SusChem including the bio-based chemical industry and improving water efficiency. For more information visit the ENERO website.