The decline of eco-industrial development in Porto Marghera, Italy

Abstract

Establishment of an eco-industrial park is influenced by numerous internal and external factors. The evolution of an eco-industrial park is path-dependent acknowledging that both choices made in the past as well as the current context of the industrial sector are very important in determining its success. We study the industrial area of Venice, namely Porto Marghera, as a center of chemical industry activity in Italy, in order to understand two sets of factors that determine its destiny: the endogenous ones which emerge from local siting and decision making, and the exogenous ones, that are principally more regional and global in scope. The motivation in studying the Porto Marghera industrial park derives from its long and articulated history, its important economic role both at national and European levels, the complexity of the industries involved, the heavy environmental burden, and the high social conflict in the area. The aforementioned factors motivates our interest and indicates reasons for areas' eventual decline. We conclude that since 2004, had, either the endogenous factors or the exogenous ones – that influence the European or even global chemical industry, been favorable at the same time, there may have been an opportunity to stem the decline of the area. But without a strong basis the eco-industrial park faces a bleak future. We contribute to the literature a case study of the failure of a particular location to sustain its previously successful eco-industrial activity. Whether the fate of Porto Marghera should be seen as the natural outcome of a confluence of events over time, or as an outright failure, is discussed as a means of informing other industrial symbiosis projects.