Blog post by Mubarik Kassim Rabiu (ESR 6) and Heather Margaret Logan (ESR 14)
The Circular Plastic Network for Training (C-PlaNeT) consortium, which includes high-profile universities, research institutions and companies from across Europe, successfully concluded its final network training event (NTE 7). The NTE 7, held at the prestigious Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) in Greece on July 3 and 4, 2023, culminated the collaborative efforts.
NTE 7 commenced with a productive supervisory board meeting where key stakeholders discussed the progress and achievements of the C-Planet project. To kick off the event, Professor Dimitris Achilias of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki delivered an inspiring keynote address. Drawing on his extensive expertise in plastics research, Professor Achilias highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in solving the plastics problem. His speech set the stage for exciting and insightful presentations by the early-stage researchers (ESR) involved in the C-PlaNet project.
The ESRs, whose dedication and hard work drive the consortium's successes, took centre stage during the event. They presented their research findings, highlighting their unique contributions to the field throughout their tenure in the C-PlaNet project. The ESRs highlighted the comprehensive coverage of the C-PlaNet project. They demonstrated the benefits and opportunities to further our understanding of wicked problems through close collaboration and exchanging ideas between industry, academia, and disciplinary boundaries. Each ESR shared their research's struggles, successes, and future outlooks, proving they had gained significant depth and breadth of knowledge through participation in the ITN. They underscored the value of their innovative approaches to addressing the current challenges facing plastic materials and society.
In addition to the research presentations, the event featured keynote speeches from notable industry figures such as Dr Sylvie Vervoort, technical director of The Dow Chemical Company, and Dr Katharina Schlegel, director of Circularity for Plastics Europe, which further enriched the discussions. These presentations also allowed the esrs to apply their critical thinking and evaluation of circular transition needs to real-world cases and encouraged fruitful debate and discussion. The insights of these esteemed participants offered valuable perspectives and fostered a sense of collaboration between academia and industry.
The event was focused on more than academic presentations. The ESRs also had the opportunity to present the output of the Collaborative Learning (CooL) initiative, a children's book published in partnership with SuperTime Books. The children’s book underscored the consortium's commitment to engaging and inspiring younger generations to care for the environment. The melodic reading of a book chapter by ESR 5 and ESR 13 was captivating. In line with the EU H2020 projects commitment to opensource resources, the ESRs, the C-PlaNeT board, and the team at Super Time Books have made the book available for Free under a creative commons licence, meaning the book can be freely downloaded and shared (https://zenodo.org/record/8160166).
In addition to the research-focused sessions, the event included a career training session tailored for ESRs preparing for new opportunities. This session gave them valuable skills and insights to excel in their future endeavours and ensure they become the next generation of scientists, engineers, and policymakers for the circular plastic economy.
Overall, NTE 7 was a resounding success and represented the climax, but not the end of years of dedicated research and collaboration within the C-Planet Consortium. The knowledge shared at this event, the connections made, and the accomplishments celebrated will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the transition to a circular plastic economy.
To learn more about the C-PlaNeT project, please visit our website #https://www.c-planet.eu/ and stay up to date with our latest developments by following our LinkedIn page #c-planetproject
Join the discussion by hashtags: #CPlaNeT #CircularPlastics #NewPlasticsEconomy #SustainableFuture