| Abstract [eng] |
This master's thesis examines the Factors of the Fifth Industrial Revolution Enabling Circular Business Models in Plastic Sector Companies. The world's annual consumption of plastic and the amount of waste generated are so high that various regulations and documents need to be addressed. The Paris Agreement, European Green Deal, Sustainable Development Goals et al. name the actions that must be taken to reduce global pollution. This is becoming very important for companies now, because they must implement the actions listed, otherwise they will receive large fines or have to stop their activities. Circular business models should replace the classic linear business model in the plastics industry to achieve the set global goals. To enable circular business models, companies still face various challenges. They can use the Factors of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, which, together with technology, would enable Circular Business Models. The subject of the master's thesis is those Factors of the Fifth Industrial Revolution that enable Circular Business Models, and the goal of the thesis is to reveal them in Plastic Sector Companies. The project reveals the problems of the Factors of the Fifth Industrial Revolution and Circular Business Models, and theoretical argumentation is presented. Based on the literature, a theoretical model has been developed, describing how the Factors of the Fifth Industrial Revolution Enable Circular Business Models in Plastic Sector Companies. Two circular business models are examined - circular supply and resource recovery, which are most suitable for the plastics industry and three main principles of the Fifth Industrial Revolution are attributed: human-centricity, sustainability and resilience. To substantiate the theoretical model, a research methodology was developed and a qualitative research method - semi-structured interviews, which consisted of six company representatives, was selected. After empirical evaluation of the developed theoretical model, the model was partially confirmed. This result is based on the fact that respondents had little knowledge about the Fifth Industrial Revolution and found it difficult to link the Factors of the Fifth Industrial Revolution with the Enabling of Circular Business Models. The research results revealed that respondents could link the processes implemented in their companies with the factors of the Fifth Industrial Revolution: human-centricity, sustainability and resilience and circular business models: circular supply and resource recovery, but only when they were more widely disclosed. The theoretical model also highlighted circular economy ecosystems and only one of the companies significantly applied the ecosystem of the material flow industry ecosystem. |
