The term symbiosis is defined as a relationship between different species in an ecological system where both species benefit. The basic principle of symbiosis lies in the idea that the benefits gained by two species working together are greater than the benefits they would achieve individually.

The concept of industrial symbiosis emerged from the idea of creating a similar symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship within industrial systems, by sharing common resources between independent industrial enterprises. This approach involves establishing collaborations to create mutual benefits by sharing resources that can be jointly used, such as human resources, logistics, raw materials, waste, and waste heat, among others. These common resources can be broadly defined within a wide framework.