310 Progress in Industrial Ecology – An International Journal, Vol. 4, No. 5, 2007 Systems modelling in industrial ecosystems: towards an integrating framework Yannis Mouzakitis, Emmanuel Adamides* and Stavros Goutsos Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics University of Patras, Rio, 265 00, Greece Fax: +30 2610 997260 E-mail: ymouzakitis@gmail.com E-mail: adamides@mech.upatras.gr E-mail: goutsos@mech.upatras.gr *Corresponding author Abstract: This paper considers Industrial Ecology (IE) and Industrial Ecosystems (IES) from an interventionistic perspective, and outlines the ontology of the Intellectual Resources System (IRS), consisting of metaphors, Operational Research and Systems (ORS) methodologies and modelling formalisms, which are employed to facilitate the transition to sustainability through IE. Towards this end, it discusses IES as problem content systems and associates the issues related to them with four metaphors. These metaphors play an intermediary role, and can assist in the selection and combination of intervention methodologies and modelling formalisms according to the specificities of a particular intervention. The complexity of real situations and the multiparadigm nature of IES call for pluralistic and multidisciplinary approaches, which are operationalised consistently under a multimethodological, integrating conceptual framework derived and outlined in the paper. Keywords: Industrial Ecosystems; IES; systems theory; modelling; operational research metaphors; pluralism; multimethodology. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Mouzakitis, Y., Adamides, E. and Goutsos, S. (2007) ‘Systems modelling in industrial ecosystems: towards an integrating framework’, Progress in Industrial Ecology – An International Journal, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp.310–327. Biographical notes: Yannis Mouzakitis is a Mechanical Engineer and is currently studying towards a PhD degree at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics of the University of Patras in Greece. His research interests are in the areas of industrial ecology and systems theory. Dr. Emmanuel D. Adamides is an Assistant Professor of Operations Management at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics of the University of Patras, Greece. His main research interests are in the areas of manufacturing strategy, and innovation and technology management. He is particularly interested in the development and use of systems methodologies and tools to support managerial activities in the above areas under a critical perspective. Copyright © 2007 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.