After four and a half years of dedicated research, collaboration, and real-world implementation, the CORALIS project has reached its conclusion, leaving behind a lasting impact on industrial symbiosis (IS) in Europe. Designed as a large-scale demonstration project, CORALIS has successfully showcased the feasibility of IS initiatives, addressing technical, managerial, and economic challenges to facilitate resource efficiency and decarbonisation across multiple industries.

CORALIS has delivered tangible results through three IS initiatives, including three large-scale industrial demonstrators and three follower sites. Each initiative focused on transforming waste and by-products into valuable resources, thereby reducing environmental impact and fostering a circular economy.

  • Brescia Lighthouse (Italy): A complex network of aluminium, cast iron, and steel companies successfully implemented resource recovery strategies, turning by-products into raw materials for other industrial processes. Companies like Fonderia di Torbole, Ori Martin, Raffmetal, and Feralpi worked together to reduce carbon emissions while improving material efficiency.
  • Frövi Lighthouse (Sweden): This initiative explored the potential of waste heat recovery and CO₂ recycling to support sustainable agricultural production, leading to the successful cultivation of tomatoes using industrial symbiosis principles.
  • Escombreras Lighthouse (Spain): Led by Grupo Fertiberia, this project focused on re-adapting chemical production processes to replace imported raw materials with industrial by-products such as HCl, CO₂, and sulphuric acid, significantly reducing water consumption and emissions.

Beyond these demonstrators, CORALIS also supported three additional industrial clusters in Europe—the follower cases—to facilitate the future implementation of IS. Located in Spain, Austria, and Turkey, these clusters followed and will continue to do so, the project’s results to replicate IS solutions beyond its official timeline. In Spain, efforts were directed towards waste heat recovery in a steel shop. Austria focused on renewable hydrogen applications, while Turkey explored circular economy solutions for refinery materials. These initiatives were technically evaluated within CORALIS, but the project also provided guidance on stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, and vision development. By doing so, CORALIS ensured that these IS cases could mature and serve as models for other industrial clusters across Europe facing similar challenges.

Through these demonstrators, CORALIS validated IS methodologies in real-world conditions, proving that IS is both technically viable and economically beneficial. The lessons learned from these large-scale implementations have provided a solid foundation for further replication and scaling across Europe.

While the project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of IS, several challenges emerged. Technical, administrative, and regulatory barriers often slowed down implementation, highlighting the need for streamlined authorisation processes. One of the most critical regulatory challenges was the lack of clear guidelines for CO₂ utilisation, making it difficult for industries to establish new IS projects efficiently.

Data sharing was another key issue. Many companies hesitated to disclose sensitive information, which limited collaboration opportunities. CORALIS underscored the importance of transparency in IS initiatives, emphasising that building trust among stakeholders is crucial for long-term success.

Another significant contribution of CORALIS was the formalisation of the role of IS Facilitators—neutral actors responsible for guiding IS initiatives and overcoming business and regulatory challenges. This role has proven essential in ensuring that IS projects move beyond conceptual discussions into concrete implementation.

The final conference and CORALIS legacy:

The final conference, held in Brussels on 19th March 2025, brought together key stakeholders, industry leaders, and policymakers to reflect on CORALIS’ achievements and discuss the future of IS in Europe. The event featured presentations on the technical and non-technical aspects of IS, including business models, regulatory frameworks, and technoeconomic methodologies.

A central theme of the discussions was the need for continued investment in real-scale demonstrations and regulatory improvements. The conference reinforced the idea that IS requires a systemic shift, moving beyond individual company boundaries to create integrated industrial networks that prioritise sustainability alongside economic viability.

As CORALIS comes to an end, its impact continues to ripple across the European industrial landscape. The project has provided a harmonised framework for IS monitoring and assessment, offering valuable insights for future initiatives. Many of the involved industrial parks and partners are now better equipped to embrace IS, with some stepping into the role of IS facilitators to drive further progress.

Looking ahead, it is crucial to build on CORALIS’ success by:

  • Scaling up proven IS solutions in other industrial clusters.
  • Addressing regulatory and administrative barriers that hinder IS adoption.
  • Strengthening collaboration between industry players and policymakers to mainstream IS practices.
  • Investing in structured training programmes for both industry professionals and public sector stakeholders to support IS knowledge transfer.

The CORALIS project has proven that industrial symbiosis is not just a theoretical concept but a practical, achievable strategy for industrial decarbonisation and circular economy advancement. By continuing to support IS initiatives, Europe can take significant strides towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient future.

White Research is honoured to have played a key role in ensuring that CORALIS’ insights and achievements are effectively communicated to a broad audience, fostering knowledge exchange and supporting the mainstreaming of industrial symbiosis across sectors.

You can watch CORALIS final video here and visit CORALIS website here.