Simulating the leverage points for the upscaling of innovative organic agri-food systems

The presentation involves preliminary results retrieved through agent-based modelling of a case study of organic and sustainable food system in Flanders, Belgium. It provides first insights to how and when mechanisms play a role in horizontal upscaling of innovative and organic agri-food systems resulting in transformation

On the quest for defining organisational plasticity: a community modelling experiment

Purpose: This viewpoint article is concerned with an attempt to advance organisational plasticity (OP) modelling concepts by using a novel community modelling framework (PhiloLab) from the social simulation community to drive the process of idea generation. In addition, the authors want to feed back their experience with PhiloLab as they believe that this way of idea generation could also be of interest to the wider evidence-based human resource management (EBHRM) community. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used some workshop sessions to brainstorm new conceptual ideas in a structured and efficient way with a multidisciplinary group of 14 (mainly academic) participants using PhiloLab. This is a tool from the social simulation community, which stimulates and formally supports discussions about philosophical questions of future societal models by means of developing conceptual agent-based simulation models. This was followed by an analysis of the qualitative data gathered during the PhiloLab sessions, feeding into the definition of a set of primary axioms of a plastic organisation. Findings: The PhiloLab experiment helped with defining a set of primary axioms of a plastic organisation, which are presented in this viewpoint article. The results indicated that the problem was rather complex, but it also showed good potential for an agent-based simulation model to tackle some of the key issues related to OP. The experiment also showed that PhiloLab was very useful in terms of knowledge and idea gathering. Originality/value: Through information gathering and open debates on how to create an agent-based simulation model of a plastic organisation, the authors could identify some of the characteristics of OP and start structuring some of the parameters for a computational simulation. With the outcome of the PhiloLab experiment, the authors are paving the way towards future exploratory computational simulation studies of OP

Waste treatment company decision-making in a complex system of markets influenced by the circular economy

As waste treatment companies are pivotal for a shift towards the circular economy, more insight into their decision-making process is needed. This paper explores how waste treatment companies make decisions facing the circular economy by using a qualitative research approach (semi-structured interviews, workshop, focus group) with 10 companies and experts across the EU in a framework of four interrelated markets. We found that the circular economy will exacerbate competition across markets, which creates difficulties for both public and private waste treatment companies to make the shift towards the circular economy in a changing technology landscape. Furthermore, there are institutional contradictions that arise due to lagging support mechanisms, leaving waste treatment companies with significant uncertainties concerning their transfer to a circular economy. Therefore, waste treatment companies will require a regulatory framework that meets their needs across various markets

Towards a Circular Bioeconomy. VOLATILE FATTY ACID PLATFORM FOR BIOWASTE RECYCLING

Resources in general are not infinitely available, and also renewable resources if consumed outside their normal replacement cycles become scarce. Therefore, the establishment of a circular bioeconomy must respect natural systems and replacement cycles of organic carbon thereby reducing environmental pressure of human consumption. Upcycling of side and biowaste streams towards added value compounds represents hereby a critical aspect reducing land system change and fertilizer use for biomass supply for the bioeconomy. The development of a Volatile Fatty Acids Platform (VFAP) represents an important cornerstone for the upcycling of heterogenous municipal biowaste streams.This e-book was prepared in the context of the EU funded project VOLATILE in accordance with the grant agreement No 720777 (European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme)