From 1 to 3 July 2026, SYMBA participated in the 5th Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC 2026) in Berlin, Germany, represented by LucΓa GonzΓ‘lez-Monjardin (CETAQUA) during the poster session.
LCIC 2026 brought together researchers, innovators, industry representatives, practitioners and policy makers to explore how life cycle thinking can drive sustainable innovation and accelerate the transition towards a circular and resource-efficient economy. The conference provided an international platform to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration and present innovative approaches to addressing global sustainability challenges.
During the poster session, CETAQUA presented “Making Industrial Symbiosis Measurable: A Life Cycle Informed Multi-Criteria Framework”, showcasing SYMBA’s work on developing a harmonised methodology for assessing Industrial Symbiosis solutions in bio-based industrial hubs. The proposed framework combines Life Cycle Thinking with Multi-Criteria Decision AnalysisΒ to provide a transparent, structured and stakeholder-driven approach for evaluating Industrial Symbiosis initiatives. By integrating environmental, economic, social and circularity indicators within a two-layer decision tree, the methodology enables the assessment of IS solutions across different industrial sectors and exchange types while remaining adaptable to both company and network-level decision making.
A distinctive feature of the framework is its co-creation process, through which indicator selection, weighting and prioritisation are jointly developed with project partners and external stakeholders from academia, industry, public authorities and local communities. This collaborative approach strengthens the relevance, robustness and practical applicability of the assessment methodology.
The presentation generated valuable discussions on the importance of harmonised and decision-oriented assessment tools to support the implementation and monitoring of Industrial Symbiosis practices. By combining life cycle thinking, stakeholder engagement and multi-criteria evaluation, SYMBA contributes to advancing more informed and effective decision making for circular bioeconomy transitions.
SYMBA’s participation at LCIC 2026 provided an excellent opportunity to share project results with the international life cycle community, exchange knowledge with experts in sustainability assessment and reinforce the project’s commitment to enabling measurable and scalable Industrial Symbiosis solutions.