On the 20th-21st June, a workshop was held in Düren, Germany, organized by the project BIO2REG, in which Matís is involved. Sustainability consultants at BioökonomieREVIER which works on behalf of the research institute Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, held the workshop "Circular Bioeconomy in practices - Discovering value chains in bioeconomy model regions" on behalf of BIO2REG, in the premises of the paper factory Reflex GmbH & Co. KG.
The workshop was attended by a diverse group of people, including stakeholders in the region, experts in the field of bioeconomy and business owners working in the field of paper production in Europe. The program included both presentations and guided discussions, as well as a visit to the over 150-year-old paper factory and its activities were presented to the guests. The factory specializes in certain types of paper, including document paper, and it is nice to report that certified Icelandic document paper is produced there.
The next day we went on a tour of North Rhine-Westphalia. The hosts were visited and their activities in the field of agriculture and soil cultivation were presented. Another stop on the tour was the village of Morschenich-Alt, which has been largely abandoned for over a decade. The reason for this is that coal was to be dug where the village now stands. Most of the residents therefore sold their homes to the energy company and moved to Morschenich-Neu. Since then, plans for continued mining in the area have been abandoned, including due to protests by climate activists, and now the village is being rebuilt.
Morschenich-Alt is not the only village in the area that had to give way to mining. The Hambach mine was also visited, but it is a huge open pit coal mine that is still in use. There are plans to close all coal mines in the region by 2030. BioökonomieREVIER has the mission of accelerating the green transformation of the region. The project advises companies, farmers and regional authorities on how to transition from an economy based on fossil fuels (coal) to a bioeconomy.
The workshop was a huge success and the participants went home happy. An important debate arose about the effects of transforming regions, not only for the economy but also for society. At the beginning of September, a workshop will be held in Iceland, organized by Matís and the Swedish Research Institute RISE which deals with research infrastructure. Registration for it will soon open, but it will take place on the BIO2REG website and will be advertised on Matís' media. The program will be published soon.