InSym

The InSym project aims to enable digitally supported industrial symbioses in the city triangle of Solingen, Remscheid and Wuppertal together with local industry, urban production and other stakeholders. To this end, the project participants are planning a digital solution that will support companies in entering into industrial symbioses. In doing so, the project aims to identify previously untapped potential for cooperation, resource efficiency, circular economy and the regional economy.

In an industrial symbiosis, one company uses something that another company does not (or no longer) use or need. This can be materials, semi-finished and finished products, energy – for example in the form of waste heat – or capacities and infrastructures such as storage capacities, machine capacities, logistics infrastructures, etc. The exchange of these materials or other infrastructures can also be a good idea. In this context, the exchange of these materials or other resources is beneficial for both parties.

Within two years, the project aims to successfully implement at least two so-called pilot symbioses in the region. These are symbioses initiated by the project and intensively accompanied from the beginning. The learnings from these will be incorporated, among other things, into the further development of the digital solution, which is intended to support the creation of many more symbioses in the region and beyond. The project will also examine whether the solution should be flanked by additional services, such as events or consulting activities. The target group of the project consists of companies and stakeholders from the City Triangle of Solingen, Remscheid and Wuppertal in the fields of industry, urban production, logistics, craft industries, urban manufactories, but also agriculture and the municipal Infrastructure.

The project is based on an intensive exchange with companies and other players in the region, for example from the municipal environment or committed initiatives and networks, throughout the entire duration of the project. This ensures that solutions are developed in line with requirements. Regular interactive events are planned with the intention to gradually expand the circle of companies and stakeholders involved. In addition, there is a working group in which the project team works together with dedicated companies and stakeholders from the target group in order to further develop the solution, lay the foundations for the pilot symbioses.

A "symbiosis manager" coordinates contacts and exchanges between companies. As a central point of contact, she is happy to receive questions and tips on industrial symbioses from companies and other players in the region.

InSym is one of a total of seven sub-projects of the joint project "Urban Production in the Bergisch City Triangle – Competitiveness, Innovation and Neighborhood Development". This joint project is funded by the NRW Ministry of Economics and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is a collaborative network of companies, initiatives and science in the city triangle.