As part of a consortium led by Technopolis Group and UCL, Trinomics will conduct research on identifying the key aspects and features of effective industrial symbiosis (IS) coordination intermediaries and assessing the feasibility of creating an EU-level platform that could contribute to a better exchange of secondary raw materials and an exchange of best practices in managing IS networks. By stimulating the exchanges of secondary materials, IS can significantly contribute to accelerating the transition to a circular economy.

The study will consider different coordination mechanisms and assess their potential to influence network outcomes in terms of resources exchanged, waste diverted from landfill, water saved, CO2 saved, business opportunities created and value added. This will be done by comparing different types of facilitated networks and coordination mechanisms, within existing industrial symbiosis networks.

The findings of this study should result in achieving two goals: First, the outcomes should help to  develop effective policies for further promoting industrial symbiosis (from a better understanding of the role of coordination and facilitation mechanisms and their role in promoting not only IS synergies and innovation). Secondly, the study should concretely test the feasibility of developing an EU-wide secondary raw materials platform to stimulate EU-wide resource exchanges, which could greatly help to promote the transition towards a circular economy in the EU.

More information – contact Jurgen Vermeulen