NISP was the world’s first national industrial symbiosis programme.

NISP was originated as three pilot schemes in Scotland, West Midlands and Yorkshire & Humberside in 2003.

One of the reasons for the programme’s overwhelming success is the way in which it was managed and delivered. The programme operated with nationally coordinated operational focus underpinned by a local delivery structure. It is the NISP teams’ knowledge and insight into specific regional agendas on the economy and environment that enabled the programme to have such a positive impact across the UK.

Through the NISP network, NISP identifies mutually profitable transactions between companies so that underused or undervalued resources (including energy, waste, water and logistics) are brought into productive use. NISP participants included micros, small and medium businesses (SMEs) and multinational/corporates from every industry sector. International Synergies has developed proven industrial symbiosis methodology, tools and systems that can be applied at any scale and in any economy based around the world’s first National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP®).

NISP provides a proven blueprint that can be adapted and replicated anywhere in the world. Since 2007 International Synergies has exported its NISP® model to more than 20 countries at a national or regional level through a capacity building model. Additionally, International Synergies has provided strategic industrial symbiosis consultancy and readiness training to over 10 additional countries.