Revolution In Production Research Articles

Foresight As a Governance Tool to Help Shape the Next Production Revolution

The next production revolution (NPR; also called Industry 4.0 elsewhere) is likely to trigger complex changes via the interactions of new technologies, materials, processes, and business models. These changes would affect RD the labour market; income distribution and well-being; skill requirements; as well as several fields of regulation. Furthermore, digitalisation can be a major enabler of the circular economy. The policy implications of the NPR are so wide-ranging that it is difficult to mention a major policy domain, which would remain untouched by these sweeping changes. The need for policy orchestration is, therefore, rather strong. Foresight, a specific type of forward-looking activities (FLA), can assist policy-makers in dealing with these complex changes. First, it facilitates a systemic approach, considers multiple futures and draws on the diverse set of knowledge of participants. Second, a shared vision, developed – and thus ‘owned’ – by the participants, can reduce the uncertainties generated by NPR, and it helps building commitment among participants as an additional factor to keep up the momentum of orchestrated policy design and implementation. Third, a transformative foresight process, considering and assisting systemic changes triggered by NPR, can contribute to reshaping the prevailing power structures and invigorating policy rationales, decision-making processes, and thus improving the efficacy of policies. FLA projects dealing with NPR issues vary in their thematic coverage and their breadth of participation. Combining these distinctions, four different archetypes of FLA are identified – and illustrated by actual cases – in the paper. The expected impacts on policy-making vary by the type of prospective analyses. Participatory processes mobilise a wider set of knowledge, aspirations, and worldviews compared to an expert-based project. Hence, more novel ideas can be expected, contested from various angles, hence tested more thoroughly, given the diversity of participants. FLA projects focusing on innovation and manufacturing systems consider a broader set of issues than S&T-centred projects. Given the complex issues brought about by the NPR, such a systemic approach seems to be more appropriate as a foundation for devising effective policies. In certain contexts, S&T-centred FLA can also be useful, but different and only more limited benefits and impacts can arise from this approach. Foresight benefits are far from being automatic: the paper considers eight critical factors to achieve those. An astute embedding of foresight into policy-making enhances the likelihood of impact, but foresight recommendations are no substitute for policy decisions and actions.

Analysis of society’s spatial organization’s factors as a tool to increase effectiveness of geographical education and the applied role of geography

The purpose of this article. The article defines the development factors of natural, demographic, political, economic and social systems. Variants of factors classification by various criteria are stated. Assessment of features and consequences of separate factors’ influence on the territorial organization and development of economy is given. The main material. The main attention is paid to the analysis of spatial factors, as well as to scientific and technical progress. Types of geographical location and subspecies of the economic and geographical situation are considered. The main features and directions of scientific and technological progress, consequences of the scientific and technological revolution in production and the service sector are outlined. Among the main consequences of the scientific and technological revolution impact are: automation, creation of new materials, computerization, creation of global networks. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of the negative consequences of scientific and technological progress. The classification of activities according to the leading factor of territorial organization is given, as well as corresponding examples. The increase in the influence of military and political factors, both on the development of the economies of individual countries as a whole, and on the system of international economic relations, is noted. It is emphasized that the spatial organization of the economy is constantly becoming more complex under the influence of new factors. Conclusions and further research. The necessity to study the totality of the factors under consideration in the system of general and higher geographic education is substantiated. It is suggested that they be taken into account when implementing programs for socioeconomic development of regions and countries. It is noted that in assessing the direction and the degree of individual factors’ influence, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the territory - the size, configuration, location of the population and economic objects, the level of infrastructure development, coordination of management decisions.

太阳能热发电技术在新一代能源系统中定位的思考

能源革命是历史发展的重要驱动力。人类生产力每一次大飞跃都伴随着一场能源生产和消费生产的革命。新一轮的能源革命已初露端倪，它将以具有颠覆性的能源技术发展为主要标志，把人类社会推进到以高效化、清洁化、低碳化、智能化为主要特征的全新能源时代。太阳能热发电相比于其它清洁能源发电方式因其独特的优势，可以把传统电网变成能源互联网的技术，光热发电将在能源互联网中充当核心、关键的角色，并将起到主导作用。 The energy revolution is an important driver of historical development. Every big leap in human productivity is accompanied by a revolution in energy production and consumption. The new round of energy revolution has begun to take shape. It will take the development of disruptive energy technologies as the main symbol and advance the human society to a brand new energy era characterized by efficiency, cleanliness, low carbonation and intelligence. Compared to other clean energy power generation methods, solar thermal power generation can turn the traditional power grid into a technology of energy Internet because of its unique advantages. The thermal power generation will play a key and key role in the energy Internet and will play a leading role.

Autonomous photovoltaic observatory station integrated with UAV - a case study

Over the past few decades the World has experienced a revolution in Energy production from solar technology, mostly from photovoltaics. On the other hand, an increasing number of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications are also noticed. Combining photovoltaics and UAVs reveals many opportunities for researchers and renewable energy industry. Responding to the challenge of large area observations at remote locations, the conception of an autonomous photovoltaic station integrated with UAV has been proposed. The essential advantage of the station is its energetic autonomy. The station is movable and can be installed in various locations all over the World. It can be implemented for a wide range of applications, i.e. examining hydroelectric, solar or wind power stations. The simulation results of energy production from PV system mounted on the station have been shown in this work. Several issues were taken into account for the calculations: tilt and azimuth of PV modules, irradiation at case study location and energy demand of the station’s equipment. The energy usage of five and eight hours daily of UAV flights was estimated. Energy balance was calculated.

The Future of Quality Management: Challenge and Response

Purpose: Quality management has significantly contributed to the productivity revolution in the past century. However, the argument that quality can be an impediment to innovation in the age of industry 4.0 has intensified recently. Possible solutions to this controversial issue are discussed. Metho...

Industry 4.0: New Challenges and Opportunities for the Labour Market

The introductory article to the special issue “Labour Market in the Context of Technological Transformations” presents an overall picture of the latest technological trends altogether referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), their impact on the changing structure of the labour market, the demand for prospective skills, as well as emerging policy challenges. The author concludes that ensuring the resilience, adaptability and efficiency of labour markets are therefore not only a matter of addressing the skills needs of the Next Production Revolution, but also a prerequisite to social stability and cohesion.

Isotope Analyses of Early Bronze Age Fauna at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath

Previous articleNext article No AccessARTICLESIsotope Analyses of Early Bronze Age Fauna at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/GathElizabeth R. Arnold and Haskel J. GreenfieldElizabeth R. Arnold Search for more articles by this author and Haskel J. Greenfield Search for more articles by this author Elizabeth R. Arnold is associate professor at Grand Valley State University. Her research interests include palaeobotany (phytolith analyses), ethnozooarchaeology, pastoralism, and the Secondary Products Revolution. Her primary interest is the documentation of exchanges that may indicate economic, political and social exchanges of animals that are important in the rise of complex societies.Haskel Greenfield is distinguished professor of anthropology, co-director of the Near Eastern and Biblical Archaeology Lab, and coordinator of the Judaic Studies Program at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. He is an anthropological archaeologist whose research focuses on the evolution of early agricultural and early complex societies in the Old World from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. He is currently co-director (with Prof. Aren Maeir, Bar-Ilan University, Israel) of the excavations of the Early Bronze Age city at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel.PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Near Eastern Archaeology Volume 80, Number 4December 2017 A journal of ASOR Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5615/neareastarch.80.4.0261 Views: 96Total views on this site Copyright 2017 American Schools of Oriental ResearchPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

A revolution in low-cost carbon fiber production

LeMond Composites’ patent pending manufacturing process will produce low-cost, high performance carbon fiber for a range of industries, from transportation to renewable energy.

3D Printing and Industrial Ecology

3D Printing and Industrial Ecology

Special Issue on Intelligent Measurement for Advanced Production Engineering

Measurement technology in the field of production engineering has long played an essential role in improving the yield and reliability of manufactured products, and it will continue to increase in importance to the manufacture of advanced products. The development of intelligent and innovative measurement technologies will not only be essential but also indispensable to the creation of high value-added products as next-generation advanced products, manufactured based on leading-edge production technologies and science. The importance of measurement technologies indispensable to the digitization of things has been increasing particularly dramatically in the industrial revolution of production based on the innovative advancement of big data management and the cloud computing environment. This special issue addresses the latest research advances into measurement for production engineering. This covers a wide area, including dimensional measurement, surface metrology, uncertainty, traceability, calibration, in-process and on-line metrology, machine tool metrology, optical metrology, micro and nano metrology, and applied sensor technology. We hope that learning more about these advances will enable the readers to share in the authors’ experiences and knowledge of technologies and development. All papers were refereed through careful peer reviews. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the authors for their submissions and to the reviewers for their invaluable efforts, ensuring the success of this special issue.

Research and Development Support System for Advanced Safety Vessels - Productivity Revolution in Maritime Industry “i-Shipping (Operation)”

Research and Development Support System for Advanced Safety Vessels - Productivity Revolution in Maritime Industry “i-Shipping (Operation)”

Productivity growth in China’s large industrial firms: patterns, causes, and implications

China’s economy has experienced a high-rate growth since the reform and opening up in 1978. However, some macro-statistics indicated that China’s economy grows with a low efficiency. In fact, these conclusions based on macro-statistics and the performance of the economy as a whole cannot reflect the multi-level, dynamic and, therefore, complicated situation of China. By using firm-level data, and the stochastic frontier production model, this paper makes an investigation on the changing trends of TFP of China’s LMIE between 1995 and 2002, and the decomposition of factors of growth. Main findings include: (1) the weighted average of the annual growth of TFP in China’s large and medium sized industrial enterprises was as high as 6.8 % with a rising trend during 1996-2002; (2) the contribution to TFP growth by the factor of Frontier Technology Progress reached as much as 14 percentage points per annum on average; (3) the decline in Technical Efficiency (Relative to the Frontier) reduced the TFP growth by 7.1 percentage points per annum on average; (4) Allocative Efficiency contributed on average only 0.02 percentage points per annum to the TFP growth and Scale Dis-Economy slowed the growth of TFP by 0.33 percentage points per annum. The results show that at the turn of the century, the most important part of China’s industry was in the middle of an industrial productivity revolution driven by both Frontier Technological Progress and the great potential of technical efficiency of lagging enterprises. The revolution is driven by increased competition, privatization, foreign investment, and business expansion.

Nanotechnology Innovations and Commercialization – Opportunities, Challenges & Reasons for Delay

Innovations in nanotechnology are making a revolution in manufacturing and production, creating new materials and products through novel processes for commercial applications. New products based on nanotechnology with novel characteristics are continued to grow and benefit the society. Being general purpose technology, nanotechnology is expected to support all fields of the society, but some fields like medicine, energy, environmental remediation, robotics, manufacturing, commerce, and space exploration are expected to undergo explosive developments. In this paper, we made a detailed analysis of advantages, benefits, constraints, and disadvantages of progress in nanotechnology for the society and discussed the reason for the failure of estimated timeline for realizing various generations of progress and proposed a modified timeframe for anticipated nanotechnology innovations. Based on the business perspective, we have developed a nanotechnology products/services commercialization model and discussed the opportunities for nanotechnology commercialization. The paper also contains a detailed analysis of common commercialization challenges faced by nanotechnology firms including time lag, the valley of death, lack of infrastructure, lack of a standard for evaluation, bureaucratic delays, the dearth of funding, and lack of trained professionals, brand image, and public support. Finally, we have mentioned how the various corporate business strategies can be used in the successful business of nanotechnology products and services.

How did the US economy react to shale gas production revolution? An advanced time series approach

This paper aims at examining the impacts of shale gas revolution on industrial production in the US. To this end, this paper, first, throughout literature review, exposes the features of shale gas revolution in the US in terms of energy technology and energy markets. However, the potential influences of shale gas extraction on the US economy are not explicit in the existing literature. Thus, considering mainly the output of shale gas revolution on the US economy in this research, later, the paper conducts econometric models to reveal if there exists significant effect(s) of shale gas revolution on the US economy. Therefore, the paper employs unit root tests and cointegration tests by following relevant US monthly data from January 2008 to December 2013.Then, this paper observes long run impact of shale gas production on industrial production in the US through dynamic ordinary least squares estimation with dummy structural breaks and conducts Granger causality test based on vector error correction model. The dynamic ordinary least squares estimator explores that shale gas production has a positive effect on industrial production. Besides, the Granger causality test presents that shale gas production Granger causes industrial production in the long run. Based on the findings of the long run estimations, the paper yields that industrial production is positively related to shale gas production. Eventually, upon its findings, this paper asserts that (i) the shale gas revolution in the US has considerable positive effects on the US economy within the scope of the validity of the growth hypothesis, (ii) new technologies might be developed to mitigate the possible negative environmental effects of shale gas production, (iii) the countries having shale gas reserves, as in US, may follow energy policies to utilize their shale reserves more in the future to meet their energy demand and to increase their economic welfare.

Forthcoming Kondratieff wave, Cybernetic Revolution, and global ageing

In the present article we analyze the relationships between K-waves and major technological breakthroughs in history and offer forecasts about features of the sixth Kondratieff wave. We use for our analysis the basic ideas of long cycles' theory and related theories (theories of the leading sector, technological styles etc.) as well as the ideas of our own theory of production principles and production revolutions. The latest of production revolution is the Cybernetic Revolution that, from our point of view, started in the 1950s. We assume that in the 2030s and 2040s the sixth K-wave will merge with the final phase of the Cybernetic Revolution (which we call a phase of self-regulating systems). This period will be characterized by the breakthrough in medical technologies which will be capable to combine many other technologies into a single system of MANBRIC-technologies (medico-additive-nano-bio-roboto-info-cognitive technologies). The article also presents a forecast of the process of global ageing and argues why the technological breakthrough will occur in health care sector and connected spheres.

Manufacturing Gets Smart

This article explores impact and advantages of information technology on manufacturing industry. Information technology on the factory floor promises a revolution in productivity. The industrial hype machine is among the favorites because of its full-on mashup of manufacturing with modern information technologies. There is use of intelligent software and machines to interact with one another (and with people) autonomously, both in the factory and through the cloud. According to the experts, this new combination of brains and muscle will revolutionize manufacturing in ways that rival the introduction of steam, electricity, and automation. It is foreseen that factory machines and logistics equipment would communicate with one another autonomously to assign and route jobs through the factory – and reroute them when unexpected problems arise. Cloud-based artificial intelligence would constantly compare parts and processes to optimize performance. As software gets better at communicating, ubiquitous sensors are adding more data to the mix.

Emergence of geometry and conceptual changes in theory of ratios in theoretical music in the 16th century

The end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century witnessed intense structural changes in the conceptions underlying ratios and proportions as well as a significant extension in the spectrum of techniques used in theoretical music. In this context, changes in the conception of ratio brought about the strengthening of the arithmetization of theories of ratio and also the use of geometry as an instrument for solving structural problems in theoretical music. The sixteenth century represented thus a major revolution in the production of treatises on theoretical music and saw, in distinction to the Pythagorean tradition, the introduction of geometry as a tool not only to solve problems such as the division of the tone but also to solve theoretical problems related to the systematization of the temperament, symbolizing a substantial conceptual change in the mathematical foundations of theoretical music and eventually in the theory of ratios.

Nanotechnology Innovations and Commercialization-Opportunities, Challenges & Reasons for Delay

Innovations in nanotechnology are making a revolution in manufacturing and production, creating new materials and products through novel processes for commercial applications. New products based on nanotechnology with novel characteristics are continued to grow and benefit the society. Being general purpose technology, nanotechnology is expected to support all fields of the society, but some fields like medicine, energy, environmental remediation, robotics, manufacturing, commerce, and space exploration are expected to undergo explosive developments. In this paper, we made a detailed analysis of advantages, benefits, constraints, and disadvantages of progress in nanotechnology for the society and discussed the reason for the failure of estimated timeline for realizing various generations of progress and proposed a modified timeframe for anticipated nanotechnology innovations. Based on the business perspective, we have developed a nanotechnology products/services commercialization model and discussed the opportunities for nanotechnology commercialization. The paper also contains a detailed analysis of common commercialization challenges faced by nanotechnology firms including time lag, valley of death, lack of infrastructure, lack of standard for evaluation, bureaucratic delays, dearth of funding, and lack of trained professionals, brand image, and public support. Finally, we have mentioned how the various corporate business strategies can be used in the successful business of nanotechnology products and services.

Khodorkovsky, Yukos, and Putin

The arrest of YUKOS CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the destruction of YUKOS marked a turning point in the development of post-Soviet Russia. Under Khodorkovsky’s leadership, in four years (1999–2003) YUKOS went from a poorly-run undervalued company to a dynamo that was worth a third of the entire Russian stock market in one of the most impressive business and management case histories ever recorded. Khodorkovsky’s support of political opposition parties was likely a primary factor leading to his arrest. Another contributing factor was entrenched interests who felt threatened by Khodorkovsky’s success and growing power and knew how to maneuver both him and Putin towards a collision. However, the rapidly approaching merger with ChevronTexaco was the key to the timing of the arrest. YUKOS destruction and the ensuing slowdown in Russian production growth was a significant factor in the oil price spike of 2005–2008. While the increased oil price arguably initially had a positive impact on Russia, much of that advantage was dissipated by the capital flight that developed after 2008, an effect of the retreat from rule of law, necessary to break YUKOS. The breakup of YUKOSSibneft also possibly cut short the oilfield production revolution that eventually took place in the USA.

Guest Editorial: Climate Policy with Low Oil Prices

Guest editorial Although oil experienced an extraordinary price increase over the past 4 decades, a turning point has been reached where scarcity, uncertain supply, and high prices will be replaced by abundance, undisturbed availability, and suppressed price levels in the decades to come. In our new book, The Price of Oil, we conclude that the shale revolution will yield an increased output of oil in the world totaling nearly 20 million B/D by 2035. We also assert that a “conventional oil revolution”—the application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to conventional oil formations in the world—will yield a further addition of almost 20 million B/D in the same period. This extra 40 million B/D is nearly twice as much as the global increase in oil production in the 20-year period from 1994 to 2014. As these new production revolutions develop and expand internationally, they are bound to have a strong price-depressing impact, either by preventing price rises from the levels observed in 2015 (the Brent spot price averaged USD 53/bbl), or by pushing prices back to these levels if an early upward reaction takes place. Our optimistic scenario sees a price of USD 40/bbl by 2035. Without serious climate policy restrictions, the use of cheaper oil will likely grow and extend its life expectancy throughout the global energy system. The Carbon Bubble Fallacy A deep climate policy is one that ensures that CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere do not exceed a doubling from pre-industrial levels throughout the 21st century, believed to be a warming of about 2 degrees Celsius. Such a policy would require global emission cuts of 30% by 2035, and no less than 50% by 2050, compared with 2011 levels. There is little doubt that implementation of climate policy this ambitious implies the end of the recent revolution in oil production. There have also been widespread claims that such a policy would result in massive stranded assets in the fossil fuel industries. Would sizable proved reserves remaining in the ground due to a deep climate policy constitute a serious problem to the fossil industries? We do not think so, or else, the reserves would never have been created on such a prevalent scale. In the case of oil, the reason proved reserves have been created to last more than 50 years into the future, at present production levels, is that investment in reserve creation is relatively small in relation to total production costs, and therefore worth the companies’ while to assure reasonable peace of mind about future production potential.