Search results for "Economy"

Increasing the Use of Reclaimed Asphalt in Italy towards a Circular Economy: A Top-Down Approach

2022

This contribution concerns recommendations which could be made to Italian regulatory bodies to improve their use of reclaimed asphalt (RA) in the road engineering sector. It is essential for the use of RA to be established as a standard practice since it has been proven that it can serve as an end-of-waste product that complies with the principles of a circular economy within both an open- and a closed-loop approach [1,2]. Several aspects will be covered, starting with an analysis of European nations whose economies can be classed as “more circular” compared to Italy’s. This refers to nations which have a high usage of RA. Furthermore, nations which have clear regulatory guidelines on the u…

Environmental Assessment of an Innovative High-Performance Experimental Agriculture Field

2022

To increase food availability, optimizing production systems and reducing burdens related to human activities is essential in a scenario of population growth and limited natural resources. In this context, the life cycle methodology can represent a valuable asset for assessing the environmental performance of agricultural products and services. This study sought to investigate and characterize potential impacts of an experimental tomato field at the University of Perugia and evaluate if the production increment obtained using high-reflective mulching compensated for the emissions caused by this extra component. The first-year crop campaign was the baseline reference to measure the system’s …

Neo Open Innovation in the Digital Economy : Harnessing Soft Innovation Resources

2018

Successive increases in R&D that creates new functionality are essential for global competitiveness. However, unexpectedly, as a consequence of the two-faced nature of information and communication technology (ICT), excessive R&D results in a marginal productivity decline leading to a decrease in digital value creation. In order to overcome such a dilemma, global ICT firms have been endeavoring to transform themselves into disruptive business model. Neo open innovation that harnesses soft innovation resources may be a solution to this critical question. On the basis of an empirical analysis focusing on forefront endeavors to this dilemma by global ICT firms, this paper attempted to demonstr…

A systematic literature review of the transition to the circular economy in business organizations: Obstacles, catalysts and ambivalences

2021

There is a need for a transition from unsustainable linear business models to a more sustainable circular approach, called the circular economy. To promote this need, a deeper understanding of which issues hinder organizations’ transition to the circular economy and which ones catalyse it is needed. A systematic literature review was performed on the business implementation of the circular economy and 69 articles covering the topic were found. The review identifies different types of catalyst, obstacles and ambivalent factors influencing circular economy implementation in business. This study contributes to research on circular economy implementation at business organizations by providing u…

Carsharing business models in Germany: characteristics, success and future prospects

2017

Carsharing provides an alternative to private car ownership by allowing car use temporarily on an on-demand basis. Operators provide carsharing services using different business models and ownership structures. We distinguish between cooperative, business-to-consumer (B2C) roundtrip and one-way, as well as peer-topeer (P2P) carsharing. This paper characterizes these different types of business models and compares their success in terms of diffusion using a comprehensive database of all 101 German carsharing providers in 2016. The key result holds that fleet size is significantly different across business models ranging from a few cars (cooperatives in small towns), to a few hundred (B2C rou…

Transition to Digital Distribution Platforms and Business Model Evolution

2019

How do business models evolve when technology-based firms move from physical distribution channels to digital distribution platforms? This is an important question, since digitalization of distribution platforms provides new opportunities to expand the reach and customer base of technology-based firms. Based on an in-depth multi-case study of four Japanese high-tech firms, we seek to expand our understanding of digital transformation and business model literature. Our findings indicate that that through digital transformation, the case firms’ business models evolved toward more constant interaction with the market, in particular through digital platforms. This interaction includes growing a…

Towards bioeconomy : a three-phase Delphi study on forest biorefinery diffusion in Scandinavia and North America

2012

Outlying location of logistics activities : the example of the Burgundy in France

2015

International audience; This paper contributes to the understanding of spatial location of logistics activities in an outlying region. A quantitative analysis in Burgundy (French region) underlines the important polarization of warehousing developed in a limited area during 1980–1990s intensified during 2000s. The companies that locate their warehouses in Burgundy have different strategies that could explain this outlying location. For example, the low cost of land, favorable terms of tax system and the presence of a labour pool with an important unemployed rate incentive could incentive some companies to locate their warehouses in an outlying region like the Burgundy.

Investigating the Multi-Recyclability of Recycled Plastic-Modified Asphalt Mixtures

2023

Although the benefits of asphalt recycling have been scientifically proven and several best practices are being implemented, further research is required in specific and specialized areas. One of these circumstances is the recycling of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAPs) that contain asphalt modifiers such as elastomers and/or plastomers. Following the principles of the circular economy and considering the sustainability implications of asphalt mixtures, this paper deals with the multi-recyclability of asphalt mixtures containing 50% RAP with and without a recycled plastic asphalt modifier and rejuvenating agent. The recycled plastic asphalt modifier was made of hard recycled plastics and wa…

The Correlation Between Human Capital and Gross Added Value in the Bioeconomy Sectors at the European Union (EU) Country Level

2019

Abstract The paper aims to prove the link between human capital and gross added value in bioeconomy sectors in the EU countries. Data from EUROSTAT data base regarding employment and gross added value in 6 bioeconomy sectors were used in a cross-country regression analysis. The econometric analysis of cross-country data shows a positive correlation between human capital in bioeconomy sectors and their gross output in 2015 in 26 European countries. It is found also that the correlation is stronger in the highly developed economies as in the central-eastern countries, as well as in the European economy.