Title: An industrial ecology framework to assist transferring environmental technologies

Authors: S. Ramakrishnan

Addresses: CSIRO Manufacturing & Infrastructure Technology, Locked Bag No. 9, Preston, Vic. 3072, Australia

Abstract: This paper attempts to provide a link between environmental technologies, as they are viewed today, and the burgeoning field of technology transfer, which deals with the means to capture benefits. With the growing awareness of the concept of sustainability, the paradigm for industry is shifting towards considering environmental consequences of human activities in association with economic development and social progress. The discipline of industrial ecology attempts to reinforce this emerging paradigm. A knowledge framework based on industrial ecology is proposed in the paper with the view to assist transferring environmental technologies, which could improve the environmental performance of a value chain. The environmental aspects associated with the value chain for magnesium is used as an example to illustrate the relevance and usefulness of the knowledge framework to environmental technology transfer.

Keywords: environmental technologies; industrial ecology; knowledge engineering; magnesium value chain; technology transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2004.004606

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2004 Vol.3 No.2, pp.147 - 165

Published online: 26 May 2004 *

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