Academic literature on the topic 'Industrial symbiosi'

In Russian Federation the questions of transformation of the current linear model of economy into the low-carbon model having the least negative impact on the environment are very urgent. Among the ways to realize the required transition scientists recognize the introduction of the concept of circular economy, as well as the organization of a system of interaction between industrial enterprises on the basis of the principles of industrial symbiosis. The scope of application of the industrial symbiosis model in the circular economy remains insufficiently studied in the scientific environment, which actualizes its solution. There has been defined the hierarchy of conceptual and categorical apparatus of industrial symbiosis in the circular economy. Integration of the companies on the basis of using the model of industrial symbiosis takes place due to the combination of environmental and economic interests of its participants by forming the industrial value chain. Symbiotic links involve the rational use of resources, which leads to the less intensive production processes and, consequently, to the reduced carbon emissions. Obtaining a synergistic effect is an incentive that encourages industrial structures to form symbiotic links. There has been stated the growth of transaction costs, which can be designated as a negative effect of the industrial symbiosis model. The directions for reducing this influence are proposed: improving the pricing model for industrial waste, taking into account territorial proximity and the need for industry associations and unions to participate in finding partners. The concept of industrial symbiosis is considered and clarified, which includes the principles, purpose and effects to characterize this term. The conclusion about the role of industrial symbiosis in the circular economy has been made.

As a practical exploration of industry ecologicalization, ecoindustrial parks (EIP) serve as an effective approach to sustainable development. Different from western industrialized countries, China is accelerating its industrialization, and the philosophy of symbiosis is embodied more in the requirements of economy and environmental protection in the production process than in the long-term social and environmental mutual construction. EIPs are a regional system consisting of nature, industry, and society, and the key to achieve industrial symbiosis is systematically allocating resources for industry, city, and people through planning. Based on engineering practice, the authors selected the special space of China Yueyang Petrochemical Industrial Park as the object of discussion, addressing the main problems and challenges facing its development, and focusing on the relationship between industrial symbiosis and spatial symbiosis. From the analysis of the current situation, the circular symbiotic industrial chain network, and the layout of the symbiotic park are included in the spatial planning of the industrial park.

Based on the origin and meaning of symbiosis, this paper explores the concept of industrial symbiosis and points out the industrial symbiotic has a win-win effect in the field of socio-economic. In China, the main practical pattern of industrial symbiosis is eco-industrial park, but it has some restriction factors and unreasonable arrangements which would be difficult to eliminate in the short term. Through the research of origin, formation mechanism, organizational framework and operational framework of UK’s National Industrial Symbiosis Programme, this paper points out building urban symbiosis network in a government promoted model is the best way to realize regional industrial ecology in China. Then this paper sort out the system structure, i.e. network organizational structure and responsibilities of participating members.

Industrial symbiosis networks conventionally provide economic and environmental benefits to participating industries. However, most studies have failed to quantify waste management solutions and identify network connections in addition to methodological variation of assessments. This study provides a comprehensive model to conduct sustainable study of industrial symbiosis, which includes identification of network connections, life cycle assessment of materials, economic assessment, and environmental performance using standard guidelines from the literature. Additionally, a case study of industrial symbiosis network from Sodankylä region of Finland is implemented. Results projected an estimated life cycle cost of €115.20 million. The symbiotic environment would save €6.42 million in waste management cost to the business participants in addition to the projected environmental impact of 0.95 million tonne of CO2, 339.80 tonne of CH4, and 18.20 tonne of N2O. The potential of further cost saving with presented optimal assessment in the current architecture is forecast at €0.63 million every year.

The endeavour to align the goals of the Swedish food strategy with the national environmental quality objectives and the 17 global SDGs, presents an extraordinary challenge that calls for systemic innovation. Industrial symbiosis can potentially provide the means for increasing sustainable food production, using locally sub-exploited resources that can reduce the need for land, agrochemicals, transport and energy. This case study of the municipality of Härnösand, aims to assess opportunities and challenges for using waste flows and by-products for local food production, facilitated by industrial symbiosis. A potential symbiotic network was developed during three workshops with the main stakeholders in Härnösand. The potential of the COVID-19 pandemic to instigate policy changes, behavioural changes and formation of new alliances that may catalyse the transition towards food systems based on industrial symbiosis is discussed. The material flow inventory revealed that many underexploited resource flows were present in quantities that rendered them commercially interesting. Resources that can be used for innovative food production include, e.g., lignocellulosic residues, rock dust, and food processing waste. The internalised drive among local companies interested in industrial symbiosis and the emerging symbiotic relations, provide a fertile ground for the establishment of a local network that can process the sub-exploited material flows. Although there are multiple challenges for an industrial symbiosis network to form in Härnösand, this study shows that there is a significant potential to create added value from the region’s many resources while at the same time making the food system more sustainable and resilient, by expanding industrial symbiosis practices.

This article review uses and advancements of different symbiotic arrangements in industrial ecosystem. A unique industrial park in the town of Kalundborg, Denmark is known as the Kalundborg Symbiosis. It is a community of eight companies that cooperate with each other to everyone’s benefit, because one company’s waste becomes another’s feedstock. The relationship increases efficiency and reduces waste-handling need. The result is an industrial cluster that has reduced its environmental footprint and improved the bottom line of each of the participating companies. There has been a formation of Symbiosis Center Denmark and a national task force that conducted a feasibility study to explore additional opportunities for the Symbiosis concept beyond Kalundborg. The study looked primarily at manufacturing, but it mentioned that other industries, such as food and beverage processing and construction, could also benefit from symbiotic arrangements. The advantages include greater productivity, lower costs, and reduced waste.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) is a key sub-field in industrial ecology. The field itself assists in developing strategies that support local and regional sustainable development. The evolution of IS is an important topic to be explored. In this paper, we use the system dynamics (SD) method to establish a model of the evolution of industrial symbiosis in the case of Hai Hua Industrial Symbiosis (HHIS). In this model, different scenarios for energy consumption, solid waste utilization, and wastewater utilization were set by changing the parameter values of certain input variables to analyze the evolution of HHIS. In addition, the drivers for IS evolution were investigated qualitatively in this study. The SD model was helpful for visualizing the effects and benefits of reducing the energy consumption, solid waste stock, and wastewater stock that were achieved by establishing symbiotic relationships during the evolution of IS. The results show that the optimization of energy and material flows and other symbiotic benefits can be achieved in HHIS. There are still some challenges that restrict the further evolution of HHIS. Some suggestions are proposed to promote its further evolution.

Abstract A review of the available literature concerning environmental impact assessment for industrial symbiosis has been carried out. The authors have recommended the use of life cycle assessment method for this purpose. It was stated that so far few studies presenting LCA results of industrial symbiosis have been published. Among the factors which contribute to the success of symbiotic exchange, the close location of collaborating companies has been often mentioned. This paper presents LCA results concerning the environmental impact of symbiotic gypsum transmission. Concepts of relative distance and critical distance for the case of industrial symbiosis were proposed and defined. Significant difference between critical distance obtained for particular endpoints were observed (3.5- 564 km). Application of Life Cycle Sustainability Triangle enabled the estimation of critical distance taking into account various impact categories. A sensitivity analysis indicated the relationship between critical distance and the means of transport which reflected the effect of scale. The critical distance determined for heavy trucks was 3.2 - 3.9 times longer than in case of lighter vehicles.

L'industria ha un ruolo centrale da svolgere nella transizione verso la sostenibilità sociale, economica e ambientale guidata dalla Commissione europea e dal Programma delle Nazioni Unite per lo sviluppo. Nonostante un crescente interesse verso un settore industriale di qualità, affidabile, sostenibile e resiliente, le singole imprese incontrano ancora diverse barriere che ostacolano una transizione conforme ai tre pilastri della sostenibilità. Di solito vengono adottate strategie comuni, ma il raggiungimento degli ambiziosi obiettivi di sostenibilità resta ancora una sfida. Partendo da una panoramica della letteratura scientifica e delle politiche europee e internazionali, il presente lavoro mette in luce strategie alternative e innovative per promuovere un'industria sostenibile. Attraverso l'analisi di casi di studio vengono dimostrati i benefici ambientali e il miglioramento del benessere umano, con un focus sulle piccole e medie imprese spesso trascurate rispetto alle grandi aziende energivore. L'obiettivo è l'identificazione di soluzioni praticabili ed efficaci per le industrie che seguono una strategia multi-approccio a più livelli, dimostrando che agire sull'intero settore industriale può contribuire in modo significativo al raggiungimento degli obiettivi di sviluppo sostenibile. I risultati ottenuti possono aiutare i professionisti e le parti interessate a integrare pratiche sostenibili nel loro modello di gestione.
Industry has a central role to play in the social, economic, and environmental sustainability transition driven by the European Commission and by the United Nations Development Programme. Despite a growing interest in moving towards a quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient industrial sector, individual firms still encounter several barriers that hamper a transition compliant with the three pillars of sustainability. Common strategies are usually adopted but reaching the ambitious sustainability target levels still remains a challenge. Starting from an overview of the scientific literature and of European and International policies, the present works highlights alternative and innovative strategies for promoting a sustainable industry. Through the analysis of case studies environmental benefits and human well-being improvements are demonstrated, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises often overlooked compared to energy-intensive and large companies. The objective is the identification of viable and effective solutions for industries following a multi-approach strategy at several levels, showing that acting on the overall industrial sector can significantly contribute on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The obtained results can help practitioners and stakeholders to integrate sustainable practices into their management model.

La lignocellulosa è il principale componente strutturale delle piante legnose e non, e rappresenta una delle principali fonti potenziali di materia organica rinnovabile. La lignocellulosa è composta principalmente da due polimeri di carboidrati, cellulosa ed emicellulosa e dalla lignina (un polimero aromatico). Questi polimeri complessi da un lato costituiscono spesso una biomassa residua della filiera agroalimentare, ma allo stesso tempo contengono differenti monomeri zuccherini e precursori fenolici, aventi un enorme valore biotecnologico, poiché potenzialmente possono essere convertiti in differenti prodotti ad elevato valore aggiunto. In uno scenario in cui la popolazione mondiale è in aumento insieme alla generazione di rifiuti ed inquinamento a scapito delle risorse del pianeta e del benessere umano, questo progetto mira a proporre un esempio di bioeconomia circolare e simbiosi industriale. Più in dettaglio, il progetto parte dalla valutazione quali-quantitativa delle biomasse agricole residue fino alla valorizzazione di un sottoinsieme di interesse per il nostro territorio in folati, sfruttando i lieviti come cell factory microbiche. Il folato (Vitamina B9) è una vitamina B idrosolubile con ruoli importanti nella sintesi, riparazione e metilazione degli acidi nucleici, prodotta solo dalle piante verdi e da alcuni microrganismi: per questi motivi rappresenta una componente nutritiva essenziale per l'uomo. La vitamina B9 disponibile in commercio è sintetizzata chimicamente come acido folico, non ottimale in termini di bioattività per l'uomo; la produzione di folati naturali mediante fermentazione microbica sta quindi diventando un'alternativa sostenibile e desiderabile per l'integrazione umana. Nel corso del progetto è stata acquisita ed applicata la metodologia ENEA per l'analisi dei flussi di risorse e per la creazione di possibili sinergie tra le varie aziende presenti nella regione Lombardia. Grazie a questo lavoro è stato possibile identificare le principali biomasse di scarto prodotte nell'area nel settore agroalimentare e le vinacce non fermentate sono state quindi selezionate per ulteriori studi in laboratorio, e confrontate con biomasse residue precedentemente utilizzate, derivanti dal processo di produzione dello zucchero. Il lievito non convenzionale Scheffersomyces stipitis è stato sfruttato come ospite naturale per la produzione di vitamina B9, per la prima volta in questo lavoro. La crescita è stata ottimizzata e la produzione di folati è stata valutata prima in beuta e successivamente in bioreattore in terreni formulati che imitano gli idrolizzati di lignocellulosa. La produzione massima di folati è stata di 3,7 ± 0,07 mg/L, che ad oggi è la più alta riportata se si considerano i microrganismi di tipo selvatico. Inoltre, è stata valutata la produzione di folati in beuta a partire da tre diverse biomasse residue: melassa di barbabietola da zucchero (SBM), polpa di barbabietola da zucchero (SBP) e vinacce non fermentate (UGM). S. stipitis è stato in grado di metabolizzare queste biomasse, raggiungendo titoli di folati rispettivamente di 188,2 ± 24,86 μg/L, 130,6 ± 1,34 μg/L e 101,9 ± 6,62 μg/L. Parallelamente, il lievito Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suscettibile di manipolazione genetica, è stato ingegnerizzato nel percorso anabolico della produzione di folati per acquisire nuove conoscenze sui possibili bersagli per sbloccare i precursori che ne limitano la produzione. Otto geni diversi sono stati manipolati per la prima volta nello stesso background genetico e sfruttando diverse strategie ingegneristiche. Questo è stato fondamentale per testare il miglior ceppo nel bioreattore e per portare la produzione e la produttività di folati rispettivamente a 620,0 ± 12,30 μg/L e 41,33 μgfol/Lh, tra i più alti in letteratura. Nel complesso, questi risultati forniscono una solida evidenza di possibili processi di upcycling a base microbica di biomasse lignocellulosiche.
Lignocellulose is the major structural component of woody and non-woody plants, representing a major potential source of renewable organic matter. Lignocellulose is primarily composed by two carbohydrate polymers, cellulose and hemicellulose and by lignin (an aromatic polymer). These complex polymers on the one hand often constitute a residual biomass of agro-food production chain, but at the same time they contain different sugar monomers and phenolic precursors, harbouring an enormous biotechnological value, since they can potentially be converted into different value-added products. In a scenario where the world population is increasing together with the generation of waste and pollution at the expenses of planet resources and human wellbeing, this project aims at proposing an example of circular bioeconomy and industrial symbiosis. More in detail, the project starts from the quali-quantitative evaluation of residual agricultural biomasses to the valorization of a subset of interest for our territory into folates, exploiting yeasts as microbial cell factory. Folate (Vitamin B9) is a water-soluble B vitamin with important roles in nucleic acid synthesis, repair and methylation, produced only by green plants and some microorganisms: for these reasons it represents an essential nutritional component for humans. Vitamin B9 commercially available is chemically synthetized as folic acid, suboptimal in terms of bioactivity for humans; the production of natural folates by microbial fermentation is therefore becoming a sustainable and desirable alternative for human supplementation. During the project the ENEA methodology for the analysis of resource flows and for the creation of possible synergies between the various companies present in the Lombardy region was acquired and applied. Thanks to this work it was possible to identify the main waste biomasses produced in the area in the agro-food sector and unfermented grape marcs was then selected for further studies in laboratory, and compared with previously utilised residual biomasses, deriving from sugar process of production. The non-conventional yeast Scheffersomyces stipitis was exploited as natural but never investigated host for the production of vitamin B9. The growth was optimized and folate production was assessed first in shake flasks and then in bioreactor in formulated media mimicking lignocellulose hydrolysates. The maximum folate production was 3.7 ± 0.07 mg/L, which to date is the highest reported when considering wild type microorganisms. Moreover, folate production was evaluated in shake flasks starting from three different residual biomasses: sugar beet molasses (SBM), sugar beet pulp (SBP) and unfermented grape marcs (UGM). S. stipitis was able to metabolize these biomasses, reaching folate titers of 188.2 ± 24.86 μg/L, 130.6 ± 1.34 μg/L and 101.9 ± 6.62 μg/L respectively. In parallel, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, amenable for genetic manipulation, was engineered into the anabolic pathway of folate production to acquire novel knowledge on possible targets for unlocking bottlenecks of production. Eight different genes were manipulated for the first time in the same genetic background and exploiting different engineering strategies. This was pivotal for testing the best strain in bioreactor and in bringing folate production and productivity up to 620.0 ± 12.30 μg/L and 41.33 μgfol/Lh respectively, among the highest in the literature. Overall, these results provide solid evidence of possible up-cycling microbial-based processes of lignocellulosic biomasses that characterize specific territory. The value in terms of circularity of the resources, minimization of management costs of wastes and generation of values in the logic of industrial symbiosis was demonstrated, matching the initial scope of the PhD project.

La riduzione delle emissioni climalteranti è considerata un obiettivo strategico, sia a livello europeo che globale. Una maggiore diffusione delle fonti energetiche rinnovabili (FER) è considerata essenziale per una transizione verso un sistema energetico più sostenibile. Questa transizione verso un’energia a basse emissioni di carbonio richiede lo sviluppo e l'uso di tecnologie innovative, in particolare nei settori di utilizzo finale (edifici, industria e trasporti), e nuovi approcci economici, di gestione e di mercato. Lo studio presentato in questa tesi esplora le opportunità sostenibili offerte dall'approccio di simbiosi industriale e urbano-industriale basati sull'energia. La simbiosi industriale energetica (SIE) propone la condivisione di risorse, strutture e infrastrutture legate all'energia come un modello efficace per promuovere misure di risparmio energetico e l'adozione di fonti energetiche rinnovabili a livello industriale. Inoltre, è possibile perseguire una strategia energetica a basse emissioni di carbonio creando sinergie energetiche tra i distretti industriali e le aree urbane adiacenti. Stabilire la simbiosi energetica urbana-industriale (SUIE) consente di ottimizzare la produzione e il consumo di energia e di sfruttare il know-how locale e le risorse umane. Il nuovo sistema integrato necessita infatti di un cambio di prospettiva, considerando un'azione multi-stakeholder: aziende di servizi energetici, comunità locali, settore industriale, consumatori, policy maker, ricercatori devono impegnarsi attivamente nei processi di pianificazione partecipativa per guidare la trasformazione del sistema energetico e del processo di ricerca e innovazione, e rispondere adeguatamente alle esigenze del territorio. Nella tesi viene presentata un'analisi approfondita dei molteplici driver e barriere tecnici, economici, organizzativi, normativi, ambientali e sociali dell'approccio di simbiosi energetica, con l'obiettivo di modellare le configurazioni ottimali delle sinergie energetiche tra le imprese che comprendano l’uso di FER. Viene inoltre sviluppata una metodologia per supportare energy manager, singole imprese, gruppi di imprese all'interno di parchi industriali e decisori per valutare le sinergie e i progetti energetici che coinvolgono FER, tenendo conto degli impatti economici, ambientali e sociali dei progetti. Inoltre, viene sviluppato un framework orientato alla sostenibilità con l'obiettivo di modellare le sinergie energetiche urbano-industriali comprendenti le FER da un punto di vista multi-stakeholder per supportare il processo decisionale sulla sostenibilità economica, ambientale e sociale delle sinergie energetiche. L’applicazione degli strumenti decisionali sviluppati a specifici casi studio consente di sottolineare come le strategie collettive (SIE o SUIE) consentano una migliore gestione della fornitura di energia da fonti rinnovabili.
Reducing emissions responsible for the climate change is recognized as a strategic goal at European and global level. A higher deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) is considered as essential for a transition towards a more sustainable energy system. This low-carbon energy transition requires both the development and use of innovative technologies, particularly at end-use sectors (buildings, industry and transport), and new management approaches as well as new market design and business models. This study explores the sustainability driven opportunities offered by the energy based Industrial and Urban-Industrial Symbiosis approach. The Industrial Energy Symbiosis (IES) considers the sharing of energy-related resources, facilities and infrastructures as an effective model to promote energy conservation measures and the renewable energy sources uptake at the industrial level. In addition, an improved low-carbon strategy can be achieved creating energy synergies between industrial districts and the adjacent urban areas. Establishing Urban-Industrial Energy Symbiosis (UIES) allows optimizing the energy production and consumption and exploiting the local knowhow and human resources. These new integrated system needs a change of perspective, considering a multi-stakeholder action: energy service companies, local communities, industry sector, consumers, policy makers, researchers must get actively involved in participatory planning processes to guide the transformation of the energy system and the research and innovation process, and respond adequately to the needs of the territory. Thus, an in-depth analysis of the manifold technical, economic, organizational, regulatory, environmental and social drivers and barriers of the energy symbiosis approach are presented, with the aim of modelling the optimal energy synergies configurations among firms including RES. A methodology is developed to support energy managers, single firms, groups of firms within industrial parks, and decision-makers to evaluate energy synergies and projects involving RES, taking into account the economic, environmental and social impacts of the projects. Lastly, a sustainability-driven framework is developed, with the aim of modeling Urban–Industrial Energy Symbiosis networks integrating RES from a multi-stakeholder point of view and supporting decision-making on the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the energy synergies. The application of the developed decision-making tools to specific case studies emphasizes how collective strategies (IES or UIES) allow better management of the energy supplied by renewable sources.

This study examines the concept of Industrial Symbiosis (IS). It aims to provide insights into the evolutionary processes and development of IS. Drawing on international case studies of IS programs and the work of scholars in the field, this study identifies and analyses major factors influencing the development of an IS. The study also examined a number of cognitive factors that influence successful IS development.

This report focuses on governance mechanisms for industrial symbiosis (IS). The study takes an organizational approach on material and energy exchanges between different organizations (or different parts in the same organization) leading to increased regional resource efficiency. This project explores different strategies for governance mechanisms and analyzes how these affect trust. Significant factors for initiating and keeping a collaboration successful are also analyzed. Representatives from 24 Swedish cases of symbiotic arrangements are interviewed and ten themes affecting IS collaborations are identified. The themes are governance structure, shared vision, previous collaboration, local conditions, initiating a collaboration, activities to build trust, conflicts, transaction-based or goal-oriented approach, indicators and distribution of costs and benefits. Among the governance structures used are hierarchy (collaboration between different parts of the same organization), joint venture, strategic alliance and different types of agreements. Common is a 10-15 years agreement, sometimes combined with a strategic discussion about the development of the collaboration. Three factors particularly affecting collaborations are identified: strategic meetings, indicators related to the collaboration and fair profit distribution. The factor strategic meetings is about combining long term agreements with innovation. Long term agreements might be necessary when a project requires investments. Meanwhile, this can suppress innovation by supporting outdated solutions. The paradox of needing both long term agreements and continued innovation may be solved by the practice of having strategic meetings and contract surveillance. Another significant factor for successful collaborations is the use of jointly evaluated indicators. To jointly evaluate a project according to predetermined indicators gives all parties the opportunity to know when a collaboration is successful. The third significant factor is fair profit distribution. Unfair profit distribution may delay or stop a project. It may also decrease trust in an ongoing project. A fair profit distribution is a key factor for enabling long term relationships.
Den här rapporten studerar samarbetsformer för industriell symbios (IS). Fokus för den här studien är material- och energiutbyten mellan organisationer eller mellan olika delar i samma organisation som leder till regional resurseffektivisering. Val och implementering av samarbetsform analyseras i relation till förtroende mellan organisationer och lyckade samarbeten. Viktiga faktorer för att lyckas starta och bibehålla ett symbiossamarbete analyseras också. Representanter från 24 svenska fall av symbiotiska samarbeten intervjuas och deras svar analyseras utifrån tio teman: samarbetsform, gemensam vision, tidigare samarbete, lokala förutsättningar, att starta ett samarbete, aktiviteter för att bygga förtroende, konflikter, transaktionsbaserat eller målinriktat förhållningssätt, indikatorer och vinstfördelning. Bland de samarbetsformer som används återfinns hierarki (samarbete mellan olika delar i samma organisation), joint venture, strategisk allians och olika typer av avtal. Vanligt är avtal på 10-15 år, ibland kombinerat med en strategisk diskussion om samarbetets utveckling. Tre faktorer identifieras som extra viktiga vid symbiotiska samarbeten: strategiska möten, indikatorer relaterade till samarbetet och rättvis vinstfördelning. Strategiska möten handlar om att kombinera långsiktiga avtal med innovation. Långsiktiga avtal behövs ofta i symbiossamarbeten för att kunna göra investeringar. Samtidigt kan detta låsa fast utdaterade lösningar och försvåra innovation och utveckling. Att ha avtalsbevakning och en strategisk diskussion kring utveckling av samarbetet har identifierats som ett sätt att lösa detta på. En annan betydande faktor för lyckade samarbeten är gemensamma indikatorer relaterade till samarbetet. Att gemensamt utvärdera samarbetet enligt uppsatta indikatorer ger alla parter möjlighet att veta när ett samarbete lyckats. Den tredje identifierade faktorn är rättvis vinstfördelning. Orättvis vinstfördelning kan stoppa eller försena ett samarbete. Det kan också urholka parternas förtroende till varandra. En rättvis vinstfördelning kan däremot skapa förtroende och är en nyckelfaktor till ett långsiktigt samarbete.

This thesis describes a unique industrial symbiosis employing algae at the core of a novel industrial system that integrates fossil-power generation, carbon capture, biofuel production, aquaculture, and wastewater treatment. A new modelling framework capable of designing and evaluating material and energy exchanges within an industrial ecosystem is introduced. Results, focusing on CO2 flows, demonstrate the potential for CO2 emissions reduction through carbon reuse and recycling. Significantly, this thesis shows the positive potential of this new complex industrial symbiosis and of the modelling framework by demonstrating a high degree of flexibility in terms of integrated material and energy flow analysis. Details of this algae-centred eco-industrial park and a demonstration of its workings through preliminary techno-economic calculations are presented. Results show that a proposed eco-park that generates 660 MW power plant and several material co-product streams (biofuel, chemicals), reduces net CO2 emissions significantly by 62% (equivalent to 1,9 million t/yr) as compared to a 660 MW stand-alone power plant. This reduction is achieved through the recycling and utilisation of captured CO2 in the algae feed. Using a 100% renewable option, zero CO2 emissions may be targeted, but noting that this option is limited because it comes without materials co-production. Also, the overall unit production cost of algae-centred eco-industrial park proposed significantly lowered by 60% compared to the overall unit production cost needed from combining all stand-alone plants together. Feedstock and equipment overall budgets have more impacts compared to other sensitivity analysis carried. The effectiveness of evaluating energy technology transitions towards future low-emission energy and chemical systems is discussed.

Industriers samverkan med varandra och andra sektorer i samhället genom industriell symbios spelar en viktig roll för omställningen till cirkulära kretslopp och en hållbar framtid. Genom att företag, industrier och kommuner verkar tillsammans genom bland annat resurs- och kunskapsutbyten fås en ökad energioch resurseffektivitet med ekonomiska, miljömässiga och sociala vinster. De områden med industriell symbios som finns idag har ofta uppkommit genom spontant utvecklade projekt, på grund av exempelvis lönsamheten i att tillvarata restflöden eller krav på slutna flöden. Att symbiosnätverk inte uppkommer vid fler områden kan bero på bristfällig kommunikation och företags fokus på den egna kärnverksamheten, att de inte ser till det större systemet de är en del av och vilka nyttor som kan fås genom samverkan. Ett första steg i att aktivt utveckla industriell symbios är att kartlägga potentiella synergier inom ett område. Kartläggningssteget är ett av de inom litteraturen mest undersökta stegen av utvecklingsprocessen för industriell symbios. Det innehåller en mängd framtagna dataverktyg som syftar till att matcha verksamheters in- och utflöden. Identifierade dataverktyg missar dock ofta aspekten att involvera och engagera medarbetare samt ytterligare mervärden som utöver möjliga resursutbyten är viktiga för att industriell symbios ska uppkomma och fortsätta verka. Det saknas även ett arbetssätt för hur en kartläggning kan struktureras, där detta examensarbete är ett värdefullt bidrag inom ämnet. Detta examensarbete undersöker hur en kartläggning av befintliga och potentiella värdehöjande synergier kan struktureras. Synergier är exempelvis utbyten av material- och resursflöden, gemensam infrastruktur och kunskapsnätverk. Synergier syftar till att vara värdehöjande i form av att ge ekonomiska fördelar, minskad miljöpåverkan eller stärkta sociala band mellan olika aktörer. En fallstudie genomfördes för att kartlägga synergier vid Händelö Eco Industrial Park i Norrköping. Datainsamlingen för kartläggningen genomfördes externt av rapportförfattarna genom genomgång av dokument, telefonsamtal och möten med medarbetare vid Händelö. En workshop med representanter från sju aktörer genomfördes som intern kartläggning, som ämnar till att samla aktörer och låta dem gemensamt identifiera synergimöjligheter mellan varandra. Genom fallstudien identifierades ett 50-tal olika synergier och ett flertal mervärden vid Händelöområdet. Som en avslutande del i kartläggningen bedömdes identifierade synergiers implementeringspotential. Examensarbetet presenterar ett arbetssätt för hur en kartläggning av befintliga och potentiella värdehöjande synergier inom ett område kan struktureras. Arbetssättet består av fyra steg; identifiering av startgrupp av aktörer, kartläggning av synergier, inkludering av ytterligare aktörer och bedömning av implementeringspotentialen. Diskussion förs gällande hur arbetssättet kan anpassas utifrån kartläggarens och områdets förutsättningar samt vikten av olika mervärden. Genom att formulera ett arbetssätt som utöver identifierade värdehöjande synergier även resulterar i mervärden som stärker den institutionella kapaciteten för industriell symbios, ökar möjligheterna för industriell symbios och mer hållbar hushållning av resurser inom fler områden. I slutsatserna rekommenderas att en kartläggning av synergier bör genomföras både externt och internt. En intern kartläggning, när aktörer samlas och interagerar med varandra, kan utöver synergimöjligheter även resultera i viktiga mervärden som främjar implementering av synergier. Exempel på mervärden är engagemang och ökad kommunikation, vilket stärker den institutionella kapaciteten för industriell symbios och möjliggör långsiktiga industriella samarbeten. För att ta arbetet vidare är kontinuerliga möten iv och att koordinera aktörer viktigt, för att ta tillvara på identifierade synergier och de anställdas engagemang, därmed fortsätta utveckla den industriella symbiosen vid Händelö.
Industries cooperating with each other and other sectors of society through industrial symbiosis which plays an important role for a sustainable development and the conversion to circular economy. Industries, municipalities and organizations collaborating through, among other things, sharing resources and knowledge leads to energy and resource efficiency with economic, environmental and social benefits. Areas with existing industrial symbiosis have often emerged through spontaneously developed projects, due to regulations or the profitability of utilizing residual flows. Why industrial symbiosis network doesn’t emerge in more areas may be due to lack of communication and coordination as well as companies focusing on their core business and not seeking the benefits that collaborations can provide. A first step in developing industrial symbiosis is to find synergetic opportunities within an area. This step contains a variety of data tools for process input–output stream-based matching. These types of data tools, however, often misses the aspect of involving and engaging employees which is important for the process of industrial symbiosis to emerge and proceed. There is also no clear workflow for how identifying synergy opportunities can be done, where this thesis is a valuable contribution within the subject. This master thesis examines how a mapping of existing and potential value-adding synergies can be structured. Synergies include, for example, exchanges of material and resource flows, shared infrastructure and knowledge networks. Synergies aim to added value of economic benefits, reduced environmental impact or strengthened social links between different actors. A case study was conducted to find synergetic opportunities at Händelö Eco Industrial Park in Norrköping. The data collection was carried out externally by the authors through a review of documents and meetings with employees at Händelö. A workshop with representatives from seven actors was held as internal mapping, which aimed to help them to identify mutual synergy opportunities between each other together. The case study identifies about 50 different synergies and several added values in the Händelö area. As a final part of the mapping, the potential for the identified synergies’ feasibility were assessed. This master thesis presents a workflow for a mapping of existing and potential value-adding synergies within an area. The process consists of four steps; identification of actors, mapping of synergies, incorporation of further actors and feasibility assessment. Discussion is conducted on how the workflow can be adapted based on the surveyor and the area of the symbiosis, as well as the importance of various added values. Formulating a workflow that, in addition to identifying value-added synergies increases the opportunities for industrial symbiosis and more sustainable management of resources in further areas. The conclusions include a recommendation that a mapping of synergies should be done both externally and internally. An internal survey, where actors gather and interact with each other, can result in important added values which facilitates the feasibility of identified synergies. Examples of added value are engagement and increased communication, which strengthens the institutional capacity for industrial symbiosis and enables long-term industrial collaborations. In order to continue the development of the Händelö area, recurrent meetings and coordination of actors are important, taking advantage of identified synergies and employee engagement, thus continuing to develop the industrial symbiosis.

As the world's population increases, so does the use of resources and thus also the amount of waste. This is an unsustainable resource use trend, with low resource efficiency and high throughput, but can be counteracted with a circular economy. In recent years, an increasing number of initiatives have been taken to strengthen sustainability work. On a global level, the UN developed Agenda 2030, and in 2020 the Swedish government presented a strategy for the transition to a circular economy in Sweden. One way to contribute to increased sustainability and a transition to a circular economy is through industrial and urban symbiosis (IUS). IUS is about increasing resource utilization through greater collaboration between organizations. One organization's residuals and waste can be another's resource. In addition to physical flows, IUS can involve the exchange of information and knowledge between different actors, or the sharing of services or equipment. Urban symbiosis means that the needs, flows and relationships of the city or urban areas are combined with those of industries. Waste contractors, universities, government agencies and production companies can all contribute to this collaboration. For IUS to develop in a planned way, a coordinating or facilitating actor is needed who can work both comprehensively and impartially. This role could be carried out by a municipality and according to the Swedish Instrument of Government, municipalities have a responsibility to try to act towards sustainability. In addition, many municipalities have directly or indirectly linked their strategies and overall goals to the sub-goals of Agenda 2030. Thus, there are many potential benefits for municipalities in achieving their sustainability objectives by implementing IUS in their operations. Since the 2000s, more and more research has been carried out on IUS, and an increasing number of municipalities have begun implementing it. However, most research focuses on private actors, and does not address the unique opportunities and limitations that a municipal organization may have, considering they are a politically controlled organization. There is a lack of an overall mapping, compilation, and tools for what specifically Swedish municipalities can have and use, in the form of drivers, barriers, approaches and consequences, when working with IUS. The purpose of this study has thus been to map how municipalities, within their existing organization, can include and enable the development of industrial and urban symbiosis, and create a tool to facilitate that development. To answer the research questions and fulfil the purpose, a qualitative case study was conducted through a literature review and a semi-structured interview study of five municipalities that have already initiated the development of IUS in their organizations. The five municipalities have been Sotenäs, Malmö, Helsingborg, Lidköping and Gotland and the selected respondents were municipal employees and elected politicians from four areas of the municipal organization. 19 individual interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the responses were then categorized as a driver, barrier, process, or consequence of working with IUS. The categorization of the collected empirical data was compiled into five tables which showed that 30 drivers, 32 barriers, 56 approaches, 32 positive consequences and 6 negative consequences had been mentioned during the interviews. The most prominent drivers were that the municipal organization is development-driven, there is strong political support early on, there is a large network of contacts and cooperation within the region, as well as the presence of champions. Several prominent obstacles were highlighted and the most obvious of these were the need for and the time required to create political anchoring, the organizational culture, and the lack of knowledge that comes with the fact that IUS is a complex subject that can be difficult to explain. The interview study also resulted in many approaches, which differed between the municipalities. However, there were some specific ones that all municipalities emphasized as important for the development of IUS. Some examples of these were collaborating with scientific academics, working more cross-sectorally, and taking inspiration from other municipalities. When it comes to consequences, most municipalities that have come quite far with the work have experienced at least one negative consequence, but the positive consequences are significantly more. Based on these tables, a tool was developed: Matrisen (‘The Matrix’), which is divided into three parts; 1. Identify the municipality's current situation based on factors, 2. Examine which processes can be used to influence the current situation, and 3. Make an action plan. The Matrix is designed as a focus group interview with inspiration from a workshop, which is intended to be part of a larger workshop that representatives from a municipality will participate in to begin its work to enable IUS in its municipality. The Matrix is also intended to be an iterative process that will be used continuously over the years. When the content of the tool was compared to scientific literature, several connections for most factors and processes were found. Unfortunately, the tool could not be tested and thus there are several risks and opportunities for improvement, but it is still considered to be of great value as it is unique in that it is the first tool focused on simplifying work with IUS for specifically Swedish municipalities. Another thing that makes the Matrix unique is that it both gives an overall view and is generalizing, while it at the same time provides the opportunity to be individual. It also focuses on developing the fundamental aspects needed for a municipality to be able to initiate work with IUS. There are many reasons why municipalities should work to implement IUS. Municipalities can, for example, contribute with a neutral meeting place because they do not have to act profitably or are exposed to rivalry in the same way as companies. In addition, the municipalities are responsible for some of society’s large systems with important flows and have a public responsibility by having to handle certain constitutional tasks. This means that the municipalities will be part of an IUS even if they do not actively choose to get involved. For these reasons, they can benefit others by also acting on several of the relevant roles needed in an IUS. For their own benefit, municipalities should work with IUS to help them achieve their business and sustainability goals quicker. Working with IUS, for a municipal organization, also brings benefits for other actors within the municipality and can affect the municipality's reputation in a positive way. Swedish municipalities should therefore work to introduce IUS in their organization, based on their own circumstances and capacity.
I takt med att jordens befolkning ökar, ökar också resursanvändningen och därmed även avfallsmängderna. Detta är en ohållbar resursanvändningstrend eftersom det innebär låg resurseffektivitet och hög genomströmningshastighet, vilket är något som cirkulär ekonomi motverkar. Under de senaste åren har ett ökande antal initiativ tagits för att stärka hållbarhetsarbetet; på global nivå har FN skapat Agenda 2030 och 2020 presenterade den svenska regeringen en strategi för omställningen till cirkulär ekonomi i Sverige. Ett sätt att bidra till ökad hållbarhet och cirkulär ekonomi är genom industriell och urban symbios (IUS). IUS handlar om att försöka öka resursutnyttjandet genom större samverkan mellan organisationer. En organisations restprodukt och avfall kan bli en annans resurs och utöver fysiska flöden kan det även handla om att öka utbytet av information och kunskap mellan olika aktörer eller att flera delar tjänster eller utrustning med varandra. Urban symbios innebär att stadens eller urbana områdens behov, flöden och relationer kombineras med de hos industrier. Så väl avfallsentreprenörer, universitet, myndigheter och producerande företag kan medverka till denna samverkan. För att IUS ska kunna utvecklas på ett planerat sätt behövs någon form av koordinerande eller faciliterande aktör som kan arbeta på ett övergripande och opartiskt sätt. Den koordinerande aktören skulle förslagsvis kunna vara en kommun och enligt Regeringsformen har kommuner ett ansvar i att försöka agera för hållbarhet. Flertalet kommuner har direkt eller indirekt kopplat sina strategier och övergripande mål till delmålen i Agenda 2030. Därmed finns det många potentiella vinster för en kommun och dess hållbarhetsarbete med att initiera IUS i sin verksamhet. Det har under 2000-talet börjat genomföras alltmer forskning inom ämnet IUS och allt fler kommuner har börjat arbeta med det. Den mesta forskningen fokuserar dock på allmänna aktörer, och tar inte in de unika möjligheter och begränsningar som en kommunorganisation kan ha, i och med att de är en politiskt styrd organisation. Det saknas en övergripande kartläggning, sammanställning och verktyg för vad specifikt svenska kommuner kan ha för drivkrafter, hinder, tillvägagångssätt och följder av att arbeta med IUS. Syftet med denna studie har därmed varit att kartlägga hur kommuner, inom sin befintliga organisation, kan inkludera och möjliggöra utvecklingen av industriell och urban symbios, samt skapa ett verktyg för att underlätta den utvecklingen. För att svara på frågeställningarna och uppfylla syftet genomfördes en kvalitativ fallstudie genom en litteraturgranskning samt en semistrukturerad intervjustudie av fem kommuner som redan har initierat utvecklingen av IUS i sina organisationer. De fem kommunerna har varit Sotenäs, Malmö, Helsingborg, Lidköping och Gotland och de utvalda respondenterna var tjänstepersoner och förtroendevalda politiker från fyra områden av kommunorganisationen. 19 individuella intervjuer spelades in och transkriberades där svaren sedan kategoriserades som en drivkraft, hinder, process eller följd av arbete med IUS. Kategoriseringen av den insamlade empirin samanställdes i fem tabeller som visade att 30 drivkrafter, 32 hinder, 56 tillvägagångssätt, 32 positiva följder samt 6 negativa följder hade nämnts under intervjuerna. De mest framträdande drivkrafterna var att kommunorganisationen är utvecklingsdriven, att det finns en stark politisk stöttning tidigt, att det finns ett stort kontaktnät samt samarbete inom regionen och även förekomsten av eldsjälar. Det uppmärksammades flertalet framträdande hinder och de tydligaste av dessa var behovet av och tidsåtgången som krävs för att skapa politisk förankring, organisationskulturen samt kunskapsbristen som kommer med att IUS är ett komplext ämne som kan vara svårt att förklara. Intervjustudien resulterade även i ett stort antal tillvägagångssätt som skiljde sig kommunerna mellan, men det fanns vissa specifika som samtliga framhävde som viktiga för utvecklingen av IUS. Några exempel på dessa var att samarbeta med vetenskaplig akademi, arbeta mer tvärsektoriellt, samt ta inspiration från andraVkommuner. När det kommer till följder har de flesta kommuner som kommit en bit med arbetet upplevt någon enstaka negativ följd, men de positiva följderna är betydligt fler. Utifrån dessa tabeller togs ett verktyg fram: Matrisen, som är uppdelad i tre delar; 1. Identifiera kommunens nuläge utifrån faktorer, 2. Undersöka vilka processer som kan användas för att påverka nuläget, samt 3. Göra en handlingsplan. Matrisen är utformad som en fokusgruppsintervju med inspiration av workshop som är tänkt att vara en del av en större workshop som representanter från en kommun ska delta i för att påbörja sitt arbete med att möjliggöra IUS i sin kommun. Matrisen är också avsedd att var en iterativ process som ska användas kontinuerligt genom åren. När verktygets innehåll jämfördes mot vetenskaplig litteratur återfanns flertalet kopplingar för de flesta faktorer och processer. Verktyget kunde dessvärre inte testas och därmed finns det ett antal risker och förbättringsmöjligheter, men den anses ändå vara av stort värde då den är unik i form av att det är det första verktyget som är inriktat på att förenkla arbetet med IUS specifikt för svenska kommuner. Något annat som gör Matrisen unik är att den är både översiktlig och generaliserande, samtidigt som den ger möjlighet att vara individuell. Den fokuserar också på att ta fram de fundamentala aspekterna som behövs för att en kommun ska kunna initiera arbete med IUS. Det finns många anledningar på varför kommuner bör arbeta med att möjliggöra IUS. Kommuner kan exempelvis bidra med en neutral mötesplats eftersom de inte ska agera vinstdrivande eller är konkurrensutsatta på samma sätt som företag. Dessutom har kommunerna ansvar för stora samhällsystem med viktiga flöden samt har ett samhällsansvar genom att de ska sköta vissa lagstadgade uppgifter. Det leder till att kommunerna kommer vara en del av en IUS även om de inte aktivt väljer att engagera sig. Av dessa anledningar kan de göra nytta för andra genom att också agera flera av de relevanta rollerna som behövs i en IUS. För sin egen skull bör kommuner arbeta med IUS för att det kan hjälpa dem att snabbare nå sina uppsatta strategier och mål för exempelvis näringsliv och hållbarhet. Arbete med IUS för en kommunorganisation medför även vinster för övriga verksamheter i kommunen samt kan påverka kommunens rykte på ett positivt sätt. Svenska kommuner bör därför arbeta för att införa IUS i sin organisation, utifrån sina egna förutsättningar och kapacitet.
Cirkulär Ekonomi Genom Industriell Samverkan 2.0

A collaborative approach to industry-environment issues is acknowledged as a key aspect of sustainable development. Sincerely, resource sharing among firms offers the potential to increase stability of operations, especially in supply-constrained areas, by ensuring that access to important inputs such as water, energy and raw materials are guaranteed. Industrial Symbiosis (IS), a sub-field of Industrial Ecology, is primarily concerned with the cyclical flow of resources through networks of industrial units as a means of cooperatively approaching environmentally sustainable industrial activity. In line with this principle, a critical assessment of the change in environmental performance brought about by industrial symbiosis (IS) was conducted in nineteen selected eco-industrial park case studies identified in all regions of the world with the exception of the African continent. Case study selection criteria were based on models of eco-industrial parks proposed by Chertow (2000). A description of the type of material exchanges that go on in each case study was carried out which revealed evidence of implemented synergies in respective case studies. A comparative assessment of cross-case patterns which is a semi-quantitative matrix used to quantify the degree of environmental performance showed that there was a clear evidence of improved environmental performance among respective case studies investigated where water, energy and material flows served as indicators. Results obtained from the study showed a common pattern of industrial presence in respective case studies reflecting the occurrence of heavy process industries such as oil refineries, cement industries, petrochemical industries, and steel industries. The principle of “anchor tenant” proposed by some experts in the field of industrial ecology was strongly supported by the obtained results. Symbiotic cooperation among participating firms in respective case studies were mainly on areas like cogeneration, re-use of materials, recycling and wastewater treatment and re-use.

Industrial symbiosis can be understood as the substitution of new resources used in an industrial process by another resource that would otherwise be discarded. Industrial symbiosis can thereby create new revenue streams and at the same time reduce environmental impact. The initial step in creating an industrial symbiosis is the identification of potential substation relationships between production plants. This step is challenging, as information about the companies is often not available. Several software tools have been developed in order to identify potential symbiosis opportunities. However, these tools have the shortcoming that they require extensive data input from companies owning the production plants. This requirement limits the number of companies for which symbiosis opportunities are identified. In this paper, we propose a data-driven methodology for identifying industrial symbiosis and generating eco-industrial park architectures. The methodology is based on meta-models of industrial plants for identifying plant attributes for certain types of plants, correlations that estimate the rough amount of resource supply and demand of a plant, and a rule-based system that identifies symbiosis opportunities based on knowledge from successful symbioses. Based on the symbiosis opportunities, approach generates eco-industrial park architectures that are optimal in terms of economic and environmental performance. Finally, we apply the methodology to a case study of the existing Kalundborg eco-industrial park to evaluate if the methodology is capable of finding existing symbioses. We conclude that the methodology can be applied to screening industrial zones with standard types of industrial plants. However, the results depend on the types of existing industrial plant meta-models in the database. Future work will focus on extending the data and knowledge base; and validating the methodology by its application to other existing eco-industrial parks.

Design and implementation of Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs) is a practical and scientific solution to achieve sustainable industries. Specifically, energy exchange networks can significantly contribute to the pollution reduction by recovering and sharing wasted heat generated in industrial processes. Despite this perceived fact, the existing research seems mainly looking for one to one relation and lacks in methods for modeling and optimizing multi-synergy symbioses that is essential for EIPs. This paper reviews main concepts in designing industrial symbioses and proposes an optimization model to exchange the residual energy between individual industries in an EIP. Using mathematical programming, the model decides the best set of connections between energy suppliers and users to minimize the total cost and maximize energy symbioses. The presented models analyze perspectives to potential symbioses for individual industries and EIP managers. A detailed discussion clarifies how these perspectives can affect the optimized symbioses. The model is validated using anonymized data of a real case. The result shows that various perspectives to the model provide different energy network topographies.

Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs) and Industrial Symbioses (IS) have provided several cost-effective and environmental friendly solutions for the economic growth of countries. The need for excessive materials, water and energy can be reduced by exchanging wastes, by-products and energy among different clusters of industries, which is the fundamental goal of establishing synergies among industries. Symbioses design looks for the best set of connections among industries to satisfy defined objectives. However, there are not enough data to support the design of a new EIP for some industries. The existing research contains multiple objective optimization methods, but lacks details in the real industrial world to consider comprehensive criteria in design of flow exchanges due to the large cost and long establishment time for those synergies. This paper presents a multi-objective model to decide the best network of industries for several exchanges among them. The model helps minimizing costs for multiple product exchanges while considering environmental impacts to be reduced. Moreover, this paper investigates uncertainties affecting synergies within EIPs by incorporating in a modeling process. The presented models are validated through optimizing symbioses in an EIP. The efficiency of single and multiple objective models is analyzed for effects of the selected uncertainties. Future research directions are also discussed.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) is an ideal initiative for co-located industries to gain a competitive advantage through physical exchange of materials, energy, water, and by-products within a closed loop industrial system. IS has been created a considerable impact on the environmental and economic development through water savings, reduction of raw material extraction and carbon emissions reductions. As many developing countries are suffering from the environmental degradation due to industrial operations, initiating IS networks is vital to improve the business and environmental performance of industries. Since it is a novel concept, it is important to examine the insights from global IS projects to foresee the future challenges. Thus, in this study, PESTEL framework is employed to examine the impact of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal external factors on global IS projects. The secondary data collected from nine global IS projects were analysed using PESTEL analysis. The analysis clearly describes the several facets that could influence on industries deploying the IS networks, such as the pressure made by government, external parties, collective cost and environmental benefits, infrastructure sharing, social benefits, and influence made by laws and regulations. Accordingly, a PESTEL framework is developed, which provides a firm base to foresee the possible future changes, challenges and opportunities that can be effectively considered in strategic business decisions for deploying IS networks in Sri Lanka.

This briefing paper is the fourth and final output in ‘Symbiotic Radicalisation’, a project in our ‘Dynamics of Violent Extremism’ research stream. Symbiotic Radicalisation is a collaboration between researchers at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and the Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities at Victoria University (VU). This paper provides an overview of key trends identified throughout this research program, which examines the online interplay between the far-left and far-right in Australia (with a focus on the State of Victoria) and considers the policy implications of this work.