1,720,961 research outputs found
Towards Sustainable Industrial Areas: building a Mediterranean model
No full textAn EU research project (Mediterranean Eco-Industrial Development-MEID) which involves different actors from six Mediterranean regions is currently in progress. Its objective is to provide a decision support tool (model) to plan, build and govern more competitive Sustainable Industrial Areas (SIA) in this region. Indeed, well planned and equipped Industrial Areas (IAs) stimulate the relocation of industries and help to relieve congestion and pollution in metropolitan areas. In order to correspond to a coherent solution a SWOT analysis of several target IAs is performed. Following its results, it is possible to define the most relevant aspects aiming at sustainability of IAs in the Mediterranean area. In this paper the general context and the first results of the MEID project are presented
The Mediterranean Eco-Industrial Development Model
No full textIndustrial areas are a fundamental element of territorial development, since they can promote growth, jobs and entrepreneurship. Nevertheless the excessive exploitation of raw materials, the use of non-renewable energy resources, the emission of pollutants and waste production have up to now represented a weakness in the present production model. In this context Mediterranean Eco-Industrial Development (MEID) project, funded by the European program MED, aims to define a joint model to plan, build and manage sustainable Industrial Areas in the Mediterranean region, improving sustainable development and SMEs competitiveness. The model intends to enhance capacities and develop decision tools for Competent Authorities and Industrial Area Managers to integrate environmental friendly solutions into the Regional and Interregional Industrial Development Strategies. An incremental approach has been adopted to ensure the model applicability to new industrial areas, as well as already operating non structured and structured areas. Fundamental parts of the management model are high level infrastructures and innovative services to support SMEs to create networks, exploit the eco-innovation opportunities and face the challenges of the Green economy
Mediterranean Sustainable Industrial Areas: which development potentials?
No full textAn EU research project (Mediterranean Eco-Industrial Development, (MEID)) which involves different actors from six Mediterranean regions, is currently in progress. Its general objective is to provide innovative management figures and a decision support tool (model) to plan, build and manage more competitive Sustainable Industrial Areas (SIA) in the Mediterranean region. In order to correspond to a coherent solution a Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of several target IAs has been performed. Following its results, there have been defined the most relevant aspects aiming at sustainability of IAs in the area. This paper presents the general context of the MEID project and the results of the SWOT analysi
Building Sustainable Industrial Areas: Experience and Perspectives from the Mediterranean and Western Balkan Countries
No full textAn EU research project (Mediterranean Eco-Industrial Development, (MEID)) which
involves different actors from Mediterranean and Western Balkans region, is currently in
progress. Its general objective is to provide innovative management figures and a decision
support tool (model) to plan, build and manage more competitive Sustainable Industrial
Areas (SIA) in the involved region.
In order to correspond to a coherent solution, an accurate research has been performed.
The methodology implemented to detect the main issues under survey has been a SWOT
analysis of several target IAs.
Following its results, there have been defined the most relevant aspects aiming at
sustainability of IAs in the area. The model introduces or encourages the continuous
improvement of environmental performances of the Mediterranean industrial areas in the
following fields: integrating production and dismissal of solid wastes, energy saving and
use of renewable energies, reducing water consumption, better viability and avoid the
deposit of dangerous material. Thanks to this “green approach”, SMEs will be the final
beneficiaries, fostered to eco-innovation, competitiveness and transnational cooperation.
This paper presents the general context and results of the MEID project
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS): An evaluation of success factors in the agricultural sector. The case of Italy's Emilia Romagna region.
No full textDifferent tools have been used to set up and adopt the model for the fulfillment of the objective of this research.
1. The Model
The base model that has been used is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) adapted with the aim to perform a Benefit Cost Analysis.
The AHP developed by Thomas Saaty is a multicriteria decision - making technique which decomposes a complex problem into a hierarchy. It is used to derive ratio scales from both discreet and continuous paired comparisons in multilevel hierarchic structures. These comparisons may be taken from actual measurements or from a fundamental scale that reflects the relative strength of preferences and feelings.
2. Tools and methods
2.1. The Expert Choice Software
The software Expert Choice is a tool that allows each operator to easily implement the AHP model in every stage of the problem.
2.2. Personal Interviews to the farms
For this research, the farms of the region Emilia Romagna certified EMAS have been detected. Information has been given by EMAS center in Wien.
Personal interviews have been carried out to each farm in order to have a complete and realistic judgment of each criteria of the hierarchy.
2.3. Questionnaire
A supporting questionnaire has also been delivered and used for the interviews .
3. Elaboration of the data
After data collection, the data elaboration has taken place. The software support Expert Choice has been used .
4. Results of the Analysis
The result of the figures above (vedere altro documento) gives a series of numbers which are fractions of the unit. This has to be interpreted as the relative contribution of each element to the fulfillment of the relative objective. So calculating the Benefits/costs ratio for each alternative the following will be obtained:
Alternative One: Implement EMAS
Benefits ratio: 0, 877
Costs ratio: 0, 815
Benfit/Cost ratio: 0,877/0,815=1,08
Alternative Two: Not Implement EMAS
Benefits ratio: 0,123
Costs ration: 0,185
Benefit/Cost ratio: 0,123/0,185=0,66
As stated above, the alternative with the highest ratio will be the best solution for the organization.
This means that the research carried out and the model implemented suggests that EMAS adoption in the agricultural sector is the best alternative. It has to be noted that the ratio is 1,08 which is a relatively low positive value. This shows the fragility of this conclusion and suggests a careful exam of the benefits and costs for each farm before adopting the scheme. On the other part, the result needs to be taken in consideration by the policy makers in order to enhance their intervention regarding the scheme adoption on the agricultural sector.
According to the AHP elaboration of judgments we have the following main considerations on Benefits:
- Legal compliance seems to be the most important benefit for the agricultural sector since its rank is 0,471
- The next two most important benefits are Improved internal organization (ranking 0,230) followed by Competitive advantage (ranking 0, 221) mostly due to the sub-element Improved image (ranking 0,743)
Finally, even though Incentives are not ranked among the most important elements, the financial ones seem to have been decisive on the decision making process.
According to the AHP elaboration of judgments we have the following main considerations on Costs:
- External costs seem to be largely more important than the internal ones (ranking 0, 857 over 0,143) suggesting that Emas costs over consultancy and verification remain the biggest obstacle.
- The implementation of the EMS is the most challenging element regarding the internal costs (ranking 0,750)
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