The SPIRE-SAIS Alliance will soon celebrate its half-way point in cooperation for the identification and exchange of expertise. This four-year Erasmus+ project addresses potential skills shortages related to growing energy demand, while also helping to provide workers in Europe with the necessary competences for future job profiles in the sector. Industrial symbiosis aims at optimizing the use of resources at the socio-industrial system scale, in response to increasing environmental and social issues.
H2O-People (parent organization of EJWP) is a proud partner in the SPIRE-SAIS Alliance, coming from the water sector where our team is contributing to project areas including defining a detailed list for job profiles related to industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency. During this journey, we have developed a better understanding of key requirements for these two aspects, and which job profiles can be developed in order to support transitions to more widely incorporating related approaches. We have also seen the need to evolve our perspective on water by recognizing it through some of its different applications: wastewater, drinking water and industrial water.
A key need for the SPIRE-SAIS mission comes from the increasing demand for energy as result for economic, digital and technological developments around Europe. This challenging environment requires updating the qualifications, knowledge and skills profiles of the workforce in the industrial sectors. The Alliance spans the energy intensive industrial sectors represented in the project: chemicals, steel, engineering, non-ferrous metals, minerals, water, cement, and ceramics.
The project mid-term event will be held on the mornings on 3–4 March 2022, to represent a key moment in the path of the project. The conference will gather experts in various organizations and the European Commission with expertise related to the main theme: “A Cross-Sectoral Skills Strategy for Industrial Symbiosis and Energy Efficiency – Empowering the European Industry to contribute to the green transition.” EJWP Director Naomi Timmer and Veronica Manfredi, Director, Quality of Life, DG Environment of the European Commission, will be featured speakers at the mid-term conference. Ms. Manfredi is also an EJWP Ambassador!
To find out more about SPIRE-SAIS, join us on 3-4 March by registering at this link.