Facilitation of Industrial Symbiosis Development in a Swedish Region

Sammanfattning: Today, sustainability of industrial regions and industrial networks is a challenge for business developers, policy makers, regional planners, local and governmental authorities and academic researchers. Because growing cities and industrial regions worldwide are intertwined with social, environmental, and economic advantages/disadvantages and challenges, in recent decades the ambition of industrial development and economic growth without environmental destruction has become a worldwide topic. To address this issue, a number of theories and pathways such as Industrial Ecology (IE) and its subfield Industrial Symbiosis (IS) toward sustainability of industrial regions and networks are being researched, examined and implemented.The overall aim of this thesis is to explore how local connectedness amongst locally distributed firms in industrial areas can be facilitated using industrial symbiosis theory and tools. To address the overall aim, the facilitation of IS development in this thesis includes three focus areas: 1) using IS theory and tools for categorization, characterization, and definitions of different lines of IS development; 2) matching the supply and demand potential of regional CO2 resources through industrial collaboration; and 3) using geographic information systems (GIS).Based on the research findings it is concluded that one approach for facilitating IS development is to apply IS theory and tools in an industrial region to find out whether any forms of IS already exist and what definitions of IS fit the area. Furthermore, it is also concluded that another approach for facilitating IS development could be matching the supply and demand potential of resources within industrial collaborations. However, availability and provision of relevant data and information plays an important role. In addition, it is seen that handling and developing existing regional data and information into a GIS-based format could contribute to facilitation of IS development. In general, it is seen that facilitating mechanism and facilitating organization are available, and should be coordinated.