Approaching Industrial Symbiosis Through Agent-Based Modeling and System Dynamics

Sustainable industrial systems are complex, since they exhibit both detail and dynamic complexity. Only an integrated approach is able to provide a realistic view of such complex systems providing a useful insight of their behaviour. In this paper, a hybrid approach based on Agent Based Modeling (ABM) and System Dynamics (SD) is presented in order to improve modelling insight of an industrial symbiosis (IS) context. Hybrid approaches have gained prominence overpassing limitations of traditional methodologies and tools, as well as computational advances that permit better modelling and analysis of complex systems with a particular focus on sustainability topics exploiting the strengths of both ABM and SD models, while minimizing the drawbacks. Therefore, to provide a methodological proof, an application of the proposed hybrid approach to an industrial symbiosis relevant case is presented and discussed. The methodological approach adopted in this research can be used to investigate a variety of industrial symbiosis cases providing insights usually not achievable with standard techniques and tools.