industrial symbiosis update October 2010

Dear All

It is after a while I am back to provide an update on industrial symbiosis. It is after a wee celebration on the birth of my baby girl “Ella” in August. Yes, difficult days but really happy days.

Well going back to the topic of industrial symbiosis; research and developments in the area of industrial symbiosis is gaining further momentum and I have got a few updates:

I am guest editing a special issue of Journal of Industrial Ecology (JIE) on industrial symbiosis with Shi Han of City University of Hong Kong, Donald Lyons of the University of North Texas and Rachel Lombardi of the University of Birmingham. JIE invites International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) members to submit papers to be considered for the special issue by November 30, 2010. Full call for papers is available at http://www.yale.edu/jie/CFPs/cfp-industrialsymbiosis.html

I believe most of you are informed about the Industrial Symbiosis Research Symposium to be held in Kawasaki Japan on November 5-6, 2010. Deadline for registration is extended to October 15. Most information is available through the symposium website http://www.iseid2010.com/

Recently came across an article on industrial symbiosis written by Peter McKenzie-Brown. He focuses on “Why waste management in the oilsands industry could better echo the mutually beneficial relationships in nature”. The article is published in Oilsands Review and also available to view via:
http://languageinstinct.blogspot.com/2010/08/industrial-symbiosis.html

International Synergies Ltd. (Managing organisation for the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme) and Staffordshire University have joined forces to offer an undergraduate course on Applied Industrial Symbiosis. The module is a 16 week course entitled Industrial Symbiosis: A Practical Introduction. More details available at
http://www.international-synergies.com/article/publish/news/International
_Synergies_and_Staffordshire_University_offer_undergraduate_course_
in_Applied_Industrial_Symbiosis.shtml

An up-to-date report has been published recently on NISP entitled “Innovative UK Industrial Symbiosis Model Exported”. Information about the report is available via
http://www.verdantix.com/index.cfm/papers/Products.Details/product_id/
142/innovative-uk-industrial-symbiosis-model-exported/

An industrial symbiosis project has been implemented in the Iskenderun Bay, Turkey by the United Nations Development Programme entitled “Towards Industrial Symbiosis in Iskenderun Bay Area Project”. Further details of the project are available from http://www.undp.org.tr/Gozlem2.aspx?WebSayfaNo=2013

Australian Industrial Ecology Network was launched following the Australasian Industrial Ecology Conference in Sydney in July 2009. I quote from their website “The group’s objective is to promote & encourage the development of activities, processes & relationship between entities which convert surplus, spent or unwanted materials, energy and services into valuable resources.” Their 2010 conference “Resource Recovery ... The Way Forward” took place in Sydney in early September. Papers / presentations from the conference in 2009 are available through the link http://www.austindustrialecology.com.au/ and the 2010 ones should be available shortly as well.

I have been involved in guest editing a special issue of the Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) journal on industrial symbiosis. It has been delayed due to various reasons but it is very close to completion. Some of the papers coming in this special issue are already published online and are available in the early view section of the BSE Journal website including:

1. Chertow M and Miyata Y; Assessing collective firm behavior: comparing industrial symbiosis with possible alternatives for individual companies in Oahu, HI
2. Ashton W; Managing performance expectations of industrial symbiosis
3. Domenech T and Davies M; The Role of Embeddedness in Industrial Symbiosis Networks: Phases in the Evolution of Industrial Symbiosis Networks

I co-authored a paper on industrial symbiosis with Ines Costa and Guillaume Massard which may be of interest:
Waste management policies for industrial symbiosis development: case studies in European countries; 18(8); 815-822; Journal of Cleaner Production

17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research (ISDR) Conference is being hosted by the Earth Institute of the Columbia University in New York in May 2011. I plan to develop / chair an industrial symbiosis track for the same. Look out for the new conference website and the call for abstracts for the industrial symbiosis track the deadline for which would be in early December. Also I am planning to host the 2012 ISDR Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland for which proposals are underway. I believe many of you would love to explore the stunning landscapes of Scotland during the summer months.

That’s all from me and I hope you find some of the updates useful and look forward to hear any other updates or comments from your end.

Cheers

Abhi @ abhishekagarwal.co.uk