Industrial synergies from “hidden structures”of knowledge. Towards the foundation of industrial ecosystems.
Industrial strategies based on industrial ecology and circular economy have populated the current industrial landscape. However, these approaches focusing on the creation of symbiotic relationship among industries have beenrelatively insufficiently researched. Although economically and environmentally beneficial, the process of their emergence and development remains unclear. This conceptual research advances the potential role of knowledge in the creation of symbiotic linkages through a qualitative theoretical literature research. The result is a conceptual framework combining different theoretical streams. I conclude that by using absorptive capacity constructs coupled with the principles of industrial ecosystem framed under social network analysis, the genesis of industrial ecosystem can be unearthed.