So Now Asia’s collaboration with ECOR has successfully taken a new step to fulfil our ambitions to create a Circular Economy in Japan.
During the past months, ECOR has formed a partnership with Saga City and Morodomi Furniture Promotion Association in hopes of co-creating circular furniture based on unused fiber-rich residue streams.
By converging Saga City’s goals of creating a bio-based economy built on circulating resources, Morodomi Furniture Promotion Associations’s premium furniture craftsmanship and ECOR’s technological advances to turn fiber waste into panels, the partners have collaboratively created a set of prototyped furniture that aims to drive a new production line towards Circular Economy.
On the occasion of the G20 meetings in Japan and in anticipation of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, this first set of prototyped furniture was presented during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the parties,
held at the Netherlands Ambassador’s residences in Tokyo on June 14th 2019. It included:
During the signing ceremony, as witnessed by The Netherlands Minister for Environment Mrs. Stientje van Veldhoven, the partners signed to
pursue:
The creation of a Panel corresponding to the Circular Economy, using unused resources from Saga.
Development of Furniture and Interior material for Temporary Facilities for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 using the Panel and corresponding to the Circular Economy
The establishment of a pilot plant to produce Panel corresponding to the Circular Economy in Saga.
Earlier that week, on June 10th, the Mayor of Saga City, Mr. Hideshima, had presented the furniture to The Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Collaboration Mrs. Kaag. The adjoining networking reception was honored by a surprise visit by Minister Katayama of the Japanese Minister of State for Regional Revitalization, Regulatory Reform and Gender Equality.
Strengthened by this governmental support and encouragement, So Now Asia will further strive to work with ECOR and its partners to showcase Circular Economy in Japan. The next step is to find commercial collaboration with Japanese partners.
In support of this endeavor, ECOR
received DHI subsidies by RVO, The Netherlands Enterprise Agency. DHI is a subsidy scheme for demonstration projects, feasibility studies or investment preparation projects.
So Now Asia and ECOR are very grateful for the support they have been given in Japan. In light of this recent success, So Now Asia is determined to pursue its strategic growth planning with ECOR and is hoping to expand the global brand’s project to more nations worldwide.
The newspaper in Saga also reported on the event:
Morodomi Furniture Promotion Association
More information at:
Saga City
More information at https://www.city.saga.lg.jp/
ECOR
More information at www.ecorbenelux.com
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