We welcome you at the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management.

We welcome you at the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management. As a young institute we define our tasks as analyzing material and energy flows at regional and company/ operational level, spotting/ recognizing potentials for optimization and initiating implementation. It is our goal to enhance added value while diminishing environmental impact. Together with partners from municipalities, ministries, companies and many other actors we would like not just to plan but to implement a sustainable development.

Source : http://www.stoffstrom.org/en/institute/

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Research & Consulting

Focus of the research & development services is the holistic optimisation of material flows like biomass, water, waste, energy and resources. Material flow management supports sustainable economic approaches referring to closed materials cycles as well as the implementation of zero-emission strategies. According to the principles of sustainable development, material flow management must consider environmental, economic and social aspects. To meet the complexity of material flow management and related aspects, IfaS offers a wide range of research & development services in Germany and abroad:

    Material Flow Analysis,
    Material Flow Management Plans & Strategies,Feasibility Studies,
    Leadership & Partnership in (Inter-)National and European Research Projects,
    Academic Education and Training Programmes,
    Organisation of Conferences, Seminars and Workshops,
    Fundraising,
    Networking,
    Marketing and Public Relations.

Source - http://www.stoffstrom.org/en/research-consulting/

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Reaching for Success: Jeyantha Industrial Park

After finishing the half-way point of the trip, Travelling University reached its fourth and final destination: Jaffna, hometown of Jeyantha Industrial Park and NEFAD Foundation.

The Industrial Ice Manufacturing Plant was the main focus at the Jeyantha Industrial Park owned by Mr. Senthan who is its founder. The daily production of the plant is 400 ice cubes, which is the maximum plant capacity. The owner has plans to diversify his products portfolio by manufacturing plastic cups as the ice demand fluctuates throughout the year. Currently, his profit margin is low due to facing heavy competition. Financing new projects is a major issue he faces, due to the covenants set by the banks which issued the existing loans. He also wants to utilise the free land around his plant for cultivation, but only pomegranate and passion fruit grow in the area due to the unsuitable soil qualities. He had hopes of resolving his issues with the help of the Travelling University as its motto is to ‘bring out the students’ creativity to optimise the business competiveness of Sri Lankan SMEs’.

The final stop of the Travelling University was the NEFAD Foundation in Jaffna, owned by Ms. Nicholine Saminathar. It is a social organization with a labour force of 120 employees producing 150 sizes of fishing nets. As a fishing net manufacturer, NEFAD Foundation expected Travelling University to seek solutions for their high labour cost as well as the operating losses they continuously incurred. The government policies were making their situation more arduous, and the help of ‘student consultants’ was expected to generate viable solutions for NEFAD to improve the present scenario.

The students of Travelling University then came to face their final and most critical challenge of presenting the results of all the analyses and evaluations. The final presentation was a gathering of many invitees, including the representatives from SMEs as well as significant personnel from the local authorities. Reaching the Success, the ‘student evaluators’ were able to sum up their findings in an enthralling way, pleasing all the invitees. The final presentation concluded with the distribution of certificates to all the participants from five National Universities.

The ‘Traveling University’ (TU) is a signature seminar course of the International Material Flow Management (IMAT) master degree program offered by the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS). ‘Higher education for sustainable development’ being the motto of TU, in this interdisciplinary seminar course IfaS aims to deploy its expertise in tangible projects all over the world whilst giving the students the opportunity to put their acquired knowledge into practice in real time.

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Kings Ice (Pvt). Ltd

The third stop of the travelling university led the students to Trincomalee, hometown of the Kings Ice (Pvt) Ltd where the owner, Mr. D.B. Jeyakumar called the students for help. He owns an Industrial Ice Manufacturing plant started in 2013. He processes 450 ice cubes per day which are bought by fishermen. Ice manufacturing is highly affected by the fish production. Fish production varies due to business and environmental changes therefore it directly effects on ice manufacturing as well. Sometimes he needs to shut down the plant due to less demand, which he hopes to resolve with the help of the Travelling University as its motto is ‘bring out the students’ creativity to optimise the business competiveness of Sri Lankan SMEs’.

Hence, the students started to evaluate the “strength-weaknesses-opportunities-and-threats (SWOT)” of his current business structure and the future outline of his new factory being currently constructed. While analysing the company’s production process, material flows and energy flows the neuralgic points had been spotted: Market improvement potentials as well as energy, water and waste water management. Having identified the challenges, the “student consultant” immediately started to develop appropriate solutions for him laying out the technical details and business plans.

Initially, the students focused on energy related issues in the company. They suggested installing Variable Speed Drives (VSD) to the motor compressors and replacing new motors for Crushers to reduce electricity consumption of the company. Furthermore they suggested insulating the Ammonia distribution pipes and shading condenser from direct sunlight. The students also pointed out the importance of installing a Photovoltaic system to reduce total electricity demand by covering the total roof area of the company. The students found that the Nitrogen percentage of the fresh water is greater than the accepted value for human consumption. Therefore, water treatment methods known as “Ion exchange and Membrane Separation” were suggested by the students to reduce the Nitrogen percentage of fresh water. Another idea of improving hygiene of the process was suggested by the students which will be beneficial when expanding the market of the company.    

Yet again, the students and their senior academics proved that an interdisciplinary university-industry project jointly handled by five national universities can strengthen the backbone of the Sri Lankan society. Three completed and two more to go. Travelling university is now heading towards Jaffna.

The ‘Traveling University’ (TU) is a signature seminar course of the International Material Flow Management (IMAT) master degree program offered by the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS). ‘Higher education for sustainable development’ being the motto of TU, in this interdisciplinary seminar course, IfaS aims to deploy its expertise in tangible projects world over whilst giving the students the opportunity to put their acquired knowledge into practice in real time. 

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Ambitious visions for an ambitious traveling university! - Himalee Dairy Company

The second stop of the traveling university lead the students to Maradankadawala, home of the Himalee Dairy Company where the owner, Mr. C.A.H.M.N. Chandrasekara, called the students for help. In 1998, he started his small curd production with 3.5 litres of buffalo milk per day. Currently he processes nearly 5,000 litres a day and aims to be one of the biggest sustainable curd producers within the next five years. This enormous growth and their future expansion plans are associated with various business and environmental challenges, which he hopes to resolve with the help of the Travelling University as its motto is ‘bring out the students’ creativity to optimise the business competiveness of Sri Lankan SMEs’.

Hence, the students started to evaluate the “strength-weaknesses-opportunities-and-threats (SWOT)” of his current business structure and the future outline of his new factory being currently constructed. While analysing the company’s material and energy flows the neuralgic points had been spotted: supply chain management as well as energy and waste water management. Having identified the challenges, the “student consultant” immediately started to develop appropriate solutions for him laying out the technical details and business plans.

Fully exploiting their creativity and knowledge, the students developed new marketing concepts, product portfolio diversification plans, combined energy waste and waste water treatment by anaerobic digestion as well as a sound human resource development concept for his future staff demand. The final results of the one-day and nearly a full night’s work have been presented to the family members running the business.

‘Himalee Dairies. As you deserve the best’, is the new slogan for the newly developed product portfolio. The owners and the students are sure that this slogan will became a reality if the proposed concept parts and be turned into reality.

One more time, the students and their university supervisors proofed that an interdisciplinary university-industry project jointly handled by five national development can strengthen the backbone of the Sri Lankan society – the numerous small and medium sized family business operation throughout the island.

The travelling university heads off to Trincomalee, ready to take the next challenges and help the next companies on their way to their final target in Jaffna.

The ‘Traveling University’ (TU) is a signature seminar course of the International Material Flow Management (IMAT) master degree program offered by the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS). ‘Higher education for sustainable development’ being the motto of TU, in this interdisciplinary seminar course, IfaS aims to deploy its expertise in tangible projects world over whilst giving the students the opportunity to put their acquired knowledge into practice in real time.

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Serendipol (Pvt) Ltd, Kuliyapitiya

The first destination of TU 2014 was Serendipol (Pvt) Ltd in Kuliyapitiya, a virgin coconut oil manufacturer and exporter to the Western countries.

The processes as well as all the other operations were examined by TU 2014 team and the suggestions were made in order to overcome the identified issues with regard to management, technical and production operation aspects.

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Traveling University 2014

Travelling University (TU) is a signature seminar course of the International Material Flow Management (IMAT) master degree program of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS), a leading German non-profit research institute of the University of Trier. Among other things IfaS works in the field of regional economic development and works in Sri Lanka since 2010. Supported by GIZ - SME Development project of GIZ - Sri Lanka,
IfaS aims to give the university students the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in real-life situations and tangible projects, which creates a link between Sri Lankan Universities with the industrial sector.

Principle objective of TU is to innovate and add value to SMEs through the application of renewable energies and energy efficient technologies, sustainable resource management practices, industrial symbiosis, and Circular Economy. The regional dimension of this action and approaches are aimed at optimizing the SMEs’ and neighboring regions’ profitability and sustainability collectively by activating regional potentials. Activation of regional potentials pave the path to creating Regional Added Value (RAV) that enhances the business competiveness of SMEs while achieving environmental and social sustainability.

In this project the main focus is on to identify the issues faced by some selected SMEs and to deliver real life optimization strategies with regard to their energy consumption and material use. The solutions shall be based on the status quo system and short- and long-term goals of the SMEs. It is expected that the ultimate findings of the TU would help the respective SMEs as well the industry as a whole in optimizing their energy and material consumption through renewable and sustainable sources at a lower cost.

Twenty students from five national universities are participating in the program. The universities include the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL), University of Moratuwa (UOM), University of Jaffna (UOJ), Uva Wellassa University (UWU) and the University of Peradeniya (UOP). Student Consultants (SC) participating in the TU have different specializations such as science, Mineral Resources and Technology (MRT), business administration, commerce, agriculture, animal science and engineering.

Student Consultants are formed into four different working groups considering a gamut of characteristics such as the gender, university attended, discipline of studies, languages they are c conversant with, as well as their ethnic background in order to ensure the balance of each group.

The TU groups and their lead-role are as follows:

Organization and Communication Group (ORGA) overlooks the organizational aspects of the TU, data collection processes, communication and information dissemination of TU while acting as the communication hub of the whole project. Material Flow Analysis (MFA) Group is responsible for analyzing the current monetary, material and energy flows of the observed system to identify shortcomings and optimization potentials. Technology and Engineering Group analyzes technology-based improvement options and managerial aspects of them outlining the qualitative and quantitative improvement potentials while the Finance Group is tasked to deliver the business plan for the identified technology improvement options.

The 10-day long TU journey is on the road from 9^th to 18^th October 2014, travelling from Colombo to Jaffna visiting a few selected companies such as Serendipol (PVT) Ltd in Kuliyapitiya, Himali Dairy Farm in Maradankadawala, King’s Ice Manufacturers in Trincomalee as well as Jeyantha Ice Manufacturers and NEFAD Foundation in Jaffna. The journey will be concluded on the 17^th of October after the final presentation of works, which will reveal the findings of TU.

This TU program will certainly involve lot of hard work but however, this will be an enormous opportunity for the enthusiastic students who love to enhance their abilities and skills in many areas while being exposed to the real world conditions.

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