Town officials return from Denmark study tour exploring industrial symbiosis and green-industry partnerships

Town Manager Rich Capold and Mayor Jody MacLeod reported that they, Economic Development Director Joe Stallings and other state and regional delegates attended an industrial symbiosis study tour hosted by the Danish Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen in May.

Capold said industrial symbiosis is a collaborative approach in which separate industries exchange byproducts, energy and materials so that one firm’s outputs become another’s inputs, reducing waste and costs. He said the delegation included county commissioners, officials from the state Department of Environmental Quality, professors from Duke University and NC State, state commerce representatives and chamber representatives.

Capold described site visits to multiple industries and wastewater-treatment facilities and said the Danish example (notably the historical Kf8lleborg/Kf8benhavn industrial symbiosis examples) showed long-term inter-industry collaboration over decades. "It was really enlightening, to see how these different industries are able to kinda set aside some of the more competitive elements of how they would operate, and be able to work together to really find ways to support each other," Capold said.

Mayor MacLeod said the trip allowed Clayton officials to explore how elements of the Danish model might be adapted locally, particularly given Clayton’s industrial and biotech presence. She and Capold noted opportunities in green-energy and biopharmaceutical workforce training that could benefit local economic development.

Next steps

Capold said staff and council will continue conversations with state partners and local industry to assess whether and how to pursue industrial symbiosis practices in the Clayton area; staff said they will brief council with more detailed recommendations in future meetings.