dare to change the world
i-SUP2012 expects your expertise on Cleantech to transform our planet Earth in a sustainable way
On 19th April, 2010 at the start of i-SUP2010 in Bruges, the volcano Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland prevented all air traffic over Europe. It was a small example of how a natural disaster could have such an impact even in the western world. In the mean time oil spills, forest fires and floods all over the world made clear that we are facing large changes and disasters if we are not prepared to adapt and to mitigate to climate change. Many of you did not make it to come to Bruges for i-SUP2010. Therefore, we intend to return to Bruges and give you another chance to visit this wonderful city where medieval and modern society meet in a sustainable way.

Indeed, the fast growing world population and our way of living drives our Earth to put pressure on climate, resources, environmental assets and biodiversity. These strains destabilize our key societal states linked to energy production and distribution, transport and mobility, industrial processes, urban and rural planning. By avoiding the impacts, we should no longer respond via cleaning technology (e.g. waste water treatment) but change into clean technology.

i-SUP2012 invites you to Bruges from 6th to 9th May, 2012, to discuss and present your ideas and results on Cleantech leading to climate change adaptation and mitigation and a sustainable world. Together with stakeholders from policy, society, industry and research we will plan and design new energy systems, new transport and mobility concepts, sustainable industrial processes for materials and chemicals, and we will work on new urban and rural plans based on sustainable principles.

2012 will be the year of Flanders famous geographer Gerardus Mercator (°1512). The development of better geographical maps led to a faster exploration of the world and its natural resources. A sustainable world should not exhaust these resources but turn them into a blessing by exploiting them sustainably. i-SUP2012 will again produce new world maps, of the cities, of the industrial parks, of nature and its role to provide us with food, feed, fibres, fine chemicals, fuels and fertilisers (F6). Come and present your scientific ideas allowing for full development for all of the Earth’s inhabitants without negative impacts for the generations. We will pay special attention to developing roadmaps for sustainable energy, materials, chemistry, and produce, and a new vision towards "Transition". We will also evaluate sustainability and the impact of cleantech initiatives on health and society.

The themes of the parallel sessions during i-SUP2012 will be:

* Urban Development
* Rural development
* Transport & Mobility
* Energy
* Materials
* Chemistry
* Products

For more information, visit the i-SUP2012 site.