Factors influencing eco-industrial development in Africa: A SWOT analysis of a Tanzanian industrial park

Eco-industrial parks (EIPs) have been proposed as a transformative model for assisting developing countries in upgrading their industrial systems to meet higher global environmental standards while boosting economic competitiveness. However, for many industrial settings, the requisite contextual requirements have yet to be clarified. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap. It examines the potential of transforming a case study Tanzanian industrial park, an Export Processing Zone (EPZ), into an EIP. The park was assessed against four criteria (roundput, locality, diversity and gradual change) using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. The paper draws upon key informant interviews, document reviews and physical site inspection. Findings reveal several strong and weak points of the EPZ, painting a scenario of a zone that is not based on the cycling of resources, does not have a diverse cooperation network arranged locally, and does not rely on the flow of renewables. However, the presence of a park management team, existing synergies, planned synergies and overall national and global development priorities make the park potentially strong as a whole. Our findings underscore the need for deliberate policy interventions. They can be applied to comparable contexts to pinpoint critical areas when planning the interventions.