Sustainable product development in a circular economy: Implications for products, actors, decision-making support and lifecycle information management

The concept of circular economy (CE) is of great interest for manufacturing companies since it provides a framework which allows them to align organisational objectives with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Corporate CE entails the adoption of several value-retention options (R-strategies) throughout companies’ operations, which aim at creating, preserving and recovering the value of assets and products. The sustainable product development (SPD) process, in which around 80% of the total environmental impact of a product is determined, is employed to translate R-strategies into new product requirements. This study is aimed at investigating the implications of R-strategy adoption for decision-making in SPD. The research follows an empirical approach, combining a literature review and in-depth semi-structured interviews with product developers and sustainability experts working in companies operating in the technical material cycles of the CE. Thus, implications for product dimensions, inter- and intraorganisational actors, decision-making support types and lifecycle information flows so that SPD processes further accommodate CE principles into products are investigated. This study reveals new directions to adjust the contextual factors of SPD to further align existing processes with widely expanding CE organisational cultures

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

Background Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure. Methods We generated a progression score on the basis of principal component analysis of prospectively acquired longitudinal changes in motor, cognitive, and imaging measures in the 218 indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008–11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers (data collected 2003–13). We did a genome-wide association analyses in terms of progression for 216 TRACK-HD participants and 1773 REGISTRY participants, then a meta-analysis of these results was undertaken. Findings Longitudinal motor, cognitive, and imaging scores were correlated with each other in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression in TRACK-HD and REGISTRY gave a genome-wide significant signal (p=1·12 × 10−10) on chromosome 5 spanning three genes: MSH3, DHFR, and MTRNR2L2. The genes in this locus were associated with progression in TRACK-HD (MSH3 p=2·94 × 10−8 DHFR p=8·37 × 10−7 MTRNR2L2 p=2·15 × 10−9) and to a lesser extent in REGISTRY (MSH3 p=9·36 × 10−4 DHFR p=8·45 × 10−4 MTRNR2L2 p=1·20 × 10−3). The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TRACK-HD (rs557874766) was genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis (p=1·58 × 10−8), and encodes an aminoacid change (Pro67Ala) in MSH3. In TRACK-HD, each copy of the minor allele at this SNP was associated with a 0·4 units per year (95% CI 0·16–0·66) reduction in the rate of change of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Total Motor Score, and a reduction of 0·12 units per year (95% CI 0·06–0·18) in the rate of change of UHDRS Total Functional Capacity score. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age of onset. Interpretation The multidomain progression measure in TRACK-HD was associated with a functional variant that was genome-wide significant in our meta-analysis. The association in only 216 participants implies that the progression measure is a sensitive reflection of disease burden, that the effect size at this locus is large, or both. Knockout of Msh3 reduces somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models, suggesting this mechanism as an area for future therapeutic investigation

Sustainability Assessment in Automotive and Electronics Supply Chains—A Set of Indicators Defined in a Multi-Stakeholder Approach

In automotive and electronics supply chains, sustainability assessment is gaining increasing importance. More stringent regulations and growing customer pressure are driving the change towards more environmentally, socially and economically responsible supply chains. Since this implies a rising use of resources for data collection, monitoring, exchange and assessment, the objective of this paper is to facilitate supply chain sustainability assessment. The present paper first provides a tailored set of 69 supply chain sustainability indicators for the European automotive and electronics industries. These were derived on the basis of a systematic literature review, together with 13 semi-structured interviews and five focus group workshops, all of which involved sustainability and industry experts. Second, the paper provides a case example of software-based supply chain sustainability data exchange. The extent to which sustainability information is currently exchanged in the two industries is also analyzed. The set of indicators is scientifically relevant since it considers all three dimensions of sustainability and is intended to allow for supply chain-wide sustainability assessment in two specific industries. It is also of high practical relevance since it was developed with and validated by industry experts, and also since it considers industrial and technical requirements for supply chain sustainability assessment in order to increase the efficiency of the work processes

Sustainability assessment in supply chains and product development : providing a full life cycle perspective with methods, tools and indicators

Aufgrund steigendem Konsumentenbewusstseins und strenger werdenden Vorschriften weiten Unternehmen den Fokus von ökonomischen, ökologischen und sozialen Analysen zunehmend auf ihre Lieferketten aus. Der Zweck dieser kumulativen Dissertation liegt darin, diese lieferkettenübergreifenden Nachhaltigkeitsanalysen zu erleichtern und es Unternehmen zu ermöglichen, die so gewonnenen Lebenszyklusperspektiven in die Produktentwicklung zu integrieren. Eine systematische Literaturrecherche, welche im Rahmen der ersten der vier Publikationen dieser Dissertation durchgeführt wurde, bestätigte, dass gegenwärtig eingesetzte Bewertungsmethoden einen solchen Fokus schuldig bleiben oder nicht alle drei Dimensionen der Nachhaltigkeit berücksichtigen. Aufgrund dessen werden ein konzeptioneller Rahmen für die Bewertung und den Austausch von nachhaltigkeitsbezogenen Daten über die gesamte Lieferkette und entsprechende Methoden zur Datenaggregation entwickelt, die auf quantitative und qualitative Daten anwendbar sind. In weiterer Folge befasst sich diese Dissertation mit der Automobil- und Elektronikindustrie, für welche in der zweiten Publikation der Status Quo des Datenaustauschs entlang der Zulieferkette analysiert und 115 Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte definiert werden. Diese Aspekte werden empirisch priorisiert und es wird gezeigt, dass sich die Prioritäten zwischen Unternehmen und anderen Stakeholdern signifikant unterscheiden. Die dritte Veröffentlichung vervollständigt den Ansatz für die zulieferkettenübergreifende Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung durch die Bereitstellung von insgesamt 69 Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren für die Automobil- und Elektronikindustrie. Schließlich wird eine Methode zur Optimierung der Nachhaltigkeitsleistung innovativer Produkte in frühen Entwicklungsphasen in der Automobilindustrie entwickelt und erprobt. Dies dient als Beispiel für die Integration einer Nachhaltigkeits- und Lebenszyklusperspektive in die Entscheidungsprozesse von Unternehmen.Due to factors such as growing public awareness and increasingly stringent regulations, companies are extending the focus of economic, environmental and social assessments to their supply chains. The purpose of this cumulative dissertation is to facilitate these supply-chain-wide sustainability assessments and to enable companies to integrate the so obtained full life cycle perspective into product development. The systematic literature review that was conducted in the first of the four publications of this dissertation confirmed that currently used assessment methods lack such a supply chain-wide focus and furthermore do not take all three dimensions of sustainability into consideration. Thus, furthermore, a conceptual framework for the assessment and exchange of sustainability-related data throughout entire supply chains, as well as corresponding methods for data aggregation, which are applicable to quantitative and qualitative data are developed. Subsequently, this dissertation focuses on the inter-related electronics and the automotive industries, for which in the second publication the status quo of supply chain sustainability data exchange is analysed and a set of 115 supply-chain sustainability aspects is defined. The aspects are furthermore prioritized empirically, and it is shown that the priorities significantly differ between companies and other stakeholders. The third publication completes the approach for supply-chain wide sustainability assessment by providing a tailored set of 69 indicators for the automotive and electronics industries. Finally, as an example for the integration of a full sustainability and life cycle perspective into organisational decision-making, a method for optimising the sustainability performance of innovative products in early product development phases is developed and tested in the automotive industry.Autor: Schöggl Josef-PeterKumulative Dissertation aus vier ArtikelnZusammenfassungen in Deutsch und EnglischKarl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Dissertation, 2017OeBB(VLID)238412

A checklist for sustainable product development : the example of innovative lightweight technologies in automotive engineering

Frühe Phasen der Produktentwicklung sind nicht nur für die Reduktion von Kosten, sondern auch für die Verbesserung der Nachhaltigkeits-Performance eines Produktes von besonderer Bedeutung. Grund dafür ist die sinkende Einflussmöglichkeit und das sinkende Potential für Einsparungen im Lauf des Entwicklungsprozesses. Dies gilt besonders für innovative Leichtbautechnologien in der Automobilindustrie, welche Gebrauch von neuen Materialien machen und deren Entwicklung neue Produktionsprozesse erfordert. Aufgrund dessen stehen für gewöhnlich nur unzureichende Informationen über Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte dieser Technologien zur Verfügung. Erfahrungswerte fehlen meist gänzlich. Dieser Informationsmangel und der hohe Grad an Ungewissheit erschweren den Einsatz von traditionellen Bewertungsinstrumenten wie der Lebenszyklusanalyse, welche darüber hinaus nur die ökologische Dimension von Nachhaltigkeit abbildet. Mit dem Ziel, eine ganzheitliche Nachhaltigkeitsperspektive in den Produktentwicklungsprozess zu integrieren und das Denken in Lebenszyklen sowie das Bewusstsein für Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte bei Designern und Entwicklern anzuregen und zu unterstützen, wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit die Checkliste für Nachhaltige Produktentwicklung entwickelt. Diese basiert auf dem Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development und versucht, bereits bestehende Eco-Design und Design for Sustainability Instrumente um soziale und wirtschaftliche Aspekte zu erweitern, den Vergleich zwischen verschiedenen Technologien zu ermöglichen und zur selbständigen Problemlösung anzuregen.Early phases of product development are of great importance not only for the reduction of costs but also for the improvement of a products? sustainability performance. This particularly holds true for innovative lightweight concepts, since they require the application of new materials and the development of new practices and process, on which there is only insufficient data and experience concerning their sustainability aspects available. This lack of information and the high rate of uncertainty hinder the application of traditional sustainability assessment tools, such as Life Cycle Assessment, which moreover only focuses on environmental aspects and leaves out economic and social aspects. Since it was the aim of thesis to fully integrate a sustainability perspective into the product development process by facilitating Life Cycle Thinking and sustainability awareness among designers and engineers, also other Eco-Design and Design for Sustainability tools were considered only partially applicable for this purpose, why a new tool, the Checklist for Sustainable Product Development was developed. It is based on the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development methodology, and particularly focuses on early phases of automotive development.submitted by Josef-Peter SchögglAbweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersZsfassung in dt. und engl. SpracheGraz, Univ., Masterarb., 2012(VLID)22188

Sustainability and Supply Chain Management – Aspects, Indicators and Performance Measurement

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Toward supply chain-wide sustainability assessment: a conceptual framework and an aggregation method to assess supply chain performance

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Selected sustainability aspects for supply chain data exchange: Towards a supply chain-wide sustainability assessment

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