From innovative waste recycling technologies to cooperation models between universities and industry
We closed the year 2024 with a successful Collaborative Research Gap Identification Workshop on 17-18 December in Lillafüred (Miskolc), where researchers from the University of Miskolc, TU Delft and LUT University addressed the challenges and possible solutions for a sustainable circular economy and established new, promising fruitful collaborations.
The aim of the workshop was to identify and prioritise research gaps, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and lay the foundations for future impactful projects. The focus was on bridging the gap between academia and industry, stimulating practical innovation and aligning research with emerging trends and societal needs. Four interdisciplinary research groups were formed, critical research areas were identified and preliminary project proposals were developed.
Preparatory meetings were important steps in the preparation of the workshop in November to discuss the research results of the research teams. The meetings resulted in preparing a list of research gaps that the research groups wanted to share with their peers during the workshop and work on developing them further as research or project proposals.
The workshop opened with a welcome speech by Prof. Dr. Gábor Mucsi, Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, followed by a presentation of the workshop objectives and agenda by Mohammad Jaber, who then introduced the research team leaders and invited them to present the latest work of their research team and a summary of research gaps.
Participants introduced themselves in an icebreaker session, and based on this, 4 groups were formed, where researchers with similar research interests and experience worked together to address research gaps.
Researchers were first individually worked within the groups on a summary of the issue they were working on or identified as a research gap. Later, and after completing this activity, they could discuss their summaries with their peers sitting next to them to find similarities and clusters. Within the groups, they narrowed down their ideas, prioritised them and worked to find a common topic that would allow them to collaboratively evaluate them during the workshop and later build them into a research or project proposal. The participants, divided into four groups, presented their findings and proposed solutions. Each group presented their ideas to all participants for feedback and discussion.
Our research teams have made their first joint steps in the following focus areas:
Recycling of glass waste, highlighted the importance of recycling construction and demolition waste and other glass waste and stressed the importance of reducing CO₂ emissions by reducing the production of new glass through recycling; mechanical treatment and gasification of municipal solid waste: Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) gasification as a method to facilitate CO₂ sequestration; Zero-waste processes of waste batteries for critical metals production; Challenges in polymer recycling and Bridging university-industry collaboration.
The workshop ended successfully with the formation of research teams, and the project will continue to support them by providing mobility and opportunities for conferences and journal publications.