Global overview

The trip will take place by bus from the 14^th of November up until the 20^th of November. The bus company for doing this is ‘De Avonturier’ and the driver is Ton Schellings. The trip itself can roughly be divided in three parts.

Part 1: Industrial symbiosis – Leverkusen

November 14

The trip will start off with a site visit to Covestro in Leverkusen. Covestro is a manufacturer of high-tech polymer materials and currently working on the transformation of an industrial park into an eco-industrial park. Here, we will learn about the management of such a project and work on a case study to provide useful input for Covestro, mostly related to innovation and sustainability.

In the evening we will head to Cologne to stay overnight in a hostel.

Part 2: Circular economy – Prague

November 15

After our Covestro adventure we will continue our trip towards Prague. Around halfway we will stop in Nürnberg to visit a sustainable brewery. Afterwards we will head for Prague to our hostel.

November 16

Our first full day in Prague will be focused on circular economy. In the morning we will visit Institut Cirkulární Ekonomiky (Institute of Circular Economy) to hear all about (the governance of) circular economy initiatives in Prague and the Czech Republic. They will cooperate with Veolia (multinational focusing on water, wastewater and energy) in providing us a workshop. In the afternoon we will head to Braasi Industries, a local company producing self-made bags from local (waste) materials. In the evening we will have dinner downtown.

November 17

The second day will start with a meeting at the University Center for Energy Efficient Buildings. Here we will discuss how to apply sustainable architecture in an old city like Prague. The afternoon will be spend to explore Prague.

November 18

The third day we will head out to Berlin in the morning.

Part 3: Urban ecosystems – Berlin

November 18

We plan to arrive in the early afternoon in Berlin. After settling in the hostel, a visit to an aquaponics farm, ECF Farmsystems GmbH, is scheduled. There we will be taught about the advantages and disadvantages of aquaponics, as well as how the process works.

November 19

This day we will most likely visit a project concerning the preservation of bees in Berlin. The content of this day is not entirely known yet.

November 20

We need to leave our hostel at 10.00 AM and will aim for that time to return to Leiden/Delft. There we will return approximately by 18.00 PM.