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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 April 2024

Ilse Valenzuela Matus, Jorge Lino Alves, Joaquim Góis, Paulo Vaz-Pires and Augusto Barata da Rocha

The purpose of this paper is to review cases of artificial reefs built through additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and analyse their ecological goals, fabrication process…

1418

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review cases of artificial reefs built through additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and analyse their ecological goals, fabrication process, materials, structural design features and implementation location to determine predominant parameters, environmental impacts, advantages, and limitations.

Design/methodology/approach

The review analysed 16 cases of artificial reefs from both temperate and tropical regions. These were categorised based on the AM process used, the mortar material used (crucial for biological applications), the structural design features and the location of implementation. These parameters are assessed to determine how effectively the designs meet the stipulated ecological goals, how AM technologies demonstrate their potential in comparison to conventional methods and the preference locations of these implementations.

Findings

The overview revealed that the dominant artificial reef implementation occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Seas, both accounting for 24%. The remaining cases were in the Australian Sea (20%), the South Asia Sea (12%), the Persian Gulf and the Pacific Ocean, both with 8%, and the Indian Sea with 4% of all the cases studied. It was concluded that fused filament fabrication, binder jetting and material extrusion represent the main AM processes used to build artificial reefs. Cementitious materials, ceramics, polymers and geopolymer formulations were used, incorporating aggregates from mineral residues, biological wastes and pozzolan materials, to reduce environmental impacts, promote the circular economy and be more beneficial for marine ecosystems. The evaluation ranking assessed how well their design and materials align with their ecological goals, demonstrating that five cases were ranked with high effectiveness, ten projects with moderate effectiveness and one case with low effectiveness.

Originality/value

AM represents an innovative method for marine restoration and management. It offers a rapid prototyping technique for design validation and enables the creation of highly complex shapes for habitat diversification while incorporating a diverse range of materials to benefit environmental and marine species’ habitats.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 30 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2024

Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez

Environmental protection and conservation have been closely linked with the promotion of sustainable tourism across destinations. This is underpinned by the assumption that the…

Abstract

Environmental protection and conservation have been closely linked with the promotion of sustainable tourism across destinations. This is underpinned by the assumption that the environment and tourism have an interdependent relationship – where tourism activities need to support the preservation and conservation of environmental areas so that such economic activities can be sustained. That is a balance must be struck between the two. Within these two areas, women have been recognized to play a crucial role – in tourism, women were seen to dominate the industry's workforce globally; in environmental efforts, women were believed to play a key role in supporting such initiatives across societies. In both areas, women's efforts, despite being crucial to the achievement of sustainability, are often perceived as small and thus overlooked. Despite these, little has been said about their experiences in promoting sustainable tourism. To contribute to discourses promoting the idea of “thinking small,” this chapter looks at women's tourism-related environmental efforts that are often seen as small and overlooked, alongside their experiences in being involved in these initiatives.

Details

Revisiting Sustainable Tourism in the Philippines
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-679-5

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 June 2024

Diego de Jaureguizar Cervera, Javier de Esteban Curiel and Diana C. Pérez-Bustamante Yábar

Short-term rentals (STRs) (like Airbnb) are reshaping social behaviour, notably in gastronomy, altering how people dine while travelling. This study delves into revenue…

260

Abstract

Purpose

Short-term rentals (STRs) (like Airbnb) are reshaping social behaviour, notably in gastronomy, altering how people dine while travelling. This study delves into revenue management, examining the impact of seasonality and dining options near guests’ Airbnb. Machine Learning analysis of Airbnb data suggests owners enhance revenue strategies by adjusting prices seasonally, taking nearby food amenities into account.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analysed 220 Airbnb establishments from Madrid, Spain, using consistent monthly price data from Seetransparent and environment variables from MapInfo GIS. The Machine Learning algorithm calculated average prices, determined seasonal prices, applied factor analysis to categorise months and used cluster analysis to identify tourism-dwelling typologies with similar seasonal behaviour, considering nearby supermarkets/restaurants by factors such as proximity and availability of food options.

Findings

The findings reveal seasonal variations in three groups, using Machine Learning to improve revenue management: Group 1 has strong autumn-winter patterns and fewer restaurants; Group 2 shows higher spring seasonality, likely catering to tourists, and has more restaurants, while Group 3 has year-round stability, fewer supermarkets and active shops, potentially affecting local restaurant dynamics. Food establishments in these groups may need to adapt their strategies accordingly to capitalise on these seasonal trends.

Originality/value

Current literature lacks information on how seasonality, rental housing and proximity to amenities are interconnected. The originality of this study is to fill this gap by enhancing the STR price predictive model through a Machine Learning study. By examining seasonal trends, rental housing dynamics, and the proximity of supermarkets and restaurants to STR properties, the research enhances our understanding and predictions of STR price fluctuations, particularly in relation to the availability and demand for food options.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 16 September 2024

Abstract

Details

Gender and the Male Character in 21st Century Fairy Tale Narratives
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-789-1

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 May 2024

Mercedes Luque-Vílchez, Javier Husillos and Carlos Larrinaga

This study aims to understand why some social and environmental reporting (SER) regulations are more successful than others in modifying collective corporate reporting behaviour…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand why some social and environmental reporting (SER) regulations are more successful than others in modifying collective corporate reporting behaviour and expectations. More specifically, it presents a qualitative and historically informed exploration of the construction of the enabling conditions for corporate adoption of SER regulation in a national context.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on insights from structuration theory and the sociological approach to legal studies, the authors examined the normative persuasion of the first regulation in Spain requiring firms to disclose social and environmental information in a stand-alone report: Article 39 of the Spanish Sustainable Economy Law. The case study is based primarily on 38 semi-structured interviews with relevant actors involved in this SER regulation from 2008 to 2014. Other sources such as legal and policy documents, historical documents, books, press reports and field notes from attendance at technical meetings related to the phenomenon under study help inform and complement the analysis of the interviews.

Findings

The analysis reveals that the agency of regulators, regulatees and other relevant actors involved in the SER regulation led to the law becoming a dead letter. However, only by examining the structural circumstances, shaped by history and socio-economic context, can the authors understand how the normative persuasion of law is constructed or undermined.

Research limitations/implications

The study underscores the importance of the national context in developing corporate social responsibility (CSR) regulation and the crucial role of history. The results of this research also suggest that significant progress towards a more transformative CSR regulation cannot be achieved without the support of enabling structures/

Practical implications

Recent SER regulations (European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and IFRS sustainability standards, to mention those that are gaining most traction) may not achieve sufficient compliance if those responsible for drafting them do not ensure that the conditions for the emergence of regulatory persuasion are met. Regulators must therefore have a profound understanding of how these conditions are constructed as part of a historical process inextricably linked to the social structures of the environment in which the law is to be applied.

Social implications

The study reveals the changing landscape of corporate social responsibility, where scientists, academics, NGO activists and civil society organisations struggle to gain some agency in a field populated by actors, such as trade unions or employers, who were constitutive of Western industrial liberal democracies.

Originality/value

This study presents an in-depth and historically grounded analysis of the dynamics involved in creating the conditions that lead to successful SER legislation in a national context.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. 15 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 July 2022

María José Quero, Montserrat Díaz-Méndez, Rafael Ventura and Evert Gummesson

This paper explores whether, in the context of university–industry (U–I) collaboration, new innovation strategies can be developed through actors' interactions, the exchange of…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores whether, in the context of university–industry (U–I) collaboration, new innovation strategies can be developed through actors' interactions, the exchange of resources and the co-creation of value for and within the system. In the context of the U–I relationship, the innovation perspective can highlight the need to develop strategies that elicit new formulas of value co-creation, which then facilitate innovation as a result of actor collaboration.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 45 public universities in Spain, representing 95% of the total, participated in qualitative research. Personal in-depth interviews with technology transfer officers (TTOs) were conducted by an external firm; in a second phase, two of the researchers conducted eight interviews with the directors of TTOs in those universities with higher rates of transfer.

Findings

Findings reveal that enterprises with a technological focus are strengthening their relationships with universities and attempting to build a university business ecosystem by designing strategies for value co-creation such as co-ownership, co-patenting, and co-invention.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical research is conducted in Spain, and results should be interpreted according to this context. Future research should examine new contexts (other countries) to improve the robustness of the data and enrich the results, thus enabling generalization of the management consequences.

Originality/value

The results provide a means to design strategies under a new collaborative and innovating logic. The theoretical framework contributes to theory, with implications for management.

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