SYMBIOSIS PLATFORM
About this good practice
ENEA methodology is based on a "horizontal" network approach, with the aim of creating synergies and closing the loop between supply and demand for various resources.
The Platform is based on:
- an expert structure that identifies possible solutions of industrial symbiosis
- a complex information structure, also georeferenced, which describes the territory, its structures, the interlocutors and available resources
- a network that connects different interlocutors
- a web interface.
Symbiosis is able to send to each company individual reports containing information on potential matches of interest.
It is also developing operating manuals for industrial symbiosis.
Symbiosis Platform aims to:
- Improve waste valorisation
- Facilitate the territorial management of industrial waste
- Assistist in identifyng potential synergies
- Promote industrial symbiotic schemes
- Facilitate a virtual market for secondary materials, by-products, waste.
The search for symbiosis takes place through:
- The direct connection between the output of one company with the input of another or more companies through a search algorithm that connects similar resources
- The connection of two resources, one in output and one in input and vice versa, through a process of transformation and / or enhancement that makes the output resource compatible with the input one.
Resources needed
The platform was born as part of the "Sicily Eco-innovation" Project (ENEA 2011-2015, Project "Support for productive development in the South: pilot interventions for the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism and industrial areas", on MIUR funds).
Evidence of success
The tool allows to carry out an integrated analysis of the management system of company resources (materials, energy by-products, water, services and skills) in order to obtain internal efficiency (optimization and enhancement at company level) and external (evaluation of cooperative and exchange approaches, implementation of industrial symbiosis paths in the area).
SOME DATA
N. 250 companies involved
N. 2646 resources
N. 1946 symbiosis cases
Potential for learning or transfer
The Platform was created for the Sicily region but can currently be used throughout Italy. In principle, the greater the territorial extension of application, the greater the number of users involved, the greater the chances of matching supply and demand for resources.
All national companies can register to the platform, share resources and identify industrial symbiosis paths with ENEA facilitation.
The model can be transfer at european level as well.
Further information
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.