A strategic design approach to develop sustainable product service systems: examples taken from the ‘environmentally friendly innovation’ Italian prize

The product service systems’ (PSS) sustainability potential is described in the framework of the new types of stakeholder relationships and/or partnerships, producing new convergence of economic interests, and a potential concomitant systemic resources optimization.In this perspective, it is argued that the design competencies should move towards those of the ‘strategic design’, thus introducing the concept of ‘strategic design for sustainability’: the design of an innovation strategy, shifting the business focus from designing (and selling) physical products only, to designing (and selling) a system of products and services which are jointly capable of fulfilling specific client demands, while re-orienting current unsustainable trends in production and consumption practices.Some examples of PSS are presented and discussed using the PSS categories ‘services providing added value to the product life cycle’, ‘services providing final results to customers’, and ‘services providing enabling platforms for customers’. The cases derive from an analysis of the ‘environmental friendly innovation’ yearly endowed prize submissions. The Politecnico di Milano University together with the Bocconi University and Legambiente (an environmental NGO) promotes the initiative in Italy.     

New CHP partnerships offering balancing of fluctuating renewable electricity productions

Combined heat and power (CHP) as well as intermittent renewable energy sources (RES) are key elements in future cleaner electricity production systems. This article presents solutions which will integrate fluctuating renewable electricity supplies, such as wind power, into electricity systems using small and medium-sized combined heat and power plants (CHP). Such solutions call for a new organisational setup of partnerships and software tools. The software tools will allow the new partnerships to offer services which are currently only offered by big power plants to electricity markets. The article presents recent results of the development and implementation of such partnerships and focuses on the methodologies and computer tools necessary in order to allow the partnerships to optimise their behaviour on the market. The use of such tools and methodologies makes groups of small CHP plants able to replace large power stations and, at the same time, allows for the integration of a higher share of RES in the electricity supply, resulting in a decrease in both fossil fuels and CO2 emissions.     

Designing the sustainable product-service integration: a product-service blueprint approach

As a means for providing the sustainable production and consumption, the concept of product-service system (PSS) has received increasing attention. What is at the core in the PSS is the design, since it determines the distinctive characteristics and quality of PSS. Even though some tools have been suggested for PSS design, previous tools mainly focus on identifying the relationship between actors in a conceptual level. Despite the fact that it is significant and cannot be neglected, what is more important in a practical situation is to represent the detailed flow or relationship of PSS elements, with the consideration of products and services. In response, this paper proposes a ‘‘product-service blueprint’ which is a new and systematic way to elucidate the relationship between products and services, providing the implication of how PSS can provide the sustainable production and consumption. Employing the service blueprint as a starting point, new areas, lines, and symbols are introduced to represent the distinctive features of PSS. The proposed product-service blueprint represents the product use throughout the life cycle, service flow from the management to the customer, and the relationship between products and services. Taken together, the product-service blueprint will help both managers and researchers to promote the product-service integration under the concrete framework.     

Product-service systems in the automotive industry: the case of micro-factory retailing

Solutions to the economic and environmental impacts of the automotive industry have largely focused on technological innovation at the level of products or processes. This paper argues that, in order to achieve sustainability, change processes must be undertaken at the functional and systemic level.The concept of product-service systems (PSS) represents a valuable opportunity to introduce such changes. PSS is predicated on new forms of product ownership, stewardship, design and producer–consumer interaction. The challenge now is to investigate ways in which the PSS concept might be introduced at the empirical level.The paper suggests that the adoption of micro-factory retailing (MFR) ideas offer a means of introducing such a system-level change in the automotive industry. MFR is based on novel approaches to vehicle design that facilitate the economic viability of small-scale localised manufacturing sites. It is argued that such an approach to vehicle production, allows the adoption of a full scale PSS at local levels. Furthermore, via aspects such as the unification of the commerce and manufacturing function, and the proximity of manufacturing and servicing sites to users, the MFR approach may also offer distinct advantages compared with prevailing visions of PSS.     

EcoDesign: what's happening? An overview of the subject area of EcoDesign and of the papers in this special issue

EcoDesign is a concept including human sustainability priorities together with business interrelations. Its main objective in the improvement of product development methods is to reduce environmental loads. EcoDesign also includes a more open ambition to use inspiration from a wider field of positive examples of smart products and methods, effective system solutions and attractive designs. It is not clear what sustainable product development is; what we can do is to try our best to find better solutions, get going and make sure that we learn from what happens. Our main goal with this issue was to monitor “How to make it happen?” but we ended up with more questions and the lower ambition of, “What's happening”.Life-style elements such as brand label economy, development of new economies in Asia, aging populations in the old economies etc. makes the picture even more complex and we still wonder, “How to make it happen”. However, a few focal points can be observed:The tools in EcoDesign are not as important as specification and goal setting in early product development phases. How to organize product development is crucial in order to reach higher degrees of sustainability. The interrelations between resources and functionality must be enhanced. Environmental affection must be integrated into the human life-style and throughout the entire life-cycle of all products and services. To us it seems impossible to define a sustainable life-style and force everyone to follow. We must engage all stakeholders in envisioning and creating the sustainable societies we hope to achieve.     

Product service systems in the automobile industry: contribution to system innovation?

This article investigates the actual and potential contribution that product service systems (PSSs) can make in moving beyond incremental technological improvements towards a focus on behavioural changes and system innovation in the automobile industry. It begins by discussing the means by which existing and planned PSS initiatives can be evaluated in terms of their contribution towards innovation at the system level in the automotive industry. Building on and expanding earlier work, it is suggested that they should be assessed against an expanded set of five key evaluative criteria including: evidence of ‘higher-order’ learning amongst stakeholders; changes in infrastructure and institutional practice; changes in vehicle design, manufacture and end-of-life management; changes in vehicle ownership structure; and changes in modes of producer–user interactions. Following this discussion, the article provides a structured overview of some current and planned PSS initiatives at the empirical level in the automotive industry. The identified initiatives are then assessed against the key evaluative criteria in an effort to reveal their actual or potential contribution to meeting the sustainability challenges of the automotive industry. Based on this exercise, it is argued that since most current initiatives do not unify these key elements of a PSS in a single coherent system they do not constitute ‘complete’ versions of PSS, and therefore, fail to deliver the full range of envisaged benefits in contributing towards system innovation. The article concludes by outlining some key areas for future research into potential strategies to address such challenges.     

The role of public policy in advancement of product service systems

This article discusses developments in the area of product service systems (PSS) and the need to facilitate the proliferation of the PSS approach through public policies. The article argues that policies that establish the framework conditions for environmental improvement are preferable to detailed legislation as they favour environmentally superior PSS. However, there is also a need for more specifically targeted policy measures that stimulate knowledge creation and dissemination in the PSS area. This article suggests that informative policy measures should be used by authorities and reviews the results from the functional programme of the Swedish EPA as an example of this type of policy.     

Second Chance Game: local (university-community) partnerships for global awareness and responsibility

This paper reviews the evolution of an inter-organizational partnership between Ball State University and local organizations to develop the Second Chance Game (SCG), an environmental education sustainability awareness game that has been tested with sixth grade students in Muncie, Indiana and that has become a part of the educational program of the Minnetrista Cultural Center and Oakhurst Gardens. The SCG game helps students discover how to live responsibly on the land, and to understand that every decision they make (to obtain and process food, mine or harvest resources, build shelters, produce and consume products) has an impact on local and regional systems and resource-flows. In this paper, partnerships are presented as a strategy to help organizations deal with similar challenges and also as a strategy to increase global awareness about environmental issues and to build environmental responsibility. The authors discuss partnerships using the SCG as a case study. First, the authors review the process of formation, evolution, and maintenance of the partnership to design the SCG game and other components. They then present the game and a stand-alone preparatory program for middle school teachers to help their students play the game, as specific products. The paper closes with a reflection about the potential of partnerships for sustainable development initiatives between universities and local stakeholders.     

Product-Service Systems: reviewing achievements and refining the research agenda

This special issue on Product-Service Systems: reviewing achievements and refining the research agenda shows the progress that has been made in the PSS field in the last decade, including various national and international research projects and companies' initiatives, important achievements and gaps at theoretical and practical levels. Most of the papers can be of interest to practitioners, company managers and consultants, since they present methods and tools for helping companies to shift towards PSS in environmentally sound ways and to evaluate the outcomes of the shift. In addition, this issue can be of interest to the research community since it evaluates the progress in the PSS field and outlines a future research agenda.     

Product service systems as systemic cures for obese consumption and production

Many environmental and social problems emerged from our modern production and consumption habits are comparable with the symptoms of physical obesity. Based on this metaphor, effective approaches in obesity treatment can serve as a good reference in order to respond to over-consumption problems. Instead of stressing consumers to change their behaviours, we can attract them by means of providing appropriately designed PSS offers and giving them the opportunities to become aware of better alternatives. Successful examples seem to document support for the hypothesis that, ‘the multidimensional and dynamic approaches are the most promising diet solutions, which can lead to a leaner production and consumption figure.’     

The transfer and application of Product Service Systems: from academia to UK manufacturing firms

The servicisation of many advanced economies is thought by many commentators to provide opportunities to move society away from unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. The concept of the Product Service System (PSS) has been conceptualised in academic circles to assist in the attainment of such desirable futures. This paper reports the findings of research conducted as part of the SOLiD project which considered the transfer and application of the PSS concept from academia to industry in the United Kingdom. It draws upon theories from evolutionary economics to provide a rationale for the transfer of the PSS concept and the role of this in achieving desirable technological change. The paper also identifies an appropriate methodology to transfer the PSS concept from UK academic circles to industry and the factors which impact upon, and importantly lead to, the successful completion of this process. The combination of theoretical insight with case study research is used to develop a framework that could help UK based intermediaries to complete the transfer of the PSS concept. This is seen as an integral part of public policies aimed at stimulating sustainable patterns of production and consumption.     

Contributions to eco-design of machine-to-machine product service systems: the example of waste glass collection

Efficient waste management is necessary in order to face up to increasing quantities of waste generated in modern societies. A technical solution using a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) enhanced Product-Service System (PSS) for bring-in waste glass collection is identified. Methodology based on Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is proposed. The results help understand the mechanisms of M2M PSS. Possible improvements are explored and the study shows how the PSS infrastructure impacts the environment. It examines the influence of major organisational parameters and contributes to eco-design and dimensioning of the M2M PSS. It reveals the interest of mutualisation to reduce environmental impacts and shows the importance of limiting data exchanges. It argues for the use of multi-criteria LCA on the complete system including the telecom infrastructures and employs realistic use scenarios derived from field studies.     

Product-service systems for office furniture: barriers and opportunities on the European market

The environmental problems associated with office furniture consumption call for a more efficient use of office furniture that can decrease emissions and volume of waste. The author discusses the opportunities and barriers for the implementation of a PSS for office furniture. In addition, the paper identifies possibilities to overcome these barriers. The article is based on interviews with European office furniture producers, customers and experts that were confronted with a PSS scenario that was developed based on literature. The author concludes that the practical implementation of the developed PSS scenario will probably not lead to much success under the current market conditions and suggests how the PSS scenario can be adjusted to offer environmental benefits and to provide alternative business models to producers.     

Product-services as a research field: past,present and future. Reflections from a decade of research

In the last decade many researchers, institutes and programs in the EU paid attention to product-service systems (PSS). Given this massive effort, it is time to take stock. Is PSS research a theoretical field in its own right? Is the PSS concept indeed the road to the Factor 10 world? Is it the road to enhanced competitiveness? What is needed to really use the potential of the concept? This paper discusses these questions summarizing the analysis done in the PSS review book ‘New Business for Old Europe’, various EU sponsored projects and the conceptual approach chosen in a new research network on Sustainable Consumption and Production, called SCORE!     

微波消解逐时络合光度法快速测定聚合铝溶液中的总铝含量

聚合铝中的3种铝形态及其总铝含量的传统测定方法分别为Al-Ferron逐时络合光度法和EDTA络合滴定法．这2种方法各自存在着许多不足之处．将微波消解技术应用于逐时络合比色法以便快速测定聚合铝溶液中的总铝含量．研究表明：（1）Ferron混合显色液配制好后存放与否对测定结果的影响很大,用微波辐射处理Ferron混合显色液30s后即可使用,克服了传统光度法中必须存放5d的缺点;（2）微波消解极大地缩短了聚合铝与Ferron之间的解聚／络合反应时间,聚合铝显色溶液微波消解2min即可方便地定量测定铝盐水处理剂中的总铝含量,克服了传统络合滴定法的不足和烦琐．同时用改进的Al-Ferron逐时络合比色法验证了这种总铝测定方法的可行性．     

The development of a microscale strain measurement system applied to sheet bulge hydroforming

Micro and multiscale sheet metal forming processes represent new and attractive solutions to many manufacturing problems. However, evaluating the strains in these products is a difficult endeavor. Larger organizations are utilizing commercially available microscale digital image correlation systems to measure the strains in microscale parts or on macroscale parts with critical microscale features. The cost of these strain measurement systems is preventing smaller research and development organizations from entering this challenging area or they are forgoing the ability to determine strains. The present paper describes the development of a method for creating microscale grids and measuring strains on microscale parts or microscale locations on larger parts. The method developed was able to measure true strains up to 0.618 for square grids that are 127 μm measured from center-to-center. Microscale strains resulting from sheet bulge hydroforming experiments using 11 mm, 5 mm, and 1 mm diameter dies were evaluated and material properties of the sheet metal were estimated based upon the strains measured in conjunction with FEA simulations and compared to analytical solutions and microscale tension tests. The material properties determined using the strains and FEM approach were consistent with the other methods.     

Environmental education: new paradigms and engineering syllabus

The issue of sustainability places particular demands on engineers to become more ‘connoisseur’ of the roots of the problems, in addition to being ‘trained’ in problem solution techniques that emphasize holistic approaches (for both the social and ecological environment). We have introduced the new E3 model, as outlined here, to chemical engineering students, with an integrated approach to translate ‘generic’ common-sense pollution prevention strategies (design, operation) into definite problems where engineering science can be put into action. New tools (such as minimization hierarchy and life cycle), as well as abilities both to identify and evaluate environmental problems, and to propose, select and implement solutions, provide methods for understanding a problem and for mitigating it through (re)design of a product or process, by emphasizing basic approaches to analysis, synthesis and integration. Additionally, control technologies can be systematized, including the best available selection procedures on which the emission limits are based. Awareness, institutional factors and normative-ethical aspects are also considered.     

数据组合处理方法(GMDH)建立河流水质模型初探

本文主要探讨以PSS为准则的改进型数据组合处理方法(GMDH)在河流水质模型化中的应用,提出在建模前进行变量的预选择以及根据PSS准则、相对误差和模型的物理意义选出最佳的模型,并以洋河有机物的预测模型为实例进行了考察。改进的GMDH具有自选择变量、自组织结构、快速建模的功能,且所建的模型具有良好的物理意义。     

Qualitative and quantitative tool development to support environmentally responsible decisions

The Centre for Design at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia has developed various quantitative and qualitative tools to support decision-making by industry and government partners in product design and policy development. The aim, in general, is to support development of attractive, functional, marketable products while enhancing their environmental performance. Depending on the product, the project scope and the client, the tools that are used can be anything from a half-day char-rette, environmental checklist, to a one-year life cycle assessment (LCA).In this paper we describe our approach and the various tools that have been developed by the research team at the Centre over recent years with the use of case studies. The paper argues that it is important for tool development to be based on solid research and information, but the key to influencing product design decisions is the translation of this information into a usable format for the users.