Welcome to the New Edition of Symbiosis Stream!
Autumn has arrived in Kalundborg, bringing fresh energy and new momentum after the summer break. With plans, strategies, and activities taking shape, we look forward to an exciting season ahead.
This edition is special as we warmly welcome our new Head of Secretariat, Bjarke Skaanning, whose leadership will help strengthen the Symbiosis and drive new opportunities for innovation and sustainability.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————— No. 9, September, 2025
Bootcamp 2025 at Kalundborg Symbiosis
It has by now become a fine tradition that we at Kalundborg Symbiosis gather our member companies for a bootcamp to discuss current challenges, share experiences, and develop new strategies. This year’s bootcamp was no exception, as members met at Helix Lab for a day filled with inspiring presentations and engaging discussions.
Our new Head of Secretariat, Bjarke Skaanning, opened the event by outlining his vision for the role of the Symbiosis in a 2030 strategy and the direction we can take together.
Next, the Green Transportation Hub, represented by Nikolaj Klokholm from APM Terminals and Søren Arens from Gyproc, took the stage to highlight the necessary development of new infrastructure and the electrification of heavy transport. Collaboration across companies and sectors is truly at the heart of the symbiosis spirit: finding solutions that create value for both businesses and the local community.
The role of agriculture in the symbiosis of the future was also put up for debate, as Søren Gammelby from VKST introduced new perspectives that hold opportunities for both farming and industry.
Water as a resource was likewise examined by Hasse Milter from Kalundborg Utility, sparking lively discussions about analyses, challenges, and the many potentials we can explore together.
The day concluded with a workshop where participants worked on success criteria and deliverables for the Symbiosis’ overall strategic goals around “connect” and “promote.” Here, we focused on an important question: How can we in the future collaborate and support the establishment of symbioses beyond Kalundborg – and thereby strengthen the green transition both locally and globally?
A big thank-you to all participants for an inspiring day full of vision, ideas, and symbiosis spirit.
Symbiosis screenings
In connection with the annual update of the symbiosis diagram and the need for an ongoing dialogue about new collaborations and emerging synergies, the secretariat is conducting symbiosis meetings with all members during the autumn. We have already visited four, and the remaining ones will take place in October/November.
Through these meetings, we collect information about existing flows and new initiatives. We gather “forgotten” examples of synergies and explore current opportunities for collaboration, e.g. in office/storage and workshop capacity, innovation projects/Living Lab, local material exchanges, ESG, visitor services, etc.
In the spring of 2026, we will follow up with data collection on actual symbiosis flows for 2025 in order to calculate the overall impact in the form of key figures, based on the model developed in collaboration with Viegand Maagøe.
All of this is compiled in our knowledge bank and database to support our members and the partnership’s vision.
Symbiosis Run 2025
Kalundborg Symbiosis is not only about sharing resources, it’s also about community, collaboration, and local development. The Symbiosis is a living ecosystem where industry, people, nature, and history merge to create something truly unique.
It was a pleasure to take part in The Symbiosis Run 2025 and experience the strong engagement and togetherness across companies and individuals, while also celebrating Kalundborg Sports Association’s 100th anniversary.
This year’s event set a new record with 474 registered participants!
In the photo are representatives from the Symbiosis:
Steen Buhr Olsen (Schultz Shipping Group), Nikolaj Klokholm (APM Terminals), Brian Qvist Jacobsen (Intertek), and Nadejda Ulstrup-Hansen (Symbiosis Secretariat).
We hope that participating in the Symbiosis Run will become a proud tradition among Symbiosis members – because together we are stronger!
Kalundborg Symbiosis in Kenya
Kalundborg Symbiosis has taken part in a remarkable new collaboration in Ruaraka, Nairobi, where Mette Wendel from the Secretariat recently facilitated industrial symbiosis workshops.
This initiative is part of the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) between Denmark and Kenya, led by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen).
The story began in 2023, when Kenya’s Minister of Environment, Hon. Soipan Tuya, visited Denmark. Deeply inspired by Denmark’s circular economy and industrial symbiosis model, she asked Miljøstyrelsen to bring over five decades of Danish know-how directly to Kenya. And now, it’s happening.
With support from Denmark, the Strategic Sector Cooperation on Circular Economy has officially launched its first training sessions in Kenya, in partnership with the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and the Ruaraka Business Community.
Kenya is on an ambitious path, developing 47 new industrial parks and greening existing ones. Industrial symbiosis plays a key role in this transition by turning one company’s waste into another’s resource, benefiting the environment, the economy, and local communities.
The Kalundborg model, with its 17 companies sharing energy and resources, has already proven its value in Denmark and around the world. Now, this proven approach is being adapted to Kenyan conditions, offering a blueprint for sustainable industrial growth.
Sharing the Kalundborg Story
Since the beginning of August, we have been busy welcoming numerous delegations to Kalundborg. The Kalundborg Symbiosis model is recognized worldwide, and the stream of visitors has not slowed down since the 1990s, when the first article about it was published in The Financial Times — quite the opposite.
Since August alone, we have hosted 275 visitors eager to learn more about the Kalundborg Symbiosis and its unique approach to industrial collaboration. The visitors came from Denmark, South Korea, the United States, Estonia, Brazil, Sweden, and Finland, representing universities, ministries, government bodies, politicians, energy companies, students, and business networks.
It is invaluable for us that the members of the Symbiosis actively contribute to these visits, as many guests are especially interested in hearing directly from the companies about the value the Symbiosis creates for them and how it influences their operations in Kalundborg. There is also great interest in understanding how the City of Kalundborg benefits from the close collaboration between companies, and how this partnership supports local sustainable growth and development.
