Industrial symbiosis and circular economy: Contributions to the development of forest biomass industrial clusters

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) has emerged as a relevant strategy for advancing the Circular Economy (CE), although the connection between the two remains insufficiently clarified in the literature. In the industrial context, demand for biomass is projected to increase, intensifying competition for resources and highlighting the need for more efficient management systems. In this regard, this study addresses two central questions: (1) How are IS relationships articulated within the CE framework? (2) What are the contributions of IS/CE to the development of forest biomass industrial clusters? To answer these questions, a systematic literature review was conducted using the Methodi Ordinatio. The results indicate that IS is predominantly understood as a meso-level CE practice that facilitates circular strategies. It was also observed that forest biomass presents strong potential for integration into IS and CE practices, alongside the significant growth of CE discussions in the scientific literature in recent years. The study concludes that IS can strengthen the development of forest clusters but emphasizes the need for deeper theoretical and empirical investigation of specific indicators, as well as for broader dissemination of knowledge through capacity building, training, and scientific production.