Think Tank „Industrial Resource Strategies“ Inaugurated

The State of Baden-Württemberg establishes think tank at the KIT.

Umweltminister Franz Untersteller, Präsident Holger Hanselka (Foto: Laila Tkotz, KIT) — From left: Professor Jochen Kolb, KIT, Professor Holger Hanselka, President of KIT, Franz Untersteller, Environment Minister Baden-Württemberg, Thomas Mayer, Managing Director of the Chemie-Verbände Baden-Württemberg. (Picture: Laila Tkotz, KIT)

Baden-Württemberg as a state lacking substantial quantities of raw materials and a location of high-tech production depends on the efficient use of raw materials and recycling of resources from waste. To cope with the challenges in resource economy and to support the companies in Baden-Württemberg, the state government decided on January 09, 2018 to establish a Think Tank “Industrial Resource Strategies” together with industry and science. Today (February 20), the Baden-Württemberg Minister of the Environment, Franz Untersteller, officially opened the Think Tank at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

“Resource extraction, resource utilization, resource efficiency, and resource recovery are in the responsibility of politics and industry,” Untersteller said to the about 75 invited representatives of industry, politics, science, and administration. “The Think Tank is to enhance dialog between industry and politics, as it will only be possible to implement a viable resource strategy with the know-how and practical knowledge of the companies in the state.”

“Limited availability of resources plays an important role in the development and advancement of new technologies. For this reason, we consider it our obligation to use resources sustainably and responsibly,” said the President of KIT, Professor Holger Hanselka. “I am very happy that KIT, based on its broad range of disciplines, can make valuable contributions to the Think Tank for the benefit of society, economy, and environment in our state.”

Complete text: Press release 016/2018

le, 20.02.2018