Transitioning to Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Open Access Edited Book

Transitioning to Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Expected Date of Publication: Apr 2023
This book is part of the book series: Transitioning to Sustainability
Open for submissions
This book will be available for purchase once published.

Summary

We would like to invite you to contribute to an edited volume devoted to "Transitioning to Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure". We believe that this should be a systemic issue, taking into account the contexts of social ecology and the environment (Cynical, 2014; Eiglad, 2015). New urban and industrial infrastructure and innovation in this area should take into account new urban plans for the creation of human-friendly spaces and smart cities (Azkuna, 2012) and the impact of the development of tourism on the changes of this space and great sporting and cultural events (Sieber and Cynarski 2010; Edizel and Ward 2016). Facilities for people with disabilities are included in the infrastructure that is being built. Innovations are being made regarding the materials used and savings including waste management, energy savings (preference for green energy) and other resources used in economies and industries (Wolniak et al., 2020; Piątkowski, Gajdzik and Mesjasz, 2020).

 

 

In the past, sustainability was the doctrine of economics, which assumes a quality of life at the level allowed by the current development of civilization. The idea of sustainable development is summarized in the first sentence of the WCED—Our Common Future report: "At the current level of civilization, sustainable development is possible, that is, a development in which the needs of the present generation can be met without diminishing the chances of future generations meeting them" (Brundtland, 1987). A sustainable economy (including industry) should balance economic growth, environmental protection, quality of life and human health. It is not only about the natural environment, but also the artificial—i.e., man-made (as in Chicago School's work on human ecology). The doctrine of sustainable development strives for social justice by using environmental projects for higher efficiency. It is important to work and life now but needs to factor in future generations and their heritage, both cultural and natural (cf. Kozlowski 2000, 2007; Caradonna 2014; Alhaddi 2015). The priority is to set ecological standards for preserving the homeostasis of the ecosystem.

Modern business is becoming more and more digital and intelligent. Enterprises implement new technologies of the fourth industrial revolution in the sustainable environment. Sustainable Industry 4.0 is a new concept for discussion by scientists and business (Gajdzik, B. et al., 2020). This concept has been gaining more and more interest among scientists and practitioners in recent years because there is more and more information about Industry 4.0 (Kagermann et al., 2011). Factories are becoming smarter, more efficient, safer and more environmentally friendly by linking and integrating production technologies and devices, information and communication systems, data and services in network infrastructures (Saniuk et al., 2020). New business models with cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are being built (Lee, et al., 2015; Gajdzik, Chapter 3 in: Scalability and Sustainability, 2020) but sustainability must not be forgotten in these models.

Transitioning to Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure is part of MDPI's new Open Access book series Transitioning to Sustainability. With this series, MDPI pursues environmentally and socially relevant research which contributes to efforts toward a sustainable world. Transitioning to Sustainability aims to add to the conversation about regional and global sustainable development according to the 17 SDGs. The book series is intended to reach beyond disciplinary, even academic boundaries. 

Keywords

infrastructure; innovation for sustainability; sustainable Industry

Contents

  • Innovation in Urban Infrastructure for Development of Physical Culture: An Example of a Little Town in Poland

    Improving the sports infrastructure (and more broadly - in the field of physical culture) in the urban space contributes to the improvement of the living conditions of the inhabitants. How does it work in a small town? This is a case study of the city of Strzyżów (Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Poland). The indicated town has created an interesting sports, recreational and tourist base. The plan for the sustainable development of the city and the commune took into account the needs in this respect. This applies to encouraging civic and recreational activity in free time. Sports and tourism for all are developed, as well as rehabilitation of disabled people. Recreational physical activity in the open space (cycling, horseback riding, other open space sports) simultaneously serves social health, the growth of physical culture and the sustainable development of the city and the commune.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in the Context of Striving to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

    This paper is a study on corporate social responsibility as part of a sustainable approach to modern management. In the first part, the literature analysis was carried out. We included the issues related to different ways of achieving sustainable development goals by enterprises. The next part of the paper contains the literature analysis about different kinds of non-financial activities, which can lead business entities to improve in the field of corporate social responsibility reporting quality. The issues connected to effectiveness in environmental and social efforts taken by enterprises were raised. The most common ways and areas of non-financial data reporting by enterprises were introduced and statistical data of corporate social responsibility reporting in different European were presented. The paper is much focused on the corporate social responsibility principles and Corporate Social Responsibility reporting impact on sustainable development goals achieving. In this part of the publication, both aspects of corporate social Responsibility reporting principles and the idea of corporate social responsibility reporting's influence on sustainable development goals achieving were presented. Finally, in the paper, the conclusion and findings were introduced.

  • Steel Industry Innovation Towards the Development of Steel Mills 4.0. the Development Path of the Steel Industry in Poland

    The article presents the development path of the steel industry in Poland. Metallurgy after each industrial revolution has become an increasingly strong strategic branch of industry. The national economy of any country cannot develop without securing supplies of steel and other metal products. Construction, transport, infrastructure development and various services and separate industries would suffer. Therefore, because of the above, this article aims to analysis of changes in metallurgy in the three decades 1990-2020, with a particular emphasis on changes that are part of the wide range of innovations of modern enterprises in the global economy. The technological investments implemented, especially in recent years, and the scope of activities in the field of R&D are a chance to build steelworks 4.0 in Poland. However, it should be emphasised that the Polish steel industry is made up of foreign capital groups (the largest steel plants are owned by foreign capital). Steel producers in Poland are in the structures of international capital groups with a high position in the global steel market. The development of the Polish steel sector is presented on the basis of statistical data. The chapter is a retrospective analysis in the period from 1990-2000. The stages of the evolution of the Polish steel industry were described in the context of Industry 4.0. The structure of the work was arranged chronologically according to the time periods: the first period from 1990 to 2000, the second period from 2000 to 2010 and the third period from 2010 to 2020. In each of the analysed periods changes that formed the innovative steel industry were indicated.

Open for Submissions

Submission Deadline: 01 May 2022

To check suitability, we ask authors to submit a short abstract in advance. The Abstract Submission Deadline is December 2021. The Submission Deadline for Manuscripts is 15 February 2022. You may send your abstract/manuscript now or until the deadlines.

To submit your abstract, register and sign up in the MDPI Books submission system: http://mdpibooks.jams.pub/user/register.

Submission Checklist

    1. read the terms & conditions;
    2. use the Microsoft Word Template and the Manuscript Preparation Guideline to prepare your manuscript (MDPI Chicage Style);
    3. make sure that issues about publication ethics, copyright, authorship, figure formats, data and references format have been appropriately considered;
    4. ensure that all authors have approved the content of the submitted manuscript.

Submitted papers should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. 

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