Purpose – This study evaluates the financial feasibility of boiler investments in palm oil mills, examining the variability in processing capacities resulting from seasonal yields and operational constraints. Research methodology – A case study was conducted at a palm oil mill in Indonesia, assessing five investment scenarios through sensitivity analysis to compare repair and new boiler strategies at capacities of 48, 51, and 58 tons of FFB per hour. Financial metrics including Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and payback period were employed. Findings – Results exhibit that repairing the boiler, specifically at a capacity of 58 tons/hour, provides the greatest financial returns, with a Net Present Value (NPV) of USD 9.5 million and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 21%, surpassing investments in new boilers. Scenario 5 demonstrated the highest financial resilience in response to variations in costs and revenues. Research limitations – This research is based on financial assumptions and a singular case study context. Wider generalizations necessitate analysis across various operational contexts. Practical implications – The findings provide decision-making tools for palm oil mills to optimize capital expenditure in relation to capacity variability and cost efficiency. Originality/Value – This research incorporates operational variability into financial modeling, offering a novel perspective on boiler investment strategies within the palm oil sector.

Abstract Water scarcity poses major constraints to sustainable rural development, particularly in arid regions. In Egypt, limited freshwater resources are increasingly prioritized for domestic use, compelling proposed large-scale land reclamation projects to rely on brackish groundwater. However, marginal water quality restricts cultivation to salt-tolerant crops, undermining the long-term profitability of ongoing agribusiness activities. This study is the first to evaluate the techno-economic viability of integrating decentralized desalination systems into the Moghra development area. A systematic hydrochemical assessment of 73 wells, using the Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI), classified 49 as “Severe Restriction” and 24 as “High Restriction”, confirming widespread concerns about groundwater suitability. A two-stage reverse osmosis (RO) desalination system powered by photovoltaic (PV) energy was designed to achieve a 70% recovery rate. An optimization model identified blending ratios that maximize post-treatment water quality while minimizing the desalinated water volume. Results showed substantial improvements: the average sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) decreased by 66%, and IWQI increased from 34 to 77. Consequently, 68 wells were reclassified as “Low Restriction” and 5 as “Moderate Restriction”, enabling a shift from salt-tolerant olives to higher-value crops (e.g., wheat–maize rotation). A cost–benefit analysis assessed trade-offs between desalination costs and resulting economic returns. Under the abstraction limit, the proposed RO–PV blending strategy yielded a 35% higher net present value (NPV) and a 15.7% internal rate of return (IRR), demonstrating both technical and financial viability. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and investors to enhance water productivity and agricultural sustainability in arid regions.

ABSTRACT Cocoa is Papua New Guineaʼs (PNG) third‐largest agricultural export, supporting about two million smallholder farmers. Despite integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) systems to improve yields, adoption remains low. We surveyed two cocoa‐growing households—one near Balima (Madang Province) and the other near Manetai (Bougainville)—and combined these data with expert knowledge and published data to model revenue, labour, and capital inputs for dry bean cocoa production under different IPDM input levels, assessing financial viability. Results show profitability depends on unpaid labour; monetising labour costs eliminates or reduces returns. When labour is not paid in cash—as is common in Indigenous exchange economies in PNG—the increased cost and effort required for dry bean production is justified by potential returns. Excluding labour costs significantly improves benefit cost ratios, peaking at medium IPDM input levels. While higher IPDM inputs increase long‐term returns, they reduce short‐term profitability. Finally, potential hourly net incomes remain below PNGʼs minimum wage, raising sustainability concerns. Policy priorities include raising farmgate prices and access to fermentaries and dryers.

Rapid urbanization, demographic shifts, weakening joint-family systems, and increasing mental health concerns have created an urgent need for organized and inclusive care infrastructure in Indian cities. This study presents the integrated project formulation, appraisal, and contract framework for a proposed Sustainable Wellness Centre in Kozhikode, Kerala, combining daycare, elderly care, and mental wellness services within a single facility. The project is planned as a G+2 structure with a built-up area of 33,390 sq. ft on a 2-acre site located adjacent to the Government General Hospital and the National Urban Health Mission District Office. A structured methodology comprising literature review, questionnaire-based community survey (141 respondents), site analysis, project formulation, and technical, financial, economic, and market feasibility assessment was adopted. Planning decisions were guided by principles of functional zoning, accessibility, aesthetics, environmental quality, and user safety. The findings indicate strong community demand, preference for government or public–private partnership (PPP) funding, and high acceptance of sustainable strategies such as solar energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The estimated project cost of ₹6.55 crores and a benefit–cost ratio above 1.0 confirm financial viability and positive social impact. The study proposes a replicable framework for integrated urban social infrastructure development.

Cardiovascular programs are often high-cost, high-volume service lines plagued by fragmentation and inconsistent governance. This article presents a structured framework for developing a cardiovascular center of excellence (CVCOE) to enhance care quality and strategic integration. A CVCOE is a purpose-built program defined by three interdependent layers-foundational infrastructure, clinical pillars, and governance-unified through a physician-led clinical model that drives the business and operating models. Drawing on implementation experience across diverse hospital settings, the framework provides a roadmap for aligning structural investments with evidence-based care delivery and organizational capacity. It introduces a two-stage lifecycle: an initial implementation stage to achieve clinical and financial viability, followed by a maintenance stage focused on iterative quality improvement and potential scope expansion. By embedding leadership and quality systems at the structural level, this model offers hospitals and health systems a replicable approach to optimizing cardiovascular services and creating the conditions needed for better outcomes.

In 2023, the Alzheimer's Association launched the Dementia Care Navigation (DCN) Roundtable, a diverse group of dementia experts to provide strategic guidance to organizations implementing person- and family-centered DCN services. Three initial areas to enhance DCN and its implementation were identified: (1) improving the quality of DCN by further defining navigator duties, roles, and care pathways; (2) establishing standards for DCN training to ensure quality, consistency, and person- and family-centeredness; and (3) developing a sustainable business case to ensure its financial viability. The roundtable clarified navigator responsibilities, encouraged the use of community partners as DCN providers, and aligned DCN services with Medicare's Guiding and Improved Dementia Experience GUIDE model. The roundtable recommended that all team members undergo training to acquire the necessary knowledge to provide effective and compassionate care. Building a sustainable business case requires demonstrating both financial and non-financial value, engaging payers, and aligning DCN with healthcare performance metrics. HIGHLIGHTS: Recommendations were based on the GUIDE model and 7 Essential Principles of DCN. Dementia care team members should have defined roles across care delivery domains. Dementia care navigators should be trained in person- and family-centered care. A sustainable business case should demonstrate financial and non-financial value.

Transit-Oriented Development is a crucial strategy for addressing urban sprawl and improving mobility, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions like Indonesia. Transit-Oriented Development integrates high-density, mixed-use developments with public transportation infrastructure, offering sustainable urban growth solutions. However, despite its benefits, the financial feasibility of Transit-Oriented Development in emerging economies remains under-explored. This study assesses the financial viability of a Transit-Oriented Development project in Tangerang, Greater Jakarta, focusing on key financial indicators such as Capital Expenditure, Operational Expenditure, Internal Rate of Return, and Net Present Value. The study uses financial modeling, analyzing data from the project's feasibility reports and investment summaries. The results show positive Internal Rate of Return, and Net Present Value, indicating financial viability under base case assumptions. However, the analysis reveals sensitivity to changes in Capital Expenditure and revenue assumptions, with increased Capital Expenditure reducing profitability and extending the payback period. This research fills the gap in Transit-Oriented Development financial feasibility studies in developing economies, providing valuable insights for similar projects in Southeast Asia and beyond. The findings underscore the importance of effective financial planning and risk management in ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of Transit-Oriented Development projects, highlighting the need for strong public-private partnerships to mitigate financial risks.

The potential of sustainable construction solutions to reduce the negative environmental effects linked to the building industry has attracted a lot of scientific interest in recent years. For long-term sustainability, the design must prioritize financial viability and ensure the well-being of the building’s stakeholders. The building blocks of a construction are its materials. The suitable design and the physical, mechanical, and synthetic qualities of the materials define the strength quality of the structure. Therefore, the first step in building a sustainable construction should be to choose and use eco-friendly materials with complementary or preferable features over traditional building materials. Effective decisions on a building’s sustainability can be determined at the initial planning and pre-construction phases. On the other hand, the potential of making such early judgments is not supported by traditional building construction planning. Energy and performance evaluations are frequently performed after the architectural design, and they include additional construction documents and records. Therefore, there is a lack of involvement in the design process, which results in an inefficient process of making prior design changes to achieve a sustainable, environmentally friendly building. Very few academics have tried to organize qualitative discussions on sustainability perspectives concerning technology’s interaction with constructed environments. In this review, the three fundamental parameters for sustainable building design development are examined. The main obstacles and the general economic and environmental goals connected to sustainable building design techniques are further examined.

Waqf and endowments have been regarded as key strategies of financing education and socio-economic growth. Despite their importance, their functions in the modern education and economic systems have not been completely comprehended. This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to investigate the role of endowments and waqf in enhancing education and socio-economic outcomes. Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched using the advanced search function, and the strict screening process was applied to pinpoint relevant studies. In total, 19 main articles have been chosen to be discussed in-depth. In addition, the research conformed to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The assessed topics include endowment and philanthropy management in education, waqf and the building of the Islamic school, cognitive development, and socio-economic impacts. Quantitative substantiations demonstrate the importance of sound fund management, and some studies have focused on the importance of professional expertise in maximizing endowment use to guarantee sustainability in the long term. The findings indicate the prospects of endowments and waqf in satisfying educational deficiencies, supporting financial viability, and advancing equality of development. Nevertheless, issues still exist, including donor influence, misappropriation of finances, and regional inequities, that have to be phased out and co-managed with flexible solutions. In a nutshell, the review is useful to policymakers, educational institutions, and stakeholders and may be adopted as a launching point to leverage endowments and waqf as a tool to resolve global education and development challenges.

ABSTRACT The growing demand for smart, connected and electrified products across diverse industries is requiring increased production volumes in the wire harness manufacturing industry, significantly increasing the workload on wire harness assembly workers and raising concerns about their occupational health due to the well-known highly manual and non-ergonomic nature of their job tasks. This study addresses the research question on the technical feasibility and financial viability of semi-automating a manual wire harness assembly process for improved productivity and enhanced ergonomics using a collaborative robot (cobot) equipped with a computer vision system for flexibility as part of a wire harness collaborative assembly solution. The integration of cobots to support wire harness assembly process tasks aims to partially automate manual tasks, increase productivity and enhance occupational health for wire harness assembly workers. Process simulation software was used for the technical feasibility analysis of this study to answer the research question defined by performing ergonomic assessments and task optimisations in different types of wire harnesses serving various industries. Furthermore, the financial viability of this semi-automation approach was evaluated based on its potential return on investment.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) represents a rapidly growing public health and economic burden. Although early intervention can reverse the progression of prediabetes, traditional risk screening remains underutilized. Digital biomarkers derived from smartphones and wearables offer scalable real-time detection, yet financial barriers constrain their integration into health systems. This study assesses the viability of a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) digital diabetes screening venture within the Swiss healthcare system. The Innovating in Healthcare Framework was applied to evaluate system alignment across six factors: structure, financing, public policy, technology, consumers, and accountability. Financial viability was modeled using a Monte Carlo program for probabilistic breakeven estimation, and one- and two-way sensitivity analyses for key funnel, price, and CAC variables. A discounted cash flow model assessed value creation. Sustainability was evaluated across four dimensions: revenue potential, cost efficiency, managerial scalability, and technological adaptability. The venture showed strong alignment with consumer readiness, technology, and accountability, but weak fit in financing, public policy, and system structure. Financial modeling indicated positive cash flow in Year 4, with a 57% probability of breakeven within seven years. At 2917 users in Year 7, cumulative cash flow was slightly below zero. Profitability becomes feasible only when price ≥CHF 40, CAC ≤CHF 200, and screening participation ≥10%. Against a-priori thresholds, breakeven probability and NPV remain insufficient, while IRR often exceeds 20%. Long-term viability requires these conditions or transitioning to reimbursed B2B pathways. A B2C model can reach financial viability under favorable price and acquisition thresholds, but its long-term sustainability ultimately depends on regulatory validation that enables reimbursement.

Public transport in Europe is set to grow by 14 per cent from 2022 to 2025 due to decarbonisation efforts. Despite their monopoly status, many bus stations are unprofitable, lacking investment in technology and services. This study examines the financial viability of Slovenian bus stations, comparing revenues from operations and ticket sales against expenses like labour and maintenance. The average break-even fee is €3.64, with smaller stations facing higher costs. Regulatory changes are recommended to enhance profitability and efficiency, addressing a key gap in transportation economic studies. The findings offer transferable insights for countries with liberalised or mixed-ownership bus station markets, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.

The lack of sustainable financing options remains a critical constraint on the development of social and affordable housing, particularly in rapidly urbanising contexts such as South Africa. High and volatile borrowing costs, short debt tenors and rising construction and operating costs undermine the long-term viability of projects that must remain affordable to low- and moderate-income households. This study investigates sustainable financing models that can support the long-term financial viability of social and affordable housing projects, with a focus on public–private partnerships and blended-finance mechanisms that balance affordability, fiscal prudence and portfolio resilience. A structured desktop research design, guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework, was employed to identify, screen and include relevant evidence from peer-reviewed literature and grey sources (policy reports, programme evaluations, technical notes). Desk-based profiles of selected South African social housing projects established a local baseline, and comparative insights were drawn from international cases in Europe, North and Latin America, and Asia. Data were synthesised using a project-finance lens, focusing on weighted average cost of capital, debt-service coverage ratios, leverage, subsidy per unit and portfolio durability. The review finds that blended models combining government subsidies, concessional loans, equity contributions and credit-enhancement tools within clear governance frameworks can materially reduce the effective cost of capital, stabilise cash flows and crowd-in institutional capital, especially when supported by pooled vehicles and labelled social or green bonds. The study distils these findings into a South Africa–specific options menu and financial-modelling framework, and recommends policy and regulatory adjustments on guarantees, concessional lines, municipal land and data standards, with potential applicability to other emerging markets.

Abstract. This paper presents the preliminary findings of a climate hazard assessment for the dairy farming sector in Aydin, Türkiye, conducted under the Climate Resilience Enhancement in Dairy Farming (CliResDairy) Project. Aydin is a vital agricultural province, ranking fourth nationally for its cultural breed cattle population and holding a significant position in regional milk production. However, the sustainability of the sector is increasingly threatened by impacts of climate change such as prolonged droughts and extreme temperatures. Using the standardized Climate Risk Assessment (CRA) framework of the European Union's CLIMAAX project, this study assesses four key hazards: heatwaves, agricultural drought, heavy rainfall, and river flooding. The analysis, based on regional climate model projections, indicates that heatwaves pose the most severe and urgent threat, with their frequency projected to increase significantly in future climate scenarios, potentially reaching 6-8 events per year. Such events, where temperatures exceed critical thresholds for livestock health (32°C), directly reduce milk production and strain animal welfare. Currently, agricultural drought is projected to cause substantial yield losses for essential forage crops such as maize and wheat, leading to increased feed costs and threatening the financial viability of farms. Furthermore, an increase in the intensity of extreme precipitation and persistent risks of river flooding present additional threats to farm infrastructure, pastures, and general operations. These findings underscore the multi-faceted climate vulnerability of the Aydin dairy sector and highlight the urgent need for data-driven, targeted adaptation strategies to ensure its long-term resilience and sustainability.

Abstract Warm mix asphalt (WMA) is a sustainable innovation in road construction that enables bituminous mixtures to be produced and compacted at lower temperatures than traditional hot mix asphalt (HMA). This reduction in temperature significantly decreases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants, supporting global climate change mitigation efforts. WMA technology enhances energy efficiency while maintaining the performance and durability of road surfaces, offering an environmentally responsible alternative for the construction industry. Its adoption reflects a commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of infrastructure projects. These innovations are anchored in three primary techniques, chemical additives, organic additives, and foaming processes, each of which contributes uniquely to reducing energy consumption while improving pavement performance. Extensive research has revealed the multifaceted advantages of WMA. Mechanically, WMA demonstrates exceptional properties, including enhanced resistance to stripping, fatigue, thermal cracking, and rutting, which collectively contribute to the longevity and resilience of asphalt pavements. Environmentally, the reduced energy demands of WMA production not only reduce emissions but also provide an opportunity to integrate recycled materials and industrial byproducts, further reinforcing its eco-friendly credentials. Economically, the lower production temperatures translate into operational cost savings, although a detailed analysis of long-term cost implications is essential to fully understand its financial viability. This review highlights the historical development, material innovations, and advanced techniques underpinning WMA, providing a thorough evaluation of its rheological and fractured properties. This research aims to support the widespread implementation of WMA in pavement applications. This study also emphasized the critical role of life cycle assessment (LCA) in quantifying the sustainability benefits of WMA mixtures. Moreover, the study explores the emerging trends and challenges in the widespread adoption of WMA, emphasizing the need for robust evaluations of its economic, environmental, and safety aspects. Ultimately, WMA technologies represent a pivotal innovation, offering an integrative solution to modernize the road construction industry while addressing pressing environmental concerns.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will play a critical role in decarbonizing the aviation industry. Among SAF production pathways, alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) stands out for its scalability, supported by abundant feedstock availability and a well-established bioethanol industry. However, significant reductions in SAF carbon intensity (CI) require the use of future feedstocks (e.g., cellulosic) whose adoption is hindered by high capital costs for feedstock processing and ethanol upgrading. Here, we evaluate the financial viability and environmental implications of integrating an ATJ SAF biorefinery within a petroleum refinery, utilizing miscanthus and switchgrass as example feedstocks. Three scenarios are evaluated: standalone (benchmark), colocated, and repurposing (coprocessing SAF within the petroleum refinery). Results show repurposing reduces baseline capital costs by 36% and SAF minimum selling price (MSP) by 12% to 8.14 USD·gal-1; the superior performance of repurposing is consistent across both feedstocks. Integration has a limited effect on SAF CI, which remains stable across scenarios, whereas using cellulosic feedstocks reduces CI by over 70% relative to corn, with baseline values of 17.01 g CO2e·MJ-1 for miscanthus and 12.23 g CO2e·MJ-1 for switchgrass. Global sensitivity analysis reveals MSP declines with greater coprocessing levels. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential of cellulosic ATJ coprocessing to enable cost-effective, low-carbon aviation fuels.

This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic assessment of a community battery energy storage system (BESS) participating concurrently in energy arbitrage and frequency control ancillary services (FCAS) markets, while also providing customer savings through coordinated demand management. The proposed framework employs a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to co-optimize the charging, discharging, and reserve scheduling of the battery under dynamic market conditions. The model explicitly incorporates key operational and economic factors such as round-trip efficiency, degradation cost, market-participation constraints, and revenue from multiple value streams. By formulating the optimization problem within this MILP structure, both the operational feasibility and the economic profitability of the system are evaluated over annual market cycles. Simulation results demonstrate that integrating FCAS participation with conventional energy arbitrage substantially enhances total revenue potential and improves asset utilization, compared with single-service operation. Furthermore, the coordinated management of community demand contributes to additional cost savings and supports local grid reliability. The findings highlight the critical role of co-optimized control and multi-market participation strategies in improving the financial viability and grid-support capabilities of community-scale BESS deployments.

Irrigation plays a vital role in enhancing crop production yet many public irrigation schemes continue to face persistent financial challenges that undermine their long-term performance. Sustainable operation of irrigation and drainage systems rely on effective cost recovery mechanisms that ensure sufficient revenue is generated to meet the full cost of managing, operating, and maintaining irrigation and drainage infrastructure. It is important for the scheme’s managers to understand how to make these systems sustainable by implementing effective cost recovery measures. This study evaluated the financial viability of irrigation and drainage projects through cost recovery using the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya as a case study. The research applied the cost recovery ratio to assess the extent to which the scheme was able to recover the irrigation and drainage expenses. The ratio was determined by dividing the annual operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers by the annual irrigation and drainage costs incurred in service delivery. The calculated cost recovery ratio of 0.22 showed that the operation and maintenance revenue collected from farmers covered only 22% of the irrigation and drainage costs. The low cost recovery was mainly attributed to undercharged operation and maintenance revenue which was inadequate to cover the high irrigation and drainage cost. The energy cost emerged as the largest cost component in irrigation and drainage. The study highlighted the need to review and adjust operation and maintenance charges while also integrating solar energy systems to supplement or replace the costly electrical energy to reduce the energy cost.

ABSTRACT The spatial distribution of community pharmacies in Seoul significantly influences both access to medicine and the financial viability of pharmacy operations. Using anonymized card transaction data from 2019 to 2022 across 3125 spatial blocks, this study measures clustering intensity via the Getis – Ord Gi statistic and evaluates spatial autocorrelation with Global Moran’s I. A panel random-effects regression model is applied to examine the relationship between spatial clustering and pharmacy performance, controlling for demographic, economic, and healthcare infrastructure variables. Results indicate that higher clustering intensity is significantly associated with reduced pharmacy performance, including a 1.71% decline in average daily sales and a 2.02% decrease in visit volume. Pharmacies located near tertiary hospitals and in high-income areas performed better, whereas those in clinic-dense zones exhibited demand dilution. These findings highlight that excessive spatial concentration may lead to market saturation and reduced service equity, suggesting that spatially informed policies are needed to support sustainable and equitable pharmaceutical care in dense urban markets.

Protracted humanitarian operations have become a defining feature of the contemporary global crisis landscape, driven by prolonged conflicts, climate-related disasters, forced displacement, and fragile governance structures. While humanitarian organizations were historically designed for short-term emergency response, many are now operating in chronic crisis contexts that last for decades. This shift has exposed a growing phenomenon of strategic misalignment, where organizational mandates, funding mechanisms, operational models, and stakeholder expectations are no longer coherently aligned. This article critically examines the nature of strategic misalignment in protracted humanitarian operations and analyzes its implications for funding sustainability and organizational capacity. Drawing on organizational theory, humanitarian governance literature, and funding architecture analysis, the study argues that unresolved strategic misalignment undermines long-term financial viability, erodes institutional learning, weakens staff capacity, and reduces programmatic effectiveness. The article concludes by proposing an integrated strategic realignment framework aimed at enhancing sustainability, adaptability, and mission coherence in long-term humanitarian engagement.