Under the background of worldwide transition towards sustainability, Chinese government has begun to advocate nationwide sustainable-industrialization through initiating Eco-industrial Parks (EIPs) since last decade. While EIP projects are widely carried out by both central and local governments, the standards for EIP planning and management promulgated in China are considered to be inefficient and incomprehensive in this study. Due to the challenge of economy-environment conflict China confronts and the consequent narrow definition of China's EIPs which focuses mainly on environmental performance, a main limitation of the standards is the unbalanced considerations between the three basic foundations of sustainable development (SD) concept - economic growth, social development, and environmental protection and restoration. By reviewing several leading assessment tools being used internationally, as well as analyzing the specific issues existing during industrial development in China, this research intends to develop a synthetic and advanced indicator system, to evaluate China’s EIP performance. This system comprises 34 indicators that integrate four broad aspects of 'economic development', 'social development', 'environmental management', and 'administration'. For each indicator, detailed measurement and criterion are proposed for evaluation and implementation. Additionally, a case study of Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), a certificated EIP, is conducted to illustrate the application of this assessment system. The proposed indicator system is supposed to fill in the gap in EIP performance evaluation in China, from a view of the internationally perceived understandings of EIP and SD concepts. Although future studies are still needed to test and improve its feasibility and accuracy in terms of both indicator selection and criteria setting, this system provides a generic framework for EIP assessment work in China and is expected to drive China's EIP movement towards a more sustainable approach.

Under the background of worldwide transition towards sustainability, Chinese government has begun to advocate nationwide sustainable-industrialization through initiating Eco-industrial Parks (EIPs) since last decade. While EIP projects are widely carried out by both central and local governments, the standards for EIP planning and management promulgated in China are considered to be inefficient and incomprehensive in this study. Due to the challenge of economy-environment conflict China confronts and the consequent narrow definition of China's EIPs which focuses mainly on environmental performance, a main limitation of the standards is the unbalanced considerations between the three basic foundations of sustainable development (SD) concept - economic growth, social development, and environmental protection and restoration. By reviewing several leading assessment tools being used internationally, as well as analyzing the specific issues existing during industrial development in China, this research intends to develop a synthetic and advanced indicator system, to evaluate China’s EIP performance. This system comprises 34 indicators that integrate four broad aspects of 'economic development', 'social development', 'environmental management', and 'administration'. For each indicator, detailed measurement and criterion are proposed for evaluation and implementation. Additionally, a case study of Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), a certificated EIP, is conducted to illustrate the application of this assessment system. The proposed indicator system is supposed to fill in the gap in EIP performance evaluation in China, from a view of the internationally perceived understandings of EIP and SD concepts. Although future studies are still needed to test and improve its feasibility and accuracy in terms of both indicator selection and criteria setting, this system provides a generic framework for EIP assessment work in China and is expected to drive China's EIP movement towards a more sustainable approach.

There has been substantial research in recent years on the development dynamics of agglomeration economies - the industrial cluster perspective. However, the industrial cluster literature has tended to neglect the environmental impacts of clustering. Meanwhile, industrial ecology has tackled environmental concerns by promoting a new type of eco-friendly industrial system, eco-industrial park (EIP), that encourage circular flows of materials, energy and by-product exchange between neighbouring firms. Given that these two theories can potentially supplement each other, this doctoral study seeks to build bridges between the industrial cluster literature and the industrial ecology literature in order to address the research question: “how do clustered producers draw on inter-firm collaboration and institutional linkages to undertake holistic environmental upgrading strategies?” This study draws on comparative empirical evidence from the Banwol-Sihwa textiles dyeing cluster and the Yeosu petrochemical cluster in South Korea. Both the industrial clusters show a pattern of gradual environmental upgrading that is termed as ‘collective eco-efficiency’, although specific types of such collective behaviours have become differentiated due to their structural differences. The findings provide three key contributions to industrial ecology: (1) Intra-sectoral inter-firm relationships and regional firm-institutional relationships are much more influential in establishing an EIP than inter-sectoral inter-firm relationships on which industrial ecology has conventionally emphasised. (2) Although industrial ecology has mainly concerned of sectoral heterogeneity within an area, the multiplicity of production stages within an industrial cluster is also an important physical condition in establishing an EIP. (3) The notions of institutional setting and planning that have used in very ambiguous manners in industrial ecology are in essence a type of learning-by-interaction dynamics between local firms and other actors based on regional innovation systems. As for the industrial cluster literature, the findings in this study also suggests three conceptual implications: (1) Most studies addressing environmental issues in the industrial cluster literature have largely ignored the inter-sectoral dimension, the dynamics of collective efficiency is not necessarily limited within a sectoral boundary at least with regard to environmental upgrading. (2) Given that value chains do not necessarily match material flows, anchor tenant’s coordination power over material flows should be highlighted in addition to lead firm’s coordination power over value chains. (3) Regional innovation systems function as institutional ability to balance private benefits and social benefits.

This thesis project is a proposal of a scenario of an industrial collaboration that could become the basis for the development of an Eco-Industrial Park inside the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology using the water desalination plant as the foundation of this network. It is defined why the university is a suitable place for a development of this type; what industrial networks can be formed and what environmental, economic and social benefits could be achieved if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia implemented this project around the country. An Eco-Industrial Park is a collaboration between industries where they share resources and create an exchange network of wastes and by-products with the objective of obtaining positive environmental, economic and social impacts. In the proposed scenario, the initial collaboration is between a PV solar plant and the water desalination located inside the university. With the use of solar energy there are savings of CO2 emissions, which turn into positive impacts on the environment. The idea is that this initial collaboration could be extended in the future to provide the entire energy consumption of the KAUST community. The project also provides an insight into how an industrial symbiosis could be formed taking as a base this industrial collaboration. However, further studies and analysis are required in order to provide more solid information regarding the development of an Eco-Industrial Park.

Within the greater movement of sustainable development, industrial practices have been identified as a key area in which much improvement is both necessary and possible. The development and operation of industrial parks have become a focus of these efforts. The basic premise of this thesis is that a sustainable industrial park should function in an economically competitive manner that provides for human needs through market mechanisms while doing so in alliance with the local community, in congruence with the local ecosystem and within the carrying capacity of the planet. From a municipal planning and economic development perspective, this thesis focuses upon the development of a municipal strategy to effectuate sustainable industrial development and operations. Utilizing a blended theoretical approach incorporating general systems theory and planning theories, the proposed industrial park surrounding the Hamilton International Airport, in the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been analyzed to develop a viable sustainability vision for the park, identify barriers to implementing and achieving that vision, and formulate a municipal strategy to promote and enable the pursuit and realization of that vision. It was found that there is an important role for the municipality to assume and numerous opportunities for concrete municipal action throughout the planning, development and operational stages of the industrial park. Upon reflection of the research process, the findings were extrapolated to garner wider applicability and relevance to other municipalities provincially, nationally, and internationally, as well as to the professional and academic community involved in industrial sustainability.

Within the greater movement of sustainable development, industrial practices have been identified as a key area in which much improvement is both necessary and possible. The development and operation of industrial parks have become a focus of these efforts. The basic premise of this thesis is that a sustainable industrial park should function in an economically competitive manner that provides for human needs through market mechanisms while doing so in alliance with the local community, in congruence with the local ecosystem and within the carrying capacity of the planet. From a municipal planning and economic development perspective, this thesis focuses upon the development of a municipal strategy to effectuate sustainable industrial development and operations. Utilizing a blended theoretical approach incorporating general systems theory and planning theories, the proposed industrial park surrounding the Hamilton International Airport, in the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has been analyzed to develop a viable sustainability vision for the park, identify barriers to implementing and achieving that vision, and formulate a municipal strategy to promote and enable the pursuit and realization of that vision. It was found that there is an important role for the municipality to assume and numerous opportunities for concrete municipal action throughout the planning, development and operational stages of the industrial park. Upon reflection of the research process, the findings were extrapolated to garner wider applicability and relevance to other municipalities provincially, nationally, and internationally, as well as to the professional and academic community involved in industrial sustainability.

Industrial symbiosis is crucial to the formation of the eco-industrial parks. Several performance indicators have been proposed for measuring and monitoring the industrial symbiosis. The current focus of researches is on the proposal of these indicators, while it is still necessary to validate them, so they can become more robust and reliable. However, there is no specific validation methodology for this type of indicator. The central objective of this research was to develop a methodology specific for the analysis of industrial symbiosis indicators. The work resulted in a framework for the validation of industrial symbiosis indicators with the differential of combining the conceptual validation, based on the technical and theoretical information on the indicator, and the empirical validation, based on the analysis of the indicated behavior. The framework is composed of a set of activities and artifacts that support all validation steps, which includes a set of specific validation criteria for industrial symbiosis indicators, and a simulation model developed through the agent-based modeling technique, which is able to simulate all the industrial symbiosis indicators available in the literature, allowing the comparison between them. The specific validation criteria were verified through the judgment of experts in the validation of an indicator, the Industrial Symbiosis Indicator; and the simulation model was proposed and used for the comparison between all the indicators, being possible to identify their characteristics in different scenarios. By combining the two strategies, a validation instrument with significant progress in relation to the state of the art is reached; it can support researches in the proposal of new indicators. / A simbiose industrial é fundamental para a formação dos parques eco-industriais. Vários indicadores de desempenho têm sido propostos para sua medição e acompanhamento. O foco atual das pesquisas está na proposição desses indicadores e para que se tornem mais robustos e confiáveis faz-se necessário validá-los. Entretanto, não existe metodologia de validação específica para o caso desse tipo de indicador. O objetivo central dessa pesquisa foi desenvolver uma metodologia específica para analisar os indicadores de simbiose industrial. O trabalho resultou em um framework para a validação de indicadores de simbiose industrial cujo diferencial é a combinação da validação conceitual, baseada nas informações técnicas e teóricas sobre o indicador, com a validação empírica, baseada na análise do comportamento do indicador. O framework é composto por um conjunto de atividades e artefatos que apoiam as etapas de validação. Destacam-se um conjunto de critérios de validação específicos para indicadores de simbiose industrial e um modelo de simulação desenvolvido através da técnica de modelagem baseada em agentes, que é capaz de simular todos os indicadores de simbiose industrial disponíveis na literatura, permitindo a comparação entre eles. Os critérios de validação específicos foram verificados por meio do julgamento de especialistas na validação de um indicador, o Indicador de Simbiose Industrial; e o modelo de simulação foi proposto e utilizado para a realização de uma comparação entre todos os indicadores, sendo possível identificar as características deles em diferentes cenários. Combinando as duas estratégias tem-se, portanto, um instrumento para validação com significativo avanço frente ao estado da arte e que poderá apoiar pesquisas na proposição de novos indicadores.

Industrial symbiosis is crucial to the formation of the eco-industrial parks. Several performance indicators have been proposed for measuring and monitoring the industrial symbiosis. The current focus of researches is on the proposal of these indicators, while it is still necessary to validate them, so they can become more robust and reliable. However, there is no specific validation methodology for this type of indicator. The central objective of this research was to develop a methodology specific for the analysis of industrial symbiosis indicators. The work resulted in a framework for the validation of industrial symbiosis indicators with the differential of combining the conceptual validation, based on the technical and theoretical information on the indicator, and the empirical validation, based on the analysis of the indicated behavior. The framework is composed of a set of activities and artifacts that support all validation steps, which includes a set of specific validation criteria for industrial symbiosis indicators, and a simulation model developed through the agent-based modeling technique, which is able to simulate all the industrial symbiosis indicators available in the literature, allowing the comparison between them. The specific validation criteria were verified through the judgment of experts in the validation of an indicator, the Industrial Symbiosis Indicator; and the simulation model was proposed and used for the comparison between all the indicators, being possible to identify their characteristics in different scenarios. By combining the two strategies, a validation instrument with significant progress in relation to the state of the art is reached; it can support researches in the proposal of new indicators. / A simbiose industrial é fundamental para a formação dos parques eco-industriais. Vários indicadores de desempenho têm sido propostos para sua medição e acompanhamento. O foco atual das pesquisas está na proposição desses indicadores e para que se tornem mais robustos e confiáveis faz-se necessário validá-los. Entretanto, não existe metodologia de validação específica para o caso desse tipo de indicador. O objetivo central dessa pesquisa foi desenvolver uma metodologia específica para analisar os indicadores de simbiose industrial. O trabalho resultou em um framework para a validação de indicadores de simbiose industrial cujo diferencial é a combinação da validação conceitual, baseada nas informações técnicas e teóricas sobre o indicador, com a validação empírica, baseada na análise do comportamento do indicador. O framework é composto por um conjunto de atividades e artefatos que apoiam as etapas de validação. Destacam-se um conjunto de critérios de validação específicos para indicadores de simbiose industrial e um modelo de simulação desenvolvido através da técnica de modelagem baseada em agentes, que é capaz de simular todos os indicadores de simbiose industrial disponíveis na literatura, permitindo a comparação entre eles. Os critérios de validação específicos foram verificados por meio do julgamento de especialistas na validação de um indicador, o Indicador de Simbiose Industrial; e o modelo de simulação foi proposto e utilizado para a realização de uma comparação entre todos os indicadores, sendo possível identificar as características deles em diferentes cenários. Combinando as duas estratégias tem-se, portanto, um instrumento para validação com significativo avanço frente ao estado da arte e que poderá apoiar pesquisas na proposição de novos indicadores.

Os Parques Eco-Industriais (EIP - Eco-Industrial Park) surgiram como um novo modelo de organização espacial para arranjos industriais. Uma característica importante para um EIP é a adoção do conceito de simbiose industrial (SI), em que as empresas reutilizam resíduos em busca de um sistema fechado, diminuindo impacto ambiental. Há propostas para avaliar o fluxo de resíduos e a simbiose de um EIP por meio de indicadores detalhados em um determinado momento. Porém, trata-se de uma visão estática do parque na qual seria possível que os agentes implementassem mudanças para construir uma situação de sistema fechado ideal. Pesquisas recentes demonstram que essa abordagem enfrenta algumas limitações, uma vez que o processo de simbiose depende das decisões rotineiras e individuais de cada ator, empresários, técnicos e agenciadores, as quais podem alterar a dinâmica do fluxo de material no decorrer do tempo. A fim de contribuir, propõe-se um indicador de simbiose industrial diferente, elaborado segundo a abordagem do parque como um sistema dinâmico. Trata-se de uma ferramenta capaz de monitorar o nível de simbiose de um parque ao longo do tempo. Diferencia-se por permitir que a organização agenciadora possa implementar políticas de incentivo à simbiose industrial, influenciando nas decisões rotineiras dos diversos agentes do parque, em prol da simbiose. Empregaram-se estudos de caso, revisão sistemática da literatura e análise teórico-conceitual. Os primeiros resultados foram dois estudos de casos em parques que se autodenominavam EIPs, identificando oportunidades para a promoção da simbiose. O segundo resultado foi a proposta teórico-conceitual do Indicador de Simbiose Industrial (ISI) que pode ser utilizado como instrumento para o ambiente industrial dinâmico. Por fim, apresenta-se a análise das propriedades do indicador a partir de dados obtidos em um dos casos. Os resultados indicaram que o ISI pode identificar níveis de simbiose distintos para um mesmo parque, conforme sua evolução em direção a uma simbiose perfeita. A avaliação da coerência do ISI permitiu demonstrar sua capacidade em captar a ausência e a presença do processo de simbiose, atendendo as expectativas iniciais da construção do indicador. A avaliação do comportamento do ISI por meio da variação dos seus elementos permitiu analisar o indicador sob diferentes possibilidades, correspondendo positivamente às expectativas da pesquisa. Indica-se também várias questões que precisam ser verificadas para a validação do indicador e os próximos passos para torná-lo uma ferramenta útil para o gerenciamento de parques industriais interessados em aprimorar o seu nível de simbiose industrial. / The Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP - Eco-Industrial Park) emerged as a new model of spatial organization for industrial arrangements. An important feature for an EIP is the adoption of the concept of industrial symbiosis (IS), in which companies reuse waste to reach a closed system, reducing environmental impact. There are proposals to assess the waste stream and the symbiosis of an EIP through detailed indicators at a determined time. However, it is a static view of the park in which would be possible to the managers implement changes to construct a state of ideal closed system. Recent researches show that this approach faces some limitations, once the process symbiosis depends on the routine and individual decisions of the actors, managers, technicians and agents, which can alter the dynamics of the material flow through time. In order to contribute, it is proposed an different indicator of industrial symbiosis, prepared according to the approach of the park as a dynamic system. This is a tool that can monitor the level of symbiosis of a park during a determined time. This is different because allow the agent organization to implement policies to encourage industrial symbiosis influencing the routines decisions of the parks agents in favor of symbiosis. It was made case studies, systematic review of the literature and theoretical and conceptual analysis. The first results were two case studies in parks that called themselves EIPs, identifying opportunities to promote symbiosis. The second result was the proposed theoretical-conceptual Indicator Industrial Symbiosis (ISI) which can be used as a tool for the dynamic industrial environment. Finally, it shows the analysis of the indicator properties considering data obtained in one of the cases. The results indicated that the ISI can identify different levels of symbiosis for the same park as its evolution toward a perfect symbiosis. The assessment of the consistency of the ISI has demonstrated its ability to capture the absence and presence of the symbiosis process, confirming the expectations of the initial construction of the indicator. The performance evaluation of the ISI through the variation of its elements, allowed us to analyze the indicator under different possibilities, corresponding positively to the expectations of the research. Also, it indicates that several issues need to be checked to validate the indicator and the next steps to make it a useful tool for managing industrial parks interested in improving their level of industrial symbiosis.

Os Parques Eco-Industriais (EIP - Eco-Industrial Park) surgiram como um novo modelo de organização espacial para arranjos industriais. Uma característica importante para um EIP é a adoção do conceito de simbiose industrial (SI), em que as empresas reutilizam resíduos em busca de um sistema fechado, diminuindo impacto ambiental. Há propostas para avaliar o fluxo de resíduos e a simbiose de um EIP por meio de indicadores detalhados em um determinado momento. Porém, trata-se de uma visão estática do parque na qual seria possível que os agentes implementassem mudanças para construir uma situação de sistema fechado ideal. Pesquisas recentes demonstram que essa abordagem enfrenta algumas limitações, uma vez que o processo de simbiose depende das decisões rotineiras e individuais de cada ator, empresários, técnicos e agenciadores, as quais podem alterar a dinâmica do fluxo de material no decorrer do tempo. A fim de contribuir, propõe-se um indicador de simbiose industrial diferente, elaborado segundo a abordagem do parque como um sistema dinâmico. Trata-se de uma ferramenta capaz de monitorar o nível de simbiose de um parque ao longo do tempo. Diferencia-se por permitir que a organização agenciadora possa implementar políticas de incentivo à simbiose industrial, influenciando nas decisões rotineiras dos diversos agentes do parque, em prol da simbiose. Empregaram-se estudos de caso, revisão sistemática da literatura e análise teórico-conceitual. Os primeiros resultados foram dois estudos de casos em parques que se autodenominavam EIPs, identificando oportunidades para a promoção da simbiose. O segundo resultado foi a proposta teórico-conceitual do Indicador de Simbiose Industrial (ISI) que pode ser utilizado como instrumento para o ambiente industrial dinâmico. Por fim, apresenta-se a análise das propriedades do indicador a partir de dados obtidos em um dos casos. Os resultados indicaram que o ISI pode identificar níveis de simbiose distintos para um mesmo parque, conforme sua evolução em direção a uma simbiose perfeita. A avaliação da coerência do ISI permitiu demonstrar sua capacidade em captar a ausência e a presença do processo de simbiose, atendendo as expectativas iniciais da construção do indicador. A avaliação do comportamento do ISI por meio da variação dos seus elementos permitiu analisar o indicador sob diferentes possibilidades, correspondendo positivamente às expectativas da pesquisa. Indica-se também várias questões que precisam ser verificadas para a validação do indicador e os próximos passos para torná-lo uma ferramenta útil para o gerenciamento de parques industriais interessados em aprimorar o seu nível de simbiose industrial. / The Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP - Eco-Industrial Park) emerged as a new model of spatial organization for industrial arrangements. An important feature for an EIP is the adoption of the concept of industrial symbiosis (IS), in which companies reuse waste to reach a closed system, reducing environmental impact. There are proposals to assess the waste stream and the symbiosis of an EIP through detailed indicators at a determined time. However, it is a static view of the park in which would be possible to the managers implement changes to construct a state of ideal closed system. Recent researches show that this approach faces some limitations, once the process symbiosis depends on the routine and individual decisions of the actors, managers, technicians and agents, which can alter the dynamics of the material flow through time. In order to contribute, it is proposed an different indicator of industrial symbiosis, prepared according to the approach of the park as a dynamic system. This is a tool that can monitor the level of symbiosis of a park during a determined time. This is different because allow the agent organization to implement policies to encourage industrial symbiosis influencing the routines decisions of the parks agents in favor of symbiosis. It was made case studies, systematic review of the literature and theoretical and conceptual analysis. The first results were two case studies in parks that called themselves EIPs, identifying opportunities to promote symbiosis. The second result was the proposed theoretical-conceptual Indicator Industrial Symbiosis (ISI) which can be used as a tool for the dynamic industrial environment. Finally, it shows the analysis of the indicator properties considering data obtained in one of the cases. The results indicated that the ISI can identify different levels of symbiosis for the same park as its evolution toward a perfect symbiosis. The assessment of the consistency of the ISI has demonstrated its ability to capture the absence and presence of the symbiosis process, confirming the expectations of the initial construction of the indicator. The performance evaluation of the ISI through the variation of its elements, allowed us to analyze the indicator under different possibilities, corresponding positively to the expectations of the research. Also, it indicates that several issues need to be checked to validate the indicator and the next steps to make it a useful tool for managing industrial parks interested in improving their level of industrial symbiosis.