Industrial Symbiosis. A case of Oman

Sammanfattning: Current consumption and production cannot rely any longer on traditional linear approach to satisfy increasing needs of the growing population. Instead, the principles of circularity should be applied. One way to do is to adopt industrial symbiosis approach, which entails physical exchange of materials, energy, water and/or by-products between traditionally separate industries. However, the uptake of industrial symbioses is fostered not only by technical feasibility, but also social forces captured within the theories of the institutional capacity and instuitional context. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the influence of the institutional capacity and determining factors of institutional context on advancement of industrial symbiosis in the real-world application. For this purpose a case of an industrial park and port in Oman was studied. During the research process the link between uptake of industrial symbiosis and the local institutional capacity and context became distinct and undeniable. The result of the analysis became a range of proposed interventions and recommendations for Sohar Port & Freezone, which the actors could undertake, to boost industrial symbiosis. Moreover, it provides a good overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the institutional context, which shapes the range possibilities the actors of the park see there.