Industrial symbiosis (IS) is a collaborative approach among firms involving physical exchanges of materials, energy, and wastes, which creates economic advantages for environmental benefits the society. In this paper, we adopt an ecosystem to conceptualize network involved in IS relationships (ISN), terms organisms (firms), functions (waste exchange), services (environmental benefits), provide ...

The term industrial ecology was conceived to suggest that industrial activity can be thought of and approached in much the same way as a biological ecosystem and that in its ideal form it would strive toward integration of activities and cyclization of resources, as do natural ecosystems. Beyond this attractive but fuzzy notion, little has been done to explore the usefulness of the analogy. Thi...

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework was modified with a special focus on ecosystem service values. A case study of a typical low-carbon industrial park in Beijing was conducted to assess the ecological and economic benefits. The total economic value of this industrial park per year is estimated to be 1.37 × 10(8) RMB yuan, where the accommodating and social cultural services are ...

Adopting “greener” manufacturing technologies is one means of reducing facility environmental impacts. To justify such capital investment, more informative environmental impact assessments are needed to determine their effects on the local environment. Since conventional life cycle assessment methods and manufacturing process models ignore consideration of space, time, and local environmental u...

With anticipated exponential growth of connected devices, future industrial networks require an open solutions architecture facilitated by standards and a strong ecosystem. VirtuWind aims to develop and demonstrate an SDN and NFV ecosystem, based on an open, modular and secure framework. A prototype of the framework for intra-domain and interdomain scenarios will be showcased in real Wind Parks...

The thesis provides a presentation of the two conceptual models of industrial system material and energy flows in terms of sustainability; the dominant and the unsustainable throughput flow model and the potential future sustainable roundput model. These two material and energy flow concepts serve to illustrate the main research agenda of the emerging research and practical field of industrial ...

The extent to which pollution from tar sands industrial activities in northeastern Alberta, Canada affects ecosystem and human health is a matter of growing concern that is exacerbated by uncertainty. In this paper we determine whether physical and ecological changes that result from tar sands industrial activities are detectable. We analyze a diverse set of environmental data on water and sedi...

The field of industrial ecology applies ecosystem theory to industrial production, human consumption and societies. This article presents a case study of the development of the bio-based economy in the area surrounding the Humber estuary in the North-East of England. The study developed an agent-based model to simulate the evolution of the industrial system. We explain how the qualitative resea...

The exchange of wastes, by-products, and energy among closely situated firms is one of the distinctive features of the applications of industrial ecological principles.This at= ticle examines the industrial district at Kalundborg, Denmark, often labeled as an “industrial ecosystem” or “industrial symbiosis” because ofthe many links among the firms.The forces that led to its evolution and to the...