The group included Prof./Dr. Minoru Fujii from the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) of Japan/Tokyo University, Dr. Seiya Maki from the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) of Japan, and Dr. Makiko Doi from EX Research Institute Ltd.
The visit included stops at Sysav, E-on, Kraftringen, NSR and Reco Park, Öresundskraft, the Embassy of Sharing in Malmö, and Svensk Plaståtervinning in Motala. Among the visits, the group visited IIIEE on August 27 and 30, where they exchanged knowledge on a variety of topics. On August 27, Dr. Naoko Tojo provided an overview of the differences in waste management between the two countries during lunch, drawing on her 30 years of research experience in Sweden. Dr. Thomas Lindhqvist delivered a lecture on “Swedish Waste Strategy and EPR” from a historical perspective. Dr. Lars Strupeit discussed the “Circular Economy in the Solar Power Sector.” From the Japanese side, Prof./Dr. Fujii presented on “Life Cycle Carbon Neutral: A System that Achieves Carbon Neutrality Throughout the Life Cycle of Plastics,” followed by Dr. Doi's presentation on the “Municipal Solid Waste Transportation System for LCCN.” These presentations led to a wide-ranging discussion on the possibilities and challenges of CCUS.
Furthermore, on August 30, IIIEE Director Prof. Jenny Palm welcomed the group and shared her extensive knowledge on Sweden's district heating and its decarbonization. This was followed by lunch and a broad exchange of academic insights, including discussions on balancing the engineering and social rationales of science and technology to achieve a sustainable transition to a decarbonized society. Prof./Dr. Fujii commented that he would like to utilize this experience in their future research and social implementation. This kind of collaboration is very meaningful for deepening scientific understanding and promoting cross-cultural exchange towards carbon neutrality.
