Symbiosis, zero-waste goal and resource-sharing potential for UAE industries.

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.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) allows the use of the resources of a productive chain, based on collaboration between companies, finding ways to use the waste of one as inputs or raw materials for the other entity. IS seeks to generate environmental sustainability, maximize resources, and generate social, environmental, and economic benefits based on the physical exchanges of waste, residues, and materials, which generate various advantages for companies and environmental benefits for society. Over the years, research has been conducted worldwide on the implementation of IS in business settings and case studies related to IS in countries with strong economies; however, no papers mapping studies on IS that are focused on emerging and frontier market countries have been identified, and academic literature on research in these countries is also scarce. In this research, an in-depth review of the literature on IS cases in emerging and frontier market countries was conducted to provide future researchers with information on the similarities, weaknesses, strengths, and elements to consider in addressing the topic and closing research gaps in the area. In addition, a mapping was made of the evolution of studies on IS according to country, economic activity, distribution by journal, year of publication, methods used, barriers and drivers in the case studies, and the importance of this topic in the current academic context. In Asian and developing countries, the integration of companies and economic activities takes place in industrial parks, and they have legislation and government regulations that support IS. On the other hand, in the United States and Africa, integrating various sources such as energy, water, coal, and waste in industrial environments is at an early stage of development, and opportunities are being identified to promote IS between companies. This research interests a broad audience, including investors, regulators, policymakers, and researchers interested in fostering IS in emerging and frontier market countries as a mechanism for industrial and economic development.

The increasing depletion of nonrenewable resources has motivated society to find alternate sources and methods of industrial processes. This problem can only be solved by using the resources that are given by nature in such a way that they can be spontaneously renewed, namely through sustainability. Industrial symbiosis (IS), which is the substitution of raw materials used in an industrial process by another resource that would otherwise be discarded, is the key to sustainability in industry. IS is an alternative to a conventional linear economy (take–make–dispose) in which one keeps resources in use for as long as possible, extracts the maximum value from them during use, then reclaims and reproduces products and materials at the end of each service life. The initial step in developing a symbiotic relationship is to define possible relationships between production firms. Many studies have shown that lack of data on waste streams is one of the significant barriers to IS establishment. In this study, by screening IS case studies in the literature, a construction industry–related symbiosis database, namely SymbioConstruction, is developed as three modules in which the necessary data are provided to waste seekers to utilize/send a specific waste and to stakeholder seekers to establish symbiotic relationships by exchanging wastes. Then, the database is tested with two steps: (1) evaluation on the ecoindustrial parks, and (2) evaluation on the construction materials industry. The exploratory results of the evaluation show that the SymbioConstruction is able to identify the major amount of construction industry–related symbiotic relationships realized in ecoindustrial parks located around the world. Furthermore, it also shows that the main producers of construction materials have the opportunity of implementing symbiotic relationships in terms of sending and receiving wastes for utilization. The practical contribution of this study is in the form of a database in which the guidance is provided to practitioners for decision making in symbiotic relationship implementation with respect to the identification and selection of possible stakeholders. Two methodological contributions are also provided: (1) a generalized method for identifying sector-oriented potential IS implementations, and (2) a generalized method for storing those IS opportunities.

Analysis of industrial symbiosis case studies and its potential in Saudi Arabia

Industrial symbiosis (IS) fosters collaboration between industries to exchange materials, energy, water, and by-products. It contributes to environmental and economic sustainability by reducing resource consumption, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and generating economic benefits. However, managing risks in these exchanges presents challenges, particularly as materials like waste and by-products fall outside traditional supply chain practices. This paper introduces the Industrial Collaborative Risk Management (ICRM) Methodology, an extended Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) approach specifically designed for collaborative industrial ecosystems. The ICRM methodology provides a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, prioritizing risks, and implementing corrective actions, enabling the reliable implementation of IS. By effectively managing risks, this methodology minimizes disruptions in material and energy exchanges, strengthens the resilience of industrial ecosystems, and enhances their environmental ambitions. The methodology supports cross-sectoral communication, facilitates knowledge exchange, and promotes trust among stakeholders. A real IS case study demonstrates the ICRM methodology’s ability to document interrelations, standardize risk evaluation, and propose mitigation strategies. This work provides IS facilitators with a practical tool for effective risk management in complex industrial environments and lays the foundation for future applications in diverse ecosystems.

Investigating the use of network analysis metrics to benchmark Industrial Symbiosis development

This study revisits the Guitang Group, one of the best known industrial symbiosis cases in the sugar industry. Our goal is to offer an evolutionary understanding of industrial symbiosis at the Guitang Group. This article focuses on the organizational boundary change of the Guitang Group over time, and acknowledges this process as one of the seven industrial symbiosis dynamics proposed by Boons et al. We offer a historical view of the critical forces behind Guitang’s industrial symbiosis evolution since the 1950s; particularly how these changes were influenced by broader economic and institutional contexts of importance in China. These insights include the role of institutionalized research and development (R&D) as well as technology-oriented leadership as driving forces for Guitang’s innovation, particularly since the 1990s, when greater efficiency and productivity were emphasized, leading to the establishment of further symbiotic relationships in the company’s evolutionary process. As a result, the Guitang Group grew from 2 internal to 11 internal and external symbiotic exchanges and is now a conglomeration with more than 3000 employees generating more than 1 billion RMB (150 million USD) in revenue annually. The driving forces of the Guitang Group’s industrial symbiosis evolution helped to create, disseminate and share information by continuously reinforcing the industrial symbiosis message as part of the Guitang Group’s business model and competitive strategy. In addition, state-level policies such as establishing the Guigang (the city where Guitang is located) Eco-Industrial Park enabled industrial symbiosis in Guitang. This study provides prospects for future research on the organizational boundary change dynamic of industrial symbiosis in the sugar manufacturing industry and beyond.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) can facilitate resource efficiency but requires a complex, dynamic process of sharing tangible and intangible resources between multiple private and public actors. Although IS studies have acknowledged the importance of these actors, they are studied as isolated and static streams. This study examines how public and private agency together contribute to the emergence and development of IS—i.e., the public–private interplay for promoting IS in a longitudinal manner. The study follows narrative and temporal bracketing process research strategies and relies on an in-depth and longitudinal qualitative multiple-case study design. Two IS cases were examined in terms of their actors (public, private), IS level (individual person, organization, network, national), and IS process phases (emergence, probation, development & expansion) within a Finnish context. Comparison of these two cases, which represent the main archetypes of IS models (i.e., IS planned by public actors and IS self-emerging among private actors), showed that the public–private interplay for promoting IS shares many similar features and paths within the cases. Thus, the main contribution of this study's qualitative processual approach toward public–private interplay for promoting IS is the modeling and definition of the IS process as an inherently dynamic interplay of intertwining public and private agency within each process phase and involving several actors on different IS levels. This finding challenges the current, somewhat dichotomic view in IS process studies that consider public and private actors as isolated and static. The findings of this study provide new insights into and practical guidelines for initiating, developing, and participating in IS activities for public and private actors.

The influence of policy on industrial symbiosis from the Firm's perspective: A framework

Achieving carbon emission reduction through industrial & urban symbiosis: A case of Kawasaki

The increase of industrial symbiosis (IS) activities around the world has strongly contributed to promote awareness among companies on the benefits of this business model and, consequently, their interest to apply/incorporate dedicated IS actions in their activities. In most cases, companies assume self-learning and ongoing approaches for the adaption of synergies, ignoring some fundamental aspects as the full spectrum of considerations regarding these processes. Unexpected barriers frequently appear during the implementation process and become hardly overcome due to incomplete systematic approaches and the lack of information. In this context, it is important to promote effective and sequential guidance procedures regarding IS implementation processes to support companies in their transition to full IS processes implementation. This paper aims to advance the synergy implementation emerging process, through the identification, promotion, and definition of the core steps to be considered in an IS implementation process. This study is based on a comprehensive perspective for the definition of contents to be considered in a step-by-step guideline that includes the different theoretical, technical, and strategic approaches for large-scale IS promotion. The main outputs of this paper are a final set of independent and sequential information clusters, their associated contents identification process, and a comprehensive description of the systematic approach used to support companies in the implementation of their pre-identified stages. The guideline methodology proposed in this study is an important support tool for companies, practitioners, and agents intending to initiate IS synergies implementation and also a strong contribution to the development of complementary guidance activities regarding IS implementation process.

The implementation of Industrial Symbiosis and Energy Efficiency is linked to the ongoing technological development. New technologies can lead to an increased up-take of these concepts, which affect all areas of process industries and involve the whole workforce. The present paper describes part of the work developed in the early stage of a current Erasmus+ project entitled “Skills Alliance for Industrial Symbiosis: A Cross-sectoral Blueprint for a Sustainable Process Industry (SPIRE-SAIS)”. Such project aims at developing an industry-driven and proactive skills strategy to assist the implementation and exploitation of Industrial Symbiosis and Energy Efficiency across the energy-intensive industrial sectors, which are represented by the association of Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency (SPIRE). The main aspects of the current state of implementation of Industrial Symbiosis and Energy Efficiency in European process industries are analyzed. In addition, upcoming techniques and developments are taken into account for the main considered sectors, e.g., Iron and Steel, Chemical, Non-ferrous Metals, Mineral, Water, Ceramics, and Cement. Achieved results on implementation of technologies and practices based on Industrial Symbiosis and Energy Efficiency, as well as new challenges coming from their accomplishments are considered. Companies’ perceptions on future implementation of Industrial Symbiosis and Energy Efficiency are explored, together with possible barriers resulting in implementation practices and expected solutions to satisfy related ongoing and future skill demands.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) can contribute to achieving a win-win situation between industry and environment for local and regional circular economies. Many authors have recognized that a variety of barriers can hinder the implementation of IS. However, there is very limited research on quantitatively evaluating the IS barriers. In this paper, we propose a model which combines the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to evaluate the IS barriers semi-quantitatively. This model assists in identifying and prioritizing the fundamental barriers for implementation of IS in a comprehensive manner. An operating IS, the Hai Hua Group (HHG), in Shandong Province, China is used as a case study to test the proposed model. The results show that the top four generic barriers are technological barriers, economic barriers, safety barriers, and informational barriers. More specifically, the barriers are information platforms, human safety and health, technology involved with extending industrial chains, product added value, and costs. The paper concludes by discussing managerial implications for promoting the establishment and operation of IS.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) is a business model that proposes symbiotic exchanges, allowing the flow of resources, wastes, and utilities between companies. In recent years, IS initiatives have been exponentially growing around the world. This can be attributed to the increasing awareness on the possibility of obtaining economic, environmental, and social benefits through the implementation of this model. Despite the exponential growth of IS initiatives, the companies are still facing problems in the achievement of reliable and permanent synergies. Over the years the literature has identified several factors in the IS emerging process. Incentives are among these factors, being defined as unlocking tools or mechanisms related to diverse dimensions such as economic, political, social, intermediaries, process, and technology. Authors believe that the large-scale implementation of IS incentives has not been properly addressed. In order to promote facilitated IS implementation and achieve a replicator effect, incentives should be fully addressed. In many case studies, it has been observed that the incentives for IS can be threatened by risks, compromising the implementation, and hindering the emerging process. This study developed a dedicated framework that is composed of incentive identification from best practices of IS and expert consultation; a risk assessment model based on risk factors identification and clustering; and finally, the mitigation actions based on the assessment outputs. The main result of this study is one set of mitigations actions that correlate the implementation levels (clusters) and the potential stakeholders involved.

The plastics sector faces serious sustainability challenges, and recent literature emphasizes the need for collaborative networks to support its transition to a circular economy (CE). This study investigates how industrial symbiosis (IS) can support the transition of the plastic supply chain in the Basque Country toward a CE by identifying key barriers and drivers and proposing a conceptual framework that integrates sustainability dimensions. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research combines thematic content analysis with abductive reasoning to examine data from semi‐structured interviews with key stakeholders across the plastics value chain. Based on these insights, the study: (1) conceptualizes the structure of the plastic supply chain; (2) analyzes the economic, technical, sociocultural, legislative, and cooperation factors influencing IS and CE adoption; and (3) proposes a novel conceptual framework that integrates the plastic supply chain in an IS network centered on a waste hub model. The proposed framework delineates the key stakeholder roles and influencing factors, in addition to an IS network that supports sustainability. This positions sustainability not only as an end goal but also as a catalyst for successful IS implementation. Significant contributions include an in‐depth analysis of IS potential in the plastics sector and a practical framework to support the development of IS networks. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and academics while offering transferable lessons for other resource‐intensive sectors engaged in CE transitions.