We are already seeing encouraging results from this spring’s visit to Telemark by a delegation from the Lubelskie region of Poland, according to Thor Sverre Minnesjord, CEO of Green Business Norway. As a direct result of the dialogue and the connections established between the delegation, Green Business Norway members and leading politicians in Telemark county, the parties have taken the initiative to pursue two specific project opportunities on a commercial basis.
Representatives of Lubelskie and Lublin, the regional capital, seized on the solutions presented by Tomra and Lindum: collection points where consumers can return empty glass and metal containers and plastic drinks packaging, and recycling stations employing Lindum’s solutions for setup and operation. The parties are now in discussions to draw up specific proposals for the region.
On a political level, the visit was a continuation of the dialogue between Lubelskie and Telemark facilitated by Green Business Norway in 2011. The key topic was possible cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable management of water resources. Leading politicians are also interested in studying more closely the possibility of joint projects in the education sector, emphasizing entrepreneurship classes as a possible focus area.
The Polish delegation was led by Slawomir Sosnowski, deputy governor of the Lubelskie region, and Stanislaw Kalinowski, deputy mayor of Lublin. Among the people they met were Terje Riis-Johansen, county convener, and Didrik Bakken, business adviser, from the County of Telemark. Thor Sverre Minnesjord, CEO, and Bjarne Paulsrud, chairman, represented Green Business Norway. In addition to Tomra and Lindum, Aquateam, BioPrePlant, Fugro Oceanor and Septik 24 all gave presentations to the delegation. On study visits to Lindum and Tomra, the guests had the opportunity to see the solutions in action
