Building a Shared Vision for Industrial Symbiosis: Exploring Value Retention from Wood Residues in Nordic Wood Industries
Authors
Somerset, Emily Greve ; Mikkelsen, Marie Kristine
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-26
Pages
59
Abstract
Bygge- og anlægssektoren bruger mange ressourcer og genererer store mængder affald. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan industriel symbiose – hvor virksomheder deler ressourcer og bruger én virksomheds restmaterialer som en andens ressource – kan hjælpe Nordic Wood Industries (NOWI) med at fastholde mere værdi i trærester. Anvendelsen af industriel symbiose i koncerner og specifikt for trærester er kun sparsomt undersøgt i byggesektoren, og derfor fokuserer studiet på netop dette. Afhandlingen er et enkelt indlejret casestudie med en mixed methods-tilgang, hvor kvalitative metoder vægtes. Den følger en abduktiv tilgang og er guidet af rammen for institutionel kapacitetsopbygning (ICB), dvs. arbejdet med at styrke de færdigheder, relationer og processer, som skal til for at samarbejde og fastholde industriel symbiose over tid. Kortlægning af trærester viser potentiale for industriel symbiose, men nuværende praksis prioriterer energiudnyttelse, hvilket begrænser den værdi, der kan bevares i materialerne. For at adressere dette blev der afholdt en workshop inspireret af LEGO Serious Play for at samskabe en fælles vision for håndtering af trærester, hvilket resulterede i en model til at øge værdibevaring. En efterfølgende kvalitativ spørgeundersøgelse vurderede ICB med henblik på at opretholde indsatserne, og resultaterne viser, at kapaciteten er øget, understøttet af interessentinddragelse og facilitering. Afhandlingen anbefaler en bæredygtighedsvurdering af den foreslåede model for industriel symbiose, en køreplan for videre udvikling samt forbedret dataindsamling. Derudover foreslås det at videreudvikle ICB-teori med fokus på implementering, herunder facilitering og økonomi.
The construction sector consumes many resources and generates substantial waste. This thesis examines how industrial symbiosis—companies sharing resources so that one company’s residues become another’s inputs—can help Nordic Wood Industries (NOWI) retain more value from wood residues. The use of industrial symbiosis within corporate groups and for wood residues is underexplored in construction, making this the focus of the study. The research is a single embedded case study using a mixed-methods design with emphasis on qualitative methods. It follows an abductive approach and is guided by the institutional capacity building (ICB) framework, meaning it looks at building the skills, relationships, and processes needed to collaborate and sustain industrial symbiosis over time. Mapping of wood residues revealed potential for industrial symbiosis, but current practices prioritize energy recovery, which limits how much value can be retained in the materials. To address this, a workshop inspired by the LEGO Serious Play methodology was held to co-create a shared vision for managing wood residues, resulting in a model to increase value retention. A subsequent qualitative survey assessed ICB to support ongoing efforts, and findings show capacity has increased, supported by stakeholder engagement and facilitation. The thesis recommends a sustainability assessment of the proposed industrial symbiosis model, a roadmap for further development, and improved data collection. It also calls for advancing ICB theory, with further research on implementation aspects such as facilitation and economic considerations.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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