Industrial Extensions for the Environment

What are Industrial Extensions for the Environment?

The model for industrial extensions comes from the Green Revolution, when countries around the world established assistance organizations to "extend" support to farmers. Agricultural extensions were designed to maximize the productivity of farms by providing information on appropriate agricultural practices and technologies. Similar to agricultural extensions, industrial extensions provide assistance to industry.

Services include developing technologies, processes, and management skills to maximize industry's productivity and competitiveness. Increasingly, industrial extension organizations are promoting eco-efficiency, which maximizes the use of materials and resources and eliminates the inefficiencies of waste and pollution. US-AEP is strengthening Asian industrial extensions for the environment to better support Asian industry's needs for cleaner, more eco-efficient business practices.

What is US-AEP Doing to Promote Industrial Environmental Extension Systems?

US-AEP identifies extension organizations in the textile, electronics, automobile, chemical, and food processing industries. A variety of industrial extension organizations exist throughout Asia within government agencies, business or industry associations, consulting groups, academic and educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and research and development groups.

US-AEP's goal is to identify these organizations and work with them to promote concepts of eco-efficiency and cleaner production. US-AEP works with organizations that are substantively engaged with industry and already have an active and aggressive industrial outreach program.

US-AEP provides technical assistance to Asian industrial extensions on eco-efficient practices and processes. After the industrial extensions are identified, US-AEP provides resources that enhance their capabilities in the areas of cleaner production and eco-efficiency. US-AEP facilitates training, exchanges, workshops, and the gathering of information. These programs help increase the level of proficiency for the industrial extensions and the industries they serve.

US-AEP develops institutional linkages that facilitate the transfer of information and technologies from the United States to Asia. A wealth of valuable information exists within government, nongovernmental, educational, and corporate institutions for the development of cleaner industrial facilities. Many institutions already realize the importance of sharing resources for cleaner production and need only be "plugged" into an information network. By linking industrial extensions, organizations share information on experiences, practices, and technologies. Through professional exchanges, workshops and seminars, US-AEP provides opportunities for Asian and U.S. institutions to work together for cleaner industry.

What Benefits do Extension Organizations Offer to Companies?

Each extension organization offers a variety of services depending on the needs of their target companies and industries. Services provided by industrial extensions include: