Completed: Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries

In collaboration with Materials Processing Institute (MPI), Morgan Advanced Materials and Lucideon Ltd.

Next generation processing technologies (NGPTs), being new technologies that provide high energy efficiency and process intensification supported by transformative digital technologies, are touted as key decarbonisation enablers in the ceramic and glass sectors, but there are adoption barriers to overcome. Through a critical literature review and thematic analysis of glass and ceramics stakeholders’ interviews and workshop data, twelve (12) consolidated barriers were identified, broadly grouped into economic (unclear value proposition and high initial investment with uncertain return on investment), organisational (organisational resistance to change, workforce availability and skills, lack of collaboration and partnerships, and lack of digital strategy), external & regulatory (regulatory ambiguity, lack of government incentives and environmental considerations), and operational & technological (challenges in modernising existing infrastructure, data privacy and security concerns, and operational complexity). Interpretive structural modelling was adopted to deepen the understanding of the contextual interactions and interdependencies between the twelve (12) barriers, structuring them into seven (7) hierarchical layers, for targeted intervention options prioritisation. At the 7th layer is regulatory ambiguity, representing the most dominant or influential barrier with cascading effects on other barriers, in the interplay between NGPTs adoption and net-zero transitioning.

Integrated strategies, which tackle multiple barriers simultaneously revolve around a balanced approach, combining effective policy interventions, organisational change management, technological innovation, and robust economic planning. The outcomes of this project provide insights to stakeholders, including policy makers, on where to prioritise effort and resources in designing interventions to strengthen strategies for overcoming the barriers of NGPT adoption.

Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed T.Ibn-Mohammed@warwick.ac.uk

Dr. Claire Dancer, c.dancer@warwick.ac.uk