Learnings from Händelö Eco-Industrial Park
– From Collaboration to Circular Synergy
How can long-term collaboration turn industrial byproducts into shared value for energy, food, and materials?
At Arctic Food Arena, we’re exploring how industrial symbiosis can strengthen circular food and energy systems in Northern Sweden and beyond. One inspiring example comes from Händelö Eco-Industrial Park (HEIP) in Norrköping, Sweden — a living laboratory where industries, municipalities, and academia have co-created circular solutions for more than two decades.
What is Händelö Eco-Industrial Park?
HEIP brings together key industrial and public actors — including Lantmännen Biorefineries, E.ON, Holmen, Norrköping Municipality, Norrköping Port, Norrköping Water & Waste, and Linköping University — to collaborate on resource and energy efficiency. The initiative is facilitated by Cleantech Östergötland, a non-profit network promoting industrial symbiosis and circular innovation.
Formally organized as a project in 2020, HEIP builds on over 20 years of collaboration around shared energy and resource flows. It has since become one of Sweden’s most recognized examples of industrial symbiosis — showing how cooperation can turn by-products into new resources and business opportunities.
Images source: heip.se
What’s happening on the ground?
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Bioethanol production as a circular hub – Lantmännen Biorefineries bioethanol process generates rest products used for both animal feed and food ingredients.
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Carbon dioxide is captured in the process and carbonic acid is produced for the food industry.
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Energy integration – E.ON supplies electricity and district heating, improving efficiency through investments like flue gas condensation.
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Knowledge-sharing and visibility – HEIP regularly hosts site visits, student programs, and international delegations, strengthening its role as a model for industrial cooperation.
Even with limited physical space for expansion, the partners have continuously improved internal resource efficiency and built stronger collaborative relationships.
Image source: heip.se
What’s next?
HEIP’s development is guided by two main ambitions:
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New establishments – Exploring opportunities to attract green chemistry and bio-based materials industries that can tap into existing resource flows.
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Strengthening existing symbioses – Enhancing collaboration and efficiency among current actors and extending cooperation to businesses beyond the immediate park area.
Key insights:
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Relationships are everything. Successful industrial symbiosis depends on trust, communication, and shared interests — not just formal agreements.
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Neutral facilitation is critical. A respected, independent facilitator like Cleantech Östergötland is essential to keep momentum and resolve challenges.
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Visibility creates value. Joint branding and regular visits help sustain engagement and attract external attention.
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Anchor competence early. Linköping University’s involvement has built credibility and ensured long-term knowledge transfer.
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Continuity matters. Maintaining relationships through staff changes is vital for sustained collaboration.