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To create circular economies, we need supply systems to convey materials between their use lives. Often, though, it is not possible to control an entire supply network. Without a coordinator to implement circular economy principles, how can circular supply systems come to be? This chapter sets out to build on complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory and circular economy research to conceptualize how information flows between actors can facilitate the emergence of a circular supply system. It begins by outlining why a supply network can be considered a CAS, as well as the CAS progression from information to adaptation to emergence. Next, it argues that information on local supply networks, extended supply systems, and biosphere impacts is particularly important for circular production. Finally, it concludes with two potential types of emergence that can stem from these information flows: (1) new actor roles and networks and (2) new spatial and temporal patterns. Ultimately, this conceptual overview aims to give researchers and practitioners a CAS frame for thinking about how continual adaptation to information flows can enable change toward circular supply systems.

A circular economy perspective embraces a systemic, cradle-to-cradle notion that everything is designed to be reused as long as possible and then recaptured and repurposed when reuse is no longer possible. Designing for a circular economy ecosystem requires a holistic, integrative viewpoint, spanning all aspects of design and development and considering many supply chain actors, far beyond that of traditional supply chains. This edited book adopts a biomimetic lens, highlighting the need for cross-industry flows and need for different actors (beyond producers and consumers) in circular value cycles. Enablers such as incentives and/or legislation are also discussed. While biomimicry provides the structure for organizing this book, individual chapters build on other theoretical lenses and concepts, such as stakeholder theory, etc. The intent is to move beyond a dyadic (buyer–supplier) view, embracing a holistic network or ecosystem view, to consider a cross-industry system perspective, where there is a diversity of actors (covering four actor groups: producers, consumers, scavengers, and decomposers) needed for a working ecosystem. This edited book offers a comprehensive overview of system components and actors, including how the circular economy adds value, the role of producers and consumers, the spectrum of recovery possibilities to return products back to the consumption supply chain, and the essential role of information management.

The purpose of this paper is to appraise and evaluate empirical research on circular economy in food systems, consolidating the existing knowledge and identifying shortcomings in this emerging body of research.

The authors conducted a systematic literature review of 136 studies from the electronic databases Scopus and Web of Science. The authors also developed a thematic analysis and summarized the results in a framework.

The authors identified seven critical issues for the transition to circular food systems: consumer behavior, multistakeholder coordination, business models, digital technologies, barriers, transition processes and performance and measurement systems. Moreover, the authors provide an agenda for future research on these topics.

While reviews on the circular economy are spreading rapidly, no reviews have comprehensively addressed the critical issues for the transition to circular food systems in the business, management, and organization domains.

Service managers increasingly strive to achieve sustainability through strategies centered on circularity. With a focus on saving, extending and (re)generating resources and their enclosing service systems, circularity can contribute to environmental, social and financial gains. Yet, the notion of circularity is surprisingly understudied in service research. This article seeks to provide an initial conceptual understanding of circular service management, introducing illustrative strategies and research priorities for circular service management. This paper provides a roadmap for scholars, practitioners and policymakers to develop a deeper understanding of the opportunities from adopting circular services.

The authors explore the concept of circular service management by drawing upon existing literature on sustainability, circularity and service research. Strategies of circular service management and research priorities emerge on the basis of industry best practice examples and research on sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Service researchers have largely ignored the concept and role of circularity for service businesses. Extant research on the topic nearly exclusively features in non-service journals and/or does not seek to advance service theory through circularity. This article argues that circular service management enables the implementation of service thinking in the pursuit of sustainability and outlines four types of circular service management strategies.

The authors introduce the concept of circular service management and highlight the role of service research for designing and managing circular systems and operations. This article also offers a research agenda connecting managerial challenges and opportunities with key service research priorities for circular service management. This provides a roadmap for scholars, practitioners and policymakers to develop a deeper understanding of pursuing circular services, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future.

The organizational learning literature distinguishes different levels of learning (zero learning and single, double and triple loop learning) in order to understand the complexity and dynamics of changes in policies, objectives, mental maps, and structures and strategies for learning. This article explores the case of an emerging new organizational design, the circular organization, in order to understand the role of triple loop learning. The circular model was developed on the basis of ideas about the relationship between organizational structure and behavior taken from theories of dynamic systems. Circular design precepts appear to provide a structural facilitation of single and double loop learning. In this respect, the circular design tends to act as a facilitating infrastructure for triple loop learning, that is, exploring the structural opportunities and key competences people need to participate in making well‐informed choices about policies, objectives and other issues.

This paper aims to investigate the thermal performance of equivalent square and circular thermal systems and compare the heat transport and irreversibility of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) nanofluid flow within these systems.

The research uses a constraint-based approach to analyze the impact of geometric shapes on heat transfer and irreversibility. Two equivalent systems, a square cavity and a circular cavity, are examined, considering identical heating/cooling lengths and fluid flow volume. The analysis includes parameters such as magnetic field strength, nanoparticle concentration and accompanying irreversibility.

This study reveals that circular geometry outperforms square geometry in terms of heat flow, fluid flow and heat transfer. The equivalent circular thermal system is more efficient, with heat transfer enhancements of approximately 17.7%. The corresponding irreversibility production rate is also higher, which is up to 17.6%. The total irreversibility production increases with Ra and decreases with a rise in Ha. However, the effect of magnetic field orientation (γ) on total EG is minor.

Further research can explore additional geometric shapes, orientations and boundary conditions to expand the understanding of thermal performance in different configurations. Experimental validation can also complement the numerical analysis presented in this study.

This research introduces a constraint-based approach for evaluating heat transport and irreversibility in MHD nanofluid flow within square and circular thermal systems. The comparison of equivalent geometries and the consideration of constraint-based analysis contribute to the originality and value of this work. The findings provide insights for designing optimal thermal systems and advancing MHD nanofluid flow control mechanisms, offering potential for improved efficiency in various applications.

The key ideas of cybernetics have remained unknown or misunderstood by contemporary technological societies. The purpose of this paper is to consider how best to assist individuals outside the cybernetics and systems communities in learning key concepts of cybernetics.

The main approach used to make this case is consideration of how individuals can come to understand circular systems and circular causality. The paper makes a case that if we want to assist interested others in learning cybernetics, we can best do so either by identifying where interested others already have experiences that they can reinterpret in terms of causality through investigation, analysis, and conversation or by designing experiences such as interactive models and simulations that become the basis of each user’s inventing an understanding of circular causality, and then, through analysis and conversation, refining that understanding. It provides examples, in particular, the example of how learning to sail a small boat involves the sailor in creating an intuitive (and possibly formal) understanding of wind, water, and boat as elements of a circular system. The paper considers the ethics of assisting others in learning cybernetic concepts such as circular causality.

The paper provides an approach to understanding cybernetic concepts that can be used with students and adults of all ages.

This paper ties together theoretical and practical considerations from a constructivist viewpoint.

Through the development of the example of the Greek helmsman, the kybernetes, the paper provides a point of departure for those in the cybernetics and systems communities involved in designing teacher-based or web-based materials for cybernetics.

The paper has value as a guide to practice.

In high-speed trains, the energy is supplied from a high voltage catenary to the vehicle via a pantograph catenary system (PCS). Carbon pantograph strips must maintain continuous contact with the wire to ensure safety and reliability. The contact is often confined to a particular spot, resulting in excessive wear due to mechanical and thermal damage, exacerbated by the presence of an electric arc and associated electrochemical corrosion. The effectiveness and reliability of the PCS impacts on the performance and safety of HSTs, especially under high-speed conditions. To alleviate some of these adverse effects, this paper aims to propose a configuration where a circular PCS replaces the currently used pantograph strips.

Two dynamic multi-physics models of a traditional PCS with a carbon strip and a novel PCS with a circular pantograph strip catenary system are established, and the electrical and mechanical characteristics of these two systems are compared. Moreover, a PCS experimental platform is designed to verify the validity and accuracy of the multi-physics model.

A novel circular pantograph system is proposed in this paper to alleviate some of the shortcomings of the traditional PCS. Comparing with a traditional PCS, the circular PCS exhibits superior performance in both electromagnetic and thermal aspects.

The paper offers a new technical solution to the PCS and develops a dedicated multi-physics model for analysis and performance prediction with the aim to improve the performance of the PCS. The new system offers numerous benefits, such as less friction heat, better heat dispersion and improved catenary-tracking performance.