Innovative business support initiative

The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) is an innovative business support initiative that aims to bring businesses together to improve resource efficiency and minimise wastage. Since its formal launch in April this year NISP has helped UK businesses divert more than 78,000 tonnes of waste from landfill sites, reduce CO2 emissions by some 200,000 tonnes and realise an estimated £27 million in cost savings.

Whilst a national initiative, the programme is managed at a regional level, and was launched in the East of England in October this year. Now NISP is calling on firms in the Peterborough region to get involved by attending an interactive workshop being held in the city in early December.

NISP is co-ordinated locally by Antony Gough, who has been working with Peterborough-based firms on similar issues for the past five years. Antony

said, 'The interesting thing about the NISP concept is that it's not exclusive to any particular resource - energy, water, transportation, logistics, services, waste, human resources, and training are all considered. NISP marks the beginning of a new approach to resource utilisation - the logical 'next step' in industrial growth'."

A key aim of NISP is to foster greater interaction and cooperation between businesses. The programme focuses on the larger goals of economic development and business growth rather than looking at environmental improvements and waste reduction alone.

The principal way in which NISP recruits members and identifies potential synergies is through 'Quick Wins' workshops. This has been likened to speed dating for business and involves company representatives sitting down with each other and, through the guidance of the NISP team, analysing their capacity and resource flows. These structured, facilitated forums have proved to be a very useful recruiting ground for members. At the same time, they provide a venue for exploring the opportunities for industrial symbiosis within the boundaries of specific subjects, for example environmental legislation or between one or two key sectors, for example, food and drink and transportation.

Engagement with the programme comes at no cost to participating members thanks to funding through DEFRA's BREW Programme.

The NISP East of England team is pleased to announce that a Quick Wins workshop has been arranged for the 7th December 2005 in Peterborough.

For more information or to book your place please contact Antony Gough on 01733 342197 or visit the website at http://www.nispregion.org.uk/eastengland. Please mention FoodEast if you make contact as a result of this news item.