Employing dynamic fuzzy membership functions to assess environmental performance in the supplier selection process

The proposed system illustrates that logic fuzzy can be used to aid management in assessing a supplier's environmental performance in the supplier selection process. A user-centred hierarchical system employing scalable fuzzy membership functions implement human priorities in the supplier selection process, with particular focus on a supplier's environmental performance. Traditionally, when evaluating supplier performance, companies have considered criteria such as price, quality, flexibility, etc. These criteria are of varying importance to individual companies pertaining to their own specific objectives. However, with environmental pressures increasing, many companies have begun to give more attention to environmental issues and, in particular, to their suppliers’ environmental performance. The framework presented here was developed to introduce efficiently environmental criteria into the existing supplier selection process and to reflect on its relevant importance to individual companies. The system presented attempts to simulate the human preference given to particular supplier selection criteria with particular focus on environmental issues when considering supplier selection. The system considers environmental data from multiple aspects of a suppliers business, and based on the relevant impact this will have on a Buying Organization, a decision is reached on the suitability of the supplier. This enables a particular supplier's strengths and weaknesses to be considered as well as considering their significance and relevance to the Buying OrganizationPeer reviewe

Project Copernicus: An Earth observing system

Hunsaker Aerospace Corporation is presenting this proposal for Project Copernicus to fulfill the need for space-based remote sensing of Earth. Concentration is on data acquisition. Copernicus is designed to be a flexible system of spacecraft in a low near-polar orbit. The goal is to acquire data so that the scientists may begin to understand many Earth processes and interactions. The mission objective of Copernicus is to provide a space-based, remote-sensing measurement data acquisition and transfer system for 15 years. A description of the design project is presented

Barriers to industrial energy efficiency: a literature review

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The innovative capacity of a territory in behavioral assessments of its population

The paper provides a rationale for substantive and formalized definition of a territory’s capacity, outlines its innovative component in the unity of «subject/process/object-oriented» approach to its substantive content and performance assessment. It elaborates a system of mechanisms and institutions to build the innovative capacity of regions and territories, outlines the most effective areas of its use for spatial socioeconomic development. The paper also defines priority problems that require solutions and can ensure the increasing performance of a territory. These problems and variants of their solutions featured in the discussions held at the Gaidar International Economic Forum in Moscow (2015) and the 12th Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum, as demonstrated in this paper by the analysis of some presentations made at the forums. The paper shows the change in priorities of global innovative development in the second half of the 20th and early 21st century. It examines and provides the summary of research and practices in the area of using the innovative solutions for developing individual teams and territories, making a spatial arrangement of regions and the Russian Federation as a whole. The development of a territory and its capacity depends on many factors; however, elevating the role of knowledge, intellectual resources and involving the population in the governance process by developing and implementing various programs and projects play an increasing role in the current environment. The paper analyzes positive aspects of using the business projects as the primary mechanism for implementing the programs and plans involving the market institutions and public-private partnership (PPP). It assesses the role of teams and population in boosting the innovative activities and systemic development of territories.This paper was prepared with the funds of Subprogram No. 14 "Fundamental Problems of Regional Economy," the Project No. 15-14-7-13 "Scenario Approaches to the Implementation of the Ural Vector in the Reclamation and Development of the Russian Arctic Amid the Global Instability.

New ideas of socialism

This paper discusses attempts to rethink socialism in the light of recent economic, social and political developments such as the rise of neo-liberalism, post-fordism, the demise of state socialism and globalization. It posits four new revisionist models of socialism - individualist socialism, market socialism, citizenship (or radical democratic) socialism and associational socialism. It examines each critically, arguing against the first and second models and in favour of the third and fourth. Associationalism, it is argued, provides a means for achieving the goals of citizenship or radical democratic socialism - a participatory pluralist and communitarian socialism. Associationalism, based on a strong role for associations in civil society and a co-operative polity, is outlined and advocated