This edited volume presents the research results of the Collaborative Research Center 1026 “Sustainable manufacturing - shaping global value creation”. The book aims at providing a reference guide of sustainable manufacturing for researchers, describing methodologies for development of sustainable manufacturing solutions. The volume is structured in four chapters covering the following topics: sustainable manufacturing technology, sustainable product development, sustainable value creation networks and systematic change towards sustainable manufacturing. The target audience comprises both researchers and practitioners in the field of sustainable manufacturing, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

This book provides a comprehensive exploration into the identification and development of sustainable business models as well as their implementation, management and evaluation. With ever-increasing pressure on organisations to respond to societal change and improve competition through sustainable business model innovation (SBMI), this book aims to contribute to the knowledge of their design and management. The chapters explore the role of partnerships, the Internet of Things and the circular economy, among other factors, in developing SBM and how SBMI is facilitated through ideation and in entrepreneurial settings. Providing new typologies, patterns and a framework to evaluate the level of sustainability of business models, this book critically reviews existing literature on the topic to examine the potential of SBMI in research and in practice. The contributing authors employ a number of case studies and case examples to illustrate the integration of sustainable business models throughout the value chain, and their influence on wider social, environmental and business activities.

This volume includes papers presented at the 4th International Conference on Sustainable Design and Manufacturing (SDM-17) held in Bologna, Italy, in April 2017. The conference covered a wide range of topics from cutting-edge sustainable product design and service innovation, sustainable processes and technology for the manufacturing of sustainable products, sustainable manufacturing systems and enterprises, decision support for sustainability, and the study of the societal impact of sustainability including research for circular economy. Application areas are wide and varied, and the book provides an excellent overview of the latest research and development in the area of Sustainable Design and Manufacturing.

In the present scenario, green technologies are playing significant role in changing the course of nation’s economic growth towards sustainability and providing an alternative socio-economic model that will enable present and future generations to live in a clean and healthy environment, in harmony with nature. Green technology, which is also known as clean technology, refers to the development and extension of processes, practices, and applications that improve or replace the existing technologies facilitating society to meet their own needs while substantially decreasing the impact of human on the planet, and reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. The concepts of Green Technologies, if endorsed and pervaded into the lives of all societies, will facilitate the aim of the Millennium Development Goals of keeping the environment intact and improve it for the civilization to survive. Green Technologies and Environmental Sustainability is focused on the goals of green technologies which are becoming increasingly important for ensuring sustainability. This book provides different perspectives of green technology in sectors like energy, agriculture, waste management and economics and contains recent advancements made towards sustainable development in the field of bioenergy, nanotechnology, green chemistry, bioremediation, degraded land reclamation. This book is written for a large and broad readership, including researchers, scientists, academicians and readers from diverse backgrounds across various fields such as nanotechnology, chemistry, agriculture, environmental science, water engineering, waste management and energy. It could also serve as a reference book for graduates and post-graduate students, faculties, environmentalist and industrial personnel who are working in the area of green technologies.

This book discusses how the role of traditional construction professional is changing, providing a useful guide for practitioners who would like to upskill themselves. Lately, core concepts and methodologies for the Built Environment are presented providing definitions and applications on Building Information Modelling, Computational Design, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Data Analytics and Visualization, Lean Construction, Advanced Project Management, Sustainability, Geographical Information Systems, Advanced Business Models, Disaster Management, Quality Management, Health and Safety and Legal prospective. The book also shows the latest technologies for the Built Environment including Digital Twins, Reality Capture, Extended Reality, Gamification, Computational Construction and Manufacturing, Structural Health Monitoring, Smart Transaction and Cybersecurity. Trends in soft skills for the Built Environment are presented covering Digital Working, Communication, Self and Relationship Management skills and Critical thinking. The book is dedicated to professionals who would like to enhance their understanding and capabilities to operate in the Industry 4.0 for the Built Environment having a holistic and comprehensive overview.

World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolu­tion, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wear­able sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manu­facturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individu­als. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frame­works that advance progress.

Industry 4.0 technologies are expected to have a positive impact on the global economy by promoting autonomous interoperability, agility, flexibility, decision-making, efficiency or cost reduction, which are also expected to be resource efficient. However, new and emerging technologies can also have potentially harmful social and environmental impacts that must be considered. The goal of this book is to provide a deeper understanding of how Industry 4.0 technologies can benefit or harm the environmental sustainability of companies. To this end, it presents a classification of Industry 4.0 technologies and evaluates for each typology the positive and negative aspects of their implementation. Thus, the book considers Industry 4.0 technology and environmental sustainability from the perspective of management on the one hand and from the perspective of technology users on the other. The book is of interest to researchers from various disciplines who approach Industry 4.0 technologies from a business perspective, and on the other hand to managers and strategic consultants who want to promote sustainable change in their companies.

This book shows a vision of the present and future of Industry 4.0 and identifies and examines the most pressing research issue in Industry 4.0. Containing the contributions of leading researchers and academics, this book includes recent publications in key areas of interest, for example: a review on the Industry 4.0: What is the Industry 4.0, the pillars of Industry 4.0, current and future trends, technologies, taxonomy, and some case studies (A.U.T.O 4.0, stabilization of digitized process). This book also provides an essential tool in the process of migration to Industry 4.0. The book is suitable as a text for graduate students and professionals in the industrial sector and general engineering areas. The book is organized into two sections: 1. Reviews 2. Case Studies Industry 4.0 is likely to play an important role in the future society. This book is a good reference on Industry 4.0 and includes some case studies. Each chapter is written by expert researchers in the sector, and the topics are broad; from the concept or definition of Industry 4.0 to a future society 5.0.

This book covers how Internet of Things (IoT) has a role in shaping the future of our communities. The author shows how the research and education ecosystem promoting impactful solutions-oriented science can help citizenry, government, industry, and other stakeholders to work collaboratively in order to make informed, socially-responsible, science-based decisions. Accordingly, he shows how communities can address complex, interconnected socio-environmental challenges. This book addresses the key inter-related challenges in areas such as the environment, climate change, mining, energy, agro-economic, water, and forestry that are limiting the development of a sustainable and resilient society -- each of these challenges are tied back to IoT based solutions. Presents research into sustainable IoT with respect to wireless communications, sensing, and systems Provides coverage of IoT technologies in sustainability, health, agriculture, climate change, mining, energy, water management, and forestry Relevant for academics, researchers, policy makers, city planners and managers, technicians, and industry professionals in IoT and sustainability

A practical, bipartisan call to action from the world’s leading thinkers on the environment and sustainability Sustainability has emerged as a global priority over the past several years. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change and the adoption of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals through the United Nations have highlighted the need to address critical challenges such as the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, water shortages, and air pollution. But in the United States, partisan divides, regional disputes, and deep disagreements over core principles have made it nearly impossible to chart a course toward a sustainable future. This timely new book, edited by celebrated scholar Daniel C. Esty, offers fresh thinking and forward-looking solutions from environmental thought leaders across the political spectrum. The book’s forty essays cover such subjects as ecology, environmental justice, Big Data, public health, and climate change, all with an emphasis on sustainability. The book focuses on moving toward sustainability through actionable, bipartisan approaches based on rigorous analytical research.