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Dr. Naoum Tsolakis
Centre for International Manufacturing, Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

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0 Logistics
0 Supply Chain Management
0 Sustainable supply chains
0 Applied operational research
0 Intelligent distribution systems

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Sustainable supply chains

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Journal article
Published: 09 June 2021 in Journal of Environmental Management
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As freshwater overexploitation in agriculture is rising, the application of alternative farming practices, particularly in water-scarce areas, is critical for the sustainability of the sector. Organic agriculture constitutes an opportunity for freshwater conservation, further improving biodiversity and human health. Notwithstanding literature efforts on the driving factors of organic farming and the impact of the latter on freshwater resources, a dynamic investigation of the interconnections between organic farming diffusion and freshwater sustainability is lacking. This research adopts a systems thinking perspective on the transition from conventional to organic agriculture. The developed system dynamics model explores the feedback mechanisms underpinning organic farming adoption and freshwater use by integrating, for the first time, the effects of: (i) farmers' water-related environmental and economic awareness patterns; and (ii) policy incentives and word of mouth about organic production benefits. The model is validated and tested based on a real-world wine grapes' case. The simulation outcomes highlight that the growers' intense environmental awareness could accelerate organic farming adoption, further promoting freshwater sustainability in case organic agriculture operations generate considerably low freshwater consumption coefficients. Overall, the proposed modelling framework is anticipated to act as a strategic tool for informing policy-makers about the system's state over time to plan potential interventions towards water-friendly organic farming.

ACS Style

Eirini Aivazidou; Naoum Tsolakis. Investigating dynamic interconnections between organic farming adoption and freshwater sustainability. Journal of Environmental Management 2021, 294, 112896 .

AMA Style

Eirini Aivazidou, Naoum Tsolakis. Investigating dynamic interconnections between organic farming adoption and freshwater sustainability. Journal of Environmental Management. 2021; 294 ():112896.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eirini Aivazidou; Naoum Tsolakis. 2021. "Investigating dynamic interconnections between organic farming adoption and freshwater sustainability." Journal of Environmental Management 294, no. : 112896.

Journal article
Published: 25 April 2021 in International Journal of Production Research
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Artificial intelligence and data analytics capabilities have enabled the introduction of automation, such as robotics and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), across different sectors of the production spectrum which successively has profound implications for operational efficiency and productivity. However, the environmental sustainability implications of such innovations have not been yet extensively addressed in the extant literature. This study evaluates the use of AGVs in container terminals by investigating the environmental sustainability gains that arise from the adoption of artificial intelligence and automation for shoreside operations at freight ports. Through a comprehensive literature review, we reveal this research gap across the use of artificial intelligence and decision support systems, as well as optimisation models. A real-world container terminal is used, as a case study in a simulation environment, on Europe’s fastest-growing container port (Piraeus), to quantify the environmental benefits related to routing scenarios via different types of AGVs. Our study contributes to the cross-section of operations management and artificial intelligence literature by articulating design principles to inform effective digital technology interventions at non-automated port terminals, both at operational and management levels.

ACS Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitris Zissis; Spiros Papaefthimiou; Nikolaos Korfiatis. Towards AI driven environmental sustainability: an application of automated logistics in container port terminals. International Journal of Production Research 2021, 1 -21.

AMA Style

Naoum Tsolakis, Dimitris Zissis, Spiros Papaefthimiou, Nikolaos Korfiatis. Towards AI driven environmental sustainability: an application of automated logistics in container port terminals. International Journal of Production Research. 2021; ():1-21.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitris Zissis; Spiros Papaefthimiou; Nikolaos Korfiatis. 2021. "Towards AI driven environmental sustainability: an application of automated logistics in container port terminals." International Journal of Production Research , no. : 1-21.

Journal article
Published: 09 April 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Environmental sustainability analyses of end-to-end food supply chain (SC) operations need to be performed regularly to accommodate reconfiguration opportunities arising in the global business landscape. This research scrutinises the pertinent literature and identifies the challenges of data availability, data obsolescence, computational complexity, and data specificity that associate to well-established environmental assessment methodologies, and proposes a stepwise approach that considers key players and processes for generating “close to real-time snapshots” of the main environmental hotspots for the focus firm. The applicability of the proposed systematic approach is demonstrated via an implementation at a resource-intensive sector of significant scale, i.e., the UK poultry industry. Overall, this research contributes to the SC environmental sustainability management domain by guiding the mapping and identification of environmental hotspots across end-to-end networks of operations in the form of a stepwise framework, and through articulating several research propositions.

ACS Style

Foivos Anastasiadis; Naoum Tsolakis. Environmental hotspots analysis: A systematic framework for food supply chains and implementation case in the UK poultry industry. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 305, 126981 .

AMA Style

Foivos Anastasiadis, Naoum Tsolakis. Environmental hotspots analysis: A systematic framework for food supply chains and implementation case in the UK poultry industry. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 305 ():126981.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Foivos Anastasiadis; Naoum Tsolakis. 2021. "Environmental hotspots analysis: A systematic framework for food supply chains and implementation case in the UK poultry industry." Journal of Cleaner Production 305, no. : 126981.

Journal article
Published: 02 March 2021 in Applied Sciences
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The present study deals with human awareness, which is a very important aspect of human–robot interaction. This feature is particularly essential in agricultural environments, owing to the information-rich setup that they provide. The objective of this investigation was to recognize human activities associated with an envisioned synergistic task. In order to attain this goal, a data collection field experiment was designed that derived data from twenty healthy participants using five wearable sensors (embedded with tri-axial accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers) attached to them. The above task involved several sub-activities, which were carried out by agricultural workers in real field conditions, concerning load lifting and carrying. Subsequently, the obtained signals from on-body sensors were processed for noise-removal purposes and fed into a Long Short-Term Memory neural network, which is widely used in deep learning for feature recognition in time-dependent data sequences. The proposed methodology demonstrated considerable efficacy in predicting the defined sub-activities with an average accuracy of 85.6%. Moreover, the trained model properly classified the defined sub-activities in a range of 74.1–90.4% for precision and 71.0–96.9% for recall. It can be inferred that the combination of all sensors can achieve the highest accuracy in human activity recognition, as concluded from a comparative analysis for each sensor’s impact on the model’s performance. These results confirm the applicability of the proposed methodology for human awareness purposes in agricultural environments, while the dataset was made publicly available for future research.

ACS Style

Athanasios Anagnostis; Lefteris Benos; Dimitrios Tsaopoulos; Aristotelis Tagarakis; Naoum Tsolakis; Dionysis Bochtis. Human Activity Recognition through Recurrent Neural Networks for Human–Robot Interaction in Agriculture. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 2188 .

AMA Style

Athanasios Anagnostis, Lefteris Benos, Dimitrios Tsaopoulos, Aristotelis Tagarakis, Naoum Tsolakis, Dionysis Bochtis. Human Activity Recognition through Recurrent Neural Networks for Human–Robot Interaction in Agriculture. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (5):2188.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Athanasios Anagnostis; Lefteris Benos; Dimitrios Tsaopoulos; Aristotelis Tagarakis; Naoum Tsolakis; Dionysis Bochtis. 2021. "Human Activity Recognition through Recurrent Neural Networks for Human–Robot Interaction in Agriculture." Applied Sciences 11, no. 5: 2188.

Earlycite article
Published: 03 February 2021 in Continuity & Resilience Review
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate strategies to manage product recalls where shortages are a critical threat, with impacts such as loss of life. The authors aim to identify key supply chain strategies and opportunities for theoretical advancement by taking a resilience perspective on temporary supply chain design. Design/methodology/approach First, the authors conducted an impact event analysis of product recalls by exploring the RAPEX database and official statements of individual country regulators. Second, the authors conducted an exploratory case study with the Cambridge University Hospitals on Personal Protective Equipment to explore product recall risks, utilising an action research methodology. Findings Additional processes, mainly testing, can compensate for the risks that may arise from temporary supply chains, where changes in location and product design are not possible due to the immediate nature of demand caused by COVID-19 pandemic. This finding reflects on the resilience of designing and implementing temporary supply chains from the perspective of product, process and location. Research limitations/implications This paper does not employ an in-depth multiple case study methodology. However, the authors argue that the role of institutional actors in global supply chains and its implications on product safety needs to be empirically studied in order to expand existing supply chain management theories to cover resilience in emerging, mature and temporary supply chain. Practical implications Managers can learn from the Cambridge University Hospitals case study that a downstream quality inspection system can be deployed to manage product quality and safety risks where recalls are not an option, such as during critical situations in the COVID-19 pandemic. Social implications The authors’ observations suggest that governments may be socially responsible for implementing rigorous mechanisms to manage product recall risks that compromise consumer safety. Originality/value The authors’ study is uniquely designed and studies various specific phenomena of product recalls risks in COVID-19. The unique design features include a dynamic and recent database analysis involving a product, process and location centric perspective complemented with a Cambridge University Hospitals case study.

ACS Style

Roman Schumacher; Rob Glew; Naoum Tsolakis; Mukesh Kumar. Strategies to manage product recalls in the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory case study of PPE supply chains. Continuity & Resilience Review 2021, 3, 64 -78.

AMA Style

Roman Schumacher, Rob Glew, Naoum Tsolakis, Mukesh Kumar. Strategies to manage product recalls in the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory case study of PPE supply chains. Continuity & Resilience Review. 2021; 3 (1):64-78.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roman Schumacher; Rob Glew; Naoum Tsolakis; Mukesh Kumar. 2021. "Strategies to manage product recalls in the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory case study of PPE supply chains." Continuity & Resilience Review 3, no. 1: 64-78.

Journal article
Published: 30 August 2020 in Journal of Business Research
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Sustainable Development Goals present an opportunity for industries to (re)design their supply chains. It is understood that digital technologies like blockchain can be helpful in achieving certain Sustainable Development Goals linked to livelihoods, food security, and the environment, by identifying issues and implementing interventions in real-time. However, there is limited understanding over data structure requirements for blockchain technology implementation in digitally-enabled food supply chains. Therefore, this research studies the design of blockchain-centric food supply chains that promote Sustainable Development Goals, within the context of the Thai fish industry. Key findings suggest that data asymmetry exists in supply chains to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. This research presents four design principles and an integrated technology implementation framework, derived from empirical data, for blockchain-centric food supply chains. The research outcome contributes to the supply chain management field and could ultimately impact the resilience of fishery ecosystems and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

ACS Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Denis Niedenzu; Melissa Simonetto; Manoj Dora; Mukesh Kumar. Supply network design to address United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A case study of blockchain implementation in Thai fish industry. Journal of Business Research 2020, 131, 495 -519.

AMA Style

Naoum Tsolakis, Denis Niedenzu, Melissa Simonetto, Manoj Dora, Mukesh Kumar. Supply network design to address United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A case study of blockchain implementation in Thai fish industry. Journal of Business Research. 2020; 131 ():495-519.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Denis Niedenzu; Melissa Simonetto; Manoj Dora; Mukesh Kumar. 2020. "Supply network design to address United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A case study of blockchain implementation in Thai fish industry." Journal of Business Research 131, no. : 495-519.

Review
Published: 17 May 2020 in Applied Sciences
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The advent of mobile robots in agriculture has signaled a digital transformation with new automation technologies optimize a range of labor-intensive, resources-demanding, and time-consuming agri-field operations. To that end a generally accepted technical lexicon for mobile robots is lacking as pertinent terms are often used interchangeably. This creates confusion among research and practice stakeholders. In addition, a consistent definition of planning attributes in automated agricultural operations is still missing as relevant research is sparse. In this regard, a “narrative” review was adopted (1) to provide the basic terminology over technical aspects of mobile robots used in autonomous operations and (2) assess fundamental planning aspects of mobile robots in agricultural environments. Based on the synthesized evidence from extant studies, seven planning attributes have been included: (i) high-level control-specific attributes, which include reasoning architecture, the world model, and planning level, (ii) operation-specific attributes, which include locomotion–task connection and capacity constraints, and (iii) physical robot-specific attributes, which include vehicle configuration and vehicle kinematics.

ACS Style

Vasileios Moisiadis; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitris Katikaridis; Claus G. Sørensen; Simon Pearson; Dionysis Bochtis. Mobile Robotics in Agricultural Operations: A Narrative Review on Planning Aspects. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 3453 .

AMA Style

Vasileios Moisiadis, Naoum Tsolakis, Dimitris Katikaridis, Claus G. Sørensen, Simon Pearson, Dionysis Bochtis. Mobile Robotics in Agricultural Operations: A Narrative Review on Planning Aspects. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (10):3453.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vasileios Moisiadis; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitris Katikaridis; Claus G. Sørensen; Simon Pearson; Dionysis Bochtis. 2020. "Mobile Robotics in Agricultural Operations: A Narrative Review on Planning Aspects." Applied Sciences 10, no. 10: 3453.

Review
Published: 29 January 2020 in Water
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Wine constitutes the dominant Italian agricultural product with respect to both production quantity and economic value. Italy is the top wine producer worldwide in terms of volume and the second one below France in terms of national income. As the Italian agricultural production accounts for 85% of the national freshwater appropriation, the country’s agricultural sector strains freshwater resources, especially in the central and southern regions, which constitute important winemaking areas in terms of quantity and quality. To this end, we first perform a review of the existing research efforts on wine water footprint assessment to investigate the water dynamics of wine production in Italy compared to the rest of the world. The results indicate a prevalence of studies on the water footprint of Italian wine, emphasising the need for deeper research on the sector’s water efficiency. Then, we aim at exploring the major drivers, barriers, and good practises for systematic water stewardship in the Italian winemaking industry, considering the product and territorial characteristics. This research is anticipated to contribute towards providing insights for practitioners in the Italian wine sector to develop water-friendly corporate schemes for enhancing the added value of their products.

ACS Style

Eirini Aivazidou; Naoum Tsolakis. A Water Footprint Review of Italian Wine: Drivers, Barriers, and Practices for Sustainable Stewardship. Water 2020, 12, 369 .

AMA Style

Eirini Aivazidou, Naoum Tsolakis. A Water Footprint Review of Italian Wine: Drivers, Barriers, and Practices for Sustainable Stewardship. Water. 2020; 12 (2):369.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eirini Aivazidou; Naoum Tsolakis. 2020. "A Water Footprint Review of Italian Wine: Drivers, Barriers, and Practices for Sustainable Stewardship." Water 12, no. 2: 369.

Book chapter
Published: 25 July 2019 in Computer Aided Chemical Engineering
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Global agricultural trade flows demonstrated a three-fold growth during the past decade particularly in emerging economies. At the same time, global food scandals in conjunction with the spillover effects in economy and society highlight the unreliability of existing food tracking systems and the inefficiency in monitoring food quality and fraud incidents across global food supply chains (SCs). Blockchain technology (BCT), which has already been successfully applied on the financial industry to validate critical transactions, seems to be a promising option. This research investigates a two-stage containerized food SC by implementing a demonstrator application at the Hyperledger Fabric framework. The study findings indicates that on one hand BCT has entered its maturity phase while on the other hand its adoption in food SC operations could add significant value by authenticating critical parameters and providing enhanced traceability . At the same time, BCT enabled by other digital technologies could allow for the optimization of global food SCs. Thus, BCT constitutes a promising digital technology that provides the capability to food SC stakeholders to securely share information, enhance process control and traceability and prevent potential risks.

ACS Style

Dimitrios Bechtsis; Naoum Tsolakis; Apostolos Bizakis; Dimitrios Vlachos. A Blockchain Framework for Containerized Food Supply Chains. Computer Aided Chemical Engineering 2019, 46, 1369 -1374.

AMA Style

Dimitrios Bechtsis, Naoum Tsolakis, Apostolos Bizakis, Dimitrios Vlachos. A Blockchain Framework for Containerized Food Supply Chains. Computer Aided Chemical Engineering. 2019; 46 ():1369-1374.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dimitrios Bechtsis; Naoum Tsolakis; Apostolos Bizakis; Dimitrios Vlachos. 2019. "A Blockchain Framework for Containerized Food Supply Chains." Computer Aided Chemical Engineering 46, no. : 1369-1374.

Journal article
Published: 20 July 2019 in Agronomy
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This research aims to develop a farm management emulation tool that enables agrifood producers to effectively introduce advanced digital technologies, like intelligent and autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), in real-world field operations. To that end, we first provide a critical taxonomy of studies investigating agricultural robotic systems with regard to: (i) the analysis approach, i.e., simulation, emulation, real-world implementation; (ii) farming operations; and (iii) the farming type. Our analysis demonstrates that simulation and emulation modelling have been extensively applied to study advanced agricultural machinery while the majority of the extant research efforts focuses on harvesting/picking/mowing and fertilizing/spraying activities; most studies consider a generic agricultural layout. Thereafter, we developed AgROS, an emulation tool based on the Robot Operating System, which could be used for assessing the efficiency of real-world robot systems in customized fields. The AgROS allows farmers to select their actual field from a map layout, import the landscape of the field, add characteristics of the actual agricultural layout (e.g., trees, static objects), select an agricultural robot from a predefined list of commercial systems, import the selected UGV into the emulation environment, and test the robot’s performance in a quasi-real-world environment. AgROS supports farmers in the ex-ante analysis and performance evaluation of robotized precision farming operations while lays the foundations for realizing “digital twins” in agriculture.

ACS Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Bechtsis; Dionysis Bochtis. AgROS: A Robot Operating System Based Emulation Tool for Agricultural Robotics. Agronomy 2019, 9, 403 .

AMA Style

Naoum Tsolakis, Dimitrios Bechtsis, Dionysis Bochtis. AgROS: A Robot Operating System Based Emulation Tool for Agricultural Robotics. Agronomy. 2019; 9 (7):403.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Bechtsis; Dionysis Bochtis. 2019. "AgROS: A Robot Operating System Based Emulation Tool for Agricultural Robotics." Agronomy 9, no. 7: 403.

Journal article
Published: 18 June 2019 in Sustainability
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Waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a constantly increasing component of the total volume of municipal solid waste. E-waste streams are expected to continue escalating in the near future. The underlining paradox lies in the fact that end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment constitute a critical waste stream owing to the contained hazardous and toxic elements, but they also present an important source of valuable raw materials. Therefore, identification of alternative scenarios for integrated WEEE management is imperative. To that end, this research develops a methodological approach that focuses on determining the optimal WEEE management scheme, among available alternatives, applicable to the specific case of Greece. In particular, a binary linear programming model is formulated that maximizes the performance of 9 alternative WEEE management scenarios. The mathematical model considers 12 performance assessment criteria identified across financial, technical, social, and environmental dimensions. Priority levels are assigned to each criterion based on the input of 19 involved experts. A range of “what-if” analyses indicate that mechanical recycling of WEEE, in tandem with exporting of residues, is the most efficient e-waste management strategy in the case of Greece. The research findings indicate that the joint cooperation of all stakeholders, together with political will and effectiveness, is required for the integrated WEEE management at a national level.

ACS Style

Dimitrios Aidonis; Charisios Achillas; Dimitrios Folinas; Christos Keramydas; Naoum Tsolakis. Decision Support Model for Evaluating Alternative Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Management Schemes—A Case Study. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3364 .

AMA Style

Dimitrios Aidonis, Charisios Achillas, Dimitrios Folinas, Christos Keramydas, Naoum Tsolakis. Decision Support Model for Evaluating Alternative Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Management Schemes—A Case Study. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (12):3364.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dimitrios Aidonis; Charisios Achillas; Dimitrios Folinas; Christos Keramydas; Naoum Tsolakis. 2019. "Decision Support Model for Evaluating Alternative Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Management Schemes—A Case Study." Sustainability 11, no. 12: 3364.

Journal article
Published: 16 May 2019 in International Journal of Production Economics
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In the today's highly competitive global business landscape, customers demand personalised products and responsive distribution systems, hence fuelling the concept of Distributed Manufacturing (DM) as a paradigm that suggests the geographical distribution of manufacturing systems adjacent to the markets to enable ‘production on demand’. To this end, the objective of this research is to explore the DM concept to inform firms about the dynamically changing manufacturing environment, along with the emerging opportunities, and support business stakeholders in implementing DM-oriented strategies to achieve digitalisation, personalisation, and localisation. More specifically, the present research builds upon the Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT) and conducts semi-structured interviews with a panel of 16 experts from the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Automotive, and Engineering industries to develop 12 exploratory industry cases. Our analysis highlights that companies can adopt three strategies to implement DM and realise shorter lead times and personalised product offerings, namely: (i) small-scale DM; (ii) in-house decoupled manufacturing; and (iii) outsourced decoupled manufacturing. However, the economic viability of the DM concept is identified as a significant barrier to relinquish the traditional centralised economies-of-scale. This research contributes by applying the DCT to the DM concept to advocate the viability and sustainability of manufacturing systems in the era of Industry 4.0. Pertaining to the originality of this research, limited work is available on the applicability of DM in industries, from the DCT perspective, to accomplish competitive advantages in the dynamic environment of manufacturing.

ACS Style

Mukesh Kumar; Naoum Tsolakis; Anshul Agarwal; Jagjit Singh Srai. Developing distributed manufacturing strategies from the perspective of a product-process matrix. International Journal of Production Economics 2019, 219, 1 -17.

AMA Style

Mukesh Kumar, Naoum Tsolakis, Anshul Agarwal, Jagjit Singh Srai. Developing distributed manufacturing strategies from the perspective of a product-process matrix. International Journal of Production Economics. 2019; 219 ():1-17.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mukesh Kumar; Naoum Tsolakis; Anshul Agarwal; Jagjit Singh Srai. 2019. "Developing distributed manufacturing strategies from the perspective of a product-process matrix." International Journal of Production Economics 219, no. : 1-17.

Original articles
Published: 15 May 2019 in Production Planning & Control
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The aim of this study is to explore the impact of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies on the configuration opportunities of supply chains (SCs) within the digital manufacturing era. To this effect, we first conduct a critical taxonomy of existing research efforts and then propose an integrated decision-making process for the design and management of SCs defined by digital manufacturing technologies. Following, we provide an integrated framework for future SC reconfiguration opportunities arising from the adoption of AM on a supply network setting. Our analysis demonstrates the significant ramifications of AM techniques on SC configuration and sustainability performance as opposed to conventional value networks; however, existing research is evidently limited due to scope related challenges and the inherent complexity at the manufacturing echelon of the respective supply networks.

ACS Style

Konstantinos Tziantopoulos; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Vlachos; Loukas Tsironis. Supply chain reconfiguration opportunities arising from additive manufacturing technologies in the digital era. Production Planning & Control 2019, 30, 510 -521.

AMA Style

Konstantinos Tziantopoulos, Naoum Tsolakis, Dimitrios Vlachos, Loukas Tsironis. Supply chain reconfiguration opportunities arising from additive manufacturing technologies in the digital era. Production Planning & Control. 2019; 30 (7):510-521.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Konstantinos Tziantopoulos; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Vlachos; Loukas Tsironis. 2019. "Supply chain reconfiguration opportunities arising from additive manufacturing technologies in the digital era." Production Planning & Control 30, no. 7: 510-521.

Review
Published: 20 March 2019 in Climate
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Growing global food demand and security concerns dictate the need for state-of-the-art food production technologies to increase farming efficiency. Concurrently, freshwater overexploitation in agriculture, especially in arid and water-scarce areas, emphasises the vital role of appropriate water-saving irrigations techniques to ensure natural resources sustainability in food supply networks. In line with the development of automated systems, the use of sensors for water monitoring, indicatively in the cases of smart farming or precision agriculture, could further promote the preservation of freshwater resources. To this end, this research first provides a review of sensor applications for improving sustainability in agrifood systems. We then focus on digital technologies applied for monitoring and assessing freshwater utilisation in the food commodities sector based on academic literature and real-world business evidence. A contextual map is developed for capturing the main technical, environmental and economic factors affecting the selection of sensors for water monitoring and stewardship during agricultural production. This first-effort framework, in terms of sensor-based freshwater monitoring, aims at supporting the agrifood system’s decision makers to identify the optimal sensor applications for improving sustainability and water efficiency in agricultural operations.

ACS Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Eirini Aivazidou; Jagjit Singh Srai. Sensor Applications in Agrifood Systems: Current Trends and Opportunities for Water Stewardship. Climate 2019, 7, 44 .

AMA Style

Naoum Tsolakis, Eirini Aivazidou, Jagjit Singh Srai. Sensor Applications in Agrifood Systems: Current Trends and Opportunities for Water Stewardship. Climate. 2019; 7 (3):44.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Eirini Aivazidou; Jagjit Singh Srai. 2019. "Sensor Applications in Agrifood Systems: Current Trends and Opportunities for Water Stewardship." Climate 7, no. 3: 44.

Journal article
Published: 18 February 2019 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Designing supply networks enabled by renewable chemical feedstocks presents complexities in terms of undefined markets, multiple intermediate chemical compound options and uncertain chemical conversion pathways. This research addresses this gap by developing a structured approach for designing compound class defined supply chains (SCs) through involving the analysis of: (i) renewable chemical feedstock sources; (ii) alternative technology and processing options; (iii) intermediate or end-user markets; and (iv) commercial value and viability. In particular, we apply this approach on the promising case of terpenoid feedstocks. Further, in the specific case of terpenes we analyse renewable feedstock SC options for the production of ‘green’ pharmaceuticals demonstrated by a case study on paracetamol. To that end, evidence is obtained through collating the dispersed literature on renewable chemical feedstocks, by semi-structured interviews and through expert panel engagements involving industry and academic informants. The study findings inform about the systemic mapping and modelling of compound class defined material-processing-supply networks, further providing a basis to identify feasible intermediate and final product options. The research contributes to the operations management academic and practice literature by proposing a structured approach for mapping and designing renewable chemical feedstock SCs from a source material perspective, in this case renewable terpenoid feedstocks, in contrast to the traditional end-market applications. From a circular economy perspective, the use of renewable feedstocks in extended SCs demonstrates the utility of the approach by integrating supply side considerations (i.e. feedstock) with uncertainties of intermediate processing options and commercialisation routes.

ACS Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Wouter Bam; Jagjit Singh Srai; Mukesh Kumar. Renewable chemical feedstock supply network design: The case of terpenes. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 222, 802 -822.

AMA Style

Naoum Tsolakis, Wouter Bam, Jagjit Singh Srai, Mukesh Kumar. Renewable chemical feedstock supply network design: The case of terpenes. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 222 ():802-822.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Wouter Bam; Jagjit Singh Srai; Mukesh Kumar. 2019. "Renewable chemical feedstock supply network design: The case of terpenes." Journal of Cleaner Production 222, no. : 802-822.

Conference paper
Published: 12 February 2019 in Communications in Computer and Information Science
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Autonomous systems are a promising alternative for safely executing precision farming activities in a 24/7 perspective. In this context Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) are used in custom agricultural fields, with sophisticated sensors and data fusion techniques for real-time mapping and navigation. The aim of this study is to present a simulation software tool for providing effective and efficient farming activities in orchard fields and demonstrating the applicability of simulation in routing algorithms, hence increasing productivity, while dynamically addressing operational and tactical level uncertainties. The three dimensional virtual world includes the field layout and the static objects (orchard trees, obstacles, physical boundaries) and is constructed in the open source Gazebo simulation software while the Robot Operating System (ROS) and the implemented algorithms are tested using a custom vehicle. As a result a routing algorithm is executed and enables the UGV to pass through all the orchard trees while dynamically avoiding static and dynamic obstacles. Unlike existing sophisticated tools, the developed mechanism could accommodate an extensive variety of agricultural activities and could be transparently transferred from the simulation environment to real world ROS compatible UGVs providing user-friendly and highly customizable navigation.

ACS Style

Dimitrios Bechtsis; Vasileios Moisiadis; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Vlachos; Dionysis Bochtis. Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Precision Farming Services: An Integrated Emulation Modelling Approach. Communications in Computer and Information Science 2019, 177 -190.

AMA Style

Dimitrios Bechtsis, Vasileios Moisiadis, Naoum Tsolakis, Dimitrios Vlachos, Dionysis Bochtis. Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Precision Farming Services: An Integrated Emulation Modelling Approach. Communications in Computer and Information Science. 2019; ():177-190.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dimitrios Bechtsis; Vasileios Moisiadis; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Vlachos; Dionysis Bochtis. 2019. "Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Precision Farming Services: An Integrated Emulation Modelling Approach." Communications in Computer and Information Science , no. : 177-190.

Journal article
Published: 19 December 2018 in Sustainability
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Resource efficiency in the agri-food sector is a global urgent issue considering the urbanisation phenomena, the increased nutritional needs, and the emergence of diversified dietary norms. Despite the ongoing progress in digital technologies that could enable resource-efficient operations in the sector, their effectiveness—even in developed countries—remains debateable mainly due to the limited understanding that further impedes their adoption by farmers. Among others, ease of access, training, and engagement with digital technologies appears to be challenging for most stakeholders, especially during the production (farming) stage. Specifically, in developing countries, that often encounter major natural resources challenges, the diverse socio-cultural background of the farmers hinders the adoption of digital technologies to perform highly automated and efficient agricultural operations for ensuring sustainability output. In this regard, we explore publicly available data sources (i.e., institutional reports, databases) to identify key challenges in adopting digital technologies for efficient resource use from a systems-level perspective. Thereafter, we map the determinant factors using the System Dynamics methodology in order to identify areas of interventions to limit natural resources’ appropriation and support agri-food sustainability.

ACS Style

Foivos Anastasiadis; Naoum Tsolakis; Jagjit Singh Srai. Digital Technologies Towards Resource Efficiency in the Agrifood Sector: Key Challenges in Developing Countries. Sustainability 2018, 10, 4850 .

AMA Style

Foivos Anastasiadis, Naoum Tsolakis, Jagjit Singh Srai. Digital Technologies Towards Resource Efficiency in the Agrifood Sector: Key Challenges in Developing Countries. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (12):4850.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Foivos Anastasiadis; Naoum Tsolakis; Jagjit Singh Srai. 2018. "Digital Technologies Towards Resource Efficiency in the Agrifood Sector: Key Challenges in Developing Countries." Sustainability 10, no. 12: 4850.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Freshwater sustainability has been emerging as a critical corporate social responsibility issue for leading businesses worldwide. An increasing number of companies disclose and evaluate their water footprint, embracing an end-to-end supply chain perspective. In this work, we first propose a strategic system dynamics model for capturing the long-term impact of various water management policies on consumptive water footprint and supply chain profitability under diverse scenarios of consumers' demand patterns depending on blue water-related efficiency (i.e. green market behaviours). We apply the proposed simulation model on a specific wine supply chain and demonstrate that, under specific green market behaviour conditions, technological interventions in agriculture (e.g. drip irrigation) are more environmentally and economically sustainable compared to industrial water recycling and reuse, while the combined application of both policies is even more effective. Additionally, the impact of water-efficient policies on supply chain financial performance is even more potent under increased consumers' environmental sensitivity. Based on the managerial insights obtained from our analysis, as well as current corporate drivers and goals, we finally propose a supporting methodological framework for the ex-ante evaluation of eco-efficient supply chain water management policies, considering the impact of the green market behaviour on water-related and economic sustainability.

ACS Style

Eirini Aivazidou; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Vlachos; Eleftherios Iakovou. A water footprint management framework for supply chains under green market behaviour. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 197, 592 -606.

AMA Style

Eirini Aivazidou, Naoum Tsolakis, Dimitrios Vlachos, Eleftherios Iakovou. A water footprint management framework for supply chains under green market behaviour. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 197 ():592-606.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eirini Aivazidou; Naoum Tsolakis; Dimitrios Vlachos; Eleftherios Iakovou. 2018. "A water footprint management framework for supply chains under green market behaviour." Journal of Cleaner Production 197, no. : 592-606.

Article
Published: 08 September 2018 in Operations Management Research
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This paper provides a multi-stage multi-layer mapping methodology for capturing the macro-level supply chain dynamics that govern industrial systems using renewable feedstocks. The mapping approach combines the Industrial Systems Mapping and System Dynamics principles to systematically capture the interrelations across: (i) institutional players, (ii) sector specialists, (iii) products and intermediates, (iv) production operations, and (v) firms within the supply chain. The interfaces are further explored at four interconnected and mutually interacting theme areas of analysis, namely: (i) renewable chemical feedstocks, (ii) production technologies, (iii) target markets, and (iv) value and economic viability. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach by mapping the dynamics in industrial systems for the production of ‘green’ pharmaceuticals, particularly via the illustrative case of paracetamol. Through the use of the proposed integrated mapping process the case study demonstrates the principal interrelationships and inter-firm dynamics between the different layers of analysis. Three main drivers are identified that could enhance supply network transformations for improved viability of these developing industrial systems, namely: (i) regulatory conformance with market requirements, (ii) system level feasibility assessment of given renewable feedstocks, and (iii) target market volume demand. The causal feedback elements of the provided mapping technique indicate that it could support the analysis of industrial systems’ transformation dynamics enabled by renewable feedstocks. The standardisation of the methodology and its elements provides for an effective visualisation technique with cross-industry relevance.

ACS Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Jagjit Singh Srai. Mapping supply dynamics in renewable feedstock enabled industries: A systems theory perspective on ‘green’ pharmaceuticals. Operations Management Research 2018, 11, 83 -104.

AMA Style

Naoum Tsolakis, Jagjit Singh Srai. Mapping supply dynamics in renewable feedstock enabled industries: A systems theory perspective on ‘green’ pharmaceuticals. Operations Management Research. 2018; 11 (3-4):83-104.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Jagjit Singh Srai. 2018. "Mapping supply dynamics in renewable feedstock enabled industries: A systems theory perspective on ‘green’ pharmaceuticals." Operations Management Research 11, no. 3-4: 83-104.

Journal article
Published: 03 September 2018 in Sustainability
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The purpose of this research is to introduce a qualitative sustainability performance assessment framework for food supply networks, based on the perception of their key stakeholders’ upper management. Moreover, the paper provides industry insights by exemplifying the value of the proposed framework for the UK food industry. A critical review on the most acknowledged sustainability assessment methodologies and tools resulted in the synthesis of the proposed framework. An illustrative application follows, based on data from semi-structured interviews with C-level executives from key players of the UK poultry sector. The results demonstrate an easy-to-use approach, with a comprehensive and sharp outcome on supply chain sustainability performance assessment. Industry insights demonstrate an adequate sustainability performance with respect to the entire supply chain. A detailed view on different echelons reveals specific areas that could be improved, such as the environmental performance at both farming (production) and processing levels. This work extends the scope of current sustainability performance assessment tools by providing a tangible triple bottom-line overview, as well as echelon-specific and indicator-specific details, in a user-friendly, yet straightforward, way. UK food industry insights are valuable for practitioners and academics. The illustration is based exclusively on C-level executives’ viewpoint; thus, any generalization of the results should be considered to this effect. Supply chain stakeholders, policy-makers, and researchers could perform a quick and reliable supply network sustainability performance assessment.

ACS Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Foivos Anastasiadis; Jagjit Singh Srai. Sustainability Performance in Food Supply Networks: Insights from the UK Industry. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3148 .

AMA Style

Naoum Tsolakis, Foivos Anastasiadis, Jagjit Singh Srai. Sustainability Performance in Food Supply Networks: Insights from the UK Industry. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (9):3148.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naoum Tsolakis; Foivos Anastasiadis; Jagjit Singh Srai. 2018. "Sustainability Performance in Food Supply Networks: Insights from the UK Industry." Sustainability 10, no. 9: 3148.