RISERS Consortium Gathers in Berlin to Advance the Industrial Symbiosis Standardisation Roadmap

The RISERS consortium of the Horizon Europe project “Roadmap for Industrial Symbiosis (IS) Standardisation for Efficient Resource Sharing” held its third project meeting on March 5–6, 2025, at the DIN headquarters in Berlin. The meeting focused on reviewing the project’s progress and planning the next steps towards the development of the first Industrial Symbiosis Standardisation Roadmap.

Now entering its 15^th month of implementation, the RISERS project has already reached several key milestones. Led by DIN, the consortium conducted a comprehensive analysis of the existing standardisation landscape, reviewing approximately 800 international and European Technical Committees (TCs) to assess their relevance to industrial symbiosis.

In parallel, under the coordination of the University of Ghent, RISERS identified 10 priority industrial synergies with the highest potential to promote resource-sharing partnerships across sectors. These synergies form the foundation of the forthcoming IS Standardisation Roadmap, highlighting key areas where standardisation can drive industrial symbiosis forward.

To deepen understanding of current standardisation activities in this field, CEN-CENELEC, in collaboration with DIN, conducted a stakeholder survey, the results of which are currently under analysis. Additionally, Fraunhofer ISI and ISL are leading consultations with key policymakers to explore the regulatory dimensions of industrial symbiosis, focusing particularly on the interplay between End-of-Waste criteria and the definition of By-products. Insights from these discussions will contribute to policy recommendations aimed at removing regulatory barriers and enabling industrial symbiosis at scale, with final recommendations expected in June 2025.

Shaping the Future of Industrial Symbiosis Standardisation

A central part of RISERS’ next phase is the establishment of thematic Working Groups, bringing together experts from industry, academia, standardisation bodies, and policymaking to collaboratively define the content of the Industrial Symbiosis Standardisation Roadmap.

The kick-off meeting for these Working Groups is scheduled for March 28, 2025, and RISERS warmly invites interested experts to join this effort. Broad participation from diverse sectors is essential to ensure the Roadmap reflects a wide range of perspectives and practical needs. Further details on the call for experts are available below.

RISERS in Action

As awareness of RISERS grows, the project has already made its mark across Europe. To date, RISERS has been presented at 13 external events, reaching over 500 participants, and has hosted four dedicated workshops, bringing together 160 stakeholders to exchange knowledge and collaborate with related initiatives, including the Horizon Europe project CORALIS and the LIAISE COST Action.

What’s Next for RISERS?

The development of the Industrial Symbiosis Standardisation Roadmap is now fully underway. The Roadmap will identify priority areas for new standards and deliver actionable recommendations for both standardisation bodies and policymakers. Key upcoming activities include:

Launching Working Groups to produce thematic reports, which will feed into the Roadmap. These reports will be presented at a hybrid plenary meeting in Brussels in November 2025.
Delivering policy recommendations to address regulatory barriers to industrial symbiosis, particularly concerning waste legislation and by-product classification.
Continuing interviews with industry leaders and policymakers, ensuring the Roadmap and policy proposals are grounded in real-world needs and challenges.
Initiating the work on the identification of IS relevant standardisation activities in R&D&I projects together with the definition of gaps and opportunities.

For more information about RISERS and opportunities to get involved in shaping the future of industrial symbiosis, please visit our website (https://raisers-project.eu), follow us on LinkedIn or contact directly info[at]risers-project.eu.

DIN Team, many thanks for organising our meeting.