Sustainability scanning of eco-industrial parks

Abstract

Clustering industrial activities proves to be an excellent lever for redirecting companies towards corporate social responsibility.Though it could be discussed whether the concept of industrial clusters itself is apt to foster sustainability, there is consensus that business parks should be overall managed from a triple bottom line perspective.Eco-industrial parks represent a mere accumulation of individual firms engaged in sustainable entrepreneurship.Yet they can also be considered as a matrix for synergetic effects, since they yield the opportunity to embark the hosted companies in activities that create higher win-win situations than solo-activities ever can.Hence, interfirm clustering is considered as a high potential concept, although it needs to be established within a strong and managerial organisation and it requires scrutiny from various points of view.Far too often cooperative activities fail due to legal inconveniences that entail disagreement and dispute.Moreover, no joint activity proves to be viable if it doesn't cause financial profit.Spatial care, technical feasibility of cluster projects and stakeholder management complete the angular points of the scrutiny and, for nearly 5 years, nourish the multidisciplinary research of interfirm collaboration.This paper presents a conceptual framework to analyse and evaluate joint projects of business clusters.Through a pentagonal inquiry, a SWOT-analysis of the cluster activities is made from a legal, economic, spatial, technical and social (LESTS) perspective.Pondering the ecology (environmental), quality and comfort (human) and business (economic) outcome.The scanning method is tested on a variety of industrial sites, from newly developed business parks over settled industrial clusters to harbour communities.The scans clearly demonstrate the potential to corporate sustainability, based upon the sec interfirm relations, as well as the actual status of the sustainability process in all five angular points.The method is proven to be simple and accurate in revealing determinants, partly contingent in nature, that outline the double-scans.The intercept between potential and actual status indicates the progress of business parks evolving to sustainable terrains.By merging the determinant factors with the angular intercepts, the scope of future activities can be set out.The span of activities is either broadened in total number of cluster projects or adequately dispersed over the five cluster poles.ERSCP 07 Basel -UGent MRB Paper -Sustainability scanning of eco-industrial parks p.1/20 ruimtebeheer milieu