{"id":884,"date":"2025-05-01T14:56:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T13:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kei-case-studies\/?p=884"},"modified":"2025-05-16T16:51:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T15:51:41","slug":"kemsley-the-local-business-collaboration-inciting-a-low-carbon-industrial-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kei-case-studies\/2025\/05\/01\/kemsley-the-local-business-collaboration-inciting-a-low-carbon-industrial-revolution\/","title":{"rendered":"Kemsley: identifying a blueprint for low carbon industrial symbiosis in Kent"},"content":{"rendered":"

With support from Kent Business School<\/a>, a cluster of businesses in Sittingbourne have established themselves as a shining example of industrial symbiosis and decarbonisation in the South East which could inspire other low carbon initiatives throughout the UK.<\/p>\n

The Kemsley Cluster<\/a> is the single largest in Kent, Essex and Sussex and consists of businesses which all have one thing in common; a drive to improve resource efficiency and long-term sustainability. Their recent project, funded by Innovate UK<\/a> and managed by Mace<\/a>, saw them work with Kent Business School researchers to apply a unique participatory approach to develop a shared decarbonisation strategy.<\/p>\n

Working towards a circular economy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sustainability is at the core of each business in the Kemsley Cluster. MVV Environment Ridham<\/a>\u2019s biomass facility uses old and waste wood as fuel to generate electricity; Knauf<\/a> produces energy-saving and recyclable gypsum-based products; Heathcote Holding<\/a>\u2019s Countrystyle Recycling<\/a> has become one of the leading independent waste management and recycling businesses in the UK; DS Smith Paper owns the largest mill for recycled papers in Europe in the UK and the second largest in Europe; and enfinium<\/a> uses waste that would otherwise go to landfill to generate homegrown energy.<\/p>\n

For over 30 years, they have worked together to explore opportunities to share resources, materials, waste and by-products for mutual benefit. This exchange of materials and the intricate sustainability relationships that have organically developed between them over time is known as \u2018industrial symbiosis\u2019.<\/p>\n

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An opportunity for impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Kent Business School first heard about the Kemsley Cluster, they knew it had potential to grow its ambitions.<\/p>\n

As Professor Kathy Kotiadis<\/a>, Professor of Management Science in Kent Business School, explains, \u2018Back in 2023, we saw an opportunity to support the Cluster to explore their energy needs and usage with a view to unlocking future funding that would benefit the entire consortium.\u2019<\/p>\n

Professor Kotiadis has over 20 years of experience in developing quantitative and qualitative modelling approaches and has worked with several industry partners, including Eurostar, the Port of Dover and HS1. Her unique participative simulation modelling approach, PartiSim, aids decision-making where multiple stakeholders are involved.<\/p>\n

\u2018Stakeholder involvement is vital to developing models which can address complex problems, such as how to achieve industrial symbiosis and decarbonisation. The PartiSim approach incorporates direct input from a number of stakeholders at almost every stage of the process. It ensures that everyone is equally involved and has access to the same information, which creates a sense of ownership, boosts confidence, and accelerates implementation and impact.\u2019<\/p>\n

Facilitating collaborative decision-making<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Professor Kotiadis initially worked with the University\u2019s Research and Innovation Support team to set up a 3-month consultancy project, co-funded by four of the businesses in the consortium, to develop a simulation model of their energy production and consumption. It was this that provided a springboard for their next project funded by Innovate UK.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Early in 2023, Innovate UK launched their Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans (LIDP)<\/a> competition,\u2019 explains Professor Kotiadis, \u2018Having already established a relationship with the Kemsley Consortium, we were able to provide evidence of what we could achieve together and prove to the funders that our next project was worth investing in.’<\/p>\n

The project in question also drew on the expertise of Reader in Operations and Supply Chain Management, Dr Virginia Spiegler<\/a>, Modelling Associates, Zsofia Baruwa<\/a> and Niki Ansari, and Professor of Management, Thanos Papadopoulos.<\/a><\/p>\n

As part of a wider programme of work project managed by Mace, the Kent Business School team modelled emissions and energy balance across the Cluster and used systems thinking modelling to map out how different social, economic and environment factors associated with the Cluster influence each other.<\/p>\n

A model for the future<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By adopting a participatory modelling approach to developing a decarbonisation plan the Cluster has been able to establish relationships with key local stakeholders and demonstrate their full potential to drive positive change.<\/p>\n

Output from the modelling project suggests that the Cluster were to combine their proposed decarbonisation strategies with carbon capture, it could achieve more than 500,000 tCO2 per annum of carbon removal from the atmosphere. From 2043 onwards, there\u2019s the potential for the Cluster to cover the decarbonisation targets of the whole of Swale.<\/p>\n

In demonstrating this, the LIDP project has placed Kemsley on the map, not just as a potential leader in industrial symbiosis, but as a blueprint for decarbonisation that can be replicated across the UK. They are now in a prime position to apply for follow up funding from the Government to take the next step on their decarbonisation journey and are being considered as a future \u2018living lab\u2019.<\/p>\n

Sustainable innovation is at the core of Kent Business School\u2019s research strategy, with many of the School\u2019s world-class academics collaborating with businesses locally, nationally and internationally to apply their expertise and knowledge to solving major societal challenges. Those interested in partnering with the School or wider University are encouraged to contact the Business Development team via email at <\/span>businessrelationships@kent.ac.uk<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n