Eco-industrial park - Circular economy: From theory to development practice

Overview of the Acceptance Program of Scientific Projects

The Council for Evaluation and Acceptance of Scientific Projects, consisting of 7 members, is chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Thien - Former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Group; members of the Council, including: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Van Thanh - Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Accountants and Auditors, former Vice Chairman of the Finance - Budget Committee of the National Assembly; Prof. Pham Van Thuc - Academician of the National Academy of Sciences (France), former Rector of Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Prof. Dr. Dang Kim Chi - Vice Chairman of Vietnam Association for the Protection of Nature and Environment; Director Nguyen Quoc Hai - Institute of Training, Consulting and Economic Development; MA. Tran Xuan Viet - Deputy Head of Science, Technology and Environment Department (Union of Vietnam Science and Technology Associations); Dr. Mai Van Sy - Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shinec Joint Stock Company, Director of Duyen Hai Company.

On the side of the chairing units, there were: Mr. Nguyen Thieu Anh - Chairman of the Management Council, Director of IOHEC Institute, Head of the Project; Mr. Pham Hong Diep - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shinec Joint Stock Company (Investor of Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park), Co-Head of the Project; Ms. Pham Thi My - Deputy Director of IOHEC Institute, Principal Researcher of the Project; Mr. Dang Viet Bach - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam-Japan Steel Company, Investor of industrial symbiosis in Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park, Principal Researcher of the project.

Attending the Program were the representatives and experts from the Research Group of the Institute of Health and Environment for the Community, Shinec Joint Stock Company; journalists, reporters of the press agencies, such as Vietnam Television Station, VTC Television, Hai Phong Television Station, People's Army Newspaper; all staff and reporters of the two press agencies sponsoring the communication of the project roadmap, which is the Health and Environment Magazine and the Business and Development Magazine.

Director Nguyen Thieu Anh presented an overview of the entire Project before the Acceptance Council.

Mr. Nguyen Thieu Anh, the Head of Project informed the Acceptance Council that the objective of the project is to study the Circular Economy as a method for the solution of the economy in the 4.0 era, through the role of the eco-industrial park model. At the same time, identifying the potentials, advantages, as well as obstacles in the practice of Vietnam's industrial parks, from which to propose solutions, have roadmap and scenario of conversion trend of normal industrial parks to eco-industrial parks; building a point model of eco-industrial parks and circular economy, with specific sets of criteria, in order to be able to sustainably apply them in practice, helping to increase the value of natural resources, increase socio-economic efficiency, and contribute to the common strategic program for the goal of sustainable Nation. Regarding the scope of the Subject, it is an overview of theory, lessons from world experience on building Eco-Industrial Parks - organizing a circular economy to the reality of Vietnam's industrial parks (not for all areas of activity); it is carried out according to the assessment, analysis and survey in a number of eco-industrial parks of the country, of which the point model is Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park (Thuy Nguyen, Hai Phong). The reason for choosing Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park as a point model is that the first eco-industrial park of which the operation mechanism is self-mobilized by the Vietnamese people, even though it is not part of the pilot program to convert to eco-industrial parks of the whole country (including 8 industrial parks), but this industrial park itself has built a model of sustainable resource management, exploitation and use of resources in a broad sense (both in terms of satellite resources and directly produced resources), in order to fully meet 2 approaches to the circular economy: at the economy's scale, establishing geographical spaces and in accordance with product and material industry groups. Thereby, beyond the context of an industrial park, the project model of Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park is oriented to become an "ecological industry", based on the criteria according to Decree 82 of the Government, creating the research target of the Subject from the first concept of the circular economy in Vietnam's industrial parks, identifying and proposing a set of criteria on circular economy that can be widely applied in the whole country.

The project applied the methods of comparative research, analysis - synthesis, survey, descriptive statistics. From an academic perspective, the circular economy is admitted in a philosophical direction, associated with human life, therefore, the project applies the doctrine of dialectical materialism, on the basis of practical theory of circular economy in the eco-industrial park as a form of matter that is symbiotic, circulative in a closed circle, suitable for each condition to transform from one form of matter to another. Accordingly, the material flow is always maintained, participates in operation and serves human society, through the format transformation by actively designing the entire system.

At the acceptance program, Mr. Pham Hong Diep, the Co-Head of the Project, presented a thematic report on the model of Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park, thereby highlighting the entire Green Business Community and Green Social Security Community in this industrial park. At the same time, through practical research, analysis and survey in a number of eco-industrial parks (in the pilot and non-pilot programs) of the country, to provide comparative data with the model of Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park. Kien. Then, clearly identify the innovation, creativity and efficiency of the point survey model of the Project, especially environmental protection, development and effective use of renewable materials, new energy associated with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting the circular economy in the waste management and treatment system, applying advanced technology, suitable to Vietnam's conditions on environmental industry development, and effectively using resources, aiming to successfully create Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park into a model eco-industrial park for industrial zones in the country to learn and apply.

On presenting before the acceptance committee, Mr. Dang Viet Bach, the principal researcher of the project - overviewed the industrial symbiosis chain in Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park, in which, emphasized the symbiotic chain in the steel industry. Accordingly, in order to successfully build an eco-industrial park, there must be industrial symbiotic links. In Nam Cau Kien industrial park, there are 4 groups of symbiotic manufacturing industries, including symbiotic structure chains with 18 steel-industry units, 8 plastic-industry units, more than 20 electronic auxiliary units, and other industry groups.

The Chairman of the Acceptance Council of the project, Assoc-Prof. - Dr. Tran Dinh Thien.

Evaluating the comments on the project, the Chairman of the Acceptance Council - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Thien emphasized: The project has studied the whole theory and practice of Eco-Industrial Parks – Circular Economy in the world and in Vietnam, laying the foundation for a very new problem in the context of the economic and industrial environment. It can be said that the project has gone beyond the grassroots level and is on par with the ministerial and state levels, with specific objectives and clear research methods on the basis of analysis, comparison, just having the scientific theory and high practicality as well. In particular, beyond the scope of researching industrial parks, the project of which the meaning covers the entire economy is an important document if businesses and investors know how to exploit, especially learn the criteria on eco-industrial and circular economy proposed by the project. In order to spread the project and put it into practice, the Acceptance Council proposed that the Board of Heads and chairing unit of IOHEC Institute should report to VUSTA to submit to the Government, helping ministries and branches to have a direction in amending Decree 82. On behalf of the Acceptance Council, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Thien announced the voting results of 7 Council members, accordingly evaluating and grading the Project as Excellent.

Previously, at the acceptance program, the Council members evaluated and commented carefully on the research results of the Project, conducted the voting process. Member of the Council - Assoc.Prof -Dr. Dang Van Thanh assessed: "The research work of the project has fully implemented, completed the research task, and provided a point model for practical application. Eco-industrial parks and circular economy are new issues in the research process, so the concepts of terminology and literary style in the research work are very valuable, both in theory and in practice. Research data and information are in representative nature, have clear and reliable sources. In terms of structure and content of the summary, there is a reasonable layout. The authors, research groups boldly made suggestions from the reality of Vietnam's industrial parks and Nam Cau Kien industrial park, to develop a set of criteria. Therefore, the IOHEC Institute should soon submit the project to VUSTA to report to the Government and send it to the relevant authorities, in order to widely disseminate and apply it in practice".

On agreeing with the comments of the Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Van Thanh, the Member of Council - Prof. Pham Van Thuc highly appreciated the scientific project. From the perspective of people working in the field of health - environment, Prof. Thuc said that the project meets the urgency in the current development context. The theoretical part has carefully presented international experiences and practical applications in Vietnam. In particular, through the critical assessment, Prof. Thuc suggested, it is necessary to include the health issue of workers in the industrial park as another research topic, in order to have a multi-dimensional view to compare the health of workers in normal industrial parks and in eco-industrial parks.

Having the same opinions and observations at the Acceptance Program, the Council’s members all emphasized that the project gave the connotation in industrial parks that were very important for businesses, so it is necessary to lead the 4.0 application into business management in industrial parks, eco-industrial parks. In a difficult context, if the businesses have patriotism and desire to contribute, they can do it. It is necessary to propose the State to have a policy to reward and commend the businesses that are in the forefront of national construction and innovation, especially those pioneering in operating eco-industrial parks and circular economy.

Speaking at the conclusion of the program, on behalf of the chairing units and the research group, Director Nguyen Thieu Anh expressed his gratitude and desire to continue receiving the companionship and comments of experts, scientists and delegates, so that the Project will become an intellectual product with high, suitable and replicable scientific content, keeping in closed touch with practical life in the general context of the economy, especially the area of industrial parks.