APRÈN. Portal de la producció docent del professorat de la UPC

This thesis examines the problems with environmental sustainability in Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa's polymer industries, with an emphasis on waste management techniques and plastic pollution. The study intends to evaluate current recycling processes, assess the substantial environmental damage that plastic waste causes in these nations, and suggest ways to improve sustainability in the polymer industry. Although South Africa boasts a rather advanced recycling system, Algeria and Egypt encounter considerable obstacles as a result of inadequate technology and low public awareness. The research illustrates the disparities in plastic usage, garbage output, and recycling infrastructure among the three nations through a comparative analysis. The thesis delves at global partnerships, like South Africa's involvement in the Global Plastic Action Partnership, that are designed to tackle the issue of plastic waste. The paper suggests solutions to these problems, such as implementing a blockchain-enabled plastic credit system that encourages recycling and waste management accountability. The results indicate that governmental improvements, increased public knowledge, and better recycling infrastructure are necessary to lessen the negative environmental effects of the polymer industry in Africa. If followed, these suggestions could improve resource conservation, promote the growth of a circular economy, and drastically reduce the amount of plastic garbage produced

This thesis investigates process improvement for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging points by Elecnor for Endesa X, focusing on optimizing workflow, reducing inefficiencies, and maintaining high-quality standards in the installation of 100 charging points annually. The primary objectives of the project are to install these charging points efficiently, ensuring quality, minimizing costs, and achieving customer satisfaction. Additionally, the project aims to enhance the skills of the project team through continuous improvement and training initiatives. The adopted methodology combines waterfall and agile project management approaches to ensure thorough planning and flexibility during execution. Key components include the project charter, scope management plan, cost management plan, quality plan, and risk management plan. Process improvement techniques such as Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Flowchart are used to identify and address inefficiencies. Detailed scheduling with Gantt charts and critical path analysis ensures precise task sequencing and dependency identification. Implementing the project management plan leads to significant improvements. The use of detailed scheduling tools allows for real-time adjustments, keeping the project on track despite delays. Quality control tools such as Pareto charts and control diagrams maintain high standards. The project management plan is crucial for achieving the objectives, providing a structured approach to managing scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and communication. The project's success underscores the importance of comprehensive planning to deliver complex infrastructure projects on time and within budget. Additionally, integrating community participation and renewable energy considerations has a positive impact on the project's environmental and social aspects. This thesis demonstrates how effective project management enhances the efficiency and reliability of EV charging point installations, supporting broader adoption of electric vehicles and contributing to sustainable transportation initiatives

This thesis endeavors to present a comprehensive overview of the global state of solid propellant technology. Its genesis lies in the imperative to furnish contextual backing for a patent conceived, titled Photo-polymerization for additive manufacturing of composite solid propellants, aimed at subsequent coherent market analysis. Solid propellants represent pivotal constituents utilized as propulsion fuel in rockets, missiles, and analogous systems. Comprised of solid chemical compounds—such as polymers, aluminum compounds, or graphite dioxide—combined with oxidizers and adjunctive additives, these materials furnish a steadfast energy source and exhibit prolonged stability, rendering them versatile for multifarious applications encompassing rocketry, launcher mechanisms, fire extinguishing agents, and airbag expansion. This work assumes the form of a Patent Landscape Report (PLR), wherein meticulous data processing and manipulation from a discerningly curated Patent Database will distill pertinent information and delineate trends germane to solid propellant technology. Patents are recognized as potent repositories of information, and PLRs are purposefully devised to distill intrinsic insights from these documents, thereby evaluating the extant technological progress within a sector and furnishing strategic support to companies and institutions within the field. Additionally, this endeavor aspires to provide an encompassing contextual understanding of solid propellants by delineating the distinct stages within the production process. Moreover, it endeavors to proffer an exhaustive introduction to the realm of patents, facilitating a robust foundational understanding pivotal for a more nuanced comprehension of the ensuing analytical processes. The exploration and analysis of the collected data will be executed utilizing R, an opensource programming language widely acclaimed for its prowess in data manipulation and visualization. Such an approach ensures comprehensive visual reinforcement for this scholarly pursuit. Subsequently, the outcomes gleaned from the varied analyses will be synthesized, thereby spotlighting key trends and insights in the conclusive and final deliberations

This thesis undertook a comprehensive exploration, weaving together theoretical foundations, practical applications, and real-world implications at the intersection of project management and advanced technologies. The initial chapters meticulously defined projects, project managers, and the complexities inherent in project landscapes. Current project management methodologies were dissected, providing a solid backdrop for the subsequent investigations. A significant focus was placed on big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, delving beyond theoretical definitions. This exploration led to the formulation of a unique framework, guiding the subsequent investigations into the practical implementation of data-driven approaches in project management. The thesis critically examined methodologies, scrutinized a real-world case study, and investigated implementation methods, applications, and benefits of data-driven techniques. Qualitative research played a pivotal role, diving into the depths of data-driven techniques, tools, and the intricate process of implementation. The real-world adaptation of these approaches was closely scrutinized, with a detailed comparison between current and datadriven methodologies. The challenges and limitations of implementing such transformative approaches were examined. The culmination of the quantitative research was a comprehensive survey, capturing the perspectives of fourteen project managers. These survey findings were intricately compared and contrasted with the qualitative results, creating a robust synthesis of insights from both research methodologies. In conclusion, this thesis presents a holistic view of project management in the digital age. By seamlessly integrating theoretical foundations, practical applications, and empirical research, it advocates for the strategic integration of data-driven approaches. The comparison between traditional and data-driven methodologies, coupled with a thorough understanding of challenges and benefits, positions this work as a valuable resource for practitioners and researchers navigating the evolving landscape of project management. The synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings enriches the discourse, offering a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the transformative potential embedded in the fusion of traditional project management principles with innovative data-driven methodologies

In the modern business environment with rapid technological changes, the adoption of agile methodologies within large organizations has increased dramatically. This thesis aims to shed light on the scaling of agile methods, focusing on two widely adopted scaling frameworks: SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) and LeSS (Large Scale Scrum). The primary objective is to gain insights into the methods, challenges, and success factors associated with large-scale agile transformations from 2017 to 2023. The research conducts a systematic literature review which analyzes 15 case studies published between 2017 and 2023. The study provides key findings relating to agile methods, challenges, and success factors, providing a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape of large-scale agile transformations. The research revealed four agile methods are frequently adopted: Scrum, Lean, Kanban, and Extreme Programming (XP). Scrum showed up to be the most used method, followed by Lean and Kanban. Combining agile methods is also common, such as integrating Scrum, XP, and Lean or adopting hybrid methods like Scrumban. Nine themes of challenges were uncovered, with communication and coordination, culture and mindset, and management and strategy as the main challenges. All challenges were further organized into subthemes, offering detailed insights into issues such as information gaps, lack of vision, and coordination struggles among teams. The thesis also identified ten themes of success factors, addressing most of the challenge themes. Communication and coordination, management and strategy, and requirements engineering stood out as primary contributors to successful large-scale agile transformations. Subthemes within each success factor category provide a detailed understanding of the individual factors driving success

This research explores the challenges and strategies in finance and control within Product as a Service, especially focusing on Advanced Services. Employing a mixed-method approach, including interviews, surveys, and workshops with industry experts, uncovers the financial complexities and controlling mechanisms in PaaS environments. The study provides new insights into cost understanding, revenue models, pricing strategies, cash flow management, and adherence to financial standards, thereby offering significant value to both practitioners and academics in advanced services management and finance

This thesis focuses on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in project management, examining all the advantages ,effects in project performance while highlighting the challenges. The thesis takes a broad perspective at how Ai is currently being used in multiple industries through the various study cases done by big companies including Tesla, IBM and Siemens-AG. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research techniques such as surveys and statistics analysis to assess the professionals' opinions and their experiences with AI's integration in project management. The results showed how AI affects the industries by improving productivity and efficiency while it also poses a security threat.The conceptual framework addresses the opportunities presented by utilizing AI in project management and offers a roadmap for a successful and easy integration within the company. The importance of AI is highlighted in the conclusion as a technology that established new norms in the industry and is seeking to do more

This thesis delves into the intricate dynamics of culture and other determinants on consumer attitudes towards sustainable consumption, a pivotal element in realizing the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically addressing Goal 12, which focuses on sustainable consumption and production patterns. By employing a systematic review methodology, the study critically analyzed 95 quantitative research articles published between 2019 and 2023. The aim was to dissect and understand the myriad of factors influencing sustainable consumption behavior (SCB) across various cultural landscapes globally. The findings illuminate the profound impact of cultural variations on SCB. Particularly in cross-continental studies, it was evident that cultural dimensions such as collectivism, longterm orientation, and locus of control exhibited divergent influences in different countries, notably between Eastern and Western societies. However, certain factors, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, showed a universal impact on sustainable consumption across diverse cultures. By systematically synthesizing this information, the thesis identified 36 sustainable consumption factors and further organized them into 12 categories from a stakeholder perspective. This comprehensive categorization significantly enhances the practical understanding and application of sustainable consumption strategies in various sectors and cultural settings. For future work, the thesis recommends expanding the scope of academic databases to include a broader and more current range of sources. Additionally, conducting multinational quantitative research, particularly focusing on the role of cultural differences in power distance and locus of control, is advised to provide clearer insights into the cultural context's impact on SCB. This will not only broaden the application of Hofstede's cultural dimensions but also enhance the development of more effective SCB policies and practices across diverse cultural settings, contributing to the global discourse on sustainability and aiding in the achievement of the SDGs

In the current context of increasing environmental awareness and the global transition towards more sustainable energy sources, the energy sector is impacting by the well-known energy transition. This study explores the financial implications of this transition, focusing on predicting energy stock prices, for companies operating in both the renewable energy and conventional energy sectors. Previous research has yielded inconsistent results, motivating a deeper understanding of the correlation between the energy transition and financial markets. From this perspective, the mains contribution that this study aims to make are two. First investigating the connection among investors sentiment towards the energy transition and its impact on the prediction of stock prices for the previous subset of listed companies. Secondly, the tool which leads the whole research is the Artificial Intelligence and particularly if its utilisation can significantly improve the predictions compared to traditional methods. In order to answer to these questions, three main algorithms were tested: traditional timeseries analysis algorithm (Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average model); machine learning algorithm (Long Short Term Memory model); machine learning algorithm with the addition of the investors sentiment index (Long Short Term Memory model plus the index extracted by all the news related to the energy transition at free disposal on the web, which included journal header, tweets, published research and more). As the results shown, both the previous statements are supported by analytical results. Almost the totality of companies investigated show better performances when AI model were used and the introduction of the investors sentiment index improves them. The research makes significant contributions by highlighting the relationship between investor sentiment, energy transition, and energy stock prices. The incorporation of AI techniques, particularly LSTM with sentiment analysis, p

The European cleantech sector has flourished in the past decade, positioning itself as a leader in innovation. However, challenges persist in scaling and industrializing these technologies. Europe's ambition to claim a significant share of the 650 billion euro clean technology market by 2030 necessitates addressing gaps in growth equity and scale-up finance for sustained competitiveness. The European Green Deal (EGD) establishes legally binding objectives for both the EU and its member states, requiring new regulations and revisions to facilitate an eco-friendly transition. On February 1, 2023, the Commission presented the Green Deal Industrial Plan in Brussels, aiming to bolster the EU's manufacturing capacity for net-zero technologies. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, envisions Europe leading in clean technology development, promoting quality jobs, innovation, and mass production. European entrepreneurs stress the importance of streamlining regulations, ensuring fair competition, and addressing funding gaps. To quantitatively assess these challenges, this thesis conducts a survey involving 332 companies from 25 European nations. The participants align with the cleantech sector's mission (73 percent) , driven by business opportunities (59 percent) and regulatory compliance (27 percent). Challenges include strict regulations (22 percent), technological complexities (17 percent), and limited external financing (17 percent). Environmental, product safety, and operational safety policies significantly impact companies, emphasizing the need for a simplified regulatory environment. Access to finance proves challenging for 66 companies, citing complex application processes and high competition. Current financing methods include internal funds, bank debt, and grants, with considerations for future options like green/ESG bonds and hybrid financing. Skill shortages, notably in design (15 percent) and intellectual property (13 percent), are evident. Supply chain preferences prioritize European suppliers for quality (29 percent) and price (25 percent), with limited recourse exclusively to local suppliers. Despite confidence in Green Deal transparency, concerns persist about ambitious goals. Companies express optimism about achieving net-zero, but less certainty surrounds national and EU targets. The thesis aims to bridge qualitative insights and quantitative data, offering a comprehensive understanding of challenges and opportunities in the European cleantech sector. Findings intend to guide policymakers and serve as the foundation for subsequent research lines of the CLEU project, acknowledging limitations such as sample biases and temporal constraints inherent in the dynamic cleantech sector

Several studies have investigated whether there is a relationship between diversity on a company's board of directors and its performance. The diversity considered has been mainly gender and ethnicity, with a few studies also investigating that of education and age. The results obtained varied, with some studies finding no relationships and others finding positive or negative ones. This study will focus on the Italian region of Piedmont, which is characterized by the presence of hi-tech and low-tech firms (such as wineries) and aims to investigate and verify the existence of a link between gender and ethnic diversity and firm performance in terms of ROA and ROE. To do so, three data sets were analysed: one with startups only, one with manufacturing companies, and the last one combining the previous two. The analysis technique used is that of linear regression. Diversity was modelled as Blau indices and represents the independent variables. ROA and ROE, on the other hand, are the dependent variables. Company size, modelled as the logarithm of revenue, is instead used as the control variable. The models analyse the independent variables first individually and then jointly. The results report the nonexistence of a relationship in almost all cases, evidenced by very high p-values and very low adjusted R squares. These findings are also reflected in the literature reviewed. In contrast, the mixed sample reports a negative relationship between ethnic diversity and ROA and ROE, with very negative coefficients and highly significant p-values; however, the R square remains quite low. These results may be due to three main reasons: nationality mix increases transaction and communication costs, greater innovation by mixed boards leads to worse results in the short run and nationality mix does not add value to the company