Combining Integrated Product and Service Offerings with Industrial Symbiosis – a study of opportunities and challenges

This article examines opportunities and challenges of combining Integrated Product and Service Offerings (IPSOs) (also known as PSS) with Industrial Symbiosis (IS) in order to facilitate an increased utilization of Excess Heat (EH). This is done by an investigation of ten different EH examples. The results indicate that the main opportunities are associated with how the IPSO and IS perspectives complement each other, and how this combination increases the understanding of both the practical and organizational factors related to EH supply collaborations. Since all EH supply collaborations are unique, they require customized solutions and thereby flexible IPSO providers. The results show that the need for an IPSO provider with knowledge of heat distribution is highest in examples where the district heating sector does not constitute one of the two original actors. Still, the benefits of a neutral third party have also proved to be desirable in examples where the district heating sector is involved.