Industrial Ecology as a Source of Competitive Advantage

The goal of this special feature is to explore Industrial Ecology (IE) concepts and tools as the basis for competitive advantage for business. Past studies of the relationship between business and IE exist but there is little sustained attention to this important issue. Without an understanding of the ways in which IE can be the basis for profitable business endeavors, the concept risks either remaining largely a technical exercise or being limited in its application to the public sector. But an appreciation for the strategic and economic motivations for companies to adopt IE principles, and its associated tools and models, can further the environmental benefits that this systems approach can provide. We first summarize the contents of this special feature, and then provide our thoughts on why the number of submissions was lower than expected. We conclude with the directions we see for this emerging and important research domain.

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