Center for Sustainable Infrastructure

10/02/2026

On Thursday, the Washington Ports & PUDs Study Tour got to visit GreenLab & Port Esbjerg!

GreenLab is a greenfield industrial park built on the concepts of industrial symbiosis, resource efficiency, and economic development. Delegates enjoyed a presentation and site tour with CEO Thomas Helsgaun and were full of inspiration, ideas, and questions for him all day!

The Study Tour's final port stop of the trip was the Port of Esbjerg! The delegates enjoyed learning about the development of the port, from fisheries to oil and gas production to the world's largest offshore wind hub. There is no good way to prepare for the mega-scale of the offshore wind components! Thank you to Karen Sandrini for welcoming our group to the port, and thank you to Assistant Harbor Master Kurt for a wonderful guided tour of the port, including Green Sands, the brand new carbon capture system.

Learn more about this trip at https://www.sustaininfrastructure.org/knowledgeexchanges/2026-washington

10/02/2026

Seattle folks, be sure to attend this event!

US Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, is an engaging speaker. He'll be sharing an insider's perspective on the important relationship between the US & Denmark and the role of diplomacy in a changing world. Of course, the recent signing of the trilateral agreement between the US, Denmark, and Greenland will be top of mind.

Registration link in original post.

Do you ever catch yourself wondering, what in the world is going on with the US and Denmark?? Now’s your chance to get clarity on the never-ending headlines from this insider’s perspective! Join World Affairs Council and Scan Design Foundation on 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝟱:𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺 for a conversation with Rufus Gifford, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝗦 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸.
In conversation with World Affairs Council President and CEO Jacqueline Miller, Ambassador Gifford will provide an insider's perspective on US-Denmark relations and the role of diplomacy in a changing world. Join them to explore the countries’ enduring ties, Denmark's strategic importance to US interests, and the future of the alliance.
Register now to connect with fellow global affairs enthusiasts at this conversational event and w**e reception: https://www.world-affairs.org/event/u-s-denmark-relations-people-partnerships-and-the-future-of-the-transatlantic-alliance/U.S.–Denmark

10/02/2026

Portland people, this will be a great event - don't miss out!

US Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, is an engaging speaker. He'll be sharing an insider's perspective on the important relationship between the US & Denmark and the role of diplomacy in a changing world. Of course, the recent signing of the trilateral agreement between the US, Denmark, and Greenland will be top of mind.

Register here: https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/event-details/greenland-at-a-crossroads-a-conversation-with-rufus-gifford

Join Nordic Northwest, and the Scan Design Foundation for a evening fireside chat with former ambassador Rufus Gifford!

09/29/2026

Our Washington Ports & PUDs Study Tour is underway! Over the tour, delegates will learn about Industrial Symbiosis and bring ideas & inspiration back for their home communities. The tour kicked off with a visit to State of Green Denmark, where wonderful discussions were had about energy & biomass utilization, district heating, data centers, and the history of Denmark's green transition!

This tour is made possible through the support of Design Foundation and the time and energy of Washington Public Ports Association & Østergaard.

09/23/2026

Our Valley Our Future / Nuestro Valle Nuestro Futuro held a fantastic event last Thursday, September 17! With fruitful discussions on shifting local utilities into industrial symbiosis, building an agricultural circular economy in north central Washington, establishing a wood processing facility in Chelan County, and even a table exercise on connecting entities to symbiosis, the symposium was filled with valuable information, passion, and enthusiasm!

09/21/2026

Amazing last day of the Oregon IS Study Tour!

On Friday we started with a workshop with Esbjerg Kommune Municipality. Esbjerg is known as the Green Energy Metropolis of Denmark. As home to Europe’s largest offshore wind service port and a growing cluster of renewable energy companies, the city also pioneers innovative district energy systems and sector coupling solutions that integrate renewable power, heating, and industry. Together, these strengths make Esbjerg a key driver of Denmark’s green transition and a gateway for global energy collaboration.

Then we ended with a farewell dinner in Malmö, Sweden, to reflect on the knowledge and experiences we've gathered throughout the week and how we can take the learnings home to benefit our local communities.

A big thank you to our Oregon delegates and our Study Tour partners, Scan Design Foundation and Business Oregon, for supporting this knowledge exchange!

Learn more about our trip at www.sustaininfrastructure.org/knowledgeexchanges/2026-oregon

09/19/2026

Day 5 of the Oregon IS Study Tour!

We toured GreenLab, a circular energy park for businesses contributing to the green transition in Denmark. Here, companies are supplied with sustainable energy from multiple sources, tailored to their production needs, and connected through the SymbiosisNet™ – a smart grid that enables the sharing of surplus energy and resources.

Then we toured Port Esbjerg, which is the world’s largest base port for offshore wind and a frontrunner in Europe’s offshore sector. Once a fishing harbor, it has transformed into an energy hub with activities like Power-to-X production and a science centre, driving job creation, investment, and population growth in the city.

Thanks to our Study Tour partners Scan Design Foundation and Business Oregon for supporting this knowledge exchange.

Learn more about our trip at www.sustaininfrastructure.org/knowledgeexchanges/2026-oregon

09/18/2026

Amazing day 4 of the Oregon IS Study Tour!

Our group took a walking tour of Aarhus' South Harbor district, where the city is working with the residents to maintain the character of the town while upgrading the neighborhood.

We first toured the Aarhus Vand, which is a Danish public limited company owned by Aarhus Municipality. They operate throughout the entire water cycle, creating a climate-adapted, sound environment, growth and export, all of which must be to the benefit of customers and stakeholders. Their activities comprise rainwater disposal - including climate adaptation projects, the production and distribution of drinking water, the transportation and purification of wastewater, the emptying of private holding tanks as well as safeguarding a balanced and healthy water cycle.

We then toured the Aarhus Havn - Port of Aarhus, which is Denmark's largest commercial port. It was one of the first ports in the world to join the Science Based Targets initiative and is committed to the ambitious goal of keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees. They are working to become carbon neutral in their operations by 2030. The new South Harbor District (Sydhavnskvarteret) in Aarhus represents one of the city’s most distinctive urban transformation projects. Sydhavnskvarteret is Aarhus’ urban laboratory for circular and mixed-use city development—where sustainability is pursued not only through technology, but through reuse, density, social diversity, and preservation of local identity.

Thanks to our Study Tour partners Scan Design Foundation and Business Oregon for supporting this knowledge exchange.

Learn more about our trip at www.sustaininfrastructure.org/knowledgeexchanges/2026-oregon

09/17/2026

Thank you to PerMøller, Nadejda Ulstrup-Hansen, Hannes Reuter, and the whole crew at Unibio for a wonderful day of visits at Kalundborg Symbiosis! Our group loved learning about the biomass utilization in the concrete under our feet, the pipeline of academic trainings and discoveries driving innovation, and a thorough discussion of the process of IS project implementation.

Thanks to our Study Tour partners Scan Design Foundation and Business Oregon for supporting this knowledge exchange.

Learn more about this exchange at www.sustaininfrastructure.org/knowledgeexchanges/2026-oregon

09/16/2026

On Day 2 of the Oregon Industrial Symbiosis Study Tour, delegates visited the State of Green Denmark, a not-for-profit, public-private partnership between the Danish government and the country’s three leading business associations (Danish Industry, Green Power Denmark, and the Danish Agriculture and Food Council) and discussed Denmark's successful transition of its energy system after the 70s oil crisis. Using industrial symbiosis, Denmark now enjoys a secure energy supply and a highly competitive economy.

Thanks to our Study Tour partners Scan Design Foundation and Business Oregon for supporting this knowledge exchange.

Learn more about this exchange at www.sustaininfrastructure.org/knowledgeexchanges/2026-oregon.