Major Societal Challenges Research Articles

Mental models of the protein shift: Exploring consumers’ perceptions of the transition

The protein transition is one of today's major societal challenges to mitigate climate change. To support lasting consumer engagement, it has been suggested to look into consumers' understanding of the protein transition to identify barriers that go beyond the practical issues of changing one's diet. The current study explored consumers' mental models of how the transition unfolds to examine which factors consumers perceive as important drivers of the transition. With a fixed set of factors and actors identified with a questionnaire, Dutch consumers (N = 214) mapped their mental models. The content and structure of the mental models were analyzed with a focus on how consumers perceive their own role. Animal well-being and environmental concerns were most often included as important drivers. The findings showed a lack of consensus about which actor(s) drive the transition (i.e., none of the actors were included by a majority of the participants). This diffusion of responsibility may be a barrier for consumers to act. Moreover, the relative simplicity of the observed mental models suggests that consumers do not yet employ systems thinking. A systems thinking mindset may help consumers understand how the system behind the transition works and how their individual contributions matter. Two avenues to encourage consumer engagement were identified: 1) emphasizing the responsibility of different actors and what consumers can contribute, and 2) encouraging a systems thinking mindset.

Designing and Testing a Tool That Connects the Value Proposition of Deep-Tech Ventures to SDGs

Deep-tech startups have enormous potential to solve major societal challenges, but their failure rates are quite high (above 90%). In this respect, deep-tech systems and products have long development times and thus require substantial amounts of investment capital long before the first customer can be served. Moreover, potential investors increasingly expect that the value proposition of a deep-tech venture has a clear sustainability dimension. We therefore designed a tool that serves to develop a convincing value proposition for investors, one that is explicitly connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. We adopted a design science approach to develop and test this tool in the context of a deep-tech venture builder located in the Netherlands. The final tool arising from this study extends and integrates various existing tools with an explicit connection to the SDGs. As such, this tool enables deep-tech entrepreneurs to develop a value proposition that is more likely to attract early-stage investors.

Pan-African solidarity in South Africa: An empirical public opinion analysis

Social cohesion issues, such as xenophobia and racism, are major societal challenges for South Africa. What can be put forward to address these challenges? By drawing together separate threads of literature from Pan-Africanism and common ingroup identities, the study puts forward the Pan-African Solidarity thesis: low levels of supranational identification with Africa undermines social cohesion in South Africa and low supranational identifications are caused by local ideational/socio-psychological factors as well as cluing from political elites. This thesis is unique, mass identifications with Africa are understudied and little is known about how people in the country identify with the continent. In order to validate this Pan-African Solidarity thesis, the article will answer three important questions: (i) are mass identifications with Africa in South Africa low?; (ii) are attachment to an African identity associated with anti-minority views?; and (iii) what is driving mass identifications with Africa? An IPSOS funded attitudinal dataset fielded in four of the country’s nine provinces was used to answer these questions. Results provide empirical support for the Pan-African Solidarity thesis and found that a continental identity was related to intolerance of different outgroups (e.g., racial minorities, refugees and cross-border migrants). This is consistent with the expectations of the Common Ingroup Identity Model. But the study also makes original contributions to the literature, finding that the formation of continental identifications is informed by South Africa’s history of white settler colonialism. Cross-border contact, retrospective sociotropic evaluations, pro-black sentiment and trust in national elites were identified as determinants of citizens' identification with Africa.

Estudio comparativo de las propiedades mecánicas de materiales compuestos de fibra de carbono para el desarrollo de elementos estructurales aeronáuticos.

  Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite material structures continue to be, despite the tremendous technological maturity achieved in recent decades, one of the most promising options to address the challenges of the aeronautical industry with respect to behaviour in the face of efforts such as improvements, regarding weight or costs. Ongoing demands to address major societal challenges, promote industrial leadership in Europe, and address aviation decarbonisation for the purpose of protecting the environment drive the demand for more optimal materials designed to improve these aspects. The previous tasks carried out to complete the test campaign will be described, showing its plan and design, details of preparation, assembly of the specimens and the execution of the tests. The philosophy proposed by Airbus (ADS) is presented with the consolidation of admissible design against alterations of the material that could realize its evolution or arise in the manufacturer's batches. Observing changes in the material, leading to the improvement of its mechanical and handling characteristics, a comparison has been made by Airbus with the one used previously for the determination of admissible design. It is intended to incorporate assessments of effects associated with the process of its industrialization. Once the results and analyzes are available, the normalized results of the conclusions would be presented. The activity carried out is included within the CERES project (Advanced Rear End Structural test program), belonging to the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking European research aeronautical program.

Intermediate short food supply chains: a systematic review

PurposeIntermediate short food supply chains (SFSC) have been presented as a possible solution to unsustainable global food supply chains. There is currently a knowledge gap about intermediate SFSC. Thus, this review synthesizes the available literature to identify prominent themes and their main considerations.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a systematic literature review including peer-reviewed journal articles until December 2021. Inductive data coding resulted in the identification of four themes related to intermediate SFSC.FindingsThe identified themes illustrate the complex landscape intermediate SFSCs operate in and focus on the key relationships within these supply chains. The established relationships have implications for the governance of intermediate SFSCs. The organization of intermediate SFSCs affects numerous sustainability indicators.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should focus on the position intermediate SFSCs have in food systems and the roles intermediaries have in intermediate SFSCs. There is furthermore an opportunity for researchers to investigate different types of intermediaries and explore the factors influencing them.Originality/valueCreating sustainable food supply chains is one of the major societal challenges of today. The current state of the art suggests that intermediate SFSCs could play an important role in achieving this. So far, this area is underdeveloped and this review highlights knowledge gaps in the literature and suggestions for a future research agenda are proposed.

Connecting Two Worlds: enhancing knowledge sharing between academics and policymakers in Aotearoa New Zealand

The Covid-19 pandemic has put the research–policy interface in the spotlight, exposing the synergies and tensions between researchand policy. The complexity of responding to Covid-19 has also highlighted the potential for research to inform responses to other major societal challenges. Researchers are enthusiastic about working with policymakers to ensure that policy is underpinned by robust evidence, while many in government see the importance of strong evidence underpinning policy. However, there are also significant challenges associated with connecting the complex domains of universities and central government.

Students’ Perceptions and Attitudes toward University Social Responsibility: Comparison between India and Croatia

In addition to teaching and research, the “third mission” has become one of the major societal challenges faced by higher education institutions worldwide. This is related to the university’s efforts to contribute to the economic and social development of the community in which they operate. One of the major concepts focused on this issue is university social responsibility (USR). This study aimed to compare students’ perceptions of and attitude toward USR in two different countries, India and Croatia, and contribute to the research gap in cross-cultural aspects of USR. Since students are the most important stakeholders of the university and today’s students are known as Generation Z–altruistic, caring about the environment and social issues on one hand, and knowing that social responsibility is highly contextual regarding environment—it makes sense to study and compare students from two different countries. The research was conducted at Indian and Croatian universities, with a sample of 1340 respondents. It is based on Carroll’s pyramid of social responsibility regarding levels of USR (economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic) and the ISO 26000 standards regarding areas of USR. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, correlation, and regression analysis indicated some differences in perceptions of USR in the two countries but also the significant impact of knowledge about USR and having a course on social responsibility built into the curriculum on perceptions and attitude toward USR. The results show that universities in both countries need to focus on their third mission—specifically, contributing to local community development in creating their USR policies.

From Amundson, Aris, and Sargent to the future of process systems engineering

In this paper, we attempt to provide a perspective on the field of process systems engineering (PSE) by tracing its evolution back to the pioneering work of Neal Amundson, Rutherford Aris, and Roger Sargent, and highlighting their legacies that continue to guide research in PSE to this day. We underscore the growth in the technical scope of the field from the adoption of control and optimization methods for analyzing chemical engineering problems to the advancement of the methods themselves. We comment on the extended scope, current state, and major trends in PSE while reflecting on the intellectual identity of our field that has developed over time. PSE is positioned to play a crucial role in addressing major societal challenges, such as sustainability and health. While considering a diverse set of applications, it will also be critical to further advance theory which allows us to address the complexity that underlies these problems. Finally, we outline a few emerging research themes that could serve as initial food for thought in a broader discussion on future research directions in PSE.

Impact of waste management and conversion technologies on cost and carbon footprint - Case studies in rural and urban cities

Bioenergy pathways based on waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies are potential solutions to address two major societal challenges: climate change and a lack of sustainable municipal solid waste (MSW) diversion solutions. This study identifies and addresses the absence of an integrated decision-making framework that includes upstream operations (collection, separation, and delivery) and energy recovery technologies of the MSW supply chain. Modeling tools are developed for each WTE stage and integrated for the first time under a single cost and carbon footprint assessment framework. This framework is validated using two case studies to capture urban and rural characteristics. The first pathway includes gasification and an Internal Combustion Engine, and the second pathway consists of combustion and an Organic Rankine Cycle. The outcomes of this study show that Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of the WTE pathways are slightly higher than fossil-based heating. This difference is explained by two factors. First, upstream logistics (often overlooked) are a major contributor to the net GHG emissions (36% in rural cases), and their emissions would offset the potential credits when replacing the current heating systems with the WTE pathways. Secondly, MSW is not entirely carbon neutral, and when the fossil-based carbon is accounted for, WTE pathways show higher GHG emissions for both rural (12–16%) and urban (17–19%) communities, which confirms that the WTE pathways still require more technology optimization and improvement. However, integrated framework revealed that WTE pathways are economically competent to reduce the current heating cost by up to 36% in rural and 25% in urban communities.

Integrated assessment across building and urban scales: A review and proposal for a more holistic, multi-scale, system-of-systems approach

Humanity is facing major societal challenges that are complex and systemic in the nature of their drivers, interactions, and impacts. Because buildings and cities play a substantial role in these societal challenges, we need reliable approaches that can be used to assess their resilience and sustainability. Given that building and urban systems are usually tightly coupled, we critically review nine building-scale assessment frameworks and seven urban-scale assessment frameworks, ranking them from high to low in terms of the causality among component systems. We identify four major knowledge gaps that, to varying degrees, span the entire range of assessment frameworks: (1) causality among component systems and their subsystems is limited; (2) sustainability and resilience are too narrowly defined; (3) social systems are inadequately addressed; and (4) building- and urban-scale assessments are poorly connected. To address these limitations, we briefly introduce several closely-related fields of research including integrated assessment and modeling, social-ecological systems research, land systems science, socio-environmental systems modeling, modeling of human behavior, multi-scale modeling, and multi-fidelity modeling. Building on these rapidly emerging research domains, we conclude by proposing a more holistic, multi-scale, system-of-systems approach that connects across building and urban scales using several common systems.

How Does Context Contribute to and Constrain the Emergence of Responsible Innovation in Food Systems? Results from a Multiple Case Study

Organizations and practices that contribute to the resolution of major societal challenges are key to achieving a transition towards sustainable and resilient food systems. Previous research identified contextual elements that affect the emergence of organizations and practices with responsibility characteristics, but how this process unfolds remains poorly articulated. Our study thus focuses on how contextual dimensions may contribute to or constrain the emergence of responsibility in food systems. We applied a multiple case study design and conducted 34 semi-structured interviews with 30 organizations in the province of Québec (Canada) and in the state of São Paulo (Brazil). Our across-case analyses clarify how multiple contextual dimensions both contribute to and constrain the emergence of responsibility. More specifically, our findings show that while contextual dimensions shaped by the dominant food system constrain the emergence of responsibility, the same dimensions also contribute to it when they embed responsibility principles. One key contribution of our study is to show that interpersonal relations are an important mediation mechanism that helps to modify contextual elements, so they can contribute to the emergence of responsibility. This study’s findings can inform research and policy aiming to design institutional environments that promote a transition towards more responsible food systems.

Putting value creation back into “public value”: from market-fixing to market-shaping

ABSTRACT In conventional economics, value creation occurs in the private sector with the state limited to correcting for “market failures”. Public management scholars have developed the term “public value” to describe how public sector managers can engage citizens in shaping effective policy. A more ambitious concept of public value rejects the “market failure” framework and puts public value at the centre of the economy. Public value is created by public sector actors creating and co-shaping markets in line with public purpose. This direction-setting role enables different sectors to collaborate to address major societal challenges, such as climate change and inequality.

Scanning the solutions for the sustainable supply of forest ecosystem services in Europe

Forests are key components of European multifunctional landscapes and supply numerous forest ecosystem services (FES) fundamental to human well-being. The sustainable provision of FES has the potential to provide responses to major societal challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, or rural development. To identify suitable strategies for the future sustenance of FES, we performed a solution scanning exercise with a group of transdisciplinary forest and FES experts from different European regions. We identified and prioritized fifteen major challenges hindering the balanced provision of multiple FES and identified a series of potential solutions to tackle each of them. The most prominent challenges referred to the increased frequency and impacts of extreme weather events and the normative mindset regarding forest management. The respective solutions pointed to the promotion of forest resilience via climate-smart forestry and mainstreaming FES-oriented management through a threefold strategy focusing on education, awareness raising, and networking. In a subsequent survey, most solutions were assessed as highly effective, transferable, monitorable, and with potential for being economically efficient. The implementation of the solutions could have synergistic effects when applying the notion of leverage points. Seven emerging pathways towards the sustainable supply of FES have been identified. These pathways build on each other and are organized based on their potential for transformation: (1) shifting forest management paradigms towards pluralistic ecosystem valuation; (2) using integrated landscape approaches; (3) increasing forest resilience; (4) coordinating actions between forest-related actors; (5) increasing participation in forest planning and management; (6) continuous, open, and transparent knowledge integration; and (7) using incentive-based instruments to support regulating and cultural FES. These pathways can contribute to the implementation of the new EU Forestry Strategy to support the balanced supply of multiple FES.Graphical abstract

To disclose or not to disclose? Factors related to the willingness to disclose information to a COVID-19 tracing app

ABSTRACT Contact-tracing apps have been identified as a promising technology to curb the spread of COVID-19. To be effective, a sufficient number of individuals need to install the app and disclose information like COVID-19 infection to such an app. Yet, usage data demonstrate that a large number of app users does not disclose COVID-19 infection to the app. Hence, in two studies (overall N = 1522), we investigate factors related to individuals’ willingness to actively disclose information to such an app. In a preregistered online experiment conducted two months before the app launch onto the German market, we find that disclosure willingness increases when the app’s prosocial benefit or a social-life-enabling benefit is emphasized (vs. no benefit emphasized). In a subsequent, quota-representative survey study conducted two months after the app launch onto the German market, we adapted and extended the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) to the context of prosocial information sharing in tracing apps. We find that the perceived prosocial benefit of the app, trust in public institutions, and fear of COVID-19 are the relevant predictors. Moreover, we demonstrate that the relation between perceived prosocial benefit and disclosure willingness is moderated by perceived ease of use. Results are discussed with regard to effective implementation and communication strategies for tracing apps, and the general role of prosocial concerns for technology usage to address major societal challenges.

The vaccine equity crisis is a stress test for all future major environmental challenges

The vaccine equity crisis has an extra element that makes it crucial for our capacity to tackle future major societal challenges. Unlike most of these, including the climate one, the current pandemic causes major damage that is directly observable in the very short term, that is, within the political cycle of the incumbent policymakers. If not even this kind of crisis with directly observable damage is able to influence the incentive structure of policymakers and lead to the adoption of timely and effective measures, there is no reason to expect that this would ever happen for crises whose effects largely materialize in future political cycles. As a consequence, if we fail to tackle this particular crisis effectively now, we are creating an enormous credibility problem for future crises that could seriously undermine our capacity to reach binding agreements in the future.

Active Ageing in Italy: A Systematic Review of National and Regional Policies.

Active ageing is defined as the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. The design of active ageing policies intersects with different overarching societal challenges, especially ageing populations, social rights and sustainability. However, there are no previous attempts to review active ageing policies in the light of these challenges and the international policy objectives and targets that are guiding the international community. The aim of this study is to systematically identify, review and analyse all national and regional policies on active ageing adopted in Italy, by applying a conceptual framework derived from main international policy initiatives in the three areas. The research was conducted in two stages. First, a case study analysis was carried out per each relevant national institution and regional government. Standardised interviews were combined with policy document search, selection and analysis. Second, we performed a policy analysis in the light of a conceptual framework adopted. This latter was composed by nine policy domains, selected and integrated from principles and objectives of three overarching international frameworks on ageing—i.e., the Regional Implementation Strategy (RIS) commitments of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), social rights—i.e., the European Pillar of Social Rights and sustainability—i.e., the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Results pointed out that out of the identified nine policy fields, the major intervention areas by Italian policy makers concerned labour market participation, life-long learning, social and economic inequalities, health and well-being. Less attention had been given to issues such as gender and equal opportunities and sustainable cities. This systematic policy review is a milestone for understanding how active ageing policies contribute to address major societal challenges and what domains need further policy development.

What is “AI”?

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our everyday life and is seen as a key technology for solving the major societal challenges (e.g.: Sustainable Development Goals) in the future. The accumulation of incidents (e.g.: profiling, machine learning bias, ...) and problems to understand complex artificial intelligences led the EU Commission to develop a proposal for the regulation of AI and high-risk AI. In this paper, we aim to highlight the technical challenges related to the proposed text regarding the definition of AI.

Microfoundations for Macromarketing: A Metatheoretical Lens for Bridging the Micro-Macro Divide

Macromarketing is often contrasted with micro-views of dyadic relationships, such as firm/customer interactions and transactional exchange. However, developing solutions for “wicked” social problems that are often viewed through a macro lens requires an approach that considers multiple perspectives at aggregated levels of interaction. We propose a framework for bridging the micro-macro divide by applying a metatheoretical lens, based on service-dominant logic and its service-ecosystems view. This approach highlights the importance of studying value cocreation practices as a microfoundation of macrostructures and highlights the need for studying institutions and institutional arrangements at varying levels of granularity. We argue for consideration of a meso-level, which is conceptually nested between micro-actions and macro-structures and allows researchers to investigate the emergence of markets as institutionalized, and potentially sustainable solutions. Exploring multiple levels of interaction can aid researchers and practitioners in understanding the complexity of wicked problems and cocreating solutions for major societal challenges faced in the world today.

Paper-Based Biosensors for COVID-19: A Review of Innovative Tools for Controlling the Pandemic.

The appearance and quick spread of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease, COVID-19, brought major societal challenges. Importantly, suitable medical diagnosis procedures and smooth clinical management of the disease are an emergent need, which must be anchored on novel diagnostic methods and devices. Novel molecular diagnostic tools relying on nucleic acid amplification testing have emerged globally and are the current gold standard in COVID-19 diagnosis. However, the need for widespread testing methodologies for fast, effective testing in multiple epidemiological scenarios remains a crucial step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Biosensors have previously shown the potential for cost-effective and accessible diagnostics, finding applications in settings where conventional, laboratorial techniques may not be readily employed. Paper- and cellulose-based biosensors can be particularly relevant in pandemic times, for the renewability, possibility of mass production with sustainable methodologies, and safe environmental disposal. In this review, paper-based devices and platforms targeting SARS-CoV-2 are showcased and discussed, as a means to achieve quick and low-cost PoC diagnosis, including detection methodologies for viral genomic material, viral antigen detection, and serological antibody testing. Devices targeting inflammatory markers relevant for COVID-19 are also discussed, as fast, reliable bedside diagnostic tools for patient treatment and follow-up.

Artificial Intelligence for Modeling Complex Systems: Taming the Complexity of Expert Models to Improve Decision Making

Major societal and environmental challenges involve complex systems that have diverse multi-scale interacting processes. Consider, for example, how droughts and water reserves affect crop production and how agriculture and industrial needs affect water quality and availability. Preventive measures, such as delaying planting dates and adopting new agricultural practices in response to changing weather patterns, can reduce the damage caused by natural processes. Understanding how these natural and human processes affect one another allows forecasting the effects of undesirable situations and study interventions to take preventive measures. For many of these processes, there are expert models that incorporate state-of-the-art theories and knowledge to quantify a system's response to a diversity of conditions. A major challenge for efficient modeling is the diversity of modeling approaches across disciplines and the wide variety of data sources available only in formats that require complex conversions. Using expert models for particular problems requires integration of models with third-party data as well as integration of models across disciplines. Modelers face significant heterogeneity that requires resolving semantic, spatiotemporal, and execution mismatches, which are largely done by hand today and may take more than 2 years of effort. We are developing a modeling framework that uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to reduce modeling effort while ensuring utility for decision making. Our work to date makes several innovative contributions: (1) an intelligent user interface that guides analysts to frame their modeling problem and assists them by suggesting relevant choices and automating steps along the way; (2) semantic metadata for models, including their modeling variables and constraints, that ensures model relevance and proper use for a given decision-making problem; and (3) semantic representations of datasets in terms of modeling variables that enable automated data selection and data transformations. This framework is implemented in the MINT (Model INTegration) framework, and currently includes data and models to analyze the interactions between natural and human systems involving climate, water availability, agricultural production, and markets. Our work to date demonstrates the utility of AI techniques to accelerate modeling to support decision-making and uncovers several challenging directions for future work.