Abstract
Industrial Symbiosis (IS) deals with the set-up of advanced circular/cascading systems, in which the energy and material flows are prolonged for multiple material and energetic (re-)utilization within industrial systems. To facilitate the technology-enabling environment of IS systems, this work deals with the identification of recurring patterns in IS systems of specific IS case studies and deduction of elementary blueprints and structural units, setting an initial cornerstone to pool and synthesize existing IS knowledge and to deploy this knowledge base in an Information Technology (IT)-supported IS tool, which would remarkably advance the scope of action and development of IS systems. An explorative cross-case analysis was conducted by investigating 80 IS case studies in depth in order to illuminate recurring (key) patterns in IS systems by generalizing and abstracting IS main structures, compositions, resource exchange activities and measures. It has been shown that similar IS sectoral partnerships and resource exchanges have recurrently formed in different regions and hence, generalizable patterns can be deduced. This study identified common IS compositions, sector clusters and key/core/anchor entities and synthesized a content basis for a database of an IS resource exchange catalog based on existing/available IS information, which can be used in an IT-supported IS tool. It contains information of specific IS resource exchanges, broken down by industrial sectors, differentiating providing and receiving sectors and which respective exchanged waste flows were processed into which secondary material/product. Once this fundamental information/data base is incorporated and applied in an IT-supported IS tool, it enables the facilitated recommendation of potential IS partners and IS actions to optimize existing IS cases or to initiate IS development. Especially, first IS germ cells of (key) entities can be derived and connected to each other considering individual circumstances and (geographical) business environments.
Highlights
Today’s era is called “the Anthropocene” [1], as human activities have become the main driver of global change
This study is embedded in an overarching project, addressing the development of a holistic Information Technology (IT)-supported Industrial Symbiosis (IS) tool covering an information exchange platform among industrial actors, system analysis, transformation simulation and sustainability goal-setting [16]
This research focus to approach answers of the research question (RQ): Which recurring patterns can be identified in existing Industrial Symbiosis systems and which elementary blueprints and structural units can be deduced for the deployment in an IT-supported tool? an explorative cross-case analysis was conducted by investigating 80 IS case studies in depth in order to illuminate recurring patterns in IS systems by generalizing and abstracting IS main structures, compositions, resource exchange activities and measures
Summary
Today’s era is called “the Anthropocene” [1], as human activities have become the main driver of global change Global challenges such as climate change, increasing freshwater consumption, chemical pollution [2] and limited resource availability have emerged and triggered social, governmental and economic activities. In order to stay within the planetary boundaries [2], ecosystem functioning and services to human societies need to be maintained in a safe operating range. These complex and partly interdependent challenges need to be approached in an appropriate and comprehensively sophisticated way to meet the multi-faceted perspectives of sustainable development. Circularity and resource efficiency measures are emerging priorities on the European Union (EU) policy agenda [3]
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