On January 15-16, 2025, the LIAISE COST Action held its 7th stakeholder workshop in Trondheim, Norway, under the title “Circularity and Industrial Symbiosis in Industrial Parks as Green Transition Tool.” Organized by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), the workshop brought together 24 in-person participants, including 10 local and 14 international attendees, representing diverse sectors such as industrial clusters, policymakers, academia, industry park managers and Industrial Symbiosis facilitators.
The two-day event provided a platform for exploring Industrial Symbiosis as a pathway to circularity in industrial parks while introducing the objectives, activities and expected outcomes of the LIAISE COST Action. The program featured interactive workshops, expert presentations and networking sessions, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The primary objectives of the workshop were to:
- Introduce the LIAISE COST Action to relevant stakeholders.
- Foster collaboration between industrial stakeholders for Industrial Symbiosis initiatives.
- Promote best practices for Circular Economy implementation.
- Explore potential synergies among participants.
The workshop featured in-depth discussions, stakeholder presentations, and hands-on exercises that emphasized actionable strategies for Industrial Symbiosis.
James Woodcock from International Synergies introduced the Hubs4Circularity European Community of Practice (H4C) framework, illustrating how structured approaches can enable zero-waste industrial parks. Lillian Strand from Trøndelag County highlighted the regional response to Norway’s national industrial symbiosis mission, emphasizing cross-industry collaboration. Marie Solgard presented insights from Haugalandet Industrial Symbiosis, sharing best practices from cross-industry partnerships. Participants also engaged in a hands-on session using the SYNERGIE® software platform to identify potential resource synergies. Additionally, Pawel Krzeminski from NIVA presented the LIAISE COST Action’s mission, objectives, and opportunities for stakeholder engagement, followed by an update on upcoming funding opportunities under the EU Horizon Europe Programme.
To sum up, the workshop contributed to advancing knowledge exchange and collaboration in Industrial Symbiosis. Participants gained insights into circular economy best practices, strengthened professional networks, and identified potential synergies for resource sharing and waste exchange. Practical experience with resource-matching tools supported implementation strategies, and key actions necessary to advance industrial symbiosis initiatives were recognized.
