Title: The introduction and dissemination of the industrial symbiosis projects in the Rotterdam Harbour and Industry Complex

Authors: Leo Baas, Frank Boons

Addresses: Erasmus Centre for Sustainability and Management, Erasmus University, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. ' Department of Public Policy Management, Erasmus University, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Abstract: The dissemination and implementation of the Industrial Symbiosis projects in the Rotterdam Harbour and Industry Complex can be characterised by break-through projects on the basis of long-term industrial ecology projects. The first 4-year Industrial Symbiosis programme started in 1994 and generated the basis for 15 projects that were further developed in a second 4-year programme that started in 1999 and merged into a 8-years Sustainable Enterprises programme in 2003. This development at the system level is created through the activities of individual organisation in a dynamic, loosely coupled network. The concept of sustainability capabilities is used to analyse the way in which these activities lead to the development of the system.

Keywords: industrial ecology; industrial symbiosis; utility sharing; stakeholder decision-making; breakthrough projects; sustainable enterprises; sustainability capabilities; The Netherlands.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2007.015630

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2007 Vol.7 No.5/6, pp.551 - 577

Published online: 06 Nov 2007 *

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