UNIDO Press Release 27 September, 2007: Director-General Kandeh Yumkella and Minister Janos Koka open the 2nd UNIDO Technology Foresight Summit in Budapest

 

a pdf version of this press release is available here

view or download Joint Ministerial Statement: “Towards Zero Discharge of Industrial Pollutants Present in Wastewater”

Budapest, 27 September, 2007
In a joint press conference at the Europa Congress Center in Budapest, Hungary, UNIDO Director-General Kandeh K. Yumkella, and Hungary's Minister for Transport and Economy, Janos Koka, launched the 2nd Technology Foresight Summit “Water productivity in Industry” (www.unido.org/foresight/summit/2007). Water productivity is the ratio the amount of water used to the value of output from the industrial activities using this water.

The three-day event is organized by the UNIDO in cooperation with the Hungarian government and co-funded by the governments of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The summit focuses on water productivity and the sustainable use of water in industry. It will review concepts and good practices on supporting technology and innovation. Experts in the field and high-level government representatives will discuss future trends, strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for their countries, companies and regions, which can be addressed through early mobilization of technology and knowledge with the strong involvement of business sector.

The UNIDO Director-General pointed out that “Technology Foresight has increasingly been recognized worldwide as a powerful instrument for establishing common views among policy-making bodies on future development strategies. Its novelty stems from the wide participation of major actors, such as Government, academia, industry and civil society, to develop a systematic foresight mechanism for recognizing long-term trends in scientific, technological and economic development, as well as social needs. The aim, of course, is to identify the emerging technologies with the highest potential of contributing to economic and social benefits.”

The summit will develop recommendations for the support of key technological developments in water productivity and water quality. It will aslo serve to strengthen awareness of the importance of technology foresight in fostering competitiveness and innovation.

Only three percent of the total world water is freshwater and industrial consumption is constantly increasing. Industry, as one of the largest water consumers, has the responsibility to use water resources rationally and therefore needs to increase water productivity, reduce water pollution and optimize its re-use and recycling. Technology foresight is the main tool for the identification of innovations for optimizing the use of water in industry and raising water productivity.

The Summit in Budapest is organized in four parts: a Symposium on Water Productivity in the industry of the future; a Water Technology Fair of the Future; a Ministerial Round Table and Technology Foresight thematic panels. It will take an important step towards the implementation of policies and strategies for improved water security and sustainability, as well as to the initiation and implementation of national foresight exercises at all levels. A major goal in the Ministerial Round Table marking the end of the Summit is to find a common understanding on a “Zero Discharge” agreement.

Future application of industrial technology should encourage the achievement of zero water discharge at both enterprise and local levels, a reduction of freshwater intake from rivers, lakes and aquifers; an increase of industrial water productivity and a prevention of water pollution by industry.

Minister Koka expressed his pride in the fact that several Hungarian companies are among the enterprises presenting their environmental technologies at the “Fair of future”: “The Hungarian Government is aware of the fact that a knowledge-based society and economy demands high level of knowledge, which appears in new, marketable products and services. Science and innovation are essential factors in competitiveness and sustainable growth”.

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