MATChE Webinar Series #6: Technology & Data
This Webinar Episode
In this webinar you will learn about readiness of ‘Technology & Data’, which measures your capabilities for the creation of value, through enhanced data management and sharing of the provided solutions. The webinar took place Jan 28, 15:00 - 15:30 and is presented by Professor Tim C. McAloone.
Q&A from the webinar
How does one know what data to collect and how to convert it to useful information and then generate valuable knowledge from it?
- Basically, the idea is to help the company to have a view of the whole value chain and their product lifecycle to identify where to make the opportunities.
- One of our very helpful tools can be found on our website under tools and if you filter for Technology & Data you can see all the relevant ones. One really good one is the Data Science Process. This tool is helping us to understand how to really step through to prepare the data, to validate the data, to model it, and so forth. It also support the companies in identifying what data they have available and how it can prove useful.
So technology can help us solve some of these issues, but hasn’t new technology and how quickly it is outdated also put on in a situation of overconsumption?
- We are adding electronics to products, which also add complexity in the end-of-life treatment of the products. That is exactly why we need a systemic view on circular economy implementation, where we also consider the design for reusability and recyclability in the first place. We should also remember that the electronics are consuming energy during their use phase, which of course should be minimized.
How sustainable is it to add electronics and IoT into all sorts of products?
- It depends on how active we are going to use the data. It is different to balance, but if we can justify the prolonged lifetime or improved efficiency then it should be implemented.
What are your thoughts on how non-manufacturing organisations can leverage technology and data to mainstream circular economy in their service/value offering?
- There is still lots of potential for other companies. This can be e.g. platforms to manage the data and products or allow consumers to share them.
About MATChE
Having a sense of the current situation and defining where to start, is the first step in any transition. But how can you know where your opportunities for circular economy lie and how ready you are to act on them? The MATChE Readiness Assessment is a free online tool, that allows you and your colleagues to assess your company’s readiness for circular economy, understand your strengths and opportunities, and define the right area of the company to focus your transition on first. Behind the assessment and process for increasing company readiness for circular economy is the MATChE methodology. The methodology builds on research and scientific studies done at the Technical University of Denmark, considers 8 dimensions of business operations that is critical to consider, for transitioning to a circular business. The multi-dimensional approach is needed, as circular economy is a wide ranging topic, that can include all areas of your company.
