scope:

The current trans-national manufacturing product and service delivery solutions cannot be sustained in the emerging eco-sensitive business environments, where growing trade volumes and commercial operational patterns impose significant environmental and social challenges on companies and society. More specifically, increase in international trade and transport of raw materials, energy, intermediate products and services, wider range of stakeholders engaging with industry, resource limitations and emphasis on social responsibilities of companies has raised the need for businesses to integrate sustainability more fully into their purpose and processes. The challenges related to sustainability include social and environmental concerns such as labour practices, community involvement, waste and packaging, climate change and partnerships, further propagated by demand, global competition, consumer preferences and behaviour. Manufacturing includes production and wider industrial activities across the value network that involves interdependencies and relationships amongst stakeholders. The European "Vision for 2020" report calls for understanding manufacturing as a network of complex and development-oriented relations. Hence, the constant evolution of manufacturing networks - coordination and cooperation between the capabilities and configurations - become vital for growth. External (macroeconomic stability, trade polices) and internal forces (process innovations, cost benefits, competition, corporate culture, organisational structure) have both led companies to change production systems and locations to maximize benefits. The expansion of manufacturing operations/activities and the changing business environment, which affects the wider society and environment, highlight the requirement for manufacturers to look for new approaches to manage sustainability impacts effectively - from sourcing and production, to distribution, product logistical support and afterlife. The ...