An Emergy Analysis Based Study On Circular Economy Development Model At The High-tech Zone Level

The rapid development of High-tech zones in China has improved the development of Hi-tech industries. Especially, through the advantages of industrial clustering many high-tech outcomes have been industrialized; and many small and medium sized high-tech companieshave been encouraged through industrial incubators and preferable funds. However, the rapid development of high-tech zones have also brought severe environmental problems to the surroundings and neightbour communities, thus, impeded the sustainable development of local regions. Consequently, the state government has decided to promote circular economy at the high-tech zone level, intending to improve the overall eco-efficiency of one high-tech zone through retrofitting these zones as ecosystem.Based upon this background, this thesis carries out an interdisciplinary study on high-tech zone by combinging the knowledge of complicated ecosystem, emergy analysis and industrial clustering. It first reviews all the relevant theories and application of these three fields and then presents a systematic methodology of applying emergy analysis at the high-tech zone level, including the principles, guidelines and procedures. The core contribution of this research is to present a quantitative method on why it is critical to build up a zero emission industrial cluster within and outside high-tech zone. Such a finding could become the foundation for promoting circular economy at the high-tech zone level. Another core contribution is that it presents a series of systematic evaluation indices on one high-tech zone by applying emergy analysis. Such indices are composed of index on green GDP, structure, function and eco-efficiency, thus reflecting different developmenr perspectives. It also presents one system leveled index on evaluating the overall sustainable development level, facilitating the comparison study between different zones. Then, it raises the appropriate model on applying circular economy at the high-tech zone level.In order to test the applicability and feasibility of research findings, this thesis employs a case study approach Case study sites are chosen at Qixianling industrial base and D-D Port industrial park within Dalian High-tech zone. Qixianling industrial base is a software-oriented high-tech park, while D-D port park is a digitial and DNA based manufacturing park. By applying emergy analysis, the research outcomes show that the overall sustainable development level of one manufacturing park is lower than the one of R&D park. This means that High-tech zone managers should seek to recruit those high-tech, environmentally friendly companies. The outcomes also show that it is necessary for high-tech zone to carry out circular economy. Measures include to develop industrial symbiosis network by encouraging by-products exchanges among different firms and to develop cleaner production at the individual company level. Such measures can help improve the overall eco-efficiency of one zone and improve the sustainable development of high-tech zone.Finally, this thesis summarizes the whole research and makes the final conclusions. The deficiency of this study and the future perspectives in this field are also raised.