Industrial symbiosis (IS) is considered the most appropriate way to implement industrial ecology and circular economy respectively. The application of industrial symbiosis principles within businesses can increase the businesses’ competitive advantage and profit, while benefiting the social community and environment. The field of IS research has been developing for around 30 years and successful examples of self-organized and/or planned and facilitated are to be found around the world, providing empirical evidence for IS in practice. However, with the ambition of circular economy implementation, where IS is considered an important and powerful tool, an intentional approach to facilitating IS emergence is necessary. This study explores the systemic structure of IS emergence phase, shedding light on the complexity of the critical factors influencing it. The ambition is to better understand the factors influencing IS emergence, their role, and to provide insights concerning intentional actions to be taken for coordinating and facilitating IS emergence. Methodologically, a systematic literature review based on empirical cases around the world is done to provide an overview of the critical factors affecting IS emergence. The factors have been mapped using specific systems thinking tools and techniques to picture the complex image of the connections among critical factors. The case of Port of Aalborg’s partnership with Aalborg University is then described to illustrate the possible actions, addressing the critical factors, that can be taken when intentionally coordinating IS emergence. The study underlines the importance of the engagement of a multitude of actors, their roles and characteristics (champions with willingness to cooperate, open minded, etc.). Furthermore, contextual conditions, such as funding and the presence of a sharing platform for networking are as well of a high importance. The partnership of Port of Aalborg with Aalborg University proves to be able, through capacity building, networking and sharing platform activities, to push the industrial sector in Aalborg towards an intentional appliance of IS principles, and thus implementing circular economy.
Keywords: Industrial Symbiosis emergence, systems thinking, critical factors, facilitation of industrial symbiosis
5g. Special Track - Industrial symbiosis, networking and cooperation as part of industrial
