OVERVIEW

The course directs the need for engineers to develop solutions that have the potential to address the current global challenges by providing products, services and processes taking into consideration capacities and local constraints to pursue a socio-technical context economically, socially and environmentally sustainable by a perspective Technological. The resources required for manufacturing and the use of these products are limited and not equally distributed in the world. Resources available locally, local capacities as well as constraints must be development guidelines for product innovations and process compared to the entire product life cycle.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide a 'toolbox' to support sustainable manufacturing practices for the engineer supporting manufacturing companies for the reduction of inputs, waste and costs, for the improvement of efficiency, the increase in performance. production and competitiveness. Learn about the digital evolution of production systems with particular reference to the Industry 4.0 paradigm, and the analysis of issues related to improving the efficiency of manufacturing systems. Evaluate the production processes and planning of the industrial production of products. Acquire a holistic system perspective by integrating social, environmental, economic and technological factors

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with conceptual and methodological tools to understand and govern the sustainable transformation of industrial systems through:

• understanding the relationships among sustainability, competitiveness and industrial transformation;
• analyzing industrial systems as complex and interdependent socio-technical systems;
• understanding the relationships among energy, materials, production processes and industrial performance;
• using lifecycle approaches to evaluate products, processes and production systems;
• the ability to identify trade-offs among efficiency, sustainability, resilience and competitiveness;
• understanding the role of digital transition in supporting industrial sustainability;
• introducing evaluation and decision-support tools for the sustainable transformation of manufacturing companies.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• understand the main causes of unsustainability in contemporary industrial systems and their related production, energy and territorial implications;
• interpret industrial and manufacturing systems as socio-technical systems characterized by multiple interdependencies;
• correlate production, logistics and service activities with the main dimensions of industrial sustainability;
• analyze energy, material and resource flows in production systems;
• apply introductory lifecycle thinking concepts to the evaluation of industrial products and processes;
• identify opportunities for improvement in terms of resource efficiency, impact reduction and operational robustness;
• understand the role of digitalization and data in the sustainable transformation of production systems;
• critically evaluate trade-offs among economic, environmental, social and operational performance;
• interpret industrial sustainability indicators and support simple multi-objective decisions;
• communicate sustainability challenges and possible transformation strategies in industrial contexts.

PREREQUISITES

None.

TEACHING METHODS

The course is organized through:

• interactive lectures;
• discussion of real industrial cases;
• guided analysis of industrial transformation case studies;
• exercises on indicators, comparative evaluations and scenarios;
• use of multimedia materials and industrial documentation;
• supplementary teaching materials made available through AulaWeb.

Attendance is higly recommended.

Classes will be supported by teaching materials in both Italian and English.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. Industrial systems and contemporary sustainability challenges

• Limitations of contemporary industrial systems
• Energy, materials, supply disruption and scarcity of resources
• Relationship among sustainability, competitiveness and industrial resilience

2. Industrial systems as socio-technical systems

• Interdependencies among technology, organization and territory
• Industrial stakeholders and complex systems
• Trade-offs among efficiency, sustainability and performance

3. Lifecycle thinking and industrial metabolism

• Introduction to lifecycle thinking
• Material flow and energy flow analysis
• Circular economy and circular industrial systems
• Embedded impacts in products and processes

4. Sustainable manufacturing and operations

• Eco-efficiency and resource productivity
• Resilient production systems
• Industrial improvement strategies
• Waste reduction and operational robustness

5. Twin transition: digital and sustainable

• Role of digitalization in industrial sustainability
• Industrial data and performance monitoring
• Cyber-physical systems and decision support
• Introduction to sustainable factory paradigms

6. Evaluation and decision support

• Industrial sustainability indicators
• Environmental, energy and production KPIs
• Introduction to multi-criteria evaluation
• Scenario analysis and industrial trade-offs

7. Sustainable transformation of industrial systems

• Industrial strategies for sustainable transition
• Industrial decarbonization
• Sustainable and resilient supply chains
• Discussion of real industrial cases

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Course slides, scientific articles, industrial case studies and supplementary materials provided by the instructor through AulaWeb.

Additional bibliographic references may be communicated during the course according to the topics discussed.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/en/corsi/11959/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Assessment includes a written examination consisting of theoretical questions, discussion of industrial case studies and applied exercises related to the sustainability of industrial systems, performance evaluation and the analysis of transformation scenarios.

The oral examination may complement the final assessment.

Exam in presence at the teacher's office in Via All'Opera Pia 15.
Registration will take place on the scheduled dates of electronic registration of the vote available on the WebCalendario Esami.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it ), the School's disability liaison.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The course assessment will be structured through three components:

1. Written examination (60% of the final grade)

The written examination will include theoretical questions, applied exercises, discussion of industrial cases and scenario analysis related to industrial sustainability, performance evaluation and sustainable transformation processes.

The examination will assess:

• understanding of the main theoretical concepts covered during the course;
• ability to interpret complex industrial problems;
• ability to apply conceptual and methodological tools to real industrial contexts;
• ability to evaluate trade-offs among economic, environmental, social and operational dimensions.

2. Oral examination on course topics (30% of the final grade)

The oral examination will assess the understanding of course topics and the student’s ability to connect different concepts, interpret complex problems and critically discuss industrial cases and scenarios.

The following aspects will also be evaluated:

• quality of presentation;
• proper use of specialized terminology;
• critical reasoning ability;
• ability to integrate technological, industrial and socio-technical perspectives.

3. Classroom attendance and contribution to discussion (10% of the final grade)

Active participation in lectures, discussions and case-study sessions will contribute to the final evaluation.

The quality of contributions, the ability to ask relevant questions and participation in classroom discussion will be positively evaluated.