(579a) Understanding the Evolution of by-Product Synergy Networks by Network Analysis

By-Product synergy (BPS) networks aim to mimic nature by using waste from one process as a resource in another.  They are increasingly popular due to their ability to reduce environmental impact while saving money.  Exploiting this win-win opportunity is a primary driver in the development of BPS networks, as evidenced by the many successes of the networks developed by the US Business Council for Sustainable Development and similar efforts elsewhere in the world.  Development of a BPS network enhances the economic and environmental efficiency, but like most complex networks, it is likely that BPS networks also exhibit a trade-off between efficiency and robustness.  If such a trade-off exists then it would make sense to rely on criteria other than just maximizing efficiency for the design of BPS networks.  This may reduce the chance of developing fragile networks that are vulnerable to collapse.

This work aims to understand the trade-off between efficiency and resilience in BPS networks and use this insight to design more robust networks.  .  The field of network analysis provides different studies that look at resilience of networks such as service oriented networks , supply chain logistics for military purposes and many others. Resilience is an essential property for the sustainability of networks, and indicates the ability of a network to maintain their function in case of perturbation.  Several metrics like average path length, network disconnection, and others have been used to understand network structure. Such metrics will be used in this work to understand the evolution of BPS networks.  Examples from real networks in the US and toy networks will be used to illustrate the approach.  Besides BPS networks, this work will also consider the behavior of techno-ecological networks.  These are networks that include ecological systems such as forests and wetlands that provide essential goods and services such as oxygen, water and carbon sequestration for the sustenance of the technological networks.  It is also desired that BPS networks must be such that the functioning of industries in the network is not severely affected by the collapse of one or two industries.  The insight from such work be explored for guiding the development of current and future BPS and techno-ecological networks.