Early Validation of High-Tech Start-ups by Using Big Data

Source at https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/news-and-events/all-events/ispim-innovation-conference-2023.Majority of the start-ups fail in the early stage of the development due to lack of validation. This paper focuses on high-tech start-ups and investigates the use of data and/or big data at this stage. The study found that early-stage start-ups fail because they create products or services not needed in the market. Early validation through an agile approach can help these young companies to manoeuver through a turbulent external environment. The results show that big data or data can act as a support at this stage. However, there are various barriers that need to be addressed for successful data adoption. The paper proposes an early validation user guide (EVU) to overcome these barriers and make data adoption easier. The EVU can provide start-ups the tools to use big data or data as a support for early validation based on the market context of the start-ups

Environmental and economic assessments of electric vehicle battery end-of-life business models

Paper I is excluded from the dissertation until it is published.The number of electric vehicles is rapidly and continuously increasing due to the transport sector’s electrification to reduce emissions such as greenhouse gases. Each electric vehicle is powered by a battery that can contain remaining capacity after first use and several potentially valuable materials. The demand for energy storage systems accelerates the need for these batteries. Considering the upcoming volumes of used electric vehicle batteries, a circular economy for batteries is crucial to enhance environmental and economic sustainability. Circular economy business models aim to strategically reduce the use of resources by closing, narrowing, and slowing material loops, enabling economically and environmentally sustainable business. However, the potential environmental benefits of such circular economy efforts are not explicit. The aim of this work is to provide recommendations for global economic and environmental sustainability of used electric vehicles batteries by considering a circular economy. This objective requires an interdisciplinary approach, building on existing research fields and methods within business and engineering sciences. This interdisciplinary approach prevents problem shifting between environmental and economic sustainability performance of the circular business models identified and assessed. In order to address the main thesis aim, four research questions were developed, and four corresponding publications were produced as a result. Paper I explores market opportunities and limitations for used electric vehicle batteries in Norway, a country with a high market share of electric cars in new car sales. The work qualitatively models the used electric vehicle batteries business ecosystem based on interviews with the industrial ecosystem actors. The globally relevant findings from paper I identify realistic end-of-life alternatives for paper II. Paper II identifies and discusses the globally recommended circular business model to enhance a circular economy for batteries from electric vehicles. The Delphi panel viii method enables a battery expert panel to elaborate on a suitable circular business model for the upcoming volumes of used electric vehicle batteries. Paper III assesses the identified circular business model from paper II to discuss how such a business model can be economically viable and realistic. The techno-economic assessment considers multiple scenarios to detect economic factors for circular business model success. Paper IV assesses the identified circular business models from paper II to discuss how such a business model can benefit the climate and natural environment. Life cycle assessment methodology can calculate the environmental impacts of decisions between business models. Life cycle assessment can detect problems shifting between ecological impact categories, such as greenhouse gas emissions and contamination of the natural environment. The research reveals that repurposing electric vehicle batteries in appropriate second-life applications can reduce their environmental impact and extend their useful lifespan. Eventually, the materials must be recycled to the extent possible. This circular business model’s key environmental benefit is the potential reduction in the demand for new batteries, which could help displace primary production and avoid emissions and other environmental impacts from these industrial processes. However, there is a risk this circular business model may be economically unviable. Several factors must be considered and combined to improve profitability and realistic commercial operations, including the state of health, ageing, lifetime of the battery after its first life, price of used batteries, ownership model, location, second-life application, potential grid connection, and electricity profile of the battery system.publishedVersio

Circular business models for lithium-ion batteries - Stakeholders, barriers, and drivers

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Multiple scenario analysis of battery energy storage system investment : measuring economic and circular viability

Circular business models for batteries have been revealed in earlier research to achieve economic viability while reducing total resource consumption of raw materials. The objective of this study is to measure the economic performance of the preferred business model by creating different scenarios comparing second life (spent) and new battery investment for seven different European regions and four energy management strategies. Findings reveal levels of economic ability for a total of 34 scenarios simulated, including direct savings per kWh, a total change in energy costs per year, battery charge/discharge cycles, and comparative breakeven analyses. Regional effects are also measured based on day-ahead electricity prices and solar irradiation. The minimum payback time is 7 years before battery system investment costs are covered. The most viable energy management strategies also had the highest number of charge/discharge cycles, which decreases battery lifetime. Investment in a second life battery compared to a new battery reduced the payback time by 0.5 to 2 years due to lower investment costs. However, the estimated lifetime range (3 to 10 years) is lower compared to a new battery (5 to 15 years), which questions the circular business model viability for the scenarios studied. Energy management strategies should be combined and customized to increase economic benefits.publishedVersio

Informe de modelos de reutilización de baterías

Lliurable de l'activitat 4.3.1 del projecte REFER resultat de l'estudi de l'estat de la reutilització de les bateries de liti deEste trabajo presenta un barrido de distintos sistemas de almacenamiento de energía (SAE), focalizando la atención en sistemas modulares, que pueden llegar a tener di-mensiones relativamente pequeñas, al estar pensadas para aplicaciones en edificios. En particular, se hace un análisis de los diferentes tipos de baterías existentes y sus características técnicas, a partir de las cuales se podrá determinar su aplicción. Posteriormente, presenta de forma breve las líneas de investigación y los proyectos más relevantes que utilizan baterías, mencionando específicamente, aquellos que re-utilizan baterías de vehículo eléctrico, dándoles una segunda vida en aplicaciones es-tacionarias de almacenamiento. Seguidamente, el estudio analiza las distintas estrategias a seguir para la reutilización de las baterías y presenta los resultados de este estudio, publicado en una revista científica en el marco del proyecto REFER. En este artículo se fomenta la reutilización como estrategia a seguir, pensando en la economía circular y dónde tendría más sen-tido colocar una empresa de recuperación de baterías. Finalmente, analizaremos qué ámbitos son los más interesantes económicamente pa-ra la reutilización de baterías y presentaremos los criterios a seguir para el caso espe-cífico del proyecto REFER en la biblioteca de MontgatPreprin

Post-Consumer Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries

The end-of-life management of EV batteries is a significant issue. With the use of high-performance batteries on the rise, they have the potential to become the next global waste management challenge. This Major Research Paper comparatively analyzes the policy structures for managing the end-of-lives for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in Canada, the European Union and the United States. Sociotechnical transition theory is used to understand the effects of large-scale technological transitions as they relate to electric vehicles. Emphasis is placed on the downstream consequences of technological transitions, and the lack of discussion in the transitions literature of downstream effects. This paper utilizes a methodological framework that draws inspiration from the work of Dr. Mark Winfield and Hugh Benevides in the Walkerton Water Inquiry. It is used to comparatively analyze the policy structures in Europe and North America for end-of-life EV batteries. I conclude that based on existing policy structures, the European Union has developed a basic framework on this issue through the implementation of the 2006 Battery Directive. The United States and Canada, with the exception of Quebec, are falling behind on the issue. Design for disassembly is explored as a potential method for alleviating the concerns with downstream effects. It also allows for the growth in markets for secondlife applications of end-of-life EV batteries. Second-life applications, where possible, are preferred to direct recycling because of the potential development of undesirable waste streams. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is explored and chosen as the preferred model for countries to hold producers responsible for the waste they generate. This model, in conjunction with an emphasis on second-life applications, can incentivize producers to design their batteries for easier disassembly, reuse and recycling

Environmental and economic costs, benefits and uncertainties of vehicle electrification: a life cycle approach

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have been proposed as a pathway for reducing the environmental impacts of transportation systems. While BEVs are often referred to as zero-emission vehicles, production and operation consume resources and emit pollutants through the vehicle supply chain and generation of electricity for vehicle charging. Life cycle assessment is a standardized methodology for assessing the environmental impacts of product systems from a system-wide perspective; considering the total supply chain and the product life cycle from cradle-to-grave. However, conventional LCAs are often limited; based off static supply chain analysis, omitting system interactions or indirect effects, and insufficiently reflecting the underlying variability and uncertainty to support robust public policy decisions.The objective of this dissertation is to develop and refine methods of assessing the life cycle environmental impacts and economic costs of electric vehicle technologies and policies. The chapters of this dissertation make contributions in advancing spatial and temporal dynamics in LCA modelling, integrating vehicle operations with evolutions in technology, background systems, and product development, and offers novel estimates of the costs and emissions abatement potential of light and heavy duty electric vehicles. As shown herein, a systems perspective is required to estimate the environmental benefits and costs of vehicle electrification strategies. Efforts to achieve pollution abatement through technology change must address risks of leakage, substitution, and unintended environmental consequences

Sustainable business model perspectives for the electric vehicle industry : the case of battery second use

The purpose of this doctoral research dissertation is to examine sustainable business model (SBM) perspectives for the rapidly developing Battery Second Use (B2U) market within the emerging electric vehicle (EV) industry. Previous research has shown that a global mass market adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is still hindered by the high costs of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Repurposing degraded EV batteries in second use applications holds the potential to reduce first-cost impediments of EVs. The research on new business models is limited. The ones that emerge rapidly within the EV and battery second use (B2U) industries focus mainly on economic aspects without integrating social and environmental dimensions. Simultaneously, the emerging research topic around sustainable business models (SBMs) seem to be able to bridge the environmental management concerns in conjunction with economic and social changes.This thesis further develops and extends extant literature by addressing this paucity through offering an interdisciplinary approach by drawing upon key perspectives from the emerging sustainable technology of EVs and its underlying B2U market in relation to SBMs. The research entails both, qualitative and quantitative assessments, to examine the correlation between SBMs and B2U. Major results indicate that B2U has led to innovative cross-sectoral multi stakeholder business relationships, particularly relevant for the previously isolated automotive and energy markets that are now investigating the full potential of second life batteries and hence new business opportunities for the first time in history. B2U holds the potential to facilitate current unsustainable practices in the EV industry. This in turn, will lead towards a faster EV market uptake and improvements of overall sustainability performance through SBM perspectives. Therefore, it was discovered that prospective innovative business models for B2U, which take a multi-stakeholder network centric business model design rather than firm-centric one, may prove to be a viable business case for sustainability. It was further unearthed that B2U leads to shared sustainable value creation mechanism for the EV industry (and newly emerging stakeholders) as part of innovative SBMs. Therefore, this doctoral dissertation proposes a new B2U innovative business model framework that records and explains the stakeholder relationships as an innovative and forming phenomenon, as well as opens new roads for future discussion among researchers and practitioners. This doctoral dissertation has addressed a paucity and inter-disciplinary literature gap and met an industrial and academic need accordingly. Overall, a new research stream emerges on SBMs for EV B2U and it is hoped that more contributions will follow to increase the impact and value of sustainable waste & resource management and the circular economy.El propósito de esta tesis doctoral de investigación, es examinar las diferentes perspectivas de los "Sustainable Business Models" (SBMs) para el mercado de "Battery Second Use" (B2U) ya que este se está desarrollando rápidamente dentro de la industria emergente del vehículo eléctrico (EV). Investigaciones anteriores han demostrado que la aceptación de vehículos eléctricos (EV) en el mercado mundial todavía se ve obstaculizada por los altos costes de las baterías de iones de litio (LIBs). La reutilización de baterías usadas de vehículos eléctricos (EV) en aplicaciones de "segundo uso" (B2U) tiene el potencial de reducir el alto coste de EV en la actualidad. La investigación de nuevos modelos de negocio es limitada. Los modelos que emergen rápidamente dentro de la industria tanto de EV como B2U se enfocan principalmente en aspectos económicos, sin tener en cuenta la importancia de la sociedad y del medio ambiente. Simultáneamente, la investigación en el nuevo campo de los SBMs parece ser capaz de encontrar la solución a las preocupaciones de la gestión medio ambiental a la vez que los cambios económicos y sociales. Esta tesis desarrolla y extiende aún más la literatura interdisciplinaria existente al abordar esta escasez y al ofrecer un enfoque interdisciplinario aprovechando las perspectivas claves de la tecnología sostenible emergente EV y su mercado B2U subyacente en relación con SBM. La investigación implica evaluaciones cualitativas y cuantitativas, para examinar la correlación entre SBMs y B2U. Los principales resultados indican que B2U ha conducido a nuevas relaciones comerciales en múltiples sectores y entre diferentes partes interesadas ("stakeholders"), particularmente relevante para los mercados automotrices y de energía que ahora están investigando todo el potencial de las baterías de segunda vida y, por lo tanto, nuevas oportunidades comerciales por primera vez en la historia. B2U tiene el potencial de facilitar las prácticas actuales no sostenibles en la industria de vehículos eléctricos. Esto, a su vez, conducirá a una adopción más rápida del mercado de vehículos eléctricos y a mejoras del rendimiento general de sostenibilidad a través de las perspectivas de SBMs. Por lo tanto, se ha descubierto que los posibles modelos de negocio innovadores para B2U que se basen en un modelo de negocio centrado en la red de múltiples partes interesadas en lugar del modelo centrado en una empresa podría ser un caso de negocio viable para asegura la sostenibilidad. Además, se ha descubierto que B2U conduce a un mecanismo de creación de valor sostenible compartido en la industria de vehículos eléctricos (y las nuevas partes interesadas emergentes) como parte de SBM innovadores. Por lo tanto, esta tesis doctoral propone un nuevo modelo de negocio innovador de B2U que registra y explica las relaciones con las partes interesadas como un fenómeno innovador y formador, así como abrir nuevos caminos para una futura discusión entre investigadores y profesionales. Esta tesis doctoral ha abordado una brecha de escasez y literatura interdisciplinaria y ha respondido a una necesidad industrial y académica en consecuencia. En general, surge un nuevo flujo de investigación sobre SBM para EV B2U y se espera que se sigan aportando más contribuciones para aumentar el impacto y el valor de la gestión sostenible de residuos y la economía circular.Postprint (published version

Secondary use of Electric Vehicle Batteries and Potential Impacts on Business Models

The universal market adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is still impeded by the high cost of batteries. Repurposing EV batteries in secondary applications could recoup a portion of that initial cost and reduce upfront EV costs. Further, when integrated in energy storage systems for renewables, second-life batteries could clean the electricity mix for EV charging and alleviate environmental concerns over battery disposal. This paper presents business models of different EV stakeholders that facilitate battery reuse. Based on interviews with various stakeholders, as well as industry reports and academic literature, we analyze the deciding factors for battery “post-vehicle” applications and their potential impacts on EV business models. The findings emphasize the importance of battery ownership, inter-industry partnerships, and policy support. In this early stage, government support constitutes the most important trigger for battery reuse. The results also suggest the potential of battery reuse as a catalyst for EV business model reconfiguration