Sustainability, Technology and Innovation 4.0


Book Description

Sustainability, Technology and Innovation 4.0 is a holistic perception and analysis of innovation at the level of public organisations, innovation in industry and innovation in HR. Its chapters collectively present a thesis that Innovation 4.0 signals a technological revolution that has the opportunity to prevent environmental degradation and, in particular, to stop climate warming, the effects of which may disrupt the process of sustainable development. Uniquely, this edited book offers a comprehensive and multi-faceted examination of Innovation 4.0, fulfilling methodical, empirical and utilitarian goals. The methodological objective is to present tools that allow the identification, analysis and assessment of the relationship between Innovation 4.0 and inspiration that will carry society towards a new economic and social order. Its empirical aim is to enable the analysis and evaluation of the role of public organisations, innovation in industry and innovation in HR in the process of building sustainable development of the global environment. The book’s utilitarian goal is a recommendation for global organisations of Innovation 4.0 as an instrument to stimulate an innovative economy. This is a high-level research book aimed at postgraduates, MBA students, researchers and academics from business colleges and universities, and may also provide a valuable strategic perspective for business executives.




Sustainability, Technology and Innovation 4.0


Book Description

Sustainability, Technology and Innovation 4.0 is a holistic perception and analysis of innovation at the level of public organisations, innovation in industry and innovation in HR. Its chapters collectively present a thesis that Innovation 4.0 signals a technological revolution that has the opportunity to prevent environmental degradation and, in particular, to stop climate warming, the effects of which may disrupt the process of sustainable development. Uniquely, this edited book offers a comprehensive and multi-faceted examination of Innovation 4.0, fulfilling methodical, empirical and utilitarian goals. The methodological objective is to present tools that allow the identification, analysis and assessment of the relationship between Innovation 4.0 and inspiration that will carry society towards a new economic and social order. Its empirical aim is to enable the analysis and evaluation of the role of public organisations, innovation in industry and innovation in HR in the process of building sustainable development of the global environment. The book’s utilitarian goal is a recommendation for global organisations of Innovation 4.0 as an instrument to stimulate an innovative economy. This is a high-level research book aimed at postgraduates, MBA students, researchers and academics from business colleges and universities, and may also provide a valuable strategic perspective for business executives.




Innovation and Sustainable Manufacturing


Book Description

Innovation and Sustainable Manufacturing: Research and Development addresses the manufacturing sustainability challenge from different points of view, drawing on research from different disciplines to shed light on the latest green technologies, green product design methods, and materials. Addressing the needs of practitioners as well as academics, this book examines a range of important themes such as environmental impacts and how to assess them, how to set boundary conditions to include or exclude downstream supply chains, how to improve sustainability without sacrificing productivity, the cost benefits of sustainability, and how to trace impacts in manufacturing. By providing a thorough review of global research in this field, Innovation and Sustainable Manufacturing acts as an ideal entry point into this discipline for researchers, and a guide to the latest developments for forward-thinking practitioners. Covers how different stages of the manufacturing supply chain can impact on sustainability Combines research from a variety of disciplines to provide a comprehensive coverage of this complex subject Explores the relationship between sustainability and other goals such as productivity, quality, and profitability




Green Technological Innovation for Sustainable Smart Societies


Book Description

This book discusses the innovative and efficient technological solutions for sustainable smart societies in terms of alteration in industrial pollution levels, the effect of reduced carbon emissions, green power management, ecology, and biodiversity, the impact of minimal noise levels and air quality influences on human health. The book is focused on the smart society development using innovative low-cost advanced technology in different areas where the growth in employment and income are driven by public and private investment into such economic activities, infrastructure and assets that allow reduced carbon emissions and pollution, enhanced energy, and resource efficiency and prevention of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The book also covers the paradigm shift in the sustainable development for the green environment in the post-pandemic era. It emphasizes and facilitates a greater understanding of existing available research i.e., theoretical, methodological, well-established and validated empirical work, associated with the environmental and climate change aspects.




Industry 4.0 Technologies for Environmental Sustainability


Book Description

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.




Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals


Book Description

After the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to "end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all," researchers and policy makers highlighted the importance of targeted investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) to make tangible progress. Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals showcases the roles that STI solutions can play in meeting on-the-ground socio-economic and environmental challenges among domestic and international organizations concerned with the SDGs in three overlapping areas: agriculture, health, and environment/energy. Authors and researchers from 31 countries tackle both big-picture questions, such as scaling up the adoption and diffusion of new sustainable technologies, and specific, localized case studies, focusing on developing and middle-income countries and specific STI solutions and policies. Issues addressed include renewable energy, automated vehicles, vaccines, digital health, agricultural biotechnology, and precision agriculture. In bringing together diverse voices from both policy and academic spheres, this volume provides practical and relevant insights and advice to support policy makers and managers seeking to enhance the roles of STI in sustainable development.




The Fourth Industrial Revolution


Book Description

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.




Strategies for Sustainable Technologies and Innovations


Book Description

ÔThere is no debate about the fact that a Òbusiness as usualÓ approach is an environmentally unsustainable one. Given the magnitude of the environmental challenges the world faces today, extensive changes in corporate strategies and significant innovation advances are absolutely necessary if we are to avoid substantial decreases in our quality of living. This set of internationally recognized authors provides some fresh and informative perspectives on this topic along with a path for a more sustainable future.Õ Ð Mark Ferguson, University of South Carolina, US Corporations across the world are becoming increasingly aware of the threat of environmental degradation and the growing importance of sustainable business practices. This raises a vital question: How can for-profit firms (and other profit-conscious enterprises such as government organizations) implement more environmentally friendly policies without sacrificing profitability? This innovative volume tackles that complex question, offering detailed recommendations for making strategic technological choices that are economically advantageous, ecologically sustainable and socially responsible. Expert contributions examine the contextual factors that affect implementation of more sustainable technology and innovation practices, offering a number of empirical methodologies to describe and explain these multidimensional influences. What emerges is a compelling argument in favor of balanced strategies that merge profitability concerns with ecological consciousness, allowing for controlled sustainable development and stable, long-term economic success. Discussion of companies in both developed and emerging countries makes this book useful on a truly global scale. Students and professors of business, management studies and economics will find much to admire in this path-breaking volume. Managers, policymakers and other practitioners will also benefit greatly from this bookÕs timely and insightful recommendations.




ICT Innovations for Sustainability


Book Description

ICT Innovations for Sustainability is an investigation of how information and communication technology can contribute to sustainable development. It presents clear definitions of sustainability, suggesting conceptual frameworks for the positive and negative effects of ICT on sustainable development. It reviews methods of assessing the direct and indirect impact of ICT systems on energy and materials demand, and examines the results of such assessments. In addition, it investigates ICT-based approaches to supporting sustainable patterns of production and consumption, analyzing them at various levels of abstraction – from end-user devices, Internet infrastructure, user behavior, and social practices to macro-economic indicators. Combining approaches from Computer Science, Information Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, Economics, and Environmental Sciences, the book presents a new, holistic perspective on ICT for Sustainability (ICT4S). It is an indispensable resource for anyone working in the area of ICT for Energy Efficiency, Life Cycle Assessment of ICT, Green IT, Green Information Systems, Environmental Informatics, Energy Informatics, Sustainable HCI, or Computational Sustainability.




Science and Technology Innovation for a Sustainable Economy


Book Description

This book discusses the subject of pathways to a sustainable economy through science and technology innovations which are regarded as the important components of the ‘4th Industrial Revolution’. The volume has been developed from Bangladesh’s ‘Vision 2041’ agenda which includes development actions needed to catch up with more developed nations. Most importantly, the goals of the ‘Vision 2041’ have been taken from the dreams of the architect of independent Bangladesh, Bangabandhu (Friends of Bengal) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. His dream was to make Bangladesh the Switzerland of Asia. The Father of Bangladesh Nation was killed by assassins’ bullets along with his most of the family members in August 1975. After his death, the nation moved backwards while recovering from nine months of liberation post war in 1971. Between 1975 and 1990 Bangladesh was ruled by military and quasi military governments. Bangladesh established a true democratic regime in 1996 with Sheikh Mujib’s daughter, Sheikh Hasina, who formed the government after 21 years with a mandate to realise the dreams of her father. Sheikh Hasina, had her own 20 year vision for Bangladesh, called, ‘Vision 2021’, with plans to make the nation poverty free by 2021. After a pause between 2001 and 2008, Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2009. Under her consecutive three terms she brought Bangladesh back on track and Bangladesh is one of the nations which reduced poverty half under MDGs by 2015. During her third consecutive term Sheikh Hasina, is on the way to transforming Bangladesh into a ‘middle income’ nation by 2021. This volume aims to identify and mitigate the challenges of ‘4th Industrial Revolution’ investigating the areas of science and technology innovations for Bangladesh and for other parts of the world keeping in mind establishing a sustainable economy under UN agendas to 2030 (SDGs). The primary audience for this book are UN development agencies, academic institutions, government policymakers and business leaders of the more developed and developing nations alike.