Abstract
KEYWORDS End-of-life car recycling, Agent-based platform, Knowledge sharing
The paper details an innovative research project titled: "European Multi-threaded Dynamic SME Networks for Market-Driven ELV Recycling." With the acronym: E-MULT. The recycling is an industrial area which urgently needs development and introduction of advanced ICT networking technology, keeping in mind that: (1) for recycling, being crucial in achieving a global sustainable development through saving growing amounts of primary materials, and in diminishing global pollution, an interregional networking is the only way to effectively assure sustainability, and (2) the requirements upon networking technology in recycling are exceptionally complex.
The networking of recycling SMEs on trans-regional and transnational basis, especially between SMEs in new and old Europe is, more than in any other domain, a 'conditio sine qua non'. E-Mult intends to develop a set of advanced agent-based ICT solutions, to support establishment and operation of dynamic multi-regional and transnational networks of car recycling SMEs, and an appropriate methodology.
The specific complexity represents a multi-threaded character of networks, i.e. the participation of each SME in several value chains causing strong interconnection of networks. To facilitate the achievement of the strategic objectives, targeting highly dynamic business models, the consortium has identified 4 key RTD problems to be solved. As a result E-Mult will provide innovative solutions to these problems in the form of (1) Set of free SW Building Blocks of a highly scalable, open architecture, agent-based platform for operation of dynamic networks of SMEs, including powerful distributed decision support system for network management and infrastructure for knowledge sharing, (2) methodology to model, establish and operate dynamic networks of recycling SMEs, (3) 2 business cases addressing establishment of 2 networks, including SMEs from new and old EU member countries, and enabling the verification of the developed results. The E-Mult system will be an effective means to build dynamic networks of recycling SMEs and will provide innovative infrastructure for operation of these networks. The highly diverse and flexible ICT solution to revolutionize efficiency in ELV recycling will enable these SMEs to perform on a par with other industry and will give them an extreme flexibility, thus enabling them to go beyond the capabilities of the current approach taken by SMEs in many other sectors.