THE OPERRA FRAMEWORK: BENCHMARKING INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEM VIABILITY TO COMBAT THE "GHOST PARK" SYNDROME
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Abstract
The article addresses the issue of "Ghost Park" syndrome, which occurs when industrial parks and special economic zones are legally established yet fail to evolve into fully functioning industrial ecosystems. The subject of the present study is the viability of industrial ecosystems in fragile and high-risk environments, with a particular focus on how policy makers, development finance institutions, and investors can distinguish viable parks from those that are likely to become Ghost Parks. The objective of the research is to develop an integrated assessment framework that captures not only planned inputs, but also real operational performance, resilience and social outcomes. The overarching aim is to support evidence-based industrial policy and investment decisions. The methodology combines conceptual systematisation of existing approaches to zone evaluation with a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making model. The study develops the OPERRA framework, which comprises the following six dimensions: Operational Performance, Plug-and-Play Readiness, Economic Vibrancy, Risk and Security Management, Resource and Climate Resilience, and Social and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Adaptation. Hierarchical decomposition is then applied to translate these dimensions into measurable criteria and indicators. The Analytic Hierarchy Process is used to identify and combine stakeholder preferences regarding these criteria. TOPSIS is then employed to benchmark and rank industrial parks according to how close they are to an ideal operational and resilience profile, and how far they are from a Ghost Park profile. This methodological design enables the incorporation of factors such as actual occupancy, job density, infrastructure readiness, security, governance, and disaster risk management into a single, transparent assessment tool. The study concludes that the outcomes of Ghost Parks are rarely accidental. This usually occurs when the authorities rely on optimistic planning assumptions, focus on land designation and tax incentives, and underestimate the importance of credible infrastructure commitments, security, climate resilience, and social integration. In contrast, parks that perform well under the OPERRA framework demonstrate a combination of credible sunk-cost signals, robust institutional arrangements, reliable plug-and-play services and strong links to labour markets and local communities. The article demonstrates that the long-term viability of industrial ecosystems depends less on formal status and projected investment volumes, and more on verifiable performance and resilience. The main conclusion is that the OPERRA framework can be used as a practical tool for the ex-ante screening and ex-post monitoring of industrial ecosystems, helping to prevent the creation of new ghost parks and prioritise scarce public resources.
How to Cite
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industrial ecosystem benchmarking, multi-criteria decision-making, institutional resilience, plug-and-play infrastructure, land-use efficiency, non-market risk assessment, climate and disaster resilience, investment signaling mechanisms
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