The bioeconomy aims at decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, preventing or reducing climate change, eliminating insecurity, and efficiently using resources; however, fierce controversy exists on conceivable pathways to accomplish these objectives. The transport sector alone, which encompasses all other industrial sectors, has grown with regard to its energy demand by 50% over the past 30 years. The aim of this paper is to promote a dialogue as to whether an economy based on biomass can be more sustainable than today’s existing economies, considering that the economy needs to expand and be boosted, while creating a cascading and recycling system. This semi-systematic review paper discusses four research questions based on findings from the last 20 years: (i) What are the crucial issues in the ongoing debate on the development of a sustainable bioeconomy concept? (ii) Where are the major conflicting points and focuses? (iii) How does the bioeconomy follow current urbanization and land-abandonment trends? (iv) How will the crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic change these previous scenarios? As it is not easy to currently predict which pathway will be the most effective, whether it be the one taken as of now or a specific novel pathway, this article recommends following a strategy that is diverse regarding its approaches to shaping the bioeconomy and further funding of renewable energy sources, along with the involvement of urban planning. In addition, conclusions are validated through a questionnaire completed by 51 experts in the field.

The transition of contemporary manufacturing processes from digital to post-digital paradigms within the framework of Industry 5.0 necessitates the integration of both technological advancements and human-centered perspectives. This shift demands a high degree of customization and personalization in production processes, impacting both core and supporting operations. This study investigates the development of a software application designed to facilitate strategic goal-setting in manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) by leveraging a digitalized Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis. The research focuses on the use of this tool to collect, compare, and rank SWOT factors provided by employees and managers, in order to support data-driven strategic decision-making. The initial phase of the study involved a sample of 520 entrepreneurs and business owners from Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Serbia, which led to the identification of an extensive list of 83 strengths, 92 weaknesses, 78 opportunities, and 86 threats. These factors were stored in a Google Cloud Database, enabling subsequent comparisons with new data. A further 63 senior decision-makers tested the application by entering their own SWOT factors, comparing them with existing ones in the database, and ranking their significance for strategic planning. The rankings were calculated automatically, with the top-ranked factors forming the basis for further analysis. In the final stage, these rankings were reviewed by five experts from the research consortium, who conducted pairwise comparisons and employed Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis to develop a Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Strengths (TOWS) matrix. This matrix identified potential strategic actions to optimize operations within the investigated region. The findings demonstrate the potential of the software tool to enhance strategic decision-making and improve organizational performance in manufacturing SMEs. The results offer practical insights for decision-makers seeking optimal strategies for operational optimization in their organizations.

Previous research shows that Kaizen's benefits are multiple and evident, but its practices in the supply chain have been sufficiently examined now. Conversely, we are witnessing numerous issues in contemporary global supply networks. In this survey, after conducting a literature review, three research questions regarding Kaizen modes of usage were formulated and tested on the sample of 195 enterprises that are part of the global supply chain, located in 31 countries, and active in two different types of industries - aircraft, and transportation. A combined approach containing descriptive statistics, reliability, factor analysis, and statistical hypothesis testing by Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U tests were used. Results show significant differences between Kaizen practices applied in countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, the USA, Japan, and China, where national and corporate cultures differ. Kaizen implementation significantly differs between companies operating in the aircraft and transportation sectors, which is unsurprising since aircraft industry has a higher formalization level. The goal to determine the differences in Kaizen practices around the globe was fulfilled since statistically significant differences indicate the importance of the contextual factors and connect adverse and Kaizen events.

Heavy mobile machinery cabs and their equipment are still not well adjusted to operators, so it is not surprising that we are still witnessing huge consequences of accidents at sites where they operate. The checklist with 39 questions, based on the previous research, is formed, and its’ measurement structure has been tested on the sample of 102 transport, construction, and mining machines, including cranes, excavators, bucket wheel excavators, bulldozers, loaders, graders, backhoe loaders, trenchers, dump trucks, and scrapers by correlation analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman-Brown and Kendall’s W coefficient, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The results validate the measurement structure of a checklist with only 17 items and five constructs. The results show that special attention should be put to the design of armrests and working conditions/exhaust gases, which are negatively correlated to cab interior space and task visibility. All other correlations between seat characteristics, the characteristics of armrests, whole-body vibration influences, reaching commands, the characteristics of cab interior space and environments, and interpersonal relationships are positive, which means that improvements to one area lead to improvements in another. Accordingly, the proposed model should be used for the fast, efficient, and cost-effective evaluation of ergonomics risks and as a guideline for further cab design improvements.

An appropriate maintenance strategy can maximize a machine's capacity and economic lifetime and also produce yearly savings of several million euros. That being said, a risk assessment approach can help companies identify the systemic bottlenecks that are interfering with their development and cut a large portion of their profit each year. This paper presents a hybrid reliability-Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology to assess the risk associated with belt conveyor systems, particularly in open-pit mining environments. By integrating severity, occurrence, and detection indicators, a 3D risk assessment matrix was developed. Using data from conveyor system maintenance, including downtime and failure occurrences, chi-square tests to analyze system reliability and mean downtime were applied. The methodology allows for a nuanced understanding of the frequency and severity of failures, enabling more informed decision-making about maintenance strategies. The paper highlights the economic implications of system failures and the potential for substantial financial savings through optimized maintenance planning.