Founders of the “Zero-Emission Network”, the City of Kragujevac and the Regional Economic DeVelopment Agency for Sumadija and Pomoravlje, organized the seminar  “Zero-Emission concept – education and promotion” at Business Inovation Center, Kragujevac, on 29 Jun, 2011.

The seminar was the official beginning of the project under the same name, which is implemented in cooperation of the “Zero Emission Network” and the German organization for technical cooperation – GIZ in Serbia.

The methodology of Material Flow Management is the goal oriented, efficient use of materials, material streams and energy, with the goals given by ecological and economical areas and by observing social aspects. This triple orientation of environmental, social and economic issues makes MFM a tool of high importance in the field of sustainable development (of industry, towns, regions and nations), Circular Economy and strategy of zero-emission. Zero-emission treats the use of waste as resource, which is emphasized in the definition of the term of zero-emission given by the Unated nations University: “The use of all componentsin the closed economic and environmental cycles in order to avoid waste in favour of progress”.

Circular Economy is technically, socially and financially feasible  with large investments, technology transfer and permanent training. Circular economy requires new management structure, and permanent planning and applience of MFM principles in all economy sectors.

The participants of the seminar were adressed to by:

• Nenad Popovic, the executive director of the  Regional Economic Development Agency for Sumadija and Pomoravlje
• prof. dr. Dobrica Milovanovic, the City Council member for foreign cooperation.

In the introductory part of the seminar  Mr. Velimir Mitrovic, the president of the Zero-Emission Network Managing Board spoke about the association of the “Zero-Emission Network”. Apart from the brief review of the association’s activities and the plans for the future, Mr. Mitrovic illustrated the basic concept of zero-emission with the examples of good practice applied in the town of Čačak.

Mr. Michael Knaus – the head of the department for international cooperation of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management – IfaS Birkenfeld, assisted by Ms. Dragana Oberst – director of the Technology Transfer Center  South-Eastern Europe held the speech with the topic “Strategies and methodologies of development and implementation of zero-emission and MFM projects”. The seminar presented many cases of good practice from the whole world in the implementation of which the experts of IfaS took part.