CHINA - bilateral cooperation in green electronics

The proposed project addresses the global problem of toxicity and deficient processing routines pertaining to electronic waste, through facilitating innovation within the field of electronics production and the implementation of new, more environmentally sustainable technology. Through connecting actors in Norway and China involved in the research and development of green electronics, WNRI aims to further the ongoing global effort to ensure environmental sustainability. R&D challenges mainly pertain to d iscrepancies in the prioritization of environmental goals in China and Norway. Environmental concerns rank lower on the political agenda in China than in most Western countries, including Norway, and as a result, environmental sustainability obviously ran ks lower as a criterion for industrial production in China. It is expected that Chinese research communities and institutions mirror this lag to a certain extent, creating a risk that suitable research partners for future projects in green electronics wil l be scarce. Hence, as funding follows prioritizations, there is a chance that succeeding in receiving project funding from Chinese research programmes and institutions will prove difficult. Moreover, it is vital for the achievement of project goals that we succeed in identifying research programmes, Norwegian as well as international, that allow for long-term bilateral research. There is a clear potential for innovation and commercial exploitation of green technology, as the new technology is already i n place. Conpart AS, a Norwegian partner, is engaged in the development of novel micro-technology with the ability to replace the harmful substances currently in use, with concomitant nano-technology remaining a possible avenue of future expansion. Encour aging Chinese implementation of green electronics technology, as well as strong Norwegian participation in processes of electronics innovation is obviously of great commercial as well as scientific interest.