Evaluating companies’ Industrial Symbiosis potential: Development and application of an Assessment Tool in Northern Italy

This paper introduces the Industrial Symbiosis Assessment Tool (IS-AT) as a quantitative method to evaluate companies’ potential for Industrial Symbiosis (IS). IS emerged as a promising avenue for reducing waste and max-imizing industrial surplus value, yet its implementation is hindered by various barriers. The IS-AT attempts to address these challenges by offering a struc-tured approach, focusing on three areas: Environmental Sustainability, Business Maturity, and Input-Output Resources, which are further divided into metrics and units, providing a comprehensive assessment framework. Notably, the IS-AT calculates a total score considering the weights of areas and metrics, along with individual unit scores obtained through a Likert scale. Validation of the IS-AT is demonstrated through a case study in Bergamo, Italy. Preliminary find-ings suggest a correlation between company size and IS-AT scores, with small-er businesses exhibiting lower scores. Additionally, high Input-Output Re-sources scores appear advantageous for initiating IS initiatives within specific geographical regions. Future research aims to explore connections between in-dustry classifications and IS-AT scores, as well as conduct detailed analyses of individual units to elucidate data trends and inform further investigation.