Tomas Kenny
Tomas is a PhD candidate at Atlantic Technological University, under the OSCAR Program, specializing in integrated Circular Economy (CE) & Industry 4.0 (I4.0) transitions. Tomas’ research interests lie at the intersection of Sustainability, Technology, and Organizational Change. Tomas’ educational background includes degrees in Environmental Management (BSc), Science & Technology (BSc), and Leadership Development (MSc). With this educational background, combined with his practical experience within the manufacturing sector, Tomas brings both an academic and practitioner lens to his research.
CE and I4.0 are two of the major paradigms generating research and discussion in recent years in both the academic and industrial domains. As CE is increasingly acknowledged for its immense potential in enabling organizations to achieve significant improvements in sustainability performance, recent research postulates that integrating CE and I4.0 measures can further enhance firms’ Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Performance.
CE and I4.0 transitions, in their own rights, are seen as business transformational and motivate significant organizational change. Independently, a mature research agenda is evident for both CE and I4.0, whereas the nexus approach is certainly more at nascent stage. As past experiences are limited, there are few empirical studies relating to integrated CE and I4.0 transitions - particularly from the viewpoint of organizational change . Hence, as the current literature lacks evidence, this research study's purpose is to develop a conceptual framework that connects CE and I4.0 concepts from an organizational change readiness perspective.
The audience for this research study are academia of the fields of Sustainable Operations Management (SOM) and Sustainable Chain Management (SSCM), Circular Economy, Industry 4.0 and Organizational Change. Industry leaders seeking guidance on transitions towards CE and I4.0 also form the gallery for this study. As well as aiding academia through extension of existing theory, the study will aid practitioners within industry who will be able to review the study's findings and contrast the results to systems currently in place inside their organizations where the goal is to navigate transformational change of their Operations and Supply Chains.
In an attempt to benefit academia and industry symbiosis, qualitative research will be completed, as part of this study, in the manufacturing environment – an area where integrated CE and I4.0 solutions are prominently being sought.