Industrial symbiosis potential in Uganda’s Kampala Industrial and Business Park. Sustainability challenges and opportunities
Gergely Buda
Sustainable industrialization is high on the agenda across Sub-Saharan Africa, but practical pathways to achieve it remain unclear. In Uganda, industrial parks are central to national development strategy, and the Kampala Industrial and Business Park (KIBP) stands out as a flagship project. As African countries industrialize, they face a unique opportunity: to embed green growth and circular economy principles from the outset rather than retrofitting them later. This study explores how industrial symbiosis (IS), a model where firms exchange waste and by-products as resources, can be implemented in KIBP to support sustainable, competitive, and inclusive industrial development.
The research draws on 42 semi-structured interviews with firms in KIBP, complemented by engagement with park management. Unlike many earlier studies that rely mainly on conceptual models or secondary data, this work dives into firm-level realities: waste streams, cost structures, perceptions, and collaboration dynamics. Companies were grouped into waste suppliers, non-suppliers, receivers, and non-receivers to better understand who participates in circular practices and why. The findings reveal that waste exchange already occurs, often informally through middlemen, indicating that industrial symbiosis is not a foreign concept but an under-structured practice with room to scale.
The potential benefits are significant. Industrial symbiosis in KIBP could improve waste management, reduce environmental harm, cut production costs, and enhance resource efficiency. However, major barriers remain. Weak infrastructure, unreliable utilities, limited awareness of circular economy opportunities, and inconsistent policy enforcement constrain progress. Many firms lack technical knowledge or financial incentives to invest in waste-to-resource technologies. In addition, regulatory complexity and limited coordination between stakeholders make collaboration more difficult than it needs to be.
To unlock this potential, several enabling measures emerge. First, establishing a centralized waste collection, sorting, and treatment facility within the park would lower transaction costs and improve material quality. Second, digital platforms or registries could help firms identify waste exchange opportunities more efficiently. Third, targeted training programs and knowledge-sharing networks, especially leveraging larger, internationally certified firms, could spread best practices. Finally, economic incentives such as tax relief, grants for recycling technologies, and clearer regulatory frameworks would make circular investments more attractive and reduce uncertainty for businesses.
The broader implication is that industrial symbiosis in Sub-Saharan Africa is not just a technical fix, it is a socio-organizational transformation. In formative industrial ecosystems like KIBP, success depends on governance, trust-building, inclusive networks, and the integration of informal actors who already play key roles in waste collection and exchange. If supported by infrastructure investment, blended finance, and coherent policy alignment, KIBP could serve as a proof of concept for eco-industrial development across the region. Embedding circular economy principles early in Africa’s industrialization journey may not only reduce environmental pressures but also create jobs, stimulate innovation, and position the continent competitively in a sustainability-driven global economy.
Gergely Buda: Industrial symbiosis potential in Uganda’s Kampala Industrial and Business Park. Sustainability challenges and opportunities,
Sustainable Futures, Volume 11, 2026
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101720.
