Applying Social Network Analysis to Industrial Symbiosis: A Literature Review

In the field of industrial ecology, the term Industrial Symbiosis (IS) was used for the first time to describe the exchange and shared management of inputs and outputs by firms that are geographically close. IS is recognised as an instrument of industrial ecology that aims to increase efficiency in material and energy use. Eco-Industrial Parks represent a strategy for implementing the concept of IS. These are networks of manufacturing and utility companies that share the same management policy and attempt to improve their environmental, economic and social performance through cooperation in environmental management and the use of resources (such as energy, water and materials). The central argument of network research is that organisations are embedded in networks of interconnected social relationships that offer opportunities for, and constraints on, strategic behaviour. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of the literature on the application of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to IS projects. We argue that SNA could provide a general framework for understanding the social aspects related to IS, by offering ideas for the structure and interaction of agents within IS networks. We review research on these networks at the inter-personal and inter-organisational levels of analysis, evaluate recent theoretical and empirical trends, and suggest directions for future research.