Launching conference for German RETech Partnership in Berlin

In December 2011, the German Environment Ministry's Recycling and Efficiency Technologies initiative (RETech Initiative) was transformed into the German RETech Partnership association. The newly formed association unites German closed cycle management companies and institutions of higher education. So the RETech Initiative, which had been established by the German Environment Ministry (BMU) four years ago, has successfully been handed over to private sponsors.

The purpose of German RETech Partnership is to improve export opportunities for producers, consultants and service providers from the waste management industry. The association's main purpose is to develop a platform for German closed cycle management companies that are interested in entering foreign markets, from industries such as mechanical engineering, waste management, and consultancy. The association has been formed by enterprises and higher education institutions that want to share their knowledge from international projects. On 19 March 2012, a launching conference was held at the German government's Press and Information Office in Berlin, attended by about 70 representatives of interested enterprises and other closed cycle management players. The association used the conference to present its future priority areas of action and projects, as well as the benefits that membership of the Partnership offers for enterprises and higher education institutions.

Representatives of the German government strongly welcomed the establishment of the Partnership and announced that they stood ready to engage in close and constructive cooperation with the association. Parliamentary State Secretary Reiche from the BMU emphasised that the Partnership's establishment was part of a long-term economic and environmental policy strategy pursued by the German government: "Our strategy is geared towards promoting the export of know-how, ideas and successful solutions to other countries and markets. In the field of closed cycle management, this is good for the environment and also good for enterprises." Reiche drew attention to the fact that the Recycling and Efficiency Technologies (RETech) initiative laid the foundation for a long-term exchange among closed cycle management companies, and for the new association.

Gudrun Kopp, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, noted that she looked forward to good and fruitful cooperation between the BMZ and German RETech Partnership, especially in view of swiftly growing populations in developing and emerging economies. She said, "In many countries, we are faced with a fundamental waste problem - before we can even start discussing recycling there, efforts are first needed to ensure proper waste disposal. There is a lack of infrastructure, a lack of organisation. We are hoping that decisive progress can be made in this regard, because illegal dumps pose considerable environmental and health hazards."

It is not only neighbouring countries in Europe and OECD countries that need modern waste management technologies and infrastructure, but increasingly also emerging economies and developing countries. German RETech Partnership is to become the central point of contact, provider of information and focal point for German closed cycle management companies that are interested in getting involved abroad, especially SMEs. German RETech Partnership will be the major player to support the long-term strategy of exporting "Closed cycle management made in Germany" to new markets. The new association will provide comprehensive networking opportunities for its members, thus also facilitating the forming of consortia that are able to submit bids in specific types of tenders and offer package solutions. German RETech Partnership will set up country fora that collect information on specific target markets and establish contacts with authorities and stakeholders on the ground.

The BMU as well as the BMZ and the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWi) will continue to accompany and support German RETech Partnership as members of its advisory council.