As of: 03.03.2009Technology Networks
According to a survey carried out in 2006, more than half of the 600 companies in the closed cycle management lead market belong to an innovation network (Source:
www.bmu.de). Cooperation mainly takes place between universities, independent research institutes, customers and suppliers, and in almost a third of the networks, competitors also engage in collaboration for specific purposes. Companies hope that this cooperation will improve the exchange of information and afford them easier access to new markets.
In many cases, these networks are coordinated by industrial associations and, for this reason, most companies feel that their interests are being adequately represented in the networks. When evaluating the cooperation, the companies also indicate that they are satisfied with the level of information-sharing achieved. A need for improvement is, however, identified in the field of joint product development.
The research institutes in the lead market work with one another and also with other companies. More than half of the networks are established at European level. The main source of funding for research in the lead market of closed cycle management is the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, followed by the private sector. The research projects cover a wide spectrum of activities, with common topics including the examination and rehabilitation of contaminated soil or the analysis and measurement of emissions.
The map of Germany shows both the lead market companies surveyed, in accordance with their size, and the relevant research facilities (see map). The colours of the Länder relate to the number of people employed in the lead market, with Hamburg, Berlin und North-Rhine Westphalia employing a particularly high number. The map points to the regions around Aachen, Bremen, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Essen as having high concentrations of both companies and research institutes.
Source: GreenTech made in Germany. BMU, 2007
Cooperation
The following examples show the areas in which cooperation exists as well as the results achieved:
- Logex System GmbH, a cooperation of more than 40 SMEs, offers waste disposal solutions for industry, commerce and municipalities over a wide area. Its appointed head office pools the common interests of the partners, handles the acquisition and implementation of the region’s disposal services, oversees the central material flow management of the recyclable waste, and conducts market analyses. Logex System GmbH has been awarded the accolade of "Best cooperation of service companies" by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
- The interdisciplinary network of innovative closed cycle management technologies (NiK) views itself as a platform for the preparation, initiation and implementation of creative closed cycle technologies and strategies. The network aims to develop both innovative and efficient solutions for the prevention, recycling and disposal of waste, and is the birthplace of many joint ventures in the lead market. For example, coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics, the logistics company DHL, the company Interseroh AG and the German Electric and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI) have developed a concept for the various take-back schemes for electric and electronic equipment.
- Several universities of applied science and the Emden Institute for Environmental Technology (EUTEC) are addressing the issue of contaminated sites. Supported by the Volkswagen Foundation, these institutes are researching the practical application of phytoremediation, i.e. the bioremediation of soil through the use of plants. These toxin-neutralising plants aim to rehabilitate large areas of land with moderate heavy-metal pollution.
Further Information:
print
Euwid
more