This thesis handles the economic strategy of the firm HATLE-UNIKLEMP. Used methods are PESTLE analysis, Porter's five forces model, SWOT analysis, value chain analysis, and most used method is the financial analysis, in which indicators are applied to absolute indicators and financial ratios of profitability,liquidity, activity and debt. The thesis aims to find solutions to the poor economic situation of analyzed firm and to set a strategy, to ensure a positive future business development.

The apparel and footwear industry’s contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the fifth largest per industry, equal to that of livestock, after electricity and heat, oil and gas, agriculture, and transportation (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). For industry-wide emissions reduction, investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs across highest impacting life cycle phases offer the most effective solution. However, identifying the highest impacting life cycles phases shows varied results depending on the particular type of business model under examination. This paper responds to the lack of existing data and empirical research on how to accurately measure, report and reduce carbon emissions across the highly complex and globally interconnected apparel value chain. This is done through a single case study investigation of an Icelandic fashion brand. A hybrid approach of a standard Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Sustainable Global Value Chain (SGVC) functions to produce a Hotspot Identification Tool (HIT) to establish a holistic portrayal of business operations in relation to emission impacts and level of controllability across Scopes. The conceptual analysis and qualitative results identify the most relevant emission hotspots to lie within the company’s privately owned manufacturing facilities, as well as the procurement phase, due to its direct connection with and influence on material production, user phase, and end-of-life. The main obstacle in this pursuit is identified as restriction of resources in terms of time, capital and expertise. It is suggested that this be overcome by joining a Multi-Stakeholder Initiative where resources and expertise is pooled in a pre-competitive manner to reach common objectives. The investigation further suggests a need for global fashion brands to leverage their influential position on down- and upstream activities across the value chain, i.e. with their supply chain partners and consumers. I argue that fashion brands play an integral role in supporting local efforts to build a decarbonisation pathway towards climate neutral economies on a global scale.

Recently, there has been a surge in the research and application of "Green energy" in the United States. This has been driven by the following three objectives: (1) to reduce the nation's reliance on foreign oil, (2) to mitigate emission of greenhouse gas, and (3) to create an economic stimulus within the United States. Switchgrass is the biomass of choice for the Southeastern United States. In this dissertation, we address a feedstock logistics problem associated with the delivery of switchgrass for conversion into biofuel. In order to satisfy the continual demand of biomass at a bioenergy plant, production fields within a 48-km radius of its location are assumed to be attracted into production. The bioenergy plant is expected to receive as many as 50-400 loads of biomass per day. As a result, an industrialized transportation system must be introduced as early as possible in order to remove bottlenecks and reduce the total system cost. Additionally, we assume locating multiple bioenergy plants within a given region for the production of biofuel. We develop mixed integer programming formulations for the feedstock logistics problem that we address and for some related problems, and we solve them either through the use of decomposition-based methods or directly through the use of CPLEX 12.1.0. The feedstock logistics problem that we address spans the entire system-from the growing of switchgrass to the transporting of bio-crude oil, a high energy density intermediate product, to a refinery for conversion into a final product. To facilitate understanding, we present the reader with a case study that includes a preliminary cost analysis of a real-life-based instance in order to provide the reader appropriate insights of the logistics system before applying optimization techniques for its solution. First, we consider the benefits of active versus passive ownership of the production fields. This is followed by a discussion on the selection of baler type, and then, a discussion of contracts between various business entities. The advantages of storing biomass at a satellite storage location (SSL) and interactions between the operations performed at the production field with those performed at the storage locations are then established. We also provide a detailed description of the operations performed at a SSL. Three potential equipment options are presented for transporting biomass from the SSLs to a utilization point, defined in this study as a Bio-crude Plant (BcP). The details of the entire logistics chain are presented in order to highlight the need for making decisions in view of the entire chain rather than basing them on its segments. We model the feedstock logistics problem as a combination of a 2-level facility location-allocation problem and a multiple traveling salesmen problem (mATSP). The 2-level facility location-allocation problem pertains to the allocation of production fields to SSLs and SSLs to one of the multiple bioenergy plants. The mATSP arises because of the need for scheduling unloading operations at the SSLs. To this end, we provide a detailed study of 13 formulations of the mATSP and their reformulations as ATSPs. First, we assume that the SSLs are always full, regardless of when they are scheduled to be unloaded. We, then, relax this assumption by providing precedence constraints on the availability of the SSLs. This precedence is defined in two different ways and, is then, effectively modeled utilizing all the formulations for the mATSP and ATSP. Given the location of a BcP for the conversion of biomass to bio-crude oil, we develop a feedstock logistics system that relies on the use of SSLs for temporary storage and loading of round bales. Three equipment systems are considered for handling biomass at the SSLs, and they are either placed permanently or are mobile, and thereby, travel from one SSL to another. We use a mathematical programming-based approach to determine SSLs and equipment routes in order to minimize the total cost incurred. The mathematical program is applied to a real-life production region in South-central Virginia (Gretna, VA), and it clearly reveals the benefits of using SSLs as a part of the logistics system. Finally, we provide a sensitivity analysis on the input parameters that we used. This analysis highlights the key cost factors in the model, and it emphasizes areas where biggest gains can be achieved for further cost reduction. For a more general scenario, where multiple BcPs have to be located, we use a nested Benders' decomposition-based method. First, we prove the validity of using this method. We, then, employ this method for the solution of a potential real-life instance. Moreover, we successfully solve problems that are more than an order of magnitude larger than those solved directly by CPLEX 12.1.0. Finally, we develop a Benders' decomposition-based method for the solution of a problem that gives rise to a binary sub-problem. The difficulty arises because of the sub-problem being an integer program for which the dual solution is not readily available. Our approach consists of first solving the integer sub-problem, and then, generating the convex hull at the optimal integer point. We illustrate this approach for an instance for which such a convex hull is readily available, but otherwise, it is too expensive to generate for the entire problem. This special instance is the solution of the mATSP (using Benders' decomposition) for which each of the sub-problems is an ATSP. The convex hull for the ATSP is given by the Dantzig, Fulkerson, and Johnson constraints. These constraints at a given integer solution point are only polynomial in number. With the inclusion of these constraints, a linear programming solution and its corresponding dual solution can now be obtained at the optimal integer points. We have proven the validity of using this method. However, the success of our algorithm is limited because of a large number of integer problems that must be solved at every iteration. While the algorithm is theoretically promising, the advantages of the decomposition do not seem to outweigh the additional cost resulting from solving a larger number of decomposed problems. / Ph. D.

聚醯亞胺薄膜用於軟性電路板市場從2006年起，由於競爭者眾多，整個產業環境變得十分嚴苛，事業屬性從獨佔性變成競爭十分激烈的寡佔性市場。此篇論文通過產業的總體環境分析及產業分析來對軟板市場進行區隔，並針對不同目標市場擬定行銷策略，將產品重新定位來滿足不同目標市場的需求，以期達到杜邦公司聚醯亞胺薄膜產品在軟性電路板市場的永續成長。 從含有產品價格因素在內的問卷調查中找到產業鏈中最有議價能力廠商的最重要需求及預估用量，進而做為公司開發下一世代聚醯亞胺薄膜產品的依據。 / Start from 2006, Polyimide films industry has become very competitive in flexible printed circuits applications. The polyimide film industry has transformed from monopoly to oligopoly, major players in flexible printed circuits market are DuPont, Kaneka, SKC-Kolon and Taimide companies. After analyzing the political, economics, social, technical and industrial trends, The FPC industry has been re-segmented into two segments – Basic market and Niche market. With different strategies been developed for different markets, we re-position our different type of Kapton® polyimide films for different markets and developed an executable marketing plan which will be test in selected customers. Through price included questionarries, we also found the key industrial decision makers’ unmet needs, price expectation and potential volume. Base on the findings, we are able to develop the next generation polyimide films to satisfy customers.