Industrial Symbiosis Initiatives Research Articles

Risks associated with the technological adoption of industrial symbiosis: A study of its implementation by geographic regions

This research investigates the factors influencing the adoption of industrial symbiosis practices, focusing on their relevance in geographical contexts within developing countries associated with the European Economic Community. The study employs geographical weighting analysis as its primary methodology, allowing for a nuanced examination of variable impacts within specific geographic regions. Data is gathered through surveys distributed to companies operating in various high-energy consumption sectors that have previously engaged in industrial symbiosis activities to varying extents. The study’s findings emphasize the crucial role that financial and performance-related risks played in influencing the decision-making process surrounding the implementation of industrial symbiosis. Furthermore, the research highlights the significance of regional dynamics in influencing waste disposal practices and the overall success of industrial symbiosis initiatives. Additionally, the study underscores the impact of social media and networks in disseminating vital information that is instrumental in advancing innovative industrial symbiosis processes. These findings hold practical implications for stakeholders, including policymakers, businesses, and organizations aiming to foster sustainable economic practices. Understanding the influence of risk factors and regional intricacies enables tailoring strategies that can promote industrial symbiosis adoption. Moreover, recognizing the pivotal role of social media and networks in knowledge dissemination can accelerate the adoption of novel practices, facilitating the transition towards greener economies in developed and developing regions associated with the European Economic Community.

Connecting organizational context to environmental sustainability initiatives and industrial symbiosis: Empirical results and case analysis

Industrial symbiosis can move us closer to a circular economy and enable efficient and sustainable use of resources. Its potential has however been far from realized, and to increase our understanding of why that is, we investigate drivers, barriers, and outcomes associated with both broadly defined environmental sustainability initiatives and industrial symbiosis from an organizational context perspective. A mixed-methods approach is used, combining statistical analysis of survey material with an embedded case study at an industrial symbiosis network in Sotenäs, Sweden. The position of the customer order decoupling point (CODP), a critical aspect of supply chains that separates forecast-based operations from those tied to specific orders, enables comparisons between organizations with primarily forecast-driven operations from those with primarily order-driven operations. We find that the CODP plays an important role in organizations' commitments to sustainability initiatives in general, as organizations with different CODP positions experience different levels of benefits from such initiatives. We did not find that the CODP position had the same impact for industrial symbiosis initiatives. Our results indicate that both industrial symbiosis, a very specific type of sustainability initiative and collaboration, and environmental sustainability initiatives in a broad sense, are associated with multiple, positive business outcomes. However, case study participants also described that their industrial symbiosis participation was time consuming and associated with an added administrative burden. This could be a reason why such collaborations are not more prevalent, despite the potential of bringing about several positive business outcomes. Finally, our findings indicate that industrial symbiosis may bring business-related benefits to firms regardless of their CODP position, but then in order to understand why such networks are not more prevalent, we recommend that future research investigates ways of quantifying and distributing burdens and rewards associated with industrial symbiosis collaboration.

Web-Based Platforms in Support of Industrial Symbiosis Initiatives: A Bibliometric Review

Web-Based Platforms in Support of Industrial Symbiosis Initiatives: A Bibliometric Review

Insights of Digital Transformation Processes in Industrial Symbiosis from the Viable Systems Approach (vSa)

The main purpose of this contribution is twofold: from a scientific point of view, to interpret the symbiotic logic through the framework of the Viable Systems approach (vSa), and from a managerial viewpoint, to provide the actors of industrial symbiosis initiatives, at any stage of their life cycle, with a guide to the most promising web-based solutions in terms of defining the best configuration for the symbiotic network. The article, therefore, aims to provide an in-depth study of the existing literature, which is still not exhaustive, and to consider synoptically and comparatively the modern platforms capable of supporting industrial symbiosis initiatives. The objective was pursued by examining 10 existing and functioning Web-based platforms, of which only a few were previously explored in the previous literature, while the recognition of the latter was carried out on a bibliometric basis to articulate in more detail the existing gap based on a panel of contributions as large as possible. The joint consideration of the literature review and the examination of the existing and functioning platforms shows an articulated framework of approaches, proposed models, and classification schemes of their functions, which allows us to conclude that given the sectoral, territorial, and specific characteristics of the materials addressed by each platform and considering the different cycles existing in eco-industrial parks (water, energy, by-products, etc.), the most promising way for their implementation is to consider multiple platforms to fully exploit the contribution of each of them. As for the management implications, the suggestion is to integrate the results obtained from the different platforms and to evaluate the configurational alternatives with multi-criteria procedures.

Implementing Industrial Symbiosis Incentives: an Applied Assessment Framework for Risk Mitigation

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.

Patterns of Circular Transition: What Is the Circular Economy Maturity of Belgian Ports?

Large seaport hubs in Northwestern Europe are aiming to develop as circular hotspots and are striving to become first movers in the circular economy (CE) transition. In order to facilitate their transition, it is therefore relevant to unravel potential patterns of the circular transition that ports are currently undertaking. In this paper, we explore the CE patterns of five Belgian seaports. Based on recent (strategy) documents from port authorities and on in-depth interviews with local port executives, the circular initiatives of these ports are mapped, based on their spatial characteristics and transition focus. The set of initiatives per port indicates its maturity level in terms of transition towards a circular approach. For most studied seaports, an energy recovery focus based on industrial symbiosis initiatives seems to dominate the first stages in the transition process. Most initiatives are not (yet) financially sustainable, and there is a lack of information on potential new business models that ports can adopt in view of a sustainable transition. The analysis of CE patterns in this paper contributes to how ports lift themselves out of the linear lock-in, as it demonstrates that ports may walk a different path and at a diverging speed in their CE transition, but also that the Belgian ports so far have focused too little on their cargo orchestrating role in that change process. Moreover, it offers a first insight into how integrated and sustainable the ports’ CE initiatives currently are.

Barriers, drivers, and relationships in industrial symbiosis of a network of Brazilian manufacturing companies

The purpose of this article is to identify barriers, drivers, and the structure of the relationships that support industrial symbiosis initiatives in a network of Brazilian manufacturing companies. Two steelmaking plants are the anchor tenants of the network comprising a cement manufacturer, a thermoelectric generation plant, a lead ingots manufacturer, a zinc ingots manufacturer and refractory liner manufacturer, totaling eight relationships. The companies mutually exchange approximately 300,000 tons of by-products per year, comprising coal ash, mill scale, electric arc furnace dust, steam, zinc sludge, lead sludge, and refractory lining leftover, totaling eight dyadic or triadic relationships. The results of the study show that in three relationships, economic barriers exist (excessive processing or logistic cost). In four, internal barriers exist (risk of discontinuity and lack of research). In five, a technical barrier exists, the imbalance between generation and consumption. In seven, the drivers are cost reduction, new products or sources of revenue, and legal requirements. Environmental drivers (increasing the life of deposits or landfills) are present in five relationships. As for the structure, three relationships are one-way, whereas five are closed-loop, that is, involving direct and reverse transfers among partners.

Dare to make investments in industrial symbiosis? A conceptual framework and research agenda for developing trust

Scholars, policy-makers and industries increasingly express their interest in the development of industrial symbiosis (IS) as a way to transition to cleaner production. Yet, many proposed IS instances never get implemented. In this article, the authors argue that lack of clear understanding on how trust develops in the context of IS may prevent the implementation of new IS initiatives. Initiating new IS typically require upfront investments, such as pipelines and waste treatment equipment, and take place in a cross-industry setting. This upfront and cross-industry setting of new IS may restrict firms in their ability to develop trust prior to the IS investments. Management literature provides a large body of literature on trust. Based on a multidisciplinary conceptual study, the aim of this paper is to synthesize and combine empirical and theoretical research from the fields of IS and management, and theorize how trust applies to the field of IS, i.e. how firms can deploy certain strategies to develop trust prior to the IS investment in the context of upfront and cross-industry IS investments. As a result, this paper introduces a conceptual IS trust framework and proposes an agenda for future research.

Teaching chemical engineering students industrial symbiosis using online resources: A Singapore case study

A new and simple qualitative teaching method incorporating online (cyberspace) resources (e.g. Google Maps™) aimed at introducing the concept of industrial symbiosis (IS) to chemical engineering students is described. This method has been trialled as an exercise for a module as part of a chemical engineering degree programme taught in Singapore with integrated local industries and circumstances. A compilation in the form of eclectic mix of IS initiatives showing by-product and utilities flows in Singapore is also provided. The result of a student survey suggests favourable reception of the teaching methodology, which aided their understanding of the general IS concept as applied to the Singapore context. The method is envisioned as a useful complement to conventional IS lectures and workshops due to the convenience and high accessibility of Google Maps™ and online company information which can be readily employed without incurring significant costs.

The emergence of regional industrial ecosystem niches: A conceptual framework and a case study

The objective of this paper is to understand how industrial symbiosis initiatives can contribute to the emergence of regional industrial ecosystems for sustainability transitions of local industrial production systems. We offer a conceptual framework that integrates industrial ecology literature and strategic niche management perspective from the sustainability transitions research field. The framework provides a conceptual foundation for analysing the individual industrial symbiosis initiatives and their aggregated contribution to the emergence of regional industrial ecosystems. Analytically, we conceptualise two different heuristic levels – the local industrial symbiosis experiments level and the regional industrial ecosystems niche level – which are interlinked through three niche processes. We represent the merits of our conceptualisation through a case study in an empirical setting where we selected a highly industrialised and rarely explored region; namely, the Autonomous Region of Catalonia in Spain. We identify and analyse eight industrial symbiosis initiatives that evolved during 18 years in the region. In the light of our conceptual framework, the results show that interlinked initiatives from the region have been gradually adding up to emerging regional industrial ecosystems. However, the region is still missing a broad regional network with articulated expectations and visions and shared cognitive, formal and normative rules. If emerging regional network provides support and protection for new initiatives, a regional culture change can be realised to achieve sustainability transition of local industrial production systems employing closed industrial production loops. The theoretical contribution of this paper is that we combine two different research streams that have not often learned from each other and we also develop a novel conceptual approach for ex-post evaluation of regional industrial ecosystem development. Moreover, our conceptual framework can be extended as a prescriptive management tool for planning and implementation of industrial symbiosis initiatives in Catalonia as well as in other regions.

Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure the environmental benefits of industrial symbiosis in an industrial cluster of SMEs

Collaborative approach and infrastructures sharing are key industrial symbiosis initiatives adopted in clusters of SMEs. Several studies have dealt with the environmental benefits of industrial symbiosis however only a few have adopted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to assess the benefits of these initiatives on the typical product of the cluster. Our paper presents the case of an Italian tannery cluster located in Tuscany. Through the calculation of an LCA with average data, our study compares the impact category results between two scenarios: the existing scenario where the IS initiatives are implemented and the other where these initiatives are less developed. The results show the positive contribution of these initiatives in several LCA impact categories such as climate change and terrestrial eutrophication.

The Use of Performance Indicators for Analysis of Resource Efficiency Measures

Abstract The objective of this research is to derive production performance indicators for comparison of industrial symbiosis initiatives and cleaner production measures. Normalization by production amounts is not applicable for multi-company industrial symbiosis systems. Therefore normalization by cumulative added value and the determination of cumulative intensity indicators is proposed. To demonstrate this approach, the cumulative energy and CO2 intensity for two alternative brewer's spent grain reuse scenarios are determined. The results of cumulative intensity indicators are higher for the biogas alternative, suggesting that the use brewer's spent grain for baked goods production should be further investigated. These results provide decision-making support for the selection of the better measures in context on the whole life cycle.

A decision support method for development of industrial synergies: case studies of Latvian brewery and wood-processing industries

Industrial synergies – be they, the single by-product exchanges between two companies or the comprehensive industrial symbiosis networks involving numerous industrial synergies – have been recognized for their potential to improve industrial resource efficiency and provide simultaneous economic benefits. With increasing research on maximizing the implementation of industrial symbiosis initiatives per se, the notion of quality of these implemented exchanges has been disregarded. Nevertheless the quality and consideration of whole production life cycle impacts of industrial symbiosis initiatives are important to ensure harmonic and sustainable development. To develop and promote a strategy for advancement of new and qualitative industrial synergies the analysis and evaluation of existing examples of collaboration is necessary. To provide a means for evaluation and comparison of the quality of industrial synergies, a qualitative evaluation method is developed. An illustration of the evaluation method is presented through two case studies of industrial synergies identified in the brewery industry and the wood processing industry in Latvia.The results of these case studies provide valuable information for decision makers in Latvia and industrial symbiosis practitioners worldwide. Case study results show that only few of the considered self-organized industrial synergies are beneficial regarding all three – environmental quality, economic quality and geographic proximity – evaluation categories. This leads to the conclusion that these three aspects create a three-layer filter for development of qualitative industrial synergies and the quality of each category should be considered before the planning stage of such collaborations.

A case study of industrial symbiosis development using a middle-out approach

Industrial symbiosis (IS) emerged as a collective, multi-industrial approach to improve economic and environmental performance through the use of wastes/by-products as substitutes for raw materials. The development of IS initiatives depends on the context in which they occur, characterised in terms of social, economic, political, spatial and temporal embeddedness. As a consequence, the context can be influenced to become more supportive of IS through a continuous, interactive process, combining top-down governmental directives and bottom-up spontaneous business initiatives. A strategy to develop and enhance this process is explored in this paper and described by the authors as a middle-out approach. Policies and policy instruments introduced by governmental agencies provide objectives and incentives to businesses. The middle-out approach induces the development of a strategy to create positive feedback loops among agents (e.g. government, industries) that may guide their actions into setting the conditions to support IS emergence. This paper provides a case study that discusses a regional development of IS in Portugal that highlights critical factors for success in implementing IS, and shows that the middle-out approach can also be understood as an extension and combination of previous research on context factors and planned/spontaneous approaches to IS development.

Using an optimization model to evaluate the economic benefits of industrial symbiosis in the forest industry

In this work, a model comprising a pulp mill, a sawmill, a district heating network and a biofuel upgrading plant is used to demonstrate how the MIND method, an optimization method based on mixed integer linear programming, can be used to evaluate industrial symbiosis in the forest industry. Using this method, both energy and material flows on both the supply and the demand side can be studied simultaneously. The method can be used to find improvements in the structure of the modelled system, to find the optimal operational strategy of a given system, and to evaluate and compare different systems. The total system costs for stand-alone cases and integrated industrial symbiosis system configuration are compared, generating results that can be used as decision support when planning industrial symbiosis initiatives in the forest industry. The results of this study showed that there are financial benefits to industrial symbiosis compared to the same system operated in stand-alone mode, and that the industrial symbiosis configuration generates a more stable system. However, it is difficult to generalize the results from a case study, and the main conclusion drawn is that it is possible to show that industrial symbiosis has economical benefits, although the magnitude of these benefits needs to be evaluated from case to case.