We are pleased to announce the publication of a new scientific paper developed within the SYMBA project, entitled “Evaluating and Advancing Industrial Symbiosis Solutions Through Stakeholder-Driven Multicriteria Decision Analysis: Insights from The SYMBA Project”, published in the Journal of Sustainable Development Indicators.
Industrial symbiosis plays a pivotal role in enabling the transition towards a circular economy by promoting the exchange and efficient use of energy, materials, and resources across industrial sectors. However, the successful implementation and upscaling of industrial symbiosis solutions often depend on factors such as solution maturity, stakeholder readiness, and the specific context in which they are deployed.
The paper presents an innovative stakeholder-driven Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology developed within SYMBA. The framework evaluates and prioritises more than 150 industrial symbiosis solutions across bio-based industrial ecosystems in Europe by assessing five key readiness dimensions and applying weighting factors co-created through an iterative stakeholder engagement process involving both internal and external experts.
The proposed methodology enables the systematic classification of industrial symbiosis solutions according to their level of maturity while providing tailored implementation guidance. As a transparent, robust, and replicable decision-support framework, it offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders seeking to accelerate the adoption of industrial symbiosis and strengthen Europe’s circular bioeconomy.
The publication represents an important milestone for the SYMBA project, contributing new scientific evidence and practical tools to support informed decision-making and the wider deployment of industrial symbiosis across Europe.
The full paper is openly available through the SYMBA Zenodo community. Read it here!