What we face
One aim, one mission
– transfer are economy to the climate neutral and circular. As according to the current plan of the EU presented within the main
strategic documents, including Green Deal, we have stil many years until the deadline in 2050, to be successful the
concrete active steps need to be taken already today, to transform an industrial
sector and all the value chains. The
transition is an opportunity to expand sustainable and job-intensive economic
activity. However, the transformation is taking place at a too slow pace
with progress neither widespread nor uniform. The European Green Deal brings
the the conrete actions to support and accelerate the EU’s industry transition
to a sustainable model of inclusive growth.
One of the core methodology
needs to be adapted is the circular
economy which prioritise reducing and
reusing materials before recycling them. According to its significany the Circular Economy Action Plan have been developed
bringing the‘sustainable products’
policy to support the circular design of all products based on a common
methodology and principles fostering new business models and set minimum requirements to prevent
environmentally harmful products from being placed on the EU market.
Extended producer responsibility will also be strengthened.
While the circular
economy action plan provide general plan for the transition of all sectors, its actions will focus in particular on
resource-intensive sectors such as textiles, construction, electronics and plastics. The Commission will follow up on the 2018 plastics strategy focusing, among
other things, on measures to tackle intentionally added micro plastics and
unintentional releases of plastics, for example from textiles and tyre
abrasion. The Commission will develop requirements to ensure that all packaging
in the EU market is reusable or recyclable in an economically viable manner by
2030, will develop a regulatory framework for biodegradable and bio-based
plastics, and will implement measures on single use plastics.
How we act
The
initiative of transition to the sustainable industry was followed by national
authorities in Slovakia which formed the main strategy - The concept of intelligent industry for
Slovakia (2016) which represents the vertical, horizontal and digital integration of Slovak
industry together with the support of business, legal and social capacities for long-term sustainability. The aim of
this concept is to support the industrial development based on the
technological trends, rapid industrial globalization, changes in the industrial
structure and new requirements on the part of consumers. It aims to emphasize
the need for better adaptation; human resources through new business models,
new technologies and new methods of industrial production.
Following
the main nation strategy, Action plan of intelligent industry
in the Slovak Republic (2016) was released proposing the more concrete process plan based on the core
vision: Create conditions for the development of Slovak industry, which will
respond to global digital trends,
in order to increase the competitiveness of
companies leading to the sustainable growth of income, employment and quality
of life. According to the identified trends, needs and requirements, as the
basic prerequisite for the sustainable development of industry in Slovakia is a
sufficient number of skilled workers able to work in the conditions of smart
industry both at the level of industrial enterprises and at the level of SMEs,
their suppliers or customers.
What we do
Technical university of Kosice, as the
respected research authority in the region, is one of the strategic partner
representing the academic sector within the process of transition to sustainable industry end energy. Our wide range of experts
focusing on the various aspects regarding the potential and possible barriers
and in cooperation with the industrial partners develop new products and
services as the solution the actual demand, which are transferring the new technologies
into practise devices improving our living conditions following the principle of circular economy which is
still relatively unknown in Slovakia.
Especially to the aspect of circularity are focused several
projects supporting the capacity
building, regarded as the most needed according to the situation in
Slovakia today. As the example can be mentioned the project Innovations in
circular economy – environmental labels and declarations (Visegrad fund) which
provided the educational activities mostly for the researchers or the very
popular CITYCIRCLE project (Interreg Central Europe) which facilitated innovation and technology transfer and improve services and
business models in peripheral cities.
And as the primary mission of the university is
the education of young generations we are constantly improving also the content
and educational tools in this kind of process. The students are within the
lectures informed about the new trend and technologies often by authors
themselves while the new knowledge is
transferred into educational materials also systematically – e.g. as in the
case of the project Transfer of knowledge from scientific research activities
to the multimedia educational process in the study programme "Environment
and engineering production" - Development of methods to ensure the
environmental sustainability of production technologies. And another case can
be seen within the project Masters
course in circular economy for materials processing - collaborating, training
and supporting RIS countries to transfer knowledge and develop capacity which was implemented thanks to the support by EIT Raw Materials Platform initiated and funded by the EIT
(European Institute of Innovation and Technology), a body of the European
Union, which is the largest consortium
in the raw materials sector worldwide, with the vision to develop raw
materials into a major strength for Europe while our university is the proud
member of this exceptional groups since 2018.
Opportunities
Would you
like to support transition to the Green Economy?
Let´s find an opportunity for cooperation within open calls under Horizon Europe, Interreg Europe, Interreg Central Europe, or Interreg Danube for the topic of Sustainable Industry and Energy.
Would you
like to cooperate with us in the joint project development?
Do not
hesitate and click on the button below to meet with us!