“Decision support system model for resource efficiency improvement integrating assessment of resource criticality” Doctoral Thesis

Author, institution: Milda Malinauskienė, Kaunas University of Technology

Science area, field: Technology Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T

The Doctoral Dissertation is available at the libraries of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio St. 20, Kaunas), Aleksandras Stulginskis University (Studentų g. 11, Akademija, Kauno raj.) and Lithuanian Energy Institute (Breslaujos g. 3, Kaunas).

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Habil. Jurgis Kazimieras STANIŠKIS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T).

Dissertation Defence Board of Environmental Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Žaneta STASIŠKIENĖ (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T) – chairwoman;
Prof. Dr. Olga ANNE (Klaipėda University, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T);
Prof. Dr. Gintaras DENAFAS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T);
Prof. Dr. Jolanta DVARIONIENĖ (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T);
Prof. Dr. Donald HUISINGH (University of Tennessee, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T).

Annotation:

The availability of natural resources has always been one of the key factors for any successful industrial activity, but nowadays, the uncertain and politicized  supply of resources, especially non-renewable ones, along with volatile prices requires substantially more attention from the decision-makers. This topic is addressed by the concept of resource criticality. One of the key strategies to mitigate criticality is to increase resource efficiency. Therefore, the question is, whether and how the concept of resource criticality could be integrated into decision-making, for an improvement in resource efficiency.
The aim of the doctoral thesis- to develop a decision support system model for resource efficiency improvement in the companies integrating assessment of resource criticality. The developed decision support system model can be used in production companies as a tool for identifying and evaluating resource efficiency improvement options. It allows for the identification of geostrategic supply risks related to the used resources as well as vulnerability to these risks. Meanwhile, it offers a tool for supporting decision making for resource efficiency improvement by addressing resource criticality as additional criteria for the evaluation.
The developed model was tested in two producing companies corresponding to the different industry branches of the Lithuanian economy that are vulnerable to the availability of imported natural resources.