Objectives

Management & company level

Upgrading management skills

Create "Ecoprofit"

The project will support a number of 15 companies, which were selected by the Tianjin Foundry and Forging Industrial Association as representative for the foundry industry sector in Tianjin and China. Based on European best practice experiences the management of these companies will be enabled to implement the first time advanced environmental management systems based on cleaner production tools. Following the principle of help-to-selfhelp a durable process of continuous improvements will be started. The companies will start working with sophisticated tools to follow the cycle of planning their business activities, implement measures and investments, check them for effectivness and efficiency and improve their management accordingly for the future.

Already during the lifetime the project will lead to actual improvements in terms of reducing emissions and waste, saving of raw materials and energy, substituting hazardous substances and saving costs - which means Ecoprofit, creating economical and ecological benefits at the same time. Reducing risks improves occupational health automatically. Improved management and standards (environmental, quality, safty) will ease business co-operation with Europe.

The improvements achieved by the companies during the project will be honoured by an public award.

Consultancy level

Capacity building of experts

The implementation of cleaner production based management systems in the larger scale requires sufficient capacity on consultancy level. The project will contribute to the capacity building process in this respect. A number of three Chinese experts, selected by the project partners according to their CVs, will be trained during the project to the level of cleaner production and environmental management trainers themselfs. They will build the first stock of consultants on local level with in-depth and lively experience, how to replicate the approach in professional manner. Their qualification will be proofed by a certificate issued at project end.

Business level

Technology assessment

Match-making

The detailed investigation and check of processes and activities of the participating industrial enterprises, which is integral part of the used methodology, will allow an in-depth insight to actual and future requirements of specific technologies, equipment and services required to improve the performance of the foundry industry in China. These informations on demand-side will be linked with potential European companies on supply-side to inaugurate business co-operations beyond the actual project.

Sustain the action

Guideline for replication

The envisaged long-term effect is the replication of the used approach in the larger scale in China. This pilot project will generate the most important preconditions for this prospect: A fist number of Chinese companies having successful implemented cleaner production and having been awarded in public will give a perfect example. A first number of Chinese consultants having recieved the necessary qualification will be able to follow-up in professional manner.

Additionally the experiences derived from the project will be summarised to practical recommendations, how to initiate further similar projects in China. This guideline will be in ownership by Chinese partnerside and backed politically by the Chinese government.