Introduction and objectives: The pursuit of sustainable and circular solutions has become increasingly vital in today’s rapidly evolving world. Industrial symbiosis, a concept that fosters the collaboration and exchange of resources between industries, offers a promising pathway towards a more sustainable future. It seeks to transform the traditional linear economy into a circular economy, where waste is minimized, resources are conserved, and value is created through interconnected industrial networks. However, the successful implementation of industrial symbiosis interactions requires active participation and mobilization of stakeholders from various sectors.
Stakeholder mobilization serves as the foundation for the implementation of industrial symbiosis interactions. It involves engaging and bringing together stakeholders from different backgrounds, including industries, government bodies, community organizations, and research institutions, to collaborate, share knowledge, and collectively work towards achieving common goals. The potential for innovative solutions and sustainable outcomes can be maximized by harnessing the expertise, resources, and perspectives of diverse stakeholders.
The importance of stakeholder mobilization in industrial symbiosis lies in its ability to foster dialogue, build relationships, and establish a shared vision among stakeholders. By creating a platform for open communication, stakeholders can exchange ideas, identify synergies, and develop collaborative strategies to address the complex challenges and opportunities associated with industrial symbiosis. This collaborative approach allows for the exploration of innovative technologies, business models, and policy frameworks that enable the seamless integration of industries and efficient utilization of resources.
Furthermore, stakeholder mobilization facilitates the identification and removal of barriers that hinder the implementation of industrial symbiotic interactions. By involving stakeholders in the early stages of planning and decision-making processes, potential challenges such as regulatory constraints, logistical hurdles, or conflicting interests can be addressed proactively. Stakeholders can collectively develop strategies to overcome these barriers, foster policy support, and advocate for the necessary infrastructure, incentives, and frameworks to facilitate the successful implementation of industrial symbiosis. Moreover, stakeholder mobilization plays a crucial role in generating awareness and fostering the social acceptance of industrial symbiosis initiatives. By engaging local communities, environmental organizations, and other civil society groups, stakeholders can ensure that the benefits and potential risks of industrial symbiosis are effectively communicated and understood. This transparency and inclusiveness builds trust, enhances public perception, and facilitates the smooth integration of industrial symbiosis projects into local contexts.
This deliverable 8.4 attempts to map and work on these aspects. The deliverable falls under work package 8, and thus, under the guidance and roadmap for IS uptake in the follower areas. The aim is to look at the long-term developments of follower cases and to map which measures have been taken in the area of networking and cooperation building so far. The deliverable deals even more specifically with Task 8.4 Stakeholder mobilization for enabling the implementation of IS interaction. Therefore, the aim is to determine which mobilization measures are crucial and prove to be important for the implementation of IS. This deliverable is the result of the work done in Task 8.4 and includes the partners of the three follower cases, Basauri, Linz, and Izmit.
To map these aspects of Deliverable 8.4, we conducted a socio-technical analysis. The aim was to combine different approaches and combine these results. In the Coralis project, much preparatory work has already been done in previous deliverables, which is why this analysis already builds on this. Important components that lead to the results are, on the one hand, the presentation of the topic on the basis of current literature, the description of relevant stakeholders, their possible influences, the implementation of an environment analysis using STEEP indicators, and the implementation of expert interviews. These individual steps are all interrelated and are intended to show which stakeholders are important and where their influences lie, but they should also ultimately lead to the presentation of possible recommendations for action to promote, maintain, or build up active stakeholder involvement.
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