Grow with Green: Sustainable Manufacturing

For the last two days, I and my colleague Daniel Bianchi of the Center for Community and Labor Research have been meeting with companies and industry center leaders in Barcelona and Valencia, Spain.  The project, "Sustainable Manufacturing Regions", is funded by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.  The project continues with a week in Barcelona, Bologna Italy, Essen Germany, Denmark and Stuttgart Germany.

On this blog, I'll be posting initial reflections on what I'm learning about how companies are jumping barriers to entry in new environmental or clean-tech markets.  I'll also be reflecting on what regional and other governments are doing to assist firms in their regions to overcome barriers to entry.  The idea for the project grew out of the work our team has done at WIRE-Net, and in particular our work with GLWN, our Global Wind Network, in helping US and Canadian based firms connect to new market opportunities in the wind industry. 

A view of Barcelona's shipping operations.

In Barcelona, I toured a comprehensive manufacturing support organization, ASCAMM, as well as the very interesting Design Hub-Barcelona, where the pictures below were taken.  The photo below shows how data from an ultrasound device can be used to create 3-dimensional models of fetuses for use in medical treatment. Imagine holding such a model, instead of staring at a fuzzy image of your yet-to-be-born child on an ultrasound monitor.  For more photos of Barcelona and the Design Hub, click here.  A short drive to Valencia brought us to meetings with IMPIVA's team, and introduced us to their alternative energy cluster, AVA-ESEN.  We visited Power Electronics, a small firm that partners with the IMPIVA sponsored Energy Technology Institute to fuel growth of 30% annually, including their new product, solar power inverters, a product line that will comprise 20% of their total sales within a few years.  The visit wrapped up with our tour at Florida University in Valencia.  This unique cooperative owned and managed private university, offers high school, technical and degree programs in a variety of business occupations, including manufacturing engineering.

Just some of the interesting uses for the new rapid prototyping and 3-D, computer controlled manufacturing equipment featured at Barcelona's Design Hub.