The following thesis intends to analyze the Circular Economic and its characteristics and then link it to the concept of Industry 4.0 and its digital technologies to externalize the intrinsic relationships that link these two macro-elements in terms of sustainability and traceability. In particular, we will see how the concept of traceability has evolved, becoming a key factor and increasingly sought after nowadays, both by the European Union and by consumers, who need an ever more significant and more precise degree of information in order to act sustainably and be sure of what they buy or consume. The first part of the thesis focuses on analyzing the general principles of the Circular Economic, investigating the potential advantages, and analyzing the barriers and difficulties that still prevent many realities from adopting this model of consumption. Next, the focus shifts to the Industrial Revolutions, focusing on the key technologies that characterize Industry 4.0 (IoT, cloud, big data, etc.) and how they relate to the Circular Economy. The third chapter focuses on the issue of traceability and how technological progress has been instrumental over the years in providing increasingly detailed and accurate information to consumers. In particular, the primary directives and initiatives that the European Union has chosen to follow to support the Circular Economy will be explained and summarised, focusing on essential obligations imposed on companies in terms of product traceability and circularity, and sustainability of the production process. The last chapter will focus on the case study of EZ Lab S.r.l., an SME from Padua founded in 2014 that today also operates at an international level and represents a concrete reality in digital technologies. Their turnover derives 100% from blockchain projects, which represent the most modern technology to facilitate in total security and reliability the traceability of a product, guaranteeing the operations of the supply chain and promoting sustainable management of the production chain. We will see how the company, which initially only operated in the agri-food sector, is now active with partnerships and collaborations in multiple sectors, demonstrating the importance and versatility of blockchain.
La seguente tesi intende analizzare l'Economia Circolare e le sue caratteristiche per poi collegarla al concetto di Industria 4.0 e alle sue tecnologie digitali per esternare le relazioni intrinseche che legano questi due macro-elementi in termini di sostenibilità e tracciabilità. In particolare, vedremo come il concetto di tracciabilità si sia evoluto nel tempo, diventando un fattore chiave e sempre più ricercato al giorno d'oggi sia dall'Unione Europea che dai consumatori, che necessitano di un grado di informazione sempre più preciso per poter agire in modo sostenibile ed essere sicuri di ciò che acquistano o consumano. La prima parte della tesi si concentra sull'analisi dei principi generali dell'Economia Circolare, indagando i potenziali vantaggi e analizzando le barriere e le difficoltà che ancora impediscono a molte realtà di adottare questo modello di consumo. Successivamente, l'attenzione si sposta sulle Rivoluzioni Industriali, concentrandosi sulle tecnologie chiave che caratterizzano l'Industria 4.0 (IoT, cloud, big data, ecc.) e come si relazionano con l'Economia Circolare. Il terzo capitolo si concentra sul tema della tracciabilità e su come il progresso tecnologico sia stato determinante negli anni per fornire informazioni sempre più dettagliate e precise ai consumatori. In particolare, verranno sintetizzate e analizzate le principali direttive e iniziative che l'Unione Europea ha scelto di seguire per sostenere l'Economia Circolare, concentrandosi sugli obblighi essenziali imposti alle aziende in termini di tracciabilità e circolarità dei prodotti e sostenibilità del processo produttivo. L'ultimo capitolo si concentrerà sul caso studio di EZ Lab S.r.l., una PMI padovana fondata nel 2014 che oggi opera anche a livello internazionale e rappresenta una realtà concreta nell'ambito delle tecnologie digitali. Il loro fatturato deriva al 100% da progetti blockchain, che rappresentano la più moderna tecnologia per facilitare in totale sicurezza e affidabilità la tracciabilità di un prodotto, garantendo l'operatività della filiera e promuovendo una gestione sostenibile della catena produttiva. Vedremo come l'azienda, che inizialmente operava solo nel settore agroalimentare, sia ora attiva con partnership e collaborazioni in più settori, dando prova dell'importanza e della versatilità della blockchain.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND THE RELEVANCE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR PRODUCT TRACEABILITY
TAMBURINI, JACOPO
2021/2022
Abstract
The following thesis intends to analyze the Circular Economic and its characteristics and then link it to the concept of Industry 4.0 and its digital technologies to externalize the intrinsic relationships that link these two macro-elements in terms of sustainability and traceability. In particular, we will see how the concept of traceability has evolved, becoming a key factor and increasingly sought after nowadays, both by the European Union and by consumers, who need an ever more significant and more precise degree of information in order to act sustainably and be sure of what they buy or consume. The first part of the thesis focuses on analyzing the general principles of the Circular Economic, investigating the potential advantages, and analyzing the barriers and difficulties that still prevent many realities from adopting this model of consumption. Next, the focus shifts to the Industrial Revolutions, focusing on the key technologies that characterize Industry 4.0 (IoT, cloud, big data, etc.) and how they relate to the Circular Economy. The third chapter focuses on the issue of traceability and how technological progress has been instrumental over the years in providing increasingly detailed and accurate information to consumers. In particular, the primary directives and initiatives that the European Union has chosen to follow to support the Circular Economy will be explained and summarised, focusing on essential obligations imposed on companies in terms of product traceability and circularity, and sustainability of the production process. The last chapter will focus on the case study of EZ Lab S.r.l., an SME from Padua founded in 2014 that today also operates at an international level and represents a concrete reality in digital technologies. Their turnover derives 100% from blockchain projects, which represent the most modern technology to facilitate in total security and reliability the traceability of a product, guaranteeing the operations of the supply chain and promoting sustainable management of the production chain. We will see how the company, which initially only operated in the agri-food sector, is now active with partnerships and collaborations in multiple sectors, demonstrating the importance and versatility of blockchain.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/10700