IS ECOINDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PERCEIVED AS A WAY TO OVERCOME THE CRISIS IN REGION X?

Ecoindustrial development refers to a group of practices found within a collaborative community of manufacturing and service companies striving for improved environmental and economic performance by managing resources such as the energy, water and minerals (Cote, 2000).
The eco-industrial development has proved to respond to the aims of corporate social responsibility and environmental management between organizations. For centuries this kind of development has been applied to preserve valuable resources, innovate and to increase the economic profit of the participating firms (Trillium Planning and Development, 2003). However these practices have emerged from spontaneity and without a conscious and systematic approach that potentializes these linkages. Currently the eco-industrial development has found restrictions due to market distortions, regulatory barriers and mainly a lack of comprehensive models to evaluate projects of this nature(Desrochers, 2002). Considering the above and facing the current economic and environmental crisis, we want to know how conscious and systematic is the application of ecoindustrial development in order to comply with environmental law and still make profit. This research objective will be answered through direct interviews with the most representative private sector and the public sector of region X, and by exploration on scientific literature and news of different media related to these practices. By doing so it will be determined the knowledge of an ecoindustrial approach, the frequency of its application within and among firms, and the support (or lack of it) that such strategy has obtained from the public sector.

HYPOTHESIS:
1. Less than 50% of the private companies and public entities from region X has a conscious knowledge on ecoindustrial development.

2. projects and activities related to ecoindustrial development are scarse and don´t show a tendency to grow over time

3. The participation of the public sector on ecoindustrial projects or activities is nule or negative

VARIABLES:
1.
Independent: percentage of private and public entities with clear knowledge about ecoindustrial development
Dependent: Knowledge on ecoindustrial development
Categories:the concept is in practice, the application of this strategy is in development, there are unconscious practices, know the theory but there is no practice, has heard of it, never heard before.

2.
Independent: frequency and tendency of ecoindustrial projects /activities in region X
Dependent: number of ecoindustrial projects /activities in region X and year of implementation

3.
Independent: participation of public sector on ecoindustrial development
Dependent: regional and/or national existing policies, rules, subsidies, etc. related to ecoindustrial activities
Categories: involved with regular requirements, there are restricting policies, subsidies are given, etc.

Resources:
Agarwal, A. and Strachan, P. 2006. Literature review on eco-industrial development initiatives around the
world and the methods employed to evaluate their performance / effectiveness. The Robert Gordon University URL:http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/abs/National%20Industrial%20Symbiosis/Report%20for%20Databuild%20New.pdf

Cote, R. P. 2000. A primer on industrial ecosystems: a strategy for sustainable industrial development. Halifax, Industrial Ecology Research and Development Group, Dalhousie University.

Desrochers, P. 2002. Industrial ecology and the rediscovery of inter-firm recycling linkages:
historical evidence and policy implications. Industrial and Corporate Change, 11, 1031-1057.

Trillium Planning and Development Inc. 2003. Eco-industrial development feasibility study: City of Fairborn, Bath and Mad river townships. Wright State University, B-W Greenway Community Land Trust.