On 9 December 2021, the advisory board members and alliance partners of the WIR! alliance "Gypsum Recycling - Opportunity for the Southern Harz" came together for their third advisory board meeting to discuss the current status of previous and planned projects. Once again, the event took place virtually and the participants took part online from their respective locations.

Initiated by the team from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences - Prof. Ariane Ruff (coordinator of the WIR! alliance) and Jana Henning-Jacob, (research associate of the WIR! alliance) and the Verein für Regionalentwicklung e.V., the advisory board members, the representatives of the project sponsor Jülich from Berlin and the alliance partners discussed the current project results and planned work steps of the current seven projects and new project ideas for the coming years.

Dr Grit Losch, joint project coordinator at CASEA GmbH Ellrich, was able to announce that the joint project between CASEA GmbH and MFPA Weimar entitled "EcoStuc" - Development of a plaster mortar based on recycled gypsum - will start on 1 January 2022. The project has a total duration of two years. The same applies to the project "Abbinderegler" under the leadership of the Bauhaus University Weimar, which, together with other partners from industry, will investigate the use of four different types of gypsum and anhydrite residues or previously unused calcium sulphate sources in the cement industry over a project period of three years.

In addition, two new project ideas were presented and can be launched in mid-2022 on the basis of positive endorsement by the Advisory Board. The projects "MOBILGIPS - Mobilisation of gypsum waste using the example of dental technology and small quantities of gypsum-containing construction waste from private households" and an acceptance and sustainability campaign "Gypsum recycling - creating and promoting acceptance" will soon be launched by the alliance partners.

Last but not least, the update of the strategy concept for the WIR! alliance "Gypsum recycling as an opportunity for the southern Harz region" was presented, which, if approved by the project organiser, will open up great opportunities for further innovative projects in the innovative fields of gypsum recycling and alternative dry construction materials. At the beginning of the new year, the aim is to defend this concept and thus take another major step towards structural change in the southern Harz region.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) via the "WIR! - Wandel durch Innovation in der Region" programme.