Industrial symbiosis is becoming a key strategy for a sustainable economy. The European project ECOLE, starting in April 2023, will add to the progress in this field, bringing together six international partners to transform industrial parks into eco-industrial parks. Among them is the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region (RRA LUR).
Project manager Mag. Tina Pezdirc Nograšek from RRA LUR notes that while companies are still not fully aware of the benefits of circular economy and industrial symbiosis, awareness is steadily growing:
“New demands from banks and buyers for corporate sustainability reporting, based on EU guidelines, will push many companies toward greener solutions. The outlook for the growth of the circular economy is promising, but it will require significant cooperation between the public and private sectors, along with strong incentives and guidelines for companies. Many businesses are already implementing circular economy principles, driven by the need to optimize production, awareness of resource limitations, and supply chain disruptions—particularly during the pandemic and energy crisis. However, these solutions are not always explicitly recognized as circular, nor do companies label or promote their resource exchanges as industrial symbiosis, even though, in practice, that is exactly what they are. In reality, there are already many outstanding examples of industrial symbiosis.”
As part of the ECOLE project, RRA LUR is beginning to explore opportunities to strengthen business cooperation and circular practices. The focus is on the Zalog Industrial Zone, where they aim to connect industrial stakeholders and engage the local community. To achieve this, they are already collaborating with various companies and seeking industrial symbiosis opportunities or other circular processes that could be successfully implemented.
Within the ECOLE project, the partnership will address challenges such as lack of connectivity among companies within industrial parks, absence of park management structures, legislative barriers, and insufficient systemic incentives. The project is co-financed by the EU under the Interreg Alpine Space program and represents a significant step toward the sustainable development of industrial areas.
