International Synergies supports TransFIRe workshop
On the 19th April 2023, TransFIRe hosted its second Business Opportunities Workshop, held in partnership with Hull & East Yorkshire LEP (HEY LEP) and supported by International Synergies Limited (ISL).
The workshop was held at the RaisE Business Centre, Goole and was well attended by local businesses, academia and support institutes. Businesses that were in attendance included The Royal Mint, The Cast Metal Federation, Liberty Steel UK and Trent Refractories Ltd.
What happened at the event?
The workshop opened with presentations from HEY LEP, TransFIRe and Leeds University with topics including the outcome of a regional study conducted by ISL with leeds University to identify a viable IS model for the HEY region and support a sustainable circular economy approach. Research work on raw material substitutes created from waste materials was also of direct interest to the audience.
The main part of the event was the delivery of a resource-matching workshop using ISL’s internationally proven NISP® methodology that seeks to identify new business opportunities for participants’ waste resources. Within the hour and a half session, more than 100 resources were discussed with 244 potential matches identified from the audience, setting the scene for major carbon and cost benefits to the parties involved, and opportunities for demand-led innovation.
“It’s been great to see a cross-sector representation of foundation industries actively participating in a lively workshop session. We’ve identified an impressive number of potential matches between the delegates, which will aid them in reducing their own scope 3 emissions, delivering on the objectives of TransFIRe and contributing to the UK’s drive for Net Zero.”
Ian Humphreys, International Synergies’ Chief Operating Officer
More about TransFIRe
TransFIRe is funded by UKRI under the ISCF TFI challenge set out to develop innovative technology to reduce energy and resource use within the foundation industries, which include the cement, glass, ceramics, paper, metals and bulk chemicals sectors. The projects is looking at new ways to reduce waste and energy use and at a new research facility to accelerate development of promising clean technologies.
TransFIRe is a consortium of 20 investigators from 12 institutions, in addition to Project Partners from more than 70 organisations (including companies, NGOs and government organisations) related to the Foundation Industries (FI’s), with materials expertise across FI sectors as well as energy mapping, life cycle and sustainability, industrial symbiosis, computer science, AI and digital manufacturing, management and business, social sciences and technology transfer.