Industrial areas have an underestimated role in promoting regional growth, jobs and entrepreneurship, especially in countries with a strong manufacturing tradition as the Mediterranean ones. Nevertheless the use of non-renewable energy resources, the emission of pollutants and waste production have up to now represented a weakness in the existing production model. Moreover the strong competition from countries with low labour cost has caused the decline of traditional manufacturing industry in Europe. There is therefore a need to relaunch Mediterranean industrial areas adopting a more efficient management model which can foster innovation and sustainability. Among the industrial development approaches developed to face the increase of environment pollution and the unsustainable use of natural resources, one of the most promising concepts is Industrial Ecology (IE), based on the metaphorical relationship between natural ecological and industrial systems. After an introduction on these concepts, the paper focuses on the activities and results of the Mediterranean Eco-Industrial Development (MEID) project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund in the framework of the MED program. MEID involves different actors from six Mediterranean countries with the aim to provide a sustainable standard management model and tools to plan, build and manage competitive and innovative industrial areas in the Mediterranean region. The paper presents an outline of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis carried out on selected industrial areas of the partnership countries. Afterwards, the MEID model is presented. An incremental approach has been adopted to ensure the model applicability to new industrial areas, as well as already operating non structured and structured areas. Fundamental parts of the management model are high level infrastructures and innovative services to support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to create networks, exploit the eco-innovation opportunities and face the challenges of the Green Economy.
Promoting innovation and sustainability in Mediterranean industrial areas: the MEID managing model
Zamagni, A.;Tarantini, M.;Preka, R.;Dominici Loprieno, A.
2012-01-01
Abstract
Industrial areas have an underestimated role in promoting regional growth, jobs and entrepreneurship, especially in countries with a strong manufacturing tradition as the Mediterranean ones. Nevertheless the use of non-renewable energy resources, the emission of pollutants and waste production have up to now represented a weakness in the existing production model. Moreover the strong competition from countries with low labour cost has caused the decline of traditional manufacturing industry in Europe. There is therefore a need to relaunch Mediterranean industrial areas adopting a more efficient management model which can foster innovation and sustainability. Among the industrial development approaches developed to face the increase of environment pollution and the unsustainable use of natural resources, one of the most promising concepts is Industrial Ecology (IE), based on the metaphorical relationship between natural ecological and industrial systems. After an introduction on these concepts, the paper focuses on the activities and results of the Mediterranean Eco-Industrial Development (MEID) project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund in the framework of the MED program. MEID involves different actors from six Mediterranean countries with the aim to provide a sustainable standard management model and tools to plan, build and manage competitive and innovative industrial areas in the Mediterranean region. The paper presents an outline of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis carried out on selected industrial areas of the partnership countries. Afterwards, the MEID model is presented. An incremental approach has been adopted to ensure the model applicability to new industrial areas, as well as already operating non structured and structured areas. Fundamental parts of the management model are high level infrastructures and innovative services to support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to create networks, exploit the eco-innovation opportunities and face the challenges of the Green Economy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
