Implementing industrial ecology in port cities: international overview of case studies and cross-case analysis

Abstract

International audienceThe aim of Industrial ecology (IE) is to optimize resource management by densifying interactions between stakeholders occupying a common geographic area. This article considers ports, understood as platforms of circulation and transformation of material and energy flows. It addresses the role and capacity of ports to foster the implementation of IE in port cities and to contribute to the optimization of resource management in coastal areas.This article presents the result of a research project (2011–2012) consisting of an international inventory of innovative resource management initiatives in port areas. 18 port-based industrial complexes were visited, enabling the analysis of 23 port IE initiatives. Cross-case analysis was carried out following a 3 step methodology: 1/ definition of the research boundaries; 2/ qualitative data collection by means of interviews and a literature review; 3/ data analysis in order to build a typology of port contribution to the implementation of IE in port-city areas.The case studies analyzed can be classified into 9 patterns based on temporal and spatial characteristics of P-IE initiatives. They provide insights on the ports' influence on local IE dynamics: as areas of testing and implementation of industrial symbiosis, ports can constitute exemplary self-sufficient areas, likely to boost the development of other local eco-parks; as drivers of local economic development, ports act as levers for the implementation of sustainable policies at a regional scale; as nodes in a global port network, ports can develop inter-port by-product exchanges and utility sharing. Ports question the relevance of geographical proximity in IE

Industrial Ecology and Cities

“…A few reoccurring themes can be observed within the Scopus-tracked papers in the fi rst search. Starting with a paper by Robbins and Kumar (1999), several authors discuss the application of industrial symbiosis with an exchange of residuals occurring broadly at a city scale (Cerceau et al 2014 ;Liu and Chen 2013 ;Chen et al 2012 ;Giurco et al 2011 ;Van Berkel et al 2009a , b ). Amongst these are two papers by Pierre Desrochers which suggest that industrial symbiosis has a long history in cities (Desrochers 2002 ;Desrochers and Leppälä 2010 ).…”

Quantitative tools for cultivating symbiosis in industrial parks; a literature review

“…International ports (analysis of case studies) [55] Another method founded on TSA for heat and power networks is R-curves, originally proposed by Kenney [67], which is based on cogeneration efficiency concepts. R-curves were developed for grassroots or retrofit situations by including constraints for the existing system by Kimura and Zhu [68].…”

Securing a port's future through Circular Economy: Experiences from the Port of Gävle in contributing to sustainability

“…The need of ports and the companies operating them to remain viable, competitive and profitable. The concept of Circular Economy (CE) can help ports to respond to such challenges, and ensure their competitiveness in a resource-constrained world, while fostering innovation, and reducing environmental impacts (Cerceau et al, 2014;Hollen, van den Bosch & Volberda, 2015;Merk, 2013;Van Dooren & Braam, 2015). Research on circular economy in ports is limited, although there are a number of practical examples in European ports.…”