The application of Industrial Ecology principles to local systems of production: the case of Agro-Eco-Industrial Parks

Industrial Ecology (IE) is a fast-growing field of research mainly focused on the application of the natural ecosystem metaphor to industrial systems. Indeed, one of the main applications of IE is the transformation of linear industrial systems into cyclical flow ones, trying to arrange “industrial eco-systems” (IESs). Actually, there is no universally ccepted classification scheme and development framework for IESs, which are certainly strongly influenced by the local area contextualization, as well as the productive sectors involved. This paper presents the elements for identifying the main attributes that an IES may satisfy, and an evolutionary path toward sustainable industrial systems for the specific case of agro-eco-industrial parks is described in order to verify the role these attributes may have in the management of the evolution from local system of production to industrial symbiosis system.