Industrial Symbiosis Network Platform (ISN)

An ISN platform typically catalogs materials such as fly ash from power plants, wood waste from construction, waste heat from industrial processes, metal shavings from machining, and organic byproducts from food production. Each listing includes material composition, quantity available, location, and quality specifications so potential users can evaluate suitability.

The platform uses searchable databases where companies can post available byproducts and other companies can search by material type, volume, and geographic proximity. Matchmaking algorithms may also proactively suggest matches based on industry profiles and historical transaction data, similar to how B2B marketplaces connect suppliers with manufacturers.

The most famous example is the Kalundborg Symbiosis in Denmark, operational since the 1970s, where a network of companies including Novo Nordisk, the Statoil refinery, and a local power plant exchange water, heat, and material byproducts. Similar frameworks exist in the UK through organizations like International Synergies and in various EU-funded circular economy initiatives.

Companies may be reluctant to disclose detailed waste composition or production volumes because these can reveal proprietary process information or production capacity. Well-designed ISN platforms address this by allowing anonymous listings, tiered access controls, and intermediated brokering where transactions can proceed without fully exposing company identity until both parties agree to engage.