Pictured above: (l-r) Peter Laybourn (CEO of ISL) with
Jonathan Porritt
Birmingham based International Synergies has joined forces with
Staffordshire University to launch the world's first undergraduate
qualification in applied industrial symbiosis.
The 16-week course is available from September and has been
compiled by International Synergies, the world's leading expert on
industrial symbiosis; delivering programmes across the UK, Europe,
China, and North and South America. Chief Executive Officer, Peter
Laybourn, was recently acknowledged as one of the region's Top 50
Green Leaders by Sustainability West Midlands.
The module entitled, Industrial Symbiosis: A Practical
Introduction, will provide delegates with an understanding of the
concept of industrial symbiosis and how its approach can be applied
within a business context to improve sustainability and
profitability. The course includes a combination of classroom based
learning and direct experience, with learners being asked to apply
the knowledge gained in their own work setting.
Industrial symbiosis is based on the same principle governing
the natural eco-system; that all resources fulfill a specific role
in an industrial process and once used are recovered, reprocessed
or modified and reused elsewhere in the network.
This approach results in the sourcing of innovative, novel and
new input streams for industrial processes, while also increasing
the commercial value of non-product outputs (all material, energy
and water used in the production process but does not end up in the
final product) and non-material assets such as expertise and excess
capacity.
Dr. Adrian Murphy, Technical Director of International
Synergies, said: "More specifically, this module will provide an
overview of the need for businesses to be more environmentally
sustainable in the context of ecology, economy and society.
"We will also introduce the principles of industrial ecology,
explaining how business costs are directly related to resource
usage by examining ideas of resource productivity and efficiency,
and demonstrating how a structured, facilitated, symbiotic approach
can help achieve both.
"Learners will explore these key concepts before applying the
knowledge gained to their own work- place setting to demonstrate
the direct relevance of adopting an industrial symbiosis approach.
"
Once the 16 week module has been completed, learners will
achieve a University Certificate of Credit in Applied Industrial
Symbiosis.
A further three modules are currently being validated by
Staffordshire University and will apply the basic concepts to
company specific use of water (Module 2), energy (Module 3) and
managing carbon (Module 4). The Life Long Learning Network
part funded the development of all four modules.
The first module is being offered at an introductory rate of
£475 starting September 2010, with all first offering of
subsequent modules at that rate also. Matching funds may be
available to support companies' enrolment.