In 2022, the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure connected with Danish partners to propose a high-impact knowledge exchange connecting Denmark and Portland. With funding from Scan Design Foundation and the Danish Energy Agency, CSI and their partners established the 2022 Portland – Denmark Clean Industry Exchange. The program was created to support two initiatives: making Portland a “Clean Industry Innovation Hub” and exporting from Denmark innovative, sustainable energy and industry solutions. With their visionary clean industry hub, Portland leaders are forging a collaborative, durable, multi-benefit approach to advancing a decarbonized, circular, and inclusive economy. This collaboration is born out of sharp conflict over Portland climate policies and promises big progress toward a thriving, prosperous, and inclusive economy in Portland. The Exchange included three elements:
- DK Study Tour. In June 2022, two dozen top civic and business leaders from Portland joined CSI in Denmark to study Danish clean industry initiatives. Portland leaders saw industrial symbiosis in action, with the aim of bringing back and putting to work valuable knowledge and ideas.
- DK Delegation to Portland. In October 2022, a Danish delegation visited Portland to provide expert consultations on profitable decarbonization to three Portland industries. The Portland group that toured Denmark was so inspired that they built an ambitious ‘Clean Industry Week’ schedule of stakeholder events for the Danes.
- Peer to Peer Learning. Agreements between Danish and Portland business, government and academia have been encouraged, to provide platforms for future collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Key partners include:
- Kalundborg Symbiosis Center
- Danish Energy Agency (an agency of the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy)
- The Consulate General and Innovation Centre Denmark in Silicon Valley
- City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS)
- Portland Business Alliance
- Scan Design Foundation
New 2024 Report: How Danish Industrial Symbiosis is Cleaning up the Pacific Northwest
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2023 Report: Symbiosis offers new tools for profitable and sustainable agriculture
A new study commissioned by the Washington legislature, Increasing the Economic Value and Sustainability of Washington’s Agriculture Sector Through Industrial Symbiosis, identifies sustainable opportunities for cost savings and new revenue streams for farmers and food processors across the state of Washington. Industrial symbiosis in Washington State has been inspired by delegation study tours to Denmark, funded by Scan Design Foundation.
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“We came back with a shared understanding and vision for an industrial sector that’s decarbonized, that’s circular and cleaner, and that benefits our regional economy and industry workers. Having that experience shared with a diverse set of stakeholders made it even better and our conversations and dreaming even richer. There’s no substitute for real time cross-sector collaboration. This trip was a game changer.”
CSI Center for Sustainable Infrastructure
