Industrial Processes Management for a Sustainable Society: Global Research Analysis

Environmental sustainability and green technologies across BRICS countries: the role of institutional quality

In recent years, a growing body of research has focused on the environment and economic growth nexus. However, there has not been much research done on how environmentally friendly technologies and institutional quality affect pollution levels. It is found that in developed countries, the rate of environmental deterioration has slowed thanks to more sustainable environmental regulations, advances in technology, and improvements in the quality of institutions. In contrast, limited modern technology in developing nations has resulted in havens of high carbon emissions. Therefore, the current research tried to analyze the environmental quality by using green technologies (GT), institutional quality (IQ), and energy efficiency (EE) as independent variables. In this study, we utilized data from 1995 to 2019 from BRICS countries to estimate long-term and short-term relationships. Used second-generation econometric techniques indicated that IQ, GT, and EE repair reduced environmental damage. The EKC does not exist, which means pollution in selected countries will improve with an expansion in economic activities. In the long term, a reform in institutions and more spending are required on green technologies to secure a sustainable future in BRICS countries. Results hold up when it comes to policy implications.

Impact of imported dairy products on china’s raw milk production

With the continuous opening up of China’s dairy market to foreign countries, dairy products import volume continues to grow rapidly. The structural vector autoregressive model (SVAR) was used in this article to analyze the impact of dairy product imports on China’s raw milk production from 1996 to 2017. It is found that, dairy product import volume has a positive impact on China’s raw milk production, and negative impact on the liquid dairy product; and mainly negative impacts on the cost control variables in the short term. The price of corn has a stronger impact on the raw milk production compared with that of the soybean meal prices and crude oil price; the impact of Domestic raw milk demand on raw milk production fluctuates frequently in the short term, and has a positive impact on the diary export. Based on this, this article believes that adjusting the milk industry policy, optimizing the dairy products import structure and the dairy cows’ source structure, and advocating scientific feeding can effectively alleviate the impact caused by dairy products import.

Knowledge Management in Society 5.0: A Sustainability Perspective

Organizations require the means to navigate Society 5.0. This is a knowledge-intensive society where a sustainable balance must be created for social good through a system that integrates cyberspace and physical space. With significant data, information and insight exchange based on knowledge in people and machines, organizations need to make sense of the notion that knowledge assets are the central structuring elements for sustainable development. By considering the key aspects of knowledge management (KM) in Society 5.0 as they relate to sustainable development, organizations may leverage their KM capability and learning agility to successfully address the unique requirements of the new society, environment and goals for sustainable development. In this research, automated content analysis was applied to identify key KM aspects using the Leximancer software. A total of 252 academic papers were analyzed, identifying 10 themes related to key KM concepts in Society 5.0 as they pertain to sustainability. The KM concepts identified were described and mapped to the sustainability triple bottom line. They comprised three primary and three intersecting dimensions, i.e., the environment (planet), society (people) and economic performance (profit) in the socio-economic, eco-efficiency and socio-environmental domains. The most significant themes included “knowledge”, “human”, “companies”, “information” and “system”. Secondary themes included “innovation”, “development”, “resources”, “social” and “change”.

An algorithmic-based multi-attribute decision making model under intuitionistic fuzzy environment

An outranking procedure for Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) problems is introduced in our work that acts as a decision-aid in recommending the products to the buyers. The buyer’s product assessment is taken as Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets (IVIFS) in each attribute. The confidence level that is implicit in the buyer’s product rating is explicated in the proposed work using fuzzy entropy. As the confidence level of the buyer on the product assessment is for both satisfaction and reluctance, it is suitably distributed in membership and non-membership parts of IVIFS. Our work generates a dominance matrix that represents partial or full dominance of one product over another after scoring the products that are unified with buyer’s confidence. The proposed work suggests the product ranking after ascertaining the buyer’s flexibility. An algorithm is written in our work to validate the procedure developed. We have compared our work with other similar works to highlight the benefits of the proposed work. A numerical example is illustrated to highlight the procedure developed.

Special Issue on “New Processes: Working towards a Sustainable Society”

The idea of a sustainable society comprises a consumer society that considers the welfare of the planet for future generations [...]

Bibliometric Analysis of Groundwater’s Life Cycle Assessment Research

Groundwater is an important water resource that accounts for 30% of the world’s freshwater. 97% of this extracted groundwater is for drinking and human use. Due to anthropogenic activities, this resource is affected and, consequently, its life cycle is modified, changing its natural state. This paper aims to analyse the scientific production that deals with the study of groundwater’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), using bibliometric methods. Thus, it contributes to the evolution of knowledge of this resource in terms of its use (environmental, economic and social). The methodological process includes: (i) selection and analysis of search topics in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases; (ii) application of Bibliometrix and Visualisation of Similarity Viewer (VOSviewer) software to the data collected; (iii) scientific structure of the relation of the topics groundwater and life cycle, considering programme lines and relations in their sub-themes; (iv) literature review of Author keywords. A total of 780 papers were selected, 306 being from Scopus, 158 from WoS and 316 published in both databases. The time evolution of the analysed data (publications) indicates that groundwater LCA studies have seen exponential growth (between 1983 and 2021). In addition, it has three development periods: introduction (years between 1983 and 2001), growth (between 2002 and 2011) and maturation (between 2012 and 2021). At the country level (origin of contributions authors), the USA dominates the total scientific production with 24.7%, followed by Denmark with 12.8% and 10.3% for China. Among the main topics of study associated with LCA are those focused on: the proposal of remediation methods, the application and development of technologies and the use of water resources by the urban community. This study allows establishing new trends in agricultural development issues about irrigation efficiency, wastewater reuse, mining and treatment, climate change in a circular economy scheme related to sustainability and life cycle assessment.

Theoretical Research on Circular Economy and Sustainability Trade-Offs and Synergies

Circular economy (CE) and sustainability are interrelated, without being exchangeable. While sustainability tries to reconcile the management of productive resources with their increasing consumption, CE aims to make the productive process more efficient, reducing, reusing and recycling the results of the productive process as much as possible. The aim of this paper is to ascertain the systemic structure of interactions between sustainability and CE through the analysis of the existing literature from 2004 to 2021. For this purpose, a computational literature review and a content analysis of the main contributions of CE and sustainability, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were conducted. The results show that there is a positive impact of the synergy between CE strategies and certain SDGs. Specifically, the circular strategies that generate the greatest synergies have to do with preserving materials through recycling, downcycling, and the measurement of indicators or reference scenarios. This is what has led to the inclusion of these concepts in the formulation of policies and strategies, as their multidisciplinary nature allows them to have an impact on areas such as agriculture or innovation, which currently lack specific measures. Therefore, the knowledge derived from this study will contribute favorably to future decisions and actions to be considered, as there is still the potential to legislate in favor of an even more sustainable framework.

Sustainable Business Model in the Product-Service System: Analysis of Global Research and Associated EU Legislation

The business fabric is trying to resolve the many transformations that have occurred in recent decades. Companies are obliged to offer new ways to meet the needs of the market. This situation has led to the creation of new business models that combine both competitiveness and sustainability. Among the most consistent strategies, the product-service system (PSS) stands out. A bibliometric analysis was carried out on 1088 documents during the period 2000–2020, to synthesize the knowledge base on PSS in a global context and analyse future trends. The results obtained have made it possible to identify the evolution of scientific production, the main drivers of this issue, the lines of research developed and their link with EU legislation and reveal some critical gaps in knowledge. The main lines of research describe different aspects of PSS: servitisation, product design, manufacturing, life cycle, circular economy, and sustainable development. This study has identified how its analysis has developed to date and what terms allow us to glimpse new approaches; hence, it is a useful tool for PSS researchers and sponsors who provide financial resources that allow new directions in this research.

Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Wastewater: Analysis of the Past and Present Global Research Activities

Water pollution is a worldwide problem. Water consumption increases at a faster rate than population and this leads to a higher pollution rate. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) include proposals aimed at ensuring the availability of clean water and its sustainable management (Goal 6), as well as the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and seas. The current trend consists in trying to reconcile economic growth with sustainability, avoiding the negative externalities for the environment generated by human activity. More specifically, the objective of this article is to present the evolution of the research regarding the removal of polluting pharmaceuticals that are discharged into wastewater. To do that, a bibliometric analysis of 2938 articles comprising the period 1979–2020 has been carried out. This analysis includes productivity indicators in the scientific field: journals, authors, research institutions and countries. In addition, keyword analysis allows the identification of four main axes of the research regarding the removal of pharmaceutical residues found in wastewater. The first group of articles is aimed at identifying the pharmaceuticals present in polluting effluents. The second and third groups of articles focus on presenting the procedures that enable the treatment of emerging contaminants, either from a biological point of view (second group) or a physicochemical point of view (third group). The fourth group refers to water quality and its possibilities to be reused. Finally, there is a growing trend of worldwide scientific publications, which justifies the importance of polluting residues management, especially those of pharmaceutical origin, in order to achieve a more sustainable society.

Implications for Sustainability of the Joint Application of Bioeconomy and Circular Economy: A Worldwide Trend Study

The joint application of bioeconomy (BE) and circular economy (CE) promotes the sustainable use of natural resources, since by applying a systemic approach, it improves the efficiency of these resources and reduces the impact on the environment. Both strategies, which belong to the area of green economy, provide a global and integrated approach towards environmental sustainability, as regards the extraction of biological materials, the protection of biodiversity and even the primary function of food production in agriculture. The objective was to analyze the implications for sustainability of BE and CE joint application. A systematic and bibliometric review has been applied to a sample of 1961 articles, selected from the period 2004–May 2021. A quantitative and qualitative advance is observed in this field of study. The expansion of scientific production is due to its multidisciplinary nature, since it implies technical, environmental and economic knowledge. The main contribution of this study is to understand the state of research on the implications for sustainability that BE and CE have when combined, in relation to their evolution, the scientific collaboration between the main driving agents, and the identification of the main lines of research developed.

Educating the energy informatics specialist: opportunities and challenges in light of research and industrial trends

Abstract

Contemporary energy research is becoming more interdisciplinary through the involvement of technical, economic, and social aspects that must be addressed simultaneously. Within such interdisciplinary energy research, the novel domain of energy informatics plays an important role, as it involves different disciplines addressing the socio-techno-economic challenges of sustainable energy and power systems in a holistic manner. The objective of this paper is to draw an overview of the novel domain of energy informatics by addressing the educational opportunities as well as related challenges in light of current trends and the future direction of research and industrial innovation. In this study we discuss the energy informatics domain in a way that goes beyond a purely scientific research perspective. This paper widens the analyses by including reflections on current and future didactic approaches with industrial innovation and research as a background. This paper provides key recommendations for the content of a foundational introductory energy informatics course, as well as suggestions on distinguishing features to be addressed through more specialized courses in the field. The importance of this work is based on the need for better guidelines for a more appropriate education of a new generation of experts who can take on the novel interdisciplinary challenges present in future integrated, sustainable energy systems.

Article highlights

Didactic approaches in the energy informatics domain are discussed based on research and industrial trends.Research trends and industrial innovation driven by energy informatics are investigated.A fundamental framework for an energy informatics course is defined together with specialized distinguishing features.

The Nexus between Proactive Eco-Innovation and Firm Financial Performance: A Circular Economy Perspective

Eco-innovation has gained considerable attention in the academic and corporate world due to its potential in mitigating a firm’s sustainability issues. Most previous studies focused on the reactive approaches of eco-innovation using primary data. This study mitigates the existing research gap by highlighting proactive eco-innovation and using a secondary panel dataset. The prime objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between proactive eco-innovation and firms’ financial performance. Hence, the study will introduce the proactive eco-innovation index with the help of secondary panel data. In addition to that, the paper will also explore how proactive eco-innovation relates to circular economy. The theory of Resource-Based View (RBV) was used to explain the relationship among the variables. This study was conducted on 31 Malaysian public listed energy companies from 2015 to 2019. A proactive eco-innovation index was inferred by adapting three dimensions of eco-innovation (product, process, and technology) which is applicable for the energy sector. By applying random-effects GLS regression equation modeling, it was found that proactive eco-innovation (product eco-innovation, process eco-innovation, and technology eco-innovation) has a direct effect on firm financial performance. Furthermore, product and process eco-innovation is directly related to a circular economy through a sustainable product development process. The findings suggest that policymakers in the firm should proactively adopt eco-innovative practices. It will positively affect the circular economy as it will be cost-effective and help to reduce potential industrial pollution in the environment.

Research Advances on Financial Inclusion: A Bibliometric Analysis

With intensifying competition in the financial system, new strategic applications are constantly being devised in the search for greater efficiency. In consequence, decisions are commonly based on locating and retaining market segments with high added value, and those which fail to supply the profitability required by the market are “excluded”. The aim of this study is to analyse the research advances made in the field of financial inclusion and the main lines of investigation currently being addressed by means of a bibliometric analysis. Among the scientific community, there is growing interest in this study area. The most assiduous in this respect are SA Asongu (the most productive author), Enterprise Development and Microfinance (the journal that has published the most articles in this field), Makerere University, Uganda (the most productive institution) and India (the country where most recent studies have taken place). Foreseeably inspiring future research, there is currently great interest in developing a more accessible financial system, especially through the use of digital money (Fintech) as an instrument to promote financial inclusion. For all this, a line of research is proposed that also includes the proposals from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

A Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Applications of Microbial Degradation of Hydrocarbon Contaminants in Arctic Marine Environment at Metagenomic and Enzymatic Levels

The globe is presently reliant on natural resources, fossil fuels, and crude oil to support the world’s energy requirements. Human exploration for oil resources is always associated with irreversible effects. Primary sources of hydrocarbon pollution are instigated through oil exploration, extraction, and transportation in the Arctic region. To address the state of pollution, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms and processes of the bioremediation of hydrocarbons. The application of various microbial communities originated from the Arctic can provide a better interpretation on the mechanisms of specific microbes in the biodegradation process. The composition of oil and consequences of hydrocarbon pollutants to the various marine environments are also discussed in this paper. An overview of emerging trends on literature or research publications published in the last decade was compiled via bibliometric analysis in relation to the topic of interest, which is the microbial community present in the Arctic and Antarctic marine environments. This review also presents the hydrocarbon-degrading microbial community present in the Arctic, biodegradation metabolic pathways (enzymatic level), and capacity of microbial degradation from the perspective of metagenomics. The limitations are stated and recommendations are proposed for future research prospects on biodegradation of oil contaminants by microbial community at the low temperature regions of the Arctic.

Open Innovation for Sustainability or Not: Literature Reviews of Global Research Trends

The demand for innovative approaches applied to productive sectors is a reality present in the circular economy and open innovation is a relatively new concept that has revolutionized the literature about innovation management. Since the concept appeared in 2003, many articles have focused on its development and application. Although some studies have connected open innovation with sustainability, the relevance of this current on the global literature about open innovation is still unidentified. In this context, this paper tries to cover this gap with a bibliometric analysis focused on the evolution of the open innovation paradigm and the relevance of sustainability in this field of research. A sample of 3087 papers published between 2003 and 2019 in the Scopus database was obtained. The analysis revealed the main topics and the most prolific journals, authors, institutions, and countries, in terms of productivity, citations, and h-indexes. Besides of these contributions, keywords analysis reveals that, in recent years, sustainability and ecosystems are decisive variables in open innovation research.

Trends and New Challenges in the Green Supply Chain: The Reverse Logistics

As members of society, companies are exposed to social changes and pressures. Hence, an interest to be more environmentally friendly appears and rises in their core. Therefore, the supply chain management concept became “greener” with the development, among other practices, of reverse logistics programs. Both external pressures and internal factors, such as reducing costs and increasing operational performance, are motivating companies to pay more attention to the reverse flow. Unfortunately, there are still many boundaries that hinder the implementation of reverse logistics. Some of these obstacles include additional costs, the desire for deep collaboration with suppliers and customers, and the belief of some managers that are managing reverse flow that it is not worth the trouble. On the contrary, those who have assimilated its importance and advantages are interested in new and innovative tools that could contribute to more effective and efficient results, including the role of RFID technology.

Managing ICT for Sustainable Education: Research Analysis in the Context of Higher Education

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the benefit of the environment favors the development of a sustainable education, which will help to train more responsible and aware students. The management of educational technology in the context of a sustainable higher education must achieve the internalization of ethics and the sustainable development of humanity. The main objective of this study is to, at a global level, examine the research during the period 2000–2019 on the management of ICTs for sustainable education in the context of higher education. Global research trends on this topic during the period 2000–2019 have been analyzed. Consequently, bibliometric techniques have been applied to a sample of 1814 articles selected from the Scopus database. The results provided data on the scientific productivity of the journal, authors, research institutions, and countries that contribute to the development of this topic. The evidence reveals an exponential trend, mainly in the last five years. In addition, current and future lines of research have been identified. Research at an international level presents a growing trend of publication that allows determination of the relevance of research on ICT management to achieve sustainable education in the context of higher education. This study makes it possible to establish the relationship between science, sustainability, and technology in higher education institutions, and to base the decision-making process for the driving agents of this area of knowledge.

Firm’s Sustainability and Societal Development from the Lens of Fishbone Eco-Innovation: A Moderating Role of ISO 14001-2015 Environmental Management System

Eco-innovation has gained considerable attention in academia as well as in industry due to its potential in mitigating environmental challenges and its positive correlation with firm performance. However, there are limited studies which have investigated the moderating relation of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001:2015 between eco-innovation and firm sustainability in their contribution to societal development. This research is supported by a resource-based theory which explores the core-competencies of firms and challenges the resources creating the competitive advantage of the firm without compromising on the social responsibility aspect of the firm. This study proposes a fishbone eco-innovation business model, which includes production (product, process, and technology) and non-production (organization and marketing) business activities mapped with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for societal development. This fishbone eco-innovation business model signals to the stakeholders about the organization’s innovation in their green implementation, which goes beyond mere compliance. The contribution of the fishbone eco-innovation business model to societal development will create a unique competitive edge and green goodwill amongst the external stakeholders, which will attract sustainably responsible investors for investment. This article draws propositions and develops a conceptual model for future empirical research on eco-innovation and societal development.

Effects of Circular Economy Policies on the Environment and Sustainable Growth: Worldwide Research

The challenge of transitioning from a linear to a circular economy model is still ongoing and requires the development and application of new knowledge, leading to innovative, technological, and sustainable processes, products, and services. The evolution of global research on this topic from 2004 to 2019 was studied in this work. For this purpose, a bibliometric analysis of 1366 articles was applied, producing results on the scientific productivity of the driving agents that most contribute to this theme. The findings show a growing interest, especially in the last four years, in the study of circular economy (CE) policies on the environment. The main subject area that articles address is environmental science. Five research lines have been identified, which mainly study the efficient management of energy resources and the economic factors that make the CE model possible: Environmental pollution and agricultural activity; waste management to avoid a negative environmental impact; improvement of the environmental impact through ecological products; the product life cycle, and the consequences of climate change. The implementation of CE policies will contribute to making economies less dependent and unprotected and more competitive. Global research has exhibited an upward trend during the period analyzed and has grown exponentially since 2015, coinciding with the publication of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.