Urban　agglomerations　play　an　increasingly　important　role　in　bolstering　regional　economic　growth;　meanwhile　bring　with　substantial　water　and　energy　consumption　and　carbon　emissions.　Its　sustainable　development　needs　synergistic　management　of　water-energy-carbon　(WEC),　which　is　vitally　linked　by　industrial　activities.　Taken　Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei　(BTH)　urban　agglomeration　in　China,　this　study　adopts　material　flow　analysis　to　clarify　WEC　nexus　footprint　patterns　of　the　urban　agglomeration,　initially　develops　a　multi-regional　dynamic　synergistic　development　model　to　explore　industrial　optimization　pathways　for　WEC　system　management　from　2020　to　2035.　The　complex　model　is　constructed　and　simulated　by　integrating　input-output　modeling,　system　dynamics,　and　multi-objective　programming.　Simulation　results　revealed　that　optimal　industrial　restructuring　with　regional　corporation,　including　equipment　manufacturing　are　in　a　leading　position,　whereas　conventional　manufacturing　that　achieve　cross-regional　synergy　can　still　release　locational　advantages　without　adverse　environmental　impacts.　Through　above　industrial　roadmap,　a　symbiotic　industrial　chain　among　urban　agglomerations　could　be　formed;　the　integrated　optimization　of　resource　efficiency　improvement　and　emission　sinks　could　be　achieved　coherently,　with　eco-efficiency　increasing　by　24.4%,　21.8%,　and　42.4%　for　water,　energy,　and　carbon;　moreover,　key　sectors　for　industrial　transfer　within　the　urban　agglomeration　(e.g.,　water-　and　energy-intensive,　high　emission　sectors)　will　be　critical　areas　for　coordinated　management　(contributing　over　68%　of　resource　consumption　and　CO2　emissions).　In　addition　to　industrial　structure　optimization,　the　marginal　potential　for　carbon　reduction　through　energy　structure　optimization　is　more　prominent　than　energy　efficiency　gains.　The　findings　offer　policymakers　valuable　insights　into　integrated　resource　management　within　industrial　collaboration　for　urban　agglomerations,　providing　guidance　in　formulating　effective　environmental　policies　and　economic　strategies　aligned　with　sustainable　development　goals.　©　2025　Elsevier　Ltd