Industrial Metabolism Analysis Combined with Value Streams to Identify Potential Economic Risk Nodes

Industrial parks, as focal points of industrial development,
benefit
from clustering effects such as shared public utilities and centralized
waste treatment. Currently, a predominant method to assess these parks
involves gauging their material network metabolism, relying solely
on this approach without considering the economic aspects; this may
distort the overall performance evaluation of the park, failing to
address potential economic risks within the industrial network. In
this study, the concept of “value stream” is introduced
and integrated into the evaluation method of industrial material network
metabolism. By monetizing material flows and translating them into
value streams, we offer a holistic evaluation of industrial networks.
Our findings indicate that from the perspective of a value stream,
nodes initially deemed significant might pose considerable economic
risks, such as those observed in ethylene-based polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), magnesium chloride electrolysis, and acetylene-based PVC. Incorporating
a value-stream perspective into the material network metabolism analysis
can help in effectively identifying potential economic risks and provide
policymakers with evidence-based foresight. This will aid in enhancing
the sustainability of industrial parks.