Industry Life Cycle Research Articles

The Direction of Innovation The Application of TRIZ Rule Based on the Industrial Life Cycle

Starting from the randomness of innovation in current investment , this article explores an innovation platform jointly built by universities and enterprises. Based on the technology system evolution law and industry life cycle theory in TRIZ th eory, it hopes to seek guidance and direction for innovation in universities and enterprises, improve the efficien cy of scientific research transformation, and reduce investment risks.

Studying strategic behaviour of small industrial enterprises in the context of the organizational and industry life cycle concepts

Unlike large corporations whose business patterns have been extensively studied and categorized, there is a lack of research on small business strategies, leaving them largely unexplored. The article explores the strategic behaviour of small industrial enterprises in Russia within the organizational and industry life cycle concept. The research methodology is based on strategic management theory and the concept of the life cycle. The research methods include panel data analysis, the Beta coef f icient calculation, and the matrix method. The information base is the reporting data of 134 small enterprises from industries at different stages of the life cycle: metal casting (growth) and newspaper printing (maturity). Statistics for analysis were obtained from the SPARK Interfax database for the period of 1999–2021. We identified three types of strategic behaviour (‘aggressive’, ‘de fender’, and ‘counterstrategy’) and assessed their prevalence among small enterprises in the two industries under consideration. The results showed that mature small enterprises with an ‘aggressive’ intuitively strategic behaviour are the predominant type of business in a mature industry, while for small enterprises in a growing industry ‘defender’ and ‘counterstrategy’ are the prevalent strategies at all the life cycle stages. This paradox additionally proves the validity of our idea of the intuitively strategic behaviour of small businesses. Our findings contribute to the development of the SME life cycle theory and strategic management, can be used to adjust industry policy and government support measures, and can also be of interest to managers of small enterprises.

LCA-emergy and carbon footprint analysis in a steel industry reporting system: A case study of a Chinese steel company.

The steel industry is one of the heavy industries with significant global environmental impacts, and China, as the largest steel-producing country, holds representative significance for global sustainability in the steel production company. This study, based on data from China's largest steel company, quantitatively researched sustainability using a whole life cycle emergy approach and carbon footprint method from 2012 to 2022. The results indicate that, analyzing unit emergy values (UEVs) types, foundational UEVs are the lowest. Gas emissions increase UEVs indicators, with a 5% rise in 2012. Clean energy inputs reduce steel system burdens, lowering UEVs by about 2%. Solid waste and wastewater raise UEVs due to costs, like a 2% increase in 2012. Despite occasional fluctuations, the overall trend shows a decline, nearing the standard value of 1. This signals continuous enhancement in Baosteel Company's port product line sustainability. For instance, the basic ESI dropped from 11.5 in 2012 to 4.2 in 2022, highlighting substantial progress. This consistent improvement underscores Baosteel's dedication to environmental stewardship, resource efficiency, and operational efficacy. Moreover, the application of clean energy, waste gas/solid waste/wastewater treatment, energy-saving technologies, intelligent operations, artificial wetland systems, etc., has enhanced the sustainability of the steel production system. In the face of the profound impact of artificial intelligence in the future, the dynamic and long-term sustainable characteristics of the steel product production system will be the focus of the next research steps. The most significant feature of this paper compared to current research is that it evaluates the dynamic relationship between China's steel production and the ecological environment, revealing the ecological energy value and carbon emissions research throughout the entire life cycle of the steel industry.

Development And Countermeasures of Carbon Finance in The Construction Industry Under the Background of The Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality

Under the background of the carbon emission peaking and carbon neutrality and the trend of global emission reduction, how to deeply meet China’s “3060” carbon target is an important proposition for the development of various industries. As a typical high-carbon emitting traditional industry, China's construction industry has a particularly high demand for energy efficiency and carbon reduction. This paper comprehensively examines a number of papers to explore the issue of the impact of carbon finance on the development of decarbonisation in the construction industry from the current situation, distinguishing between the practical problems posed by each of the influencing factors. This paper delves into the challenges and countermeasures faced by the construction industry itself, the market, and the government in the development of carbon finance. It further explores the carbon finance development model throughout the entire lifecycle of the construction industry. In line with the inherent needs of low-carbon development in the construction industry while promoting the realisation of win-win long-term benefits in terms of both economic and environmental benefits.

Agglomeration externalities, industry life cycle and firm survival: evidence from Chinese manufacturing start-ups

ABSTRACT This paper examines the impact of the industrial life cycle on the relationship between agglomeration externalities and the survival of manufacturing start-ups. The empirical study in the Chinese context finds that at the growth and intermediate stages of the industrial life cycle, specialisation and related variety reduce the survival risk of start-ups, whereas unrelated variety does not affect the survival risk. At the mature stage, specialisation and related variety do not affect the survival risk, but unrelated variety reduces the survival risk. This paper enriches the research on the benefits of agglomeration externalities from the perspective of industry evolution.

Towards a Context-Contingent Stage Theory of Entrepreneurial Opportunity: Introducing the PETII Model

Understanding opportunity is a crucial aspect of entrepreneurship research. Existing studies have extensively examined individual factors in facilitating entrepreneurial activities such as new venture creation. Although there are some discussions on contextual factors, few connect context with the origin of entrepreneurship—opportunity. Recognising the objectivity of entrepreneurial opportunity, this theoretical article first proposes two types of opportunities—innovative opportunity and imitative opportunity—to understand the nature of opportunity. It then proposes a systematic framework—the PETII (Population, Economic status, Technological advancement, Industry life cycle, Institutions) model—to analyse the role of context in the distribution of opportunity. Furthermore, it examines how both objective contextual factors and subjective individual factors influence each of the three stages in the entrepreneurship opportunity theory, from opportunity discovery, to opportunity evaluation and to opportunity exploitation. The research helps understand the origin of entrepreneurship opportunities and can stimulate thoughts on how to encourage entrepreneurship in different places. Further discussions and implications are given at the end.

Developing the industrial capacity for energy transitions: Resource formation for offshore wind in Europe

As energy transitions progress from formative to growth or acceleration phases, issues related to resource formation increase in importance. In this paper we address a type of resource formation that has received scant attention in the sustainability transitions literature to date: developing the industrial capacity to manufacture and deliver key complementary assets (i.e. components and services) to large energy projects. Such supply chain elements constitute a significant share of investment, are crucial for the upscaling of low-carbon technologies, and offer important job and value creation opportunities for different regions and countries. Empirically we study the build-up of industrial capacity to supply key complementary assets to the European offshore wind power market in the 2000–2019 period through three phases (formative, take-off, growth) of development. We provide explanations to observed spatio-temporal patterns of industrial capacity development by considering 1) industry life-cycle dynamics, 2) pre-existing assets and industrial relatedness, and 3) home market opportunities.

Life cycle environmental trade-off of decarbonising UK industrial clusters — A cradle to gate approach

The industrial sector is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to process emissions and a heavy reliance on fossil fuels for heat and power. Methods exist to produce low carbon versions of products made in industrial clusters, including hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and alternative production methods, but these could increase burdens to other areas of the environment, such as resource depletion and water scarcity. This study compares different decarbonisation pathways for ammonia, cement, methanol and steel produced in the UK, to determine whether decarbonising could result in unintended environmental consequences. To determine this, life cycle assessment was applied to compare 267 different pathways to the conventional (fossil fuel) baseline. We find that most pathways lead to GHG emission reductions (43 to 78 % on average) but would increase impacts to other areas of the environment, including metal resources and ecotoxicity (8 % to 5-fold and 19 % to 24-fold, on average respectively). This study is the first to assess decarbonisation pathways for unintended environmental impacts and is of interest to industry, policy makers and anyone modelling industrial lifecycle emissions.

Методологічні засади стратегічного управління розвитком виноградарсько-виноробного комплексу

Developing a sector-specific strategic management methodology is critical, as it allows us to consider the specific conditions of each industry, including its economic, environmental, and technological features. Such an approach ensures that strategies are adapted to real challenges and opportunities, increasing decision-making efficiency and the industry’s competitiveness in a dynamic environment. An industry’s strategic management methodology is a set of conceptual approaches, principles, methods, and tools used to develop, implement, and control strategic decisions at the level of a particular sector of the economy. The article aims to substantiate the existing methodological approaches to strategic management at different levels and improve the methodological support for the management strategy of the viticulture and wine industry. The classification of strategic management methods is analysed. The differentiation of strategic management levels and their methodological components in the focus of the viticulture and wine industry as an integral part of the agro-industrial complex is theoretically substantiated. The methodological approach to the formation of an adaptive strategy for the management of the viticulture and wine complex has been improved based on an organic combination of SWOT-analysis, PEST-analysis, industry life cycle model, product-market model, VRIO-analysis and the modified Porter’s Five Forces model. It is proved that the integral efficiency of the improved methodological approach is manifested in the ability to ensure systematic consistency of strategic decisions with the dynamics of the external environment and internal resources. The organic combination of SWOT-analysis, PEST-analysis, industry life cycle model, product-market model, VRIO-analysis and modified Porter’s Five Forces model allows for a comprehensive assessment of market risks, identification of competitive advantages, and optimization of resource allocation. This approach increases the adaptability and resilience of industry, which contributes to achieving long-term strategic goals and economic efficiency. Keywords: methodology, viticulture and wine industry, strategy, strategic management, agro-industrial complex, strategic management methodology, adaptive strategy, method.

Efficient removal of organic pollutants on sponge-type inorganic adsorbent derived from spent cotton fiber/layered double hydroxides

For the whole life cycle of the textile industry, the disposal of printing and dyeing wastewater and the reuse of spent fibers were two of the main environmental problems. In this work, activated carbon fiber/layered double oxides (ACF/LDO) were prepared by the pyrolysis of spent cotton fiber/layered double hydroxides (LDH) composite. Compared to 2D structure LDH, 3D hierarchical ACF/LDO was formed by introducing activated carbon nanofibers as a skeleton. ACF/LDO had excellent adsorption properties for organic dye and the maximum adsorption capacity of acid red 27 (AR27) exceeded 800 mg/g. Due to the memory effect of LDH, the interconversion of ACF/LDO to ACF/LDH was observed during the adsorption and regeneration process. Meanwhile, the shrinkage and expansion of adsorbent occurred, which was similar to that of a sponge absorbing water. During the adsorption process, the average pore diameter of the adsorbent increased as ACF/LDO was converted to ACF/LDH, which increased the diffusion of organic dye inside the pores. On the contrary, the specific surface area and pore structure were restored during the regeneration process. Therefore, this composite displayed excellent adsorption capacity and repeatability, with no significant decrease was observed in adsorption capacity even after five consecutive cycles. The adsorption mechanism revealed that the removal of AR27 was dominated by electrostatic attraction and π-π interactions. The experiment provided a new strategy of treating wastewater with waste fiber.

The drivers of intra‐ and interregional labor mobility over the industry life cycle of the high‐tech sector

AbstractIn this article, we analyze how industry‐ and region‐specific characteristics influence individual‐level decisions on mobility within and between regions during the life cycle of the industry. Using uniquely detailed panel‐type data from the Finnish high technology sector, our analysis demonstrates that the influence of different regional features varies for different types of job changes and labor mobility and also according to the industry life cycle. We find that the classic agglomeration‐type arguments regarding labor search and matching only really operate in the early growth stages of an industry life cycle. These patterns change throughout the various stages of the industry life cycle, although in quite different ways according to different factors, and understanding how these patterns change helps to provide a richer understanding of the labor market roles of agglomeration and clustering.

Beyond Naming Patterns of Entrepreneurs in the US Biotechnology: The Effect of Industry Life Cycle

Beyond Naming Patterns of Entrepreneurs in the US Biotechnology: The Effect of Industry Life Cycle

The Technology Innovation of Hybrid Electric Vehicles: A Patent-Based Study

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a relatively practical technology that has emerged as electric vehicle technology has gradually matured. The analysis of the HEV patent lifecycle is crucial for understanding its impact on the development of this technology. This lifecycle tracks the progress of HEV technologies from their inception and patenting, through their market adoption, and to the expiration of their patent protection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the technology lifecycle of the HEV industry using the growth S-curve method. The purpose of this study is to describe the technological lifecycle trajectory and current stage of the HEV industry, as well as the technical stages of each sub-technology, to facilitate better decision making. As part of this study, we used patent family data collected from the Derwent Innovation Index database from 1975 to 2022 and established an S-curve model for HEVs and their sub-technologies using logistic regression. In 2022, the technological maturity of HEVs reached 44%. The sub-technologies with the most substantial diffusion capabilities are energy management, propulsion systems, and cooling circuits. According to predictions, the saturation period for the patent family quantity related to HEVs is estimated to be around 53 years.

Water throughout the green energy transition: Hydrosocial dimensions of coal, natural gas, and lithium

AbstractEnergy transitions are reshaping hydrosocial relations. How they will be reshaped, however, depends on location and water's material relationship to other resources and industrial activities embedded within energy transitions. To highlight this, we focus on three different resources—coal, natural gas, and lithium—to signal how the water–energy nexus will be reworked in a transition away from fossil fuels. We examine the water–coal nexus as an example of a resource relationship that is transitioning out, or that is being moved away from in the green energy transition. Natural gas represents the “bridge fuel” used through the transition. Lithium illustrates a resource inside the green transition, as it is a fundamental material for green technologies in the transition to a low‐carbon future. Coal, natural gas, and lithium each have their own material impacts to water resources that stem from their industrial lifecycle and different implications for communities shaped by coal, natural gas, and lithium activities. To explore this, we review each of these resources' connection to water, their legal and regulatory dimensions, and their impact on communities and water justice. We argue that the energy transition is also a hydrosocial transition that will create uneven water‐related benefits and burdens. To maximize sustainability and equity, efforts to decarbonize energy systems must examine the localized, place‐based hydrosocial relations that differentially affect communities.This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Human Water > Water Governance Human Water > Rights to Water

How can rural China achieve sustainable development through inclusive innovation? A tripartite evolutionary game analysis

Promoting inclusive innovation is crucial for achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development. This study investigated the decision-making behaviors and interaction mechanisms among the government, enterprises, and base of the pyramid (BoP) customers in the context of inclusive innovation in rural China by applying evolutionary game theory. A tripartite evolutionary game model was developed, and evolutionarily stable strategies along with their corresponding conditions were derived. Numerical simulations were employed to analyze the dynamic evolution process of stakeholders’ strategy choices under various scenarios and their sensitivity to key parameters. The findings suggest that the government plays different roles throughout the lifecycle of inclusive innovation in rural China, acting as an advocate in the initial stage, a promoter in the growth stage, and gradually diminishing its involvement as the market matures. Furthermore, the study reveals that low subsidies are not conducive to the evolution of optimal solutions for the three stakeholders, while high supervision costs reduce the government’s regulatory willingness, thereby hindering enterprises and the BoP customers from implementing and engaging in inclusive innovation in rural areas. Based on these insights, this research proposed some promotional mechanisms tailored to the different developmental stages of inclusive innovation, drawing from the industry life cycle theory. The insights and model developed in this study extend beyond rural China and offer a valuable framework for enhancing sustainable development in rural areas across other developing countries and regions.

CausalOps — Towards an industrial lifecycle for causal probabilistic graphical models

Context:Causal probabilistic graph-based models have gained widespread utility, enabling the modeling of cause-and-effect relationships across diverse domains. With their rising adoption in new areas, such as safety analysis of complex systems, software engineering, and machine learning, the need for an integrated lifecycle framework akin to DevOps and MLOps has emerged. Currently, such a reference for organizations interested in employing causal engineering is missing. This lack of guidance hinders the incorporation and maturation of causal methods in the context of real-life applications. Objective:This work contextualizes causal model usage across different stages and stakeholders and outlines a holistic view of creating and maintaining them within the process landscape of an organization. Methods:A novel lifecycle framework for causal model development and application called CausalOps is proposed. By defining key entities, dependencies, and intermediate artifacts generated during causal engineering, a consistent vocabulary and workflow model to guide organizations in adopting causal methods are established. Results:Based on the early adoption of the discussed methodology to a real-life problem within the automotive domain, an experience report underlining the practicability and challenges of the proposed approach is discussed. Conclusion:It is concluded that besides current technical advancements in various aspects of causal engineering, an overarching lifecycle framework that integrates these methods into organizational practices is missing. Although diverse skills from adjacent disciplines are widely available, guidance on how to transfer these assets into causality-driven practices still need to be addressed in the published literature. CausalOps’ aim is to set a baseline for the adoption of causal methods in practical applications within interested organizations and the causality community.

Job Creation and Job Destruction in Indian Manufacturing

The reallocation of jobs is crucial in determining the movement of workers, the unemployment rate, the wage dynamics, the life cycle of firms and industries and the aggregate productivity growth. This article analyses job reallocation in terms of simultaneous establishment-level job creation and job destruction in Indian organised manufacturing. The study employs longitudinal data from the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) from 2004–2005 to 2014–2015 and the methodology stated in Davis and Haltiwanger (1992) to analyse job reallocation. During the expansionary periods, job creation and job destruction were rising, while during the contractionary period from 2008 to 2009 onwards, job creation declined, whereas job destruction was constant. The reallocations of jobs varied substantially across the narrow heterogeneous sectors defined by observable plant characteristics. The rate of these simultaneous job creation and destruction processes is high for many establishments and accounts for a significant portion of worker reallocation. However, the consistency of these newly created and destroyed jobs is low. Theories like ‘passive learning’ and ‘between-sector employment shifts’ partially explain this phenomenon of high job reallocation. The study provides useful policy insights to improve manufacturing employment during the process of frequent job creation and destruction, especially in a developing economy. JEL Codes: J01, J23, J21, J40, F63

In Situ Functionalisation and Upcycling of Post‐Consumer Textile Blends into 3D Printable Nanocomposite Filaments

AbstractThe linear lifecycle of the textile industry contributes to the enormous waste generation of post‐consumer garments. Recycling or repurposing of post‐consumer garments typically requires separation of the individual components. This study describes a novel and facile chemo‐thermo‐mechanical method for producing extrudable pellets, involving one‐pot, 2,2,6,6‐Tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl (TEMPO)‐mediated oxidation of post‐consumer polycotton textiles, followed by mild mechanical treatment, all without isolating the constituents of the polycotton blend. The oxidized blend with high cellulose and carboxylate content of 1221 ± 82 mmol COO− per kg of cotton, is pelletised into a masterbatch and further in situ extruded into nanocomposite filaments for 3D printing. The carboxyl groups introduced on the polycotton‐based filters enable cotton fibrillation into nanoscaled fibers during mechanical treatment and extrusion resulting to a variety of functional and high surface‐finish quality models, including filters and fashion accessories. The electrostatic interactions with positively charged species, such as methylene blue (MB), facilitate their adsorption from water while exhibiting promising adsorption capacities. The adsorption of MB follows the Freundlich model and depends on the printed porosity of the filter. A “trash to treasure” concept for textile waste is further corroborated through the use of the developed 3D printing filament into commodity products.

Investigation into the Methodology and Implementation of Life Cycle Engineering under China's Carbon Reduction Target in the Process Industry

The industrial sector is the primary source of carbon emissions in China. In pursuit of meeting its carbon reduction targets, China aims to promote resource consumption sustainability, reduce energy consumption, and achieve carbon neutrality within its processing industries. An effective strategy to promote energy savings and carbon reduction throughout the life cycle of materials is by applying life cycle engineering technology. This strategy aims to attain an optimal solution for material performance, resource consumption, and environmental impact. In this study, five types of technologies were considered: raw material replacement, process reengineering, fuel replacement, energy recycling and reutilization, and material recycling and reutilization. The meaning, methodology, and development status of life cycle engineering technology abroad and domestically are discussed in detail. A multidimensional analysis of ecological design was conducted from the perspectives of resource and energy consumption, carbon emissions, product performance, and recycling of secondary resources in a manufacturing process. This coupled with an integrated method to analyze carbon emissions in the entire life cycle of a material process industry was applied to the nonferrous industry, as an example. The results provide effective ideas and solutions for achieving low or zero carbon emission production in the Chinese industry as recycled aluminum and primary aluminum based on advanced technologies had reduced resource consumption and emissions as compared to primary aluminum production.

Virtual Building Models in built environments

The global building sector plays a pivotal role in addressing sustainability, climate change, and carbon neutrality. This study introduces the original concept of virtual building models (VBMs) throughout the lifecycle of the building industry, considering the unique characteristics of this industry. VBMs are defined as mathematical models that represent the physical behavior of buildings throughout their lifecycle. These models consist of subvirtual models that represent the physical operational environments of the target building, encompassing physical variables, equipment, systems, indoor environments, and structural and material behaviors. This concept can contribute to achieving the existing concepts of building information modeling, digital twins, and cyber-physical systems within building operations, communities, and environments. In this study, building models are categorized into five aspects: virtual model environments, types, interactions, integrations, and levels of detail (LODs). The LODs are classified into five levels (LOD100, LOD200, LOD300, LOD350, and LOD400) depending on the primary environments of the virtual models and their coverage across the entire building. Virtual modeling methodologies are proposed considering the virtual model aspects to achieve higher or intended LOD states from both academic and industrial perspectives. Finally, future research directions are discussed to drive the concept of virtual buildings to shape the future of the building industry through digital transformations.