Traditional approaches to managing waste streams are often not flexible or innovative enough for the environmental challenges we face. BizMaker, through the Innovation Power for Green Transition project, has therefore developed a simple structure to help industrial companies identify and sort valuable residual streams that can pave the way for new circular business models, collaborations and increased profitability.
Johan Vestberg, Business Developer at BizMaker, has for many years worked at the intersection of industry, startups and supporting and developing new companies. In his work, he has encountered a recurring challenge - a lack of knowledge, information and reliability about the capacity of residual streams.
- A key challenge for industrial companies is to evaluate which residual streams should be prioritized and how they should be integrated into the main business to create real value. And how they can be reused in other industrial processes and by startups.
BizMaker, led by Johan, is now introducing a simple structure for how industry can classify their residual streams to make it easier to reuse. This will make it easier for companies to find partners and commercialize the waste.
The structure involves dividing the waste into three categories:
A-Level: Residual streams with guaranteed volume, quality and availability.
An example is ash from a boiler operated with a defined feedstock. This category offers a reliable and immediate opportunity for reuse or commercialization, making them an attractive resource for companies.
B-level: Residual streams of varying quantity and quality, requiring flexibility to be utilized.
An example could be heat or steam that is sometimes used in the main business, but sometimes results in a surplus. These streams offer potential opportunities, but require more flexibility and strategic planning to be effectively utilized.
C-Level: Future residual streams that may emerge and offer new opportunities.
Residual streams representing the future potential streams that may emerge and offer opportunities for industrial symbiosis. This may include different types of sludge or nutrients.
The developed structure will now be disseminated and tested by companies along the Norrland coast through the project Innovationskraft för grön omställning, which is coordinated by the North Sweden Cleantech network and consists of innovation actors from Sundsvall in the south to Luleå in the north. One of the participating actors is RISE Processum in Örnsköldsvik, which has extensive experience of working with the management and processing of residual streams from industry.
"If we can find a common principle for classifying residual streams, it can facilitate and accelerate the industry's green transition," says Helena Näsström, senior project manager at RISE Processum.
This structure will also create greater opportunities for industrial symbiosis. This means that different industries work together to use each other's waste streams, reducing waste and increasing efficiency. As companies share resources and expertise, waste from one industry can become a resource for another. This helps to reduce environmental impacts while increasing profitability and innovation in the industry.
About the project
The Innovation Power for Green Transition project aims to help SMEs in northern Sweden grow and become more competitive by exploiting the opportunities of the green transition in industry.
By making innovation environments and test beds visible and accessible, we will strengthen the ability of companies to create and improve products and services. In addition, the project enables increased access to knowledge and tools for systematic innovation work for SMEs. Thanks to the project, we can promote cooperation in innovation between companies and other actors such as industrial companies, academic institutions and research institutes.
The project owner is Skellefteå Science City and other partners are Arctic Business, BizMaker, Piteå Science Park, RISE Processum, Umeå Municipality, Uminova Innovation and Örnsköldsvik Municipality.
Contact
Johan Vesterberg, Business Developer BizMaker
070 669 74 59, johan.vestberg@bizmaker.se
Helena Näsström, Senior Project Manager, RISE
010 516 67 46, helena.nasstrom@ri.se
