۱- Introduction

۲- Framework

۳- Organizational dimension

۴- Sustainability dimension

۵- Characterizing EIPs through the proposed framework

۶- Cluster analysis

۷- Conclusions

References

Abstract

Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs) are defined as a community of firms located in the same area and linked in a network of collaborative relationships mainly aimed at enhancing sustainability. A number of EIPs have recently spread in both developed and developing countries through diverse formation processes, resulting in different configurations. The topic has received a growing attention by the literature, even though to our knowledge the available studies lack to characterize the EIPs’ organizational models and analyse how models reflect on the EIP’s sustainability. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap, proposing a framework that characterizes EIPs along two dimensions related to organization and sustainability, which are further described through specific variables. We apply the framework on 28 EIPs and conduct cluster analysis to group them according to the organizational dimension. We then identify different organizational models of EIPs and discuss the possible linkages between such models and the adopted sustainability practices. The research findings have practical implications concerning policies and strategies to enhance EIPs sustainability.

Introduction

Since the seminal paper of Frosch and Gallopulos (1989) an extensive body of research has flourished, leveraging on the analogies between natural and industrial ecosystems. As industrial ecosystem we mean “a community or network of companies and other organizations in a region who chose to interact by exchanging or making use of by-products and/or energy” (Gertler, 1995) so as to benefit from the systemic reduction in the use of virgin resources and in the waste to be disposed, as well as from the increase in variety and amount of outputs that have market value. Ayres and Ayres (2002) remark that several aspects of industrial networks mimic distinctive phenomena of biological systems, such as the cycling of materials, nutrients, and energy, or the interactions among individuals playing the role of producers, consumers, or decomposers (Liwarska-Bizukojc et al., 2009). According to this research stream, which is usually called industrial ecology (Allenby and Graedel, 1993; Ehrenfeld, 2004a), rather than emphasizing the independence and competitiveness of companies, studies should stress their collaborations and interdependence (Côté and Cohen-Rosenthal, 1998). These characteristics, indeed, move the focus from monadic individuals to their interconnectedness, which is considered crucial in assuring the resilience of industrial ecosystems and giving them efficiency and persistency over time (Zhu and Ruth, 2013). Moreover, in the last decades studies on industrial ecology have been also spread due to the increasing prominence gained by the concept of sustainability: scholars and strategic consultants have stressed that greening production processes is a key factor for both single companies and local networks of firms to gain competitive advantage (Shrivastava, 1995; Tudor et al., 2007). In addition, the promotion of sustainable development has been the focus of many governmental policies and international initiatives, which have been recently multiplied: in 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development “Rio+20” reaffirmed the inter-linkages between environmental and social goals in building an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable future (United Nations, 2012).