What is industrial ecosystem?

Answer 1

Basically, it is a network of industrial processes that extract resources from the Earth and transform those resources into commodities which can be bought and sold to meet the needs of humanity. Industrial ecology seeks to quantify the material flows and document the industrial processes that make modern society function. Industrial ecologists are often concerned with the impacts that industrial activities have on the environment, with use of the planet's supply of Natural Resources, and with problems of waste disposal. Industrial ecology is a young but growing multidisciplinary field of research which combines aspects of engineering, economics, sociology, toxicology and the natural sciences.

Industrial Ecology has been defined as a "systems-based, multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated human/natural systems".[1] The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives, usually involving aspects of sociology, the environment, economy and technology. The name comes from the idea that we should use the analogy of natural systems as an aid in understanding how to design sustainable industrial systems.[2]

Answer 2

An industrial ecosystem refers to a network of businesses and partnerships that collaborate within a specific industry or geographic area to achieve mutual benefits through resource exchange, waste reduction, and efficiency improvements. It aims to emulate natural ecosystems by creating a circular economy where waste from one process becomes a resource for another. This approach promotes sustainability, innovation, and resilience within industrial operations.