Major Industrial Sectors Research Articles

The role of the pulp and paper industry in achieving net zero U.S. CO2 emissions in 2050

The pulp and paper industry is energy-intensive, making up about 9 % of total United States industrial energy consumption and 2.5 % of U.S. industrial greenhouse gas emissions. The pulp and paper industry is unique among industrial sectors due to its existing reliance on waste biomass to generate energy for mill operations. Pulp and paper mills could theoretically offer opportunities for negative emissions through carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies along with use of biomass. In addition, the paper sector's use of low-temperature industrial heat creates opportunities for CO2 reductions through electrification technologies.We employ the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to evaluate decarbonization pathways for the pulp and paper sector in the United States, as well as the sector's role in a net zero scenario and impacts on the energy, land, and water sectors. The version of GCAM used in this study includes detailed representation of major industrial sectors, including the pulp and paper industry. Representation of the linkage between forest products and paper production allow us to account for upstream carbon emissions, sequestration, and land-use impacts.Preliminary results under a pathway to net zero U.S. CO2 emissions in 2050 show that the pulp and paper industry can reach net zero CO2 emissions before 2050, earlier than the overall energy system, and contribute negative emissions thereafter. Use of fossil fuels is significantly reduced by 2050, shifting to increased electricity use in process heat generation. Consumption of biomass energy in process heat also increases compared to the reference scenario. Though paper production decreases in the policy scenario in response to higher prices of wood products, a high carbon price can incentivize increased use of biomass with CCS and thus paper production. Negative emissions opportunities in the paper industry have impacts on the land sector. Increasing use of biomass accelerates the shift from unmanaged to managed forests, with associated tradeoffs between technological carbon sequestration and natural ecosystem services.

FDI REFORMS AND INDUSTRIAL WAGE AFTER THE LAUNCH OF “MAKE IN INDIA”: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

India gradually started liberalizing its industrial, trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) related policies since the launch of economic reforms in 1991. The empirical evidence on the impact of FDI spillovers on industrial wages in India has generated mixed results so far. The current study analysed the impact of FDI inflows on the real wage rates of the workers using data from seven major industrial sectors between 2001–2002 to 2019–2020. The two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimation results suggest that FDI inflows positively influenced both the skilled and unskilled wage rates. Moreover, FDI inflows in productive sectors led to a greater rise in wages vis-à-vis the unproductive sectors. In addition, key government policy initiatives like the Make-in-India (MII) scheme and FDI reforms were found to be effectively enhancing wage rates, though the impact on skilled wage rates was greater. The paper stressed the need to create a holistic environment that can attract FDI in both upstream and downstream segments, facilitating India’s deeper participation in global value chains (GVCs) and IPNs on the one hand and realisation of associated dynamic benefits on the other.

Binary Pareto Multi-Objective Whale Optimization Algorithm for Power Plant Maintenance Scheduling

Maintenance scheduling is a critical challenge in all major industrial sectors, such as aeronautics, automotive manufacturing, and power generation plants. The goal of power plant maintenance scheduling is to establish a schedule plan for carrying out preventive maintenance shutdowns for each unit within a defined planning horizon. In this paper, a mathematical model for optimizing the maintenance schedule was established to maximize the supply, minimize fuel costs, and CO2 emissions from generating units. A developed Whale Optimization Algorithm called Binary Pareto Multi-Objective Whale Optimization Algorithm BPMOWOA is proposed and implemented to find optimal maintenance scheduling for a power plant. The proposed algorithm uses two different approaches. The first approach includes binary encoding, in which each generating unit and each time interval are represented in binary form. Then, in the second approach, a fixed-sized repository is integrated into the WOA for saving and retrieving the Pareto optimal solutions, and a grid mechanism is integrated into the WOA to maintain diversity in the population of non-dominated solutions. A case study was conducted on fourteen generating units adapted from a real-world power plant to validate the algorithm's efficiency. The results illustrate that the proposed algorithm was effective in optimizing the maintenance schedule in terms of coverage and non-dominated solution and improved the power plant performance by increasing electricity generation by 11.48% and decreasing fuel expenses by 6.56%, which are the main goals of the considered power plant. Index Terms— maintenance scheduling, multi-objective, whale optimization algorithm, power plant.

Heat Transfer of Casson Nanofluid Flow Between Double Disks: Using Buongiorno Model

Purpose: Fluid thermal efficiency is crucial in major industrial sectors. Traditional fluids often lack the heat transmission needed for various operations. To address this, researchers introduced metallic and non-metallic nano additives, creating a new type of fluid called Nanofluid. This article explores the squeezing flow of Casson nanofluid between parallel disks, considering suction/injection, thermophysical impacts, thermal radiation, and chemical reaction. Methodology: The study uses the Buongiorno nanofluid theory to analyze thermophoresis and Brownian motion, reducing partial differential equations to ordinary differential equations. Numerical technique (shooting approach) is employed to solve these equations, and the results are presented graphically. Conclusions: The study reveals that axial velocity decreases as the Casson fluid parameter increases. Near the intersection point of the velocity field with varying magnitudes of the linear thermal convection parameter, radial velocity increases. It is observed that the thermal field intensifies with a higher linear thermal convection parameter. Additionally, elevated values of the thermal radiation parameter lead to an increase in temperature distribution estimates. Applications of Current Model: Casson fluid, classified as a non-Newtonian fluid, exhibits characteristics of both an elastic solid at low shear strain and a Newtonian fluid at high stress. It is characterized by infinite viscosity at zero shear rate and infinite viscosity at infinite shear rate. Examples of Casson fluids in everyday life include tomato juice, human blood, soup, and orange juice.

The Influence of Sustainability Disclosure on Financial Performance: A Study of Indonesian Firms

This study examines the correlation between the disclosure of sustainability measures and the financial success of companies in Indonesia. The increasing importance of sustainability disclosure, which includes environmental, social, and governance factors, for firms to demonstrate their dedication to sustainable practices, has generated significant debate on its influence on financial results. This study investigates the impact of sustainability disclosures on the financial performance of companies in Indonesia, thus adding to the existing body of knowledge on this topic. The study utilizes a mixed-method approach, incorporating qualitative content analysis of data extracted from annual reports, as well as quantitative analysis derived from financial statements of publicly traded corporations. The sample consists of companies from three major industry sectors, each demonstrating different levels of quality in disclosing their sustainability practices. Accounting-based indicators like return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are used to evaluate financial performance. The findings demonstrate a direct and favorable relationship between the caliber of sustainability disclosures and financial performance, specifically in sectors that are highly responsive to environmental concerns. Companies that have more comprehensive and transparent sustainability reporting processes in these industries generally achieve better performance compared to those with less comprehensive reporting. These conclusions have substantial ramifications for firms, investors, and policymakers. Enhancing sustainability disclosure can enhance a company’s financial performance and act as a significant factor for investment choices, providing information about a company’s dedication to sustainability and related risks. Policymakers can utilize these observations to support the implementation of improved sustainability reporting regulations, thereby fostering sustainable economic growth in Indonesia. Ultimately, the research confirms that Indonesian companies who provide detailed and reliable information on their sustainability efforts have a positive correlation with their financial performance. This emphasizes the significance of improving these practices to achieve both economic prosperity and sustainable development objectives.

Harnessing big data for sustainable urban management: A novel approach to gridded urban GDP dataset development

To effectively address the challenges posed by rapid global urbanization, cities must utilize sound scientific principles and methodologies. A key element is the development of robust socioeconomic indicators, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This study introduces a novel framework for creating a spatially disaggregated urban GDP dataset, using a downscaling approach and integrating data from a vast range of sources, including 3.5 million industrial entities across 835 sub-sectors within 41 major sectors. The framework enhances accuracy by leveraging the benefits of Pollutant Discharge Permits (PDP) and National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity (NECIP) for pinpointing geographic locations, industry classifications, and reliable statistical data for urban GDP. Additionally, the dataset is regularly updated using publicly accessible data. Validation of the dataset was conducted using multi-level statistical data and the NOx hot grid index derived from TROPOMI NO2 column measurements. Results indicate that the dataset accurately reflects the spatial distribution of major industrial sectors. The gridded urban GDP dataset for China, with a high spatial resolution of 0.1° × 0.1°, reveals spatial heterogeneity among sectors, with the mining sector, concentrated in resource-rich areas, making the most significant contribution to this heterogeneity. Other sectors show a strong spatial correlation, with the gravity center located in central China. This study provides a valuable resource for sustainable urban resource management within Earth system boundaries and offers critical data, insights, and methodological guidance for tackling urbanization challenges.

Spatial-temporal distribution and source analysis of atmospheric particulate-bound cadmium from 1998 to 2021 in China.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most serious atmospheric heavy metal pollutants in China. PM2.5, PM10, and total suspended particle (TSP) are all important media for population Cd exposure. However, no studies so far have systematically explored the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric Cd bound to all these media in China, and the specific industrial sectors that contribute to the airborne Cd level are still unclear at present. In this study, we constructed the spatial and temporal distribution of PM (PM2.5, PM10, and TSP) binding Cd concentrations in China. Quantitative source apportionment of atmospheric Cd was carried out by analyzing the association of 23 industrial or energy-consuming sectors with Cd concentrations. Our results showed PM2.5, PM10, and TSP binding Cd concentrations decreased by 5.8%, 5.9%, and 6.1% per year at the national level, respectively. High PM-Cd concentrations were concentrated and distributed mainly in central and northwestern China. In addition, the medians of atmospheric PM2.5, PM10, and TSP binding Cd concentrations at the national level were 0.0026μg/m3, 0.0036μg/m3, and 0.0042μg/m3, respectively. The main sources of PM-Cd include nonferrous metal smelting (Zn, Pb, Al) (47%), glass production (13%), pesticide production (12%), cement production (10%), and coal consumption (9%). This study analyzes comprehensively the atmospheric PM-bound Cd pollution, identifies the major industrial sectors that affect atmospheric Cd concentrations at the macroscale for the first time, and provides a basis for further reduction in the atmospheric Cd pollution.

특수산업 현장의 위험요인 관리 애플리케이션을 통한 업무 생산성 증대 연구 : 8대 산업현장 근로자의 애플리케이션 사용 만족도를 중심으로

특수산업 현장의 위험요인 관리 애플리케이션을 통한 업무 생산성 증대 연구 : 8대 산업현장 근로자의 애플리케이션 사용 만족도를 중심으로

Технологический суверенитет России: понятие, измерение, возможность достижения

Geopolitical tensions, sanction conflicts, and efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic are amplifying the trends of deglobalization in the global economy. In response, governments of various nations and regional alliances have initiated comprehensive programs aimed at revitalizing their domestic industries and bolstering their technological independence. Despite the widespread pursuit of technological sovereignty as a strategic objective in government policies, this concept remains somewhat ambiguous and lacks clear criteria for measurement. In the contemporary context, technological sovereignty extends beyond just the development of technology; it encompasses the deployment of these technologies within national enterprises and the subsequent production of competitive goods, at the very least for domestic markets. The various methods for assessing the level of technological sovereignty can be categorized into three groups: composite indices, multi-criteria evaluations without aggregation, and individual indicators. Composite indices often face challenges when combining diverse metrics, while simpler indicators, such as foreign trade statistics or patent activity, only capture specific facets of the evaluation. Multi-criteria approach without aggregation appear to offer a more objective assessment. This study conducted a dynamic analysis of the balance between domestically sourced and imported advanced production technologies utilized by Russian enterprises, examining the share of foreign value-added in final consumption and the proportion of domestically manufactured products in the market across major sectors of the Russian manufacturing industry. The results of these calculations indicate indications of strengthening technological sovereignty, particularly in the pharmaceutical and metallurgical sectors. Sectors with relatively lower levels of technological sovereignty include machinery manufacturing, electronics, and the textile industry.

Integration of Digital Twin and Circular Economy in the Construction Industry

As a major industry sector, construction is gradually transitioning from the linear economy to the circular economy. Due to various barriers or challenges, the circular economy within construction progresses at a slow pace. Digital technologies can help construction address these barriers or challenges. As a new generation of digital technologies, the digital twin is still seldom used in construction for the circular economy at the current stage. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the implementation of the circular economy, as well as the integration of a digital twin and the circular economy, in construction. Based on a review of the relevant literature, this study adopts a combination of expert interviews as a qualitative research method and questionnaire surveys as a quantitative research method. The findings of this study suggest that design and demolition, which are closely linked to each other with regard to circular economy strategies, are more important than other project phases. The digital twin has great potential to improve circular economy practice. It can play some important roles in different project phases throughout the life cycle of a construction project, to achieve the circular economy. Digital twin–circular economy integration makes it effective for construction to overcome circular economy barriers or challenges, reduce waste, and increase salvage value.

Total nonfarm employment recovers in 2022, with some major industry sectors lagging behind

Total nonfarm employment recovers in 2022, with some major industry sectors lagging behind

Building a Resilient and Sustainable Workplace: A Post-Pandemic Hazard Control and Preparedness Plan in Malaysia

Objective - This study intends to identify the post-COVID-19 safe working practices that have been established and to investigate how the workplace's culture of safety practices has evolved due to the pandemic. Methodology/Technique - The study used a conceptual development framework that used two data sources: journal publications (secondary data) and field interviews (primary data). The secondary data analysis of the literature review revealed seven post-pandemic workplace practices that are being employed in this study. These practices include workplace hazard control factors and preparedness plan factors. Findings – Based on the interviews with the 22 companies (safety personnel and practitioners) in the various industries, it was discovered that only three aspects of post-pandemic workplace safety culture were totally actual practices and adopted by all the companies, namely: following guidance from the federal state and Ministry of Health (MOH), monitor hazard control and safe work, and introduce new methods of work. On the other hand, the remaining four elements are seen as not being as crucial to several major industrial sectors. Novelty - It is seen to have a positive significance if viewed comprehensively. Disclosing the results of a study can provide a benchmark for other companies to compare their own practices and performance against. Additionally, it is necessary to conduct more comprehensive research, particularly regarding the employees' perspectives and their involvement in implementing and improving workplace safety practices. The current study only considered the employer’s viewpoint, as the safety personnel represents their interests. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: J24, J28, J81 & Q50 Keywords: Post-Pandemic COVID-19; Workplace Safety Culture; Hazard Control; Preparedness Plan; Standards of Procedures (SOP); Resilient Workplace; Sustainable Workplace Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Hassam, S.F; Esa, M.M; Akbar, J; Hassan, N.D. (2023). Building a Resilient and Sustainable Workplace: A Post-Pandemic Hazard Control and Preparedness Plan in Malaysia, J. Mgt. Mkt. Review, 8(1), 09 – 16. https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2023.8.1(2)

Changes in Hong Kong's Economic Structure by the New Crown Epidemic and Its Development Trend

This article provides an in-depth analysis of Hong Kong's economic transformation in this COVID-19, using online research and the actual situation in Hong Kong, combined with the characteristics of Hong Kong itself. The four pillar industries of Hong Kong are financial services, tourism, trade and logistics, professional services, and other industrial support services, while in the past the major industrial sectors, except for finance, have encountered bottlenecks in the development of major industries, which have less impact on the development of Hong Kong. The inherent contradictions of our capitalism are becoming increasingly prominent, and our development approach is in urgent need of transformation and upgrading. The violent impact of infectious diseases has caused dramatic changes in the economic structure of Hong Kong. To promote the sustainable development of our economy, it is necessary to improve the rigidity of the industrial structure, reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, and develop an innovative economy.

Accelerating the renewable energy sector through Industry 4.0: Optimization opportunities in the digital revolution

The fourth industrial revolution introduced the concept of Industry 4.0, which refers to the digitalization of the modern world and the inclusion of digital industry in major industrial sectors. Within this context, we investigated how Industry 4.0 technologies could transform conventional factories into smart factories and contribute to the development of a circular economy with significant economic, environmental, and social advantages. The primary goal of this study was to assess the potential of Industry 4.0 technologies in optimizing energy production from renewable resources. Specifically, we examined how various Industry 4.0 technologies, including Blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Cloud Computing, contributed to energy generation, transmission, and trade. In addition, we investigated solutions to issues such as intermittent power supply, low efficiency, grid bottleneck, wastage of excess power, and unpredictable energy markets. Furthermore, we discussed two case studies based on circular economies, sustainable development goals, and Industry 4.0-based data analysis platforms. The study concludes by discussing the challenges faced by industries in adapting to the digital revolution and the potential uses of modern-day digital technologies to advance the energy sector and society as a whole.

Research on the association of China-US virtual water trade based on hypothesis extraction method.

Based on the EORA input-output tables from 2006 to 2016, this paper divided 189 countries in the world into three economies (China, the USA, and other countries) and used the hypothetical extraction method to calculate the virtual water trade volume of the three economies in the Sino-US bilateral trade. Combining with the analysis of the global value chain, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) the virtual water trade volume exported by China and the USA showed an overall increasing trend. The virtual water trade volume exported by the USA was far less than that of China, but more virtual water was transferred through trade. (2) Compared with intermediate products, China's virtual water exports of final products were larger, but the USA was the opposite. (3) Among the three major industrial sectors, the secondary sector was the largest virtual water export sector in China, but it was the primary sector in the USA that had the largest volume of. (4) Bilateral trade had brought environmental disadvantages to China, but this situation was gradually improving.

Can polycentric governance lower industrial greenhouse gas emissions: Evidence from the United States

AbstractThe governance challenges embedded in climate change are daunting. Conventional logic holds that national and international action is necessary. While the United States is a major source of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions – second only to China – national action on climate change has been lacking. However, hundreds of subnational US governments and thousands of industrial facilities are actively engaged in addressing climate change. Given the potential mismatch between the global nature of the problem and the policy reach of subnational governments, we evaluate the extent to which polycentric variation in subnational climate action is associated with changes in GHG emissions. We develop a unique data set that incudes facility‐level GHG emissions from major industrial sectors in the United States over 8 years and subnational climate governance action across all 50 states. This large‐N data set allows us to systematically test hypothesis from polycentric governance. This type of comparative analysis can help to better understand the conditions under which polycentric governance is associated with improved climate change outcomes, that is, declining GHG emissions. Our results suggest that even when controlling for past emissions, some elements of polycentric governance are associated with decreases in GHG emissions. Future research would benefit from augmenting the large N comparative analysis presented here with mixed methods research to more fully understand the dynamic processes shaping both climate policy and GHG emissions.

COVID-19, firm performance, and the value relevance of earnings

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, there has been a growing interest in investigating how stock markets behave during times of uncertainty and crisis. This is because it has been shown that stock prices seem to disconnect from fundamentals during moments of extreme uncertainty. Using earnings and returns data from publicly traded corporations for the twelve months beginning January 1, 2020, we assessed the performance of major industrial sectors during COVID-19. We also investigated the concurrent earnings/returns relation to discover whether earnings changes convey useful information during times of high uncertainty. Following prior literature along similar lines, we used firm-level earnings and returns data and estimated cross-sectional regressions to examine the earnings/returns relation. We found considerable variation in the earnings and returns data across and within the industrial sectors. Our results mostly showed a positive relationship between accounting income and concurrent stock returns, implying that accounting earnings numbers were value relevant during the pandemic. Positive earnings news (earnings increases) seemed to generate a greater market response than negative earnings news (earnings drops), leading to a shift in the overall stock market's outlook from negative to positive in the second half of 2020. These findings will help the decision-making of investors, creditors, policymakers, financial analysts, and other stakeholder groups.

Humanoid Loco-Manipulations Using Combined Fast Dense 3D Tracking and SLAM With Wide-Angle Depth-Images

To efficiently achieve complex humanoid loco-manipulation tasks in industrial contexts, we propose a combined vision-based tracker-localization interplay integrated as part of a task-space whole-body optimization control. To achieve good perception complementarity between manipulation and localization, a new fast dense 3D model-based tracking using wide-angle depth image is developed and used in conjunction with a simultaneous localization and mapping software. Our approach allows humanoid robots, targeted for industrial manufacturing, to manipulate and assemble large-scale objects while walking. It is assessed with experiments consisting in rolling and assembling in an unwinder a heavy and wide bobbin using bimanual grasping and bipedal locomotion at a time. This experimental use-case is found in some large-scale manufacturing where bobbins are enrolled with various materials (cables, papers, rubbers, etc.). The same experiments are made using two different humanoid robots of the same family. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —This paper aims at deploying humanoid robots in large-scale manufacturing industries. We consider non-added value tasks related to transporting large tools or objects such as large bobbins by means of locomanipulation skills, similarly to human workers. We developed a task-space control framework that has been successfully applied in the aircraft industry. In the frame of a current collaboration with other major industrial sectors, we enhanced our control framework to interplay between SLAM and visual tracking to realize robust loco-manipulation tasks. Our approach can be applied and ported to any humanoid robot or bi-manual wheeled mobile robots with minor programming effort as the software is made open. Preliminary experiments with two different humanoids and use-cases suggest that our approach is feasible. In future research, we will address the problem of performance to reach at least human-speed in the execution of locomanipulation tasks in large-scale industry and automation contexts.

Emerging applications of metabolomics in food science and future trends.

Metabolomics is a relatively new component in systems biology that focuses on the high-throughput characterization of small molecular metabolites in biological systems. It is widely used in several scientific fields, particularly in that of food. Due to its excellent detection and prediction capacities, metabolomics well suited to analyze such complex matrix. This review emphasizes the most commonly used food metabolomics analytical technologies with a focus on novel approaches that have emerged in recent years, highlighting their suitability for food samples analysis as aided by chemometric data visualization. A comparison is presented among different metabolomics platforms and their prioritization for which metabolite classes in food. Application of metabolomics are presented in the context of food composition analysis, food quality safety, and food traceability. Furthermore, the constraints and limitations of actual metabolomics applications are explored, bringing novel insights into metabolomics use in food science to maximize its application potential in that major industrial sector.

Work-family and family-work conflict and stress in times of COVID-19.

This study aims to investigate the spillover impact of work-family/family–work conflict and stress on five major industrial sectors (education, textile, hospitals, banks, and retail stores), during the first wave of Covid-19. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is twofold; firstly, to test a hypothesized model where work-family/family-work conflicts are related to stress and where stress could exert a mediating role in such relationships. Secondly, we seek to explore the presence of these conflicts and stress in each of the five major industrial sectors and evaluate if there are significant differences between them, identifying the sociodemographic characteristics associated. Two questionnaires were applied to 748 employees from the selected industries. According to our results, stress predicts both types of conflict and also exerts a mediator role. It was primarily found that the five sectors are significantly different regarding the work-family/family-work conflicts and stress. Findings and implications are discussed.