The Circular Economy and retail: using Deep Learning to predict business survival

Background The Circular Economy system can improve the product cycle and changes the system and mentality, both for production and the consumer and has become a significant alternative to the classic economic model. The retail sector has also started to advance along these lines. Following an analysis of the state of the art of the Circular Economy and retailing, using bibliometric techniques, our research focuses on understanding if the relationship between circularity and retailing can help us determine a business’ survivability and resilience. To this end, data pertaining to 658 commercial premises from four cities were studied over a period of 11 years. A Deep Learning technique is applied using Long Short-Term Memory to determine if there is a relationship between the resistance of the selected commercial premises, their status in previous periods of time, the type of business activity, and their classification in the Circular Economy plane. Results The system predicts, on the set of tests, with a 93.17% accuracy, the survival of a commercial premises based on the activity, and circularity information before 2012. The results of the training also show very significant precision values of the order of 94.15% with data from the post-depression period. Conclusions The results show that businesses with activities related to the Circular Economy are more likely to survive over extended periods of time.

A Panel Study of Factor Accumulation and Export Quality

Cross-sectional data show Global North countries export higher quality products at a point in time. Product-level panel data can address if countries improve their export quality over time. The literature has addressed this practically relevant panel question only in small samples over the short term. We addressed it for a large sample, over the long run, focusing on the hitherto overlooked endogeneity between export quality and factor accumulation and the role of export composition. We utilized a two-tiered panel: the panel of countries and the panel of products each country trades. We found some evidence that middle-income countries often upgrade export quality within the same product, but that high- and low-income countries do this less often. Our results appear to support product cycle theory: some countries climb the value ladder, others are competed off from the ladder’s top, and new countries enter markets. Technology appears to be a potential basis for consolidating trade competitiveness over time, as skill accumulation becomes more widespread across countries and loses significance as an explanatory variable. Our results provide some explanation of why Global North countries might resist sharing technology. This research is timely with deadlocked multilateral trade negotiations and looming trade wars. It attempts to contribute to an evidence-based guide to trade policy.

Numerical and Experimental Advances in Innovative Manufacturing Processes

The severe competition in an international market pushes manufacturing companies to continuously improve current processes in the quest to minimize errors, reduce waste and speed up the entire idea-to-product cycle, while maintaining low costs [...]

Modelling of different circular end-of-use scenarios for smartphones

Purpose Repairing, refurbishing and remanufacturing are three strategies of the Circular Economy (CE), aiming at closing product cycles and maintaining materials and resources in the product cycle as long as possible. This paper analyses the environmental impacts of these three circular end-of-use scenarios (repairing, refurbishing and part remanufacturing) when performed on a common, “non-circular” smartphone. The underlying data used for this paper partly have been result of the Horizon 2020 project sustainablySMART, where circular product concepts have been developed and analysed in detail. Methods To analyse the environmental impacts of different circular end-of-use scenarios of smartphones, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is performed. For considering the impact of a smartphone’s first life (e.g. materials, production), an economic allocation is used. Since the goal of the study was to better understand the environmental impacts of processing routes that enable multiple life cycles of a product, allocation according to the economic value is applied instead of applying system expansion. As system expansion provides just an aggregated view of the first and second product life cycles and no decision support at the end of the first life regarding the relevant CE strategy can be given. The economic allocation is based on the ratio between the residual market value and the original price from the scenario’s input stream of smartphones of the respective end-of-use scenario. To reach comparability of the results, a second-use-time-parameter is defined for each scenario. This parameter takes into account that the second use time reaches only a certain share from the average smart phone use time. Results This study shows that through all three circular strategies, a reduction in the investigated impact categories—Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Abiotic Depletion Potential (ADP)—can be achieved. Conclusions The analysed end-of-use scenarios repairing and refurbishing show the highest potential for smartphones in terms of Circular Economy, as most of the environmental impacts can be allocated to the device production, and the impact of additional steps to perform CE-strategies (e.g. collection of discarded phones, refurbishing) is rather low.

A Modeling Method of Cylindrical Turning Processing Behavior

This paper put forward the theory of processing behavior through research on conceptual system of advanced manufacturing technologies and production modes such as cloud manufacturing and systematic classification of processing technology, and gave the concept of processing behavior primitive element. The processing behavior was classified and the relationship between different levels of processing behavior was clarified. To realize the standardization of NC processing technology for parts of automatic turning programming. Embed turning behavior into the design elements, realize the combination of design and manufacturing, shorten the time and space of coordination and product cycle, reduce product design and manufacturing costs, and achieve green, low consumption, high quality, high efficiency and effective manufacturing of turning parts.

Financial Impact of the Corona Virus Pandemic from January to June the Case of Blantyre Small and Medium Entrepriises

Each and every business concern must maintain adequate amount of finance for their smooth running of the business concern and also maintain the business carefully to achieve the goal of the business concern. The business goal can be achieved only with the help of effective management of finance. We can’t neglect the importance of finance at any time at and at any situation. Financial management is very important in the field of increasing the wealth of the investors and the business concern. Ultimate aim of any business concern will achieve the maximum profit and higher profitability leads to maximize the wealth of the investors as well as the nation. There is higher rate of business stagnation of businesses due to its product cycle being affected due to economic downturn, mostly we expect business to grow from introduction, growth ,maturity then if not well managed may decline, The other stagnation has been created because of challenges of globalizations, the emergency of COVID 19 which started in Wuhan migrated to the whole world through those involved in international business. Qualitative research was done to explore the financial impacts of covid 19 from January to june 2020,the case of Blantyre city persperctive,Blantyre was chosen because it is a commercial city has all people of Malawian ethnic background and more of International business it gave a true reflection of Malawi small and medium enterprises stand. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, media and observations were also used to achieve the objectives. Managers of small and medium enterprises were interviewed to represent the organization to give a broader picture of the organization ,15 SME’s and 10 entrepreneurs were interviewed to have a picture on the other side of an individual. A deductive approach was used ,theories of international business and income inequality were used to assist in the finding out the problem.

Faktor Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Investasi Asing Langsung di Indonesia

This study analyzes and analyzes the factors that influence investors to make investments. Many factors influence investors to make direct investments. Researchers are motivated to study and analyze the factors that influence the decision of multinational companies to make direct investments in Indonesia. Based on previous theory and research, there are some of the biggest determinants of investment, labor, infrastructure, trade openness, exchange rates, trade, interest rates, and economic growth. The theoretical basis used in this study of foreign investment is; (1) classical investment theory, (2) Keynesian investment theory, (3) comparative advantage theory, (4) product cycle theory developed, (4) modern monopolistic advantage theory, (5) leader following theory, (6) investment theory cross, (7) financial factor theory, (8) and eclectic theory. The object of research was carried out in Indonesia. To answer the research problem, the data used from 1997 to 2017 in Indonesia are sourced from the 2018 ASEAN Statistics Yearbook and answer using multiple regression with SPSS 25. Based on the research results, market size affects foreign direct investment in Indonesia while the workforce, infrastructure trade openness, exchange rates, ethnicity, and economic growth do not affect direct investment in Indonesia.

Plastic waste reprocessing for circular economy: A systematic review of risks to occupational and public health from legacy substances and extrusion

Increasing aspirations to develop a circular economy for waste plastics will result in an expansion of the global plastics reprocessing sector over the coming decades. Here we focus on two critical challenges within the value chain that as a result of such increased circularity may exacerbate existing issues for occupational and public health (1): Legacy contamination in secondary plastics, addressing the risk of materials and substances being inherited from the previous use and carried through into new products when the material enters its subsequent use phase; and challenge (2): Extrusion of secondary plastics in reprocessing, an end process of conventional mechanical recycling of plastics, involving heating secondary plastics under pressure until they melt and can be formed into new products. Via a systematic review (PRISMA guidelines, adapted), we considered over 4,000 sources of information, refined and consolidated into 20 relevant sources, which were critically assessed. We also derive prevalent risk scenarios of hazard-pathway-receptor combinations, subsequently being ranked. Our critical analysis highlights that despite stringent regulation, industrial diligence and enforcement, occasionally small amounts of potentially hazardous substances are able to pass through these safeguards and re-enter in the new product cycle. Although many are present at concentrations unlikely to pose a serious and imminent threat, their existence may be an indication of a wider or possibly increasing challenge of pollution dispersion, as the plastics reprocessing sector proliferates. But, in the Global South context, such controls may not be in place. Several studies showed emission control by passive ventilation, through open doors and windows followed by dilution and dispersion in the atmosphere, resulting in increased occupational exposure. It is recommended that further investigations are undertaken to establish the scale and magnitude of such phenomena, especially given the limited evidence base, with results informing improved future risk management protocols of a circular economy for plastics.