Just under a year ago, Syschemiq was little more than a name. The title for an organization that yet had to be formed with a firm mission: to take concrete steps toward recycling plastic waste.
An organization with access to €9.6 million made available by the European Green Deal Horizon subsidy scheme, and all because of an ambitious plan to develop a real business case within four years. A working demonstrator to show that it can be done: turning waste into new raw materials efficiently and profitably, the foundation for a new circular economy.
Speed
A plan with serious ambitions, drawn up by a consortium of 21 parties from five countries, together with initiators Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Maastricht University, SABIC and TNO as the catalysts. The enthusiasm was great when the subsidy approval arrived in the mail, but at the same time, it meant an increase in responsibility. Speed was of the essence; after all, what are four years to finish a job of this magnitude? The first task was to set up an organization that can deliver on these goals. And then the daunting task of getting 21 parties to work together, demanding time from specialists whose schedules were already bursting at the seams, and also produce concrete results. It was a challenge, to put it mildly. A job that Petra Doelman’s coordination team was eager to sink its teeth into.
Solid as a rock
And just look at them now. The fact that the organization is as solid as a rock was obvious during our first General Assembly in September at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen. The quickly formed working groups led by work package leaders did an unbelievable amount of work in a short period of time. They mapped out the broad plastic waste supply situation in the North-Rhine/Belgium and Southern Netherlands triangle, the technological state of affairs, how logistic flows should be organized in the future, and how to assess the demand for recycled plastic.
Impressed
I am impressed by the progress made and particularly the way we worked together. Government agencies, companies and knowledge institutes all trust each other, exchange knowledge and information, and listen to each other. Everyone is aware of the urgency and importance of this project and of Syschemiq, the project name we have come to embrace as the working title.
Progress
They also worked very hard in 2023, and we have every reason to be proud. We now have a group that wants to make progress, that much is clear. Our social media follower numbers are growing steadily. The plans for the coming year have already been worked out, meetings and consultations have been scheduled as has the second General Assembly in Lombardy, Italy. I’m really looking forward to this last event; it’s very exciting too as this is the mid-term meeting. Step by step, we are working on the demonstrator plant, an installation that will serve as a model for further circular innovations in Europe. Starting next year, we will start sharing our acquired knowledge more intensively with other regions in Europe.