Search Results (96)

The integration of virtual and augmented reality is transforming processes in the field of product design. This study evaluates the usability of immersive digital tools applied to industrial design through a combined market research and empirical case study, using the software ‘Gravity Sketch’ and the immersive headset ‘Meta Quest 3’. An embedded single case study was conducted based on the international standard ISO 9241-11, considering the dimensions of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, analysed through nine indicators: tasks completed, time to complete tasks, dimensional accuracy, interoperability, interactivity, fatigue, human error, learning curve, and perceived creativity. The results show a progressive improvement in user–system interaction across the seven Design Units, as users become more familiar with immersive technologies. Effectiveness improves as users gain experience, though it remains sensitive to design complexity. Efficiency shows favourable values even in early stages, reflecting operational fluency despite learning demands. Satisfaction records the greatest improvement, driven by smoother interaction and greater creative freedom. These findings highlight the potential of immersive tools to support design processes while also underlining the need for future research on sustained usability, interface ergonomics, and collaborative workflows in extended reality environments. Full article

This paper addresses the challenge of fostering cooperation among virtual power plant (VPP) operators in competitive electricity markets, focusing on the application of evolutionary game theory (EGT) and static reward–punishment mechanisms. This investigation resolves four critical questions: the minimum reward–punishment thresholds triggering stable cooperation, the influence of initial market composition on equilibrium selection, the sufficiency of static versus dynamic mechanisms, and the quantitative mapping between regulatory parameters and market outcomes. The study establishes the mathematical conditions under which static reward–punishment mechanisms transform competitive VPP markets into stable cooperative systems, quantifying efficiency improvements of 15–23% and renewable integration gains of 18–31%. Through rigorous evolutionary game-theoretic analysis, we identify critical parameter thresholds that guarantee cooperation emergence, resolving longstanding market coordination failures documented across multiple jurisdictions. Numerical simulations and sensitivity analysis demonstrate that static reward–punishment systems enhance cooperation, optimize resources, and increase renewable energy utilization. Key findings include: (1) Reward–punishment mechanisms effectively promote cooperation and system performance; (2) A critical region exists where cooperation dominates, enhancing market outcomes; and (3) Parameter adjustments significantly impact VPP performance and market behavior. The theoretical contributions of this research address documented market failures observed across operational VPP implementations. Our findings provide quantitative foundations for regulatory frameworks currently under development in seven national energy markets, including the European Union’s proposed Digital Single Market for Energy and Japan’s emerging VPP aggregation standards. The model’s predictions align with successful cooperation rates achieved by established VPP operators, suggesting practical applicability for scaled implementations. Overall, through evolutionary game-theoretic analysis of 156 VPP implementations, we establish precise conditions under which static mechanisms achieve 85%+ cooperation rates. Based on this, future work could explore dynamic adjustments, uncertainty modeling, and technologies like blockchain to further improve VPP resilience. Full article

The latest research highlights the need for circularity in modern industrial supply chains, which is reflected in the decisions of European and global policymakers, as well as in the strategies of major stakeholders. Digital Twins are considered a principal catalyst in the transition to circularity, while real-world, accurate and timely data is a key factor in these supply chains. This emphasis on data highlights the central role of data analytics in extracting key insights and utilizing machine learning to propose sustainability initiatives in decentralized production ecosystems. In consequence, commercial solutions are being developed; however, a single solution might not address all requirements. In this work we present a comprehensive modular, scalable and secure analytics architecture, designed to expand the available components in commercial solutions by providing an intelligent layer to Digital Twins. Our approach integrates with the latest standards for international data spaces, interoperability and process models in distributed environments where multiple actors engage in co-opetition. The proposed architecture is implemented in a market-ready solution and demonstrated in two case studies, in Spain and in Greece. Validation results confirm that the analytics service delivers accurate, timely and actionable insights, while following open communication standards and sustainability guidelines. Our research indicates that companies implementing digital twin solutions using standardized connectors for interoperability can benefit by customizing the proposed solution and avoiding complex developments from scratch. Full article

The proliferation of digital platforms and interactive technologies has transformed the way service providers engage with their customers, particularly in emerging economies, where digital inclusion is an ongoing process. This study explores the relationship between omnichannel strategies and customer satisfaction, conceptualized here as a proxy for Quality of Experience (QoE), within a smart service station located in a digitally underserved region. Grounded in customer journey theory and the expectancy–disconfirmation paradigm, the study investigates how data integration, digital payment systems, and logistical flexibility—key components of intelligent e-service systems—influence user perceptions and satisfaction. Based on a correlational design with a non-probabilistic sample of 108 customers, the findings reveal a moderate association between overall omnichannel integration and satisfaction (ρ = 0.555, p < 0.01). However, a multiple regression analysis indicates that no individual dimension significantly predicts satisfaction (adjusted R² = 0.002). These results suggest that while users value system integration and interaction flexibility, no single technical feature drives satisfaction independently. The study contributes to the growing field of intelligent human-centric service systems by contextualizing QoE and digital inclusion within emerging markets and by emphasizing the importance of perceptual factors in ICT-enabled environments. Full article

In the digital age, consumer complaints have become significant indicators of operational vulnerabilities, with social media amplifying their impact. Mishandling such complaints has the potential to escalate minor issues into full-scale organizational crises, damaging brand reputation and eroding consumer trust. This study employs a case study approach to examine the Patiswiss Chocolate crisis, where a single consumer complaint led to widespread backlash, executive resignation, and boycotts. The crisis is analyzed through three key frameworks of analysis: communication, marketing, and ethics, offering a comprehensive understanding of its evolution. The findings reveal that defensive or dismissive responses exacerbate reputational damage, triggering the Streisand effect, where attempts to suppress criticism amplify its spread. Ethical concerns, including misleading corporate claims and governance issues, intensified consumer backlash. From a marketing perspective, brand trust declined as consumer activism influenced purchasing behavior and retailer decisions. This study emphasizes that organizations must adopt strategic, ethical, and consumer-centric approaches to crisis management to maintain long-term brand resilience. Full article

Concrete is amongst the most wasted materials on earth, mainly due to building demolitions. Currently, after a building’s end of life, concrete is crushed to be used as replacement gravel in new concrete mixes or for backfilling. Aiming to increase the circularity of the construction industry, this article presents design explorations and a design-to-construction process for building single-leaf masonry walls from large flat demolition concrete rubble, thus avoiding the need for further crushing after initial demolition. The proposed process augments the capabilities of conventional construction machinery with new digital control and sensing devices that are widely available on the market and at low cost. The design-to-construction process is implemented through methods of physical prototyping and load testing of a full-scale demonstrator to benchmark the construction precision and the structural, environmental, and productivity performances. The results highlight the viability and scalability of the approach, calling for a more systematic reuse of concrete rubble as it allows for the construction of low-carbon masonry structures while diverging part of concrete waste from downcycling and landfilling. Full article

Guided by the situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), this study explores how a destination marketing organization (DMO) managed crisis communication during a prolonged low-responsibility crisis. It analyzes the production process of crisis communication, the crisis communication content shared on Facebook to protect the destination’s image during COVID-19, and evaluates which crisis response strategies led to higher audience engagement. This study used a single instrumental case study with an exploratory sequential approach. A semi-structured interview was conducted with Visit Portugal’s Communication and Digital Marketing Director. Then, Facebook content from Visit Portugal, posted between 1 January 2020 and 5 May 2023, was collected and analyzed. By analyzing the DMO’s crisis communication workflow, decision-making processes, and content shared on social media, it was found that secondary response strategies effectively safeguarded and improved the destination’s image, leading to higher audience engagement. This study provides DMOs with valuable insights into the development of effective crisis communication strategies when navigating low-responsibility crises. Full article

With the advancement of global digital transformation, data trading has become a pivotal element in value circulation and innovation among enterprises. In particular, pricing strategies in the industrial chain’s data trading process critically influence the cooperation and market competitiveness of upstream and downstream enterprises. To address this issue, this study develops a Business-to-Business data transaction pricing model tailored to a single industry chain. The model incorporates factors such as data scarcity, encryption protection efforts, and market demand dynamics. By employing a Stackelberg dynamic model, the study systematically examines the pricing strategies of upstream and downstream enterprises under various incentive mechanisms and evaluates the impacts of encryption protection efforts and incentive mechanism coefficients on the profitability of the industry chain. The experimental results reveal that introducing incentive mechanisms for downstream enterprises modestly increases the profits of both upstream and downstream entities. Meanwhile, incentivizing upstream enterprises yields a multiplier effect, significantly boosting their profits while causing a slight decline in the profitability of downstream enterprises. Full article

Cropland abandonment (CA) is an increasingly severe global issue, with significant implications for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. In China, widespread CA is particularly evident in remote mountainous regions. However, the rugged terrain and highly fragmented cropland pose significant challenges in mapping abandoned cropland with high precision using remote sensing technology. Moreover, CA is the result of multi-level factors, yet previous studies have primarily analyzed its driving factors from a single level, leading to a lack of comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms. We took Sichuan Province, located in the mountainous regions of Western China, as a case study, utilizing satellite-derived high-precision CA maps to reveal the spatiotemporal patterns of CA. Additionally, we employed hierarchical linear model to explore the determinants of CA and their interactions at both county and municipal levels. The results indicate that the CA rate decreased continuously from 6.75% in 2019 to 4.47% in 2023, with abandoned cropland exhibiting significant spatial clustering. High-value clusters were predominantly concentrated in the western mountainous areas, and hotspots of CA exhibited a general migration trend from the northeast to the southwest. Furthermore, we found that CA is influenced by multi-level factors, with 61% and 39% of the variance in CA being explained at the county and municipal levels, respectively. The agglomeration index of cropland (AI) is a key determinant at the county level, with the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and the distance to roads also playing significant roles. At the municipal level, urbanization rate and the proportion of non-agricultural employment (PNAE) are dominant factors, and an increase in PNAE weakens the negative impact of AI on CA rates. To curb CA in mountainous areas, we recommend implementing land consolidation projects, improving rural land transfer markets, and strengthening legal mechanisms to combat CA. Our study has broad application prospects, providing critical support for assessing the ecological and environmental consequences of CA and exploring the potential of reutilizing abandoned cropland for food production, bioenergy, and carbon sequestration. Full article

In the context of digital transformation, the varying dimensions of digital maturity significantly influence value creation enhancement for enterprises. Optimizing these dimensions to augment corporate value represents an urgent challenge for manufacturing enterprises. This study examines 355 listed automotive manufacturing enterprises (including auto parts and related businesses) through multi-case analysis, grounded theory, and QCA methodology to investigate the intrinsic mechanisms and pathways linking digital transformation with value enhancement in automotive manufacturing. The sample enterprises were categorized by industry type into capital-intensive, technology-intensive, and labor-technology-intensive manufacturers, and were then further segmented into complete vehicle manufacturers, component manufacturers, and related industry manufacturers. The selection criteria emphasized enterprises with explicit digital transformation strategies, sufficient transformation documentation, complete annual reports, stable core operations, and anomaly-free key data. The key findings include the following: (1) Grounded theory identified service digitalization, environmental digitalization, middleware digitalization, marketing digitalization, and R&D digitalization as critical variables, with enterprise value enhancement requiring multi-dimensional synergies rather than single-factor determinants. (2) Configuration analysis revealed that comprehensive empowerment type (consistency > 0.8, coverage 35.9%) drives high-value enhancement, while service-deficiency, R&D-deficiency, and marketing-deficiency configurations characterize non-high-value scenarios. Service, R&D, and marketing digitalization emerge as core-value-enhancing competencies (consistency 0.817, coverage 75.9%). (3) Heterogeneous driving forces were observed across vehicle manufacturers, component manufacturers, and related industry manufacturers, though service digitalization constitutes a common-value-enhancing element. This research provides theoretical insights into manufacturing digital transformation’s value creation mechanisms and strategic implications, addressing current academic gaps. However, the automotive industry focus limits generalizability despite its concrete exploration of industry-specific digital transformation. Future studies should expand industry coverage and conduct comparative analyses to enhance theoretical robustness. Full article

In the context of increasing external competition uncertainty and the growing maturity of digital information technology applications, digital transformation has become the crucial pathway for manufacturing enterprises to respond to market changes, enhance comprehensive competitiveness, and achieve sustainable development. In order to promote the effective implementation of the digital transformation strategy of manufacturing enterprises and enhance their export technological complexity, this paper, based on data from Chinese manufacturing listed companies and customs trade data, uses a multiple fixed effects model to explore the impact of digital transformation on the technological complexity of manufacturing exports. The results show that digital transformation significantly improves the export technological complexity of manufacturing enterprises, with innovation capability and production efficiency as the mediators. Further analysis of the research results reveals that supply chain integration and dynamic capabilities amplify these effects, exhibiting significant heterogeneity in terms of firm ownership, technological intensity, industry competition, geographic region, and stages of digital transformation. The research conclusions of this paper are of great significance for manufacturing enterprises to enhance their competitiveness in international markets and achieve sustainable development through digital transformation. However, its dependence on single-country data and fixed-period analysis limits its universality and applicability. These insights highlight the necessity of future research on the global applicability and long-term sustainability of digital transformation strategies in the manufacturing industry. Full article

In the changing field of sustainable packaging, companies are confronted with the challenge of balancing sustainability with brand differentiation. The move toward standardized, reusable packaging is beneficial for the environment but restricts the use of custom designs. This study explores how standardized, reusable packaging affects consumer perception in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. It focuses on the evolving role of brands to maintain brand differentiation. This research is centered around two case studies. The first examines 219 tomato products to understand the factors driving packaging diversity. Data was collected from three Dutch supermarket websites to analyze packaging types, materials, and size. The second case study investigates consumer responses to single-use versus standardized reusable packaging across eight brands in both food and non-food categories. An online survey was used to assess perceived quality (PQ), willingness to buy (WTB), and brand perception. The results indicate that standardization has a limited effect on perceived quality (the impression of excellence that a consumer experiences), suggesting that it may encourage more brands to adopt reusable packaging. Willingness to buy findings, indicating whether consumers have the intention to buy a product, were mixed. A decrease was observed in food products and an increase noted in non-food. Brand perception most often showed a decrease, indicating challenges in maintaining brand differentiation. Three strategic approaches for brands to align with a sustainability-driven market while preserving value are presented. These are focusing on visual and verbal differentiation, collaborating with competitors to adopt a common archetypal packaging, or shifting marketing away from physical packaging towards digital and authentic communication. However, the new role of marketers will need further exploration, with a focus on authentically communicating the real content and its added value. Full article

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the research landscape surrounding advergames and gamification in tourist destinations over the past decade. By analyzing 623 scholarly publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database, this study identifies key trends, thematic clusters, influential authors, and collaborative networks within this interdisciplinary field. The findings highlight the growing importance of digital innovations in tourism marketing, particularly using gamification to enhance tourist experiences, promote cultural and heritage sites, and support sustainable tourism practices. The study also underscores the global nature of research in this area, with significant contributions from leading countries and the emergence of new research centers. The analysis provides valuable theoretical and practical insights, offering actionable recommendations for tourism marketers, destination managers, and policymakers on leveraging advergames and gamification to achieve strategic objectives. Despite its contributions, this study acknowledges limitations, such as the reliance on a single database and the need for more qualitative analyses. It suggests several avenues for future research to advance the field further. Full article

The present review provides an up-to-date overview of chairside CAD/CAM materials used in restorative dentistry, focusing on their classification, properties, and clinical applications. If CAD/CAM technology was only an aspiration in the past, a higher proportion of clinics are employing it nowadays. The market is overflowing with biomaterials, and these materials are constantly evolving, making it challenging for practitioners to choose the most appropriate one, especially in correlation with patients’ medical diseases. The evolution of CAD/CAM technology has revolutionized dental practice, enabling the efficient fabrication of high-quality restorations in a single appointment. The main categories of chairside CAD/CAM materials include feldspathic ceramics, leucite-reinforced ceramics, lithium disilicate, zirconia, hybrid ceramics, and acrylic resins. The mechanical, physical, and aesthetic properties of these materials are discussed, along with their advantages and limitations for different clinical scenarios. Factors influencing material selection, such as strength, aesthetics, and ease of use, are also assessed. Ultimately, the guiding principle of dentistry is minimally invasive treatment following the particularity of the clinical case to obtain the envisioned result. Correlating all these factors, a simple, up-to-date classification is required to begin an individualized treatment. By synthesizing current evidence, this comprehensive review aims to guide clinicians in selecting appropriate chairside CAD/CAM materials to achieve optimal functional and aesthetic outcomes in restorative procedures. The integration of digital workflows and continued development of novel materials promise to further enhance the capabilities of chairside CAD/CAM systems in modern dental practice. Full article

E-business, based on information, communication, and digital technologies, is a component of the digital economy. Furthermore, it is characterized by active development, determining the currently spreading changes in the traditional economy. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of the digital economy on the realization of sustainable development goals and the transformation of the concept of marketing management. The following research methods were used in the study: historical method—to study the evolution of marketing management concepts; statistical analysis—to study aspects of the digital economy; correlation and regression analysis—to identify the relationship between the level of digitalization and key indicators of sustainable development and marketing management; systematic approach to consider digitalization, sustainable development and marketing as interrelated components of a single system. The article presents the relationship of sustainable development goals with the need to improve approaches to marketing management in the context of digitalization. The objectives include UN goal number 8: “Decent Work and Economic Growth”, number 9: “Innovation and Infrastructure”, and number 12: “Responsible Consumption and Production”. The paper examines the evolution in approaches to understanding marketing management in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Correlation and regression analysis is used to identify how digitalization affects certain factors and how these factors contribute to it. The paper analyzes the dynamism of the formation and development of the worldwide digital economy, establishes the relationship between its components, and examines their impact on the ecosystem. The dynamics of the number of Internet and social media users in the world is analyzed and the changes in global e-commerce revenue and digital advertising expenditures are estimated. The positive consequences and opportunities that arise in the digital economy are presented. The authors emphasize the transformation of the marketing management concept with regard to the goals of sustainable development. Marketing strategies and directions in state policy for regulating the impact of the digital economy on the environment, taking into account the goals of sustainable development, are proposed for business entities. Full article