This thesis aims to investigate how the achievement of Circular Economy in the industrial sector is supported by Industry 4.0 technologies through a social-technical analysis. Circular Economy (CE) paradigm is considered one of the major drivers for sustainability, which encompasses economic, environmental and social sustainability. Since there is a research gap in the extant literature regarding the latter, this research aims to study the main Industry 4.0 technologies addressing social sustainability and the main social-technical challenges for their adoption, according to academics in the scientific literature. To achieve this goal, a systematic literature review has been conducted through Scopus and Web of Science scientific databases. The 42 eligible papers selected were reviewed and two different models from these selected papers were adapted and used as starting point for the theoretical framework of this thesis. All the remaining papers were analyzed by framing the social-technical challenges and social sustainability functions previously clustered by these other models. The social technical challenges are Technical and Process; Collaborative Management; Human Resources; Economy and Standards; Employment Disruption and Social and Education. As for the social sustainability functions of CE, the clusters are Human Resource Development; Supply Chain Digitization and Integration; Risk and Safety Management; Increased Production Efficiency and Productivity; Job Creation and Social Welfare Enhancement. That being the case, the key contribution of this research is a theoretical framework combining social-technical challenges, social sustainability functions of CE and Industry 4.0 technologies to clarify the relationship among them. To conclude, the final goal is to reduce the confusion emerged in the current literature concerning social sustainability and Industry 4.0 in a Circular Economy context. Finally, future research directions were suggested, and limitations of this review were elucidated.
Questa tesi si propone l’obiettivo di indagare come il raggiungimento dell'economia circolare nel settore manifatturiero è supportato dalle tecnologie Industria 4.0 attraverso un'analisi tecnico-sociale. Il paradigma dell'Economia Circolare (CE) è considerato uno dei principali driver per la sostenibilità, che comprende la sostenibilità economica, ambientale e sociale. Poiché c'è una lacuna nella ricerca nella letteratura esistente riguardo a quest'ultimo, questa ricerca si propone l’obiettivo di studiare le principali tecnologie di Industria 4.0 che affrontano la sostenibilità sociale e le principali sfide tecnico-sociali per la loro adozione, secondo accademici nella letteratura scientifica. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, una sistematica revisione della letteratura è stata condotta attraverso i database scientifici Scopus e Web of Science. I 42 documenti idonei selezionati sono stati esaminati e sono stati selezionati due modelli che sono stati adattati e utilizzati come punto di partenza per il quadro teorico di questa tesi. Tutti i restanti documenti sono stati analizzati inquadrando le sfide tecnico-sociali e le funzioni sociali di sostenibilità precedentemente raggruppate da questi altri modelli. Le sfide tecniche sociali sono Technical and Process; Collaborative Management; Human Resources; Economy and Standards; Employment Disruption e Social and Education. Per quanto riguarda le funzioni della sostenibilità sociale relative all’economia circolare, i cluster sono Human Resource Development; Supply Chain Digitization and Integration; Risk and Safety Management; Increased Production Efficiency and Productivity; Job Creation and Social Welfare Enhancement. Così, il contributo chiave di questa ricerca è un quadro teorico che combina sfide tecnico-sociali, funzioni sociali di sostenibilità e tecnologie dell'Industria 4.0 per chiarire la relazione tra loro. L'obiettivo finale è quello di ridurre la confusione emersa nella letteratura attuale in materia di sostenibilità sociale e Industria 4.0 in un contesto di Economia Circolare. Infine, sono state suggerite indicazioni per la ricerca futura e sono stati chiariti i limiti di questa revisione.
The role of I4.0 technologies to address circular economy in the industrial sector : an in-depth social technical analysis
Pegaz Machado, Daniela
2020/2021
Abstract
This thesis aims to investigate how the achievement of Circular Economy in the industrial sector is supported by Industry 4.0 technologies through a social-technical analysis. Circular Economy (CE) paradigm is considered one of the major drivers for sustainability, which encompasses economic, environmental and social sustainability. Since there is a research gap in the extant literature regarding the latter, this research aims to study the main Industry 4.0 technologies addressing social sustainability and the main social-technical challenges for their adoption, according to academics in the scientific literature. To achieve this goal, a systematic literature review has been conducted through Scopus and Web of Science scientific databases. The 42 eligible papers selected were reviewed and two different models from these selected papers were adapted and used as starting point for the theoretical framework of this thesis. All the remaining papers were analyzed by framing the social-technical challenges and social sustainability functions previously clustered by these other models. The social technical challenges are Technical and Process; Collaborative Management; Human Resources; Economy and Standards; Employment Disruption and Social and Education. As for the social sustainability functions of CE, the clusters are Human Resource Development; Supply Chain Digitization and Integration; Risk and Safety Management; Increased Production Efficiency and Productivity; Job Creation and Social Welfare Enhancement. That being the case, the key contribution of this research is a theoretical framework combining social-technical challenges, social sustainability functions of CE and Industry 4.0 technologies to clarify the relationship among them. To conclude, the final goal is to reduce the confusion emerged in the current literature concerning social sustainability and Industry 4.0 in a Circular Economy context. Finally, future research directions were suggested, and limitations of this review were elucidated.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Final Thesis Daniela Pegaz Machado.pdf
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/177609