This thesis explores the sustainability challenges and opportunities within the data center sector, with a specific focus on Atea, a leading player in the digital infrastructure industry. As organizations increasingly depend on IT systems for operational efficiency, the environmental impact of data centers has come under scrutiny. With the increasing demands for sustainability driven by both market forces and stringent EU regulations, this study examines how organizations, particularly within the data center industry, can adapt to meet these emerging requirements. This study aims to contribute an understanding of strategies and measures that can be implemented to achieve more sustainable data center operations. Our research employed a qualitative methodology, incorporating both literature review and a case study to gather insights into sustainable practices in the data center industry. Atea’s role as a case study provided practical perspective on the implementation of sustainability strategies within the sector. The findings highlight significant challenges, including energy consumption, waste management, and regulatory compliance. Conversely, the study also identifies opportunities such as the adoption of green technologies, improved energy efficiency, and strategic waste reduction practices. The implications of this research are twofold: it offers a roadmap for data centers aiming to enhance their sustainability profile, and it contributes to the broader discourse on the environmental responsibilities of the IT-sector. Future research should investigate the real-world impact of new EU regulations in the data center sector, focusing on how national legislation aligns with EU requirements and their practical application by data centers.

Depuis de nombreuses années, plusieurs communautés telles que IMS (Intelligent Manufacturing Systems), HMS (Holonic Manufacturing System) ont suggéré l'utilisation de produits intelligents pour rendre les systèmes adaptables et adaptatifs et ont montré les bénéfices pouvant être réalisés, tant au niveau économique, qu'au niveau de la traçabilité des produits, qu'au niveau du partage des informations ou encore de l'optimisation des procédés de fabrication. Cependant, un grand nombre de questions restent ouvertes comme la collecte des informations liées au produit, leur stockage à travers la chaîne logistique, ou encore la dissémination et la gestion de ces informations tout au long de leur cycle de vie. La contribution de cette thèse consiste en la définition d'un cadre de dissémination des informations relatives au produit durant l'ensemble de son cycle de vie. Ce cadre de dissémination est associé à un nouveau paradigme qui change radicalement la manière de voir le produit et la matière. Ce nouveau concept consiste à donner la faculté au produit d'être intrinséquement et intégralement "communicant". Le cadre de dissémination des informations proposé offre la possibilité à l'utilisateur d'embarquer des informations sensibles au contexte d'utilisation du produit communicant. Outre la définition du processus de dissémination des informations, cette thèse offre un aperçu des champs de recherche, tant scientifiques que technologiques, à investiguer à l'avenir concernant le concept de "matière communicante" / Over the last decade, communities involved with intelligent-manufacturing systems (IMS - Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, HMS - Holonic Manufacturing System) have demonstrated that systems that integrate intelligent products can be more efficient, flexible and adaptable. Intelligent products may prove to be beneficial economically, to deal with product traceability and information sharing along the product lifecycle. Nevertheless, there are still some open questions such as the specification of what information should be gathered, stored and distributed and how it should be managed during the lifecycle of the product. The contribution of this thesis is to define a process for disseminating information related to the product over its lifecycle. This process is combined with a new paradigm, which changes drastically the way we view the material. This concept aims to give the ability for the material to be intrinsically and wholly "communicating". The data dissemination process allow users to store context-sensitive information on communicating product. In addition to the data dissemination process, this thesis gives insight into the technological and scientific research fields inherent to the concept of "communicating material", which remain to be explored

Résumé Une demande croissante sans cesse de produits alimentaires à base d’animaux influence la productivité des systèmes mondiaux de production alimentaire, et des mesures indispensables pour freiner la dégradation de l’environnement promettent des effets similaires. Si les scénarios de demande future peuvent être satisfaits de manière durable, cela dépend notamment de la possibilité de réduire de manière significative l'impact de l'aquaculture et de l'élevage sur l'environnement. Des recherches récentes suggèrent que l'utilisation d'aliments à base d'insectes (IBF) pourrait apporter une contribution significative à cet égard, et des arguments valables sont avancés pour soutenir cette hypothèse. Les larves de mouches, comme celles des mouches domestiques (Musca domestica) ou des mouches soldat noir (Hermetia illucens), sont en mesure de puiser des nutriments dans un large éventail de ressources organiques, y compris celles impropres à la consommation humaine. Cela crée la possibilité de convertir (et de réduire considérablement) les déchets organiques de faible valeur, tels que le fumier ou le sang animal, en protéines de haute qualité et en énergie alimentaire, qui se sont avérés appropriés pour nourrir différents poissons d'aquaculture et du bétail monogastrique.Bien que le concept IBF promet d’importants avantages et ait démontré sa faisabilité technique, il n’existe encore aucun système établi permettant de tester les avantages supposés en termes de durabilité. Dans cette thèse, nous avons essayé de surmonter cette lacune par la modélisation de tels systèmes. Notre objectif central était d'identifier les aspects influençant le potentiel d'application des IBF dans différents contextes géographiques et de définir des voies d'optimisation pour une mise en œuvre durable. En nous basant sur des données expérimentales recueillies lors d'essais d'élevage menés en Europe (Espagne et Slovaquie) et en Afrique de l'Ouest (Ghana et Mali), nous avons formulé la conception d'un ensemble de versions de systèmes améliorés élevant M. domestica et H. illucens sur différents substrats organiques de faible valeur. Les modèles de production génériques ont servi comme base d’une analyse du cycle de vie ex ante, dans laquelle nous avons exploré les performances des systèmes à l’aide d’analyse du cycle de vie environnementale (ACV) et de l’analyse des coûts du cycle de vie (ACCV).Les ACVs et ACCVs ont montré que les performances environnementales et économiques des IBF sont largement fonction de l’efficacité de conversion des systèmes, de l’organisation du processus de production (c’est-à-dire de l’apport de main-d’œuvre et d’équipements technologiques) et du contexte géographique. La combinaison de ces facteurs a fourni des avantages pour les configurations simplistes utilisées dans la production de M. domestica en Afrique occidentale tropicale dans des conditions de ponte naturelle (c'est-à-dire d'inoculation de substrat par le biais de mouches présentes à l'état naturel). L'inoculation artificielle (c'est-à-dire l'inoculation du substrat par le biais de larves nourries provenant d'une colonie d'adultes en captivité), utilisée dans la production de H. illucens en Afrique de l'Ouest et de M. domestica dans le sud de l'Espagne, a favorisé une efficacité de conversion élevée, mais a augmenté les impacts environnementaux et les coûts, parce que le système complexe et l'organisation de processus à forte intensité de main-d'œuvre ont considérablement accru les intrants de main-d'œuvre et d'infrastructures de production.Une comparaison avec des aliments conventionnels riches en protéines a mis en évidence des inconvénients environnementaux et économiques pour les modèles de production actuels des IBF, notamment en ce qui concerne les aliments végétaux (par exemple, le tourteau de soja). Les disparités entre les alimentations IBF et conventionnelles reflètent l’utilisation des capacités sub-optimaux des systèmes (effet d’économie d’échelle insuffisant), ainsi que la perte d’énergie et de biomasse le long de la chaîne trophique (producteurs autotrophes vs consommateurs hétérotrophes). Les résultats soulèvent des doutes légitimes sur les avantages en termes de durabilité d’une mise en œuvre d'insectes dans les chaînes de valeur agricoles actuelles. Le succès commercial dépend en grande partie du niveau de salaire spécifique au contexte, des prix des substrats d'élevage et de la manière dont les marchés évaluent les multiples fonctions que les insectes sont capables de fournir. S'agissant de la performance environnementale, nos résultats nous amènent à conclure que la production d'IBF ne présente aucun avantage par rapport aux aliments conventionnels.L’évaluation de systèmes de production encore hypothétiques impliquait une bonne quantité d’hypothèses et d’approximations. Étant donné ces multiples sources d'incertitude et compte tenu du fait que seul un nombre limité de conceptions de systèmes possibles sont prises en compte, les déclarations sur le potentiel d'application d'IBF n'ont aucune validité universelle et doivent être interprétées avec prudence. Cependant, nos résultats contribuent à une meilleure compréhension des facteurs influant sur le potentiel d’application des systèmes de production d’insectes et constituent un point de référence précieux pour les discussions scientifiques et les activités de recherche et développement futures visant à mettre en place des modes de production alimentaire durables.Bien que nos recherches n’apportent aucun soutien aux avantages environnementaux ou économiques supposés de l’utilisation d’insectes dans l’alimentation animale, il est possible que leur utilisation comme aliment destiné à la consommation humaine directe (c’est-à-dire comme substitut possible aux produits à base de poisson et de viande) constitue une solution durable aux problèmes actuels et futurs. Nous recommandons donc aux recherches futures de se concentrer sur les techniques permettant d'exploiter les insectes comme nourriture. / Doctorat en Sciences / There are a few details that I could not specify in the available input fields. I would like to ask you kindly to add the following information: (1) Prof. Erik Mathijs (KUL) is my second co-supervisor; (2) Next to the Jury members listed, there are Prof. Matthias Finkbeiner (TU Berlin) and Prof. Theo Niewold (KU Leuven), which I could not enter manually. / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Os temas economia circular e gestão do ciclo de vida de produtos vem ganhando cada vez mais importância nos meios acadêmico e empresarial. Isso se deve a diversos fatores, como o risco de esgotamento de recursos naturais, o aumento do preço de commodities e um maior rigor das legislações. Fica cada vez mais evidente a necessidade de mudança do modelo linear para modelos circulares. Entretanto, a literatura carece de referências que auxiliem as organizações modificarem a gestão para atender essa necessidade. Apesar disso, são poucos os trabalhos que sistematizam as práticas e técnicas em modelos de referência para a gestão, fazendo com que as organizações não saibam por onde começar sua jornada rumo à economia circular. Assim, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo propor um modelo de gestão orientado à economia circular e à melhoria ambiental do ciclo de vida de produtos. O modelo em questão foi desenvolvido a partir de uma extensa revisão da literatura sobre os temas gestão do ciclo de vida, economia circular, sistemas de medição de desempenho e gestão ambiental. Os princípios, práticas e técnicas encontrados foram sistematizados na estrutura da ISO 14001:2015, resultando na primeira versão do modelo. Em seguida, o modelo foi avaliado por especialistas e profissionais da área de gestão ambiental, gestão do ciclo de vida e economia circular. Adicionalmente, foram realizados estudos de casos em empresas que adotam práticas de gestão do ciclo de vida e economia circular, com o intuito de se identificar novas práticas, instrumentos, além das barreiras que essas empresas enfrentam. Por fim, o modelo foi revisado e melhorado, resultado na versão final. O resultado desta pesquisa contribui para a teoria e prática de gestão organizacional, ao propor um modelo com práticas e técnicas, com base científica, ao passo que apresenta um guia para empresas inserirem práticas de gestão que suporte a transição para economia circular. / Circular economy and life cycle management have been have increasingly gained attention of researchers and practitioners. The risk of depletion of natural resources, the higher prices of commodities and strict laws are pushing companies towards a new way of doing business. The current linear model is no more suitable, but question like where and how to start this change have not yet been answered. There is a lack of studies that attempt to answer this question, especially regarding organizational management. This thesis aims to fill this gap by developing a management model oriented to circular economy and improvement of environmental performance of life cycle of products. The model was developed throughout an extensive literature review on life cycle management, circular economy, performance measurement and environmental management. The circular economy and life cycle management principles, practices and techniques were systemized into ISO 14001:2015 framework. Then, experts and practitioners evaluated the model answering a questionnaire. Next, cases studies were carried out in companies that adopt life cycle management and circular economy practices. The main purpose of cases studies was to identify circular economy and life cycle management practices and the main barriers to its implementation. Finally, the model were revised and improved. The management model contributes to literature, by framing practices and tools in phases and steps, while it presents a guide for companies to include circular economy and life cycle approach into business management.

O conceito de Green Manufacturing (GM) se remete à manufatura ambientalmente sustentável de produtos. As pesquisas envolvendo GM tem se intensificado nos últimos anos, com destaque para a utilização da técnica de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV). Contudo, a adoção prática da GM pelas indústrias de manufatura ainda esbarra em diversas limitações. Entre as barreiras gerenciais, diversos autores destacam que o uso isolado da ACV e de outras técnicas e ferramentas muitas vezes se mostra limitado em prol de uma adequada promoção da GM no ambiente fabril. Assim, visando superar este tipo de barreira, a presente tese de doutorado foi proposta. Seu objetivo foi o de desenvolver e testar um novo procedimento de GM para a avaliação e o monitoramento ambiental de processos de manufatura. Para isso, uma pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada, onde ao todo 333 artigos foram selecionados e analisados, e diversas limitações foram identificadas nos mesmos, as quais serviram de base para o desenvolvimento do novo procedimento de GM desta tese. Como resultado, o procedimento desenvolvido foi organizado em dez etapas distintas, todas distribuídas em três macroetapas: pré-avaliação, avaliação e monitoramento ambiental, e pós-avaliação. Sobre o teste prático do procedimento, foram realizados dois estudos de caso: 1) uma empresa fabricante de painéis de madeira aglomerada para uso na produção de móveis residenciais e comerciais; e 2) uma empresa produtora de válvulas para uso em motores de veículos automotivos. O estudo 1) mostrou que o processo de prensagem à quente dos painéis foi destaque, especialmente devido ao consumo de eletricidade e as emissões ao ar de formaldeído livre geradas pelo processo. A prensagem à quente apresentou potencial para afetar não somente os impactos do processo de fabricação, mas também os impactos a montante e a jusante da manufatura. Já no estudo 2), foi destaque o processo de retificação centerless da haste das válvulas, devido ao consumo de eletricidade e de fluido de corte na retificação. O processo de retificação das válvulas não se mostrou capaz de influenciar significativamente os impactos de outras etapas do ciclo de vida do produto (e.g., uso, pós-uso). Finalmente, a partir dos resultados do seu teste prático, três versões simplificadas foram propostas para o procedimento de GM originalmente desenvolvido. Tais versões simplificadas se mostraram vantajosas, pois permitem uma melhor aplicabilidade do procedimento de GM no ambiente fabril. / Green manufacturing (GM) is the environmental benign manufacturing of products with a minimal negative impact on the natural environment. Research studies on GM have been increased in the last years with particular focus on the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, the manufacturing industry still faces some barriers and challenges that hinder the application of green manufacturing in practice. Regarding to managerial barriers, many authors highlight that the isolated use of LCA and other tools/techniques are limited in view of supporting the promotion of an effective implementation of GM at the shop floor area. Thus, this thesis was proposed to overcome part of such gaps. The present study was aimed at developing and testing a new GM methodological framework to environmentally evaluate and monitor manufacturing processes. For this, the GM methodological framework was based on a bibliographical research, where 333 articles were found and systematically analyzed. As result, the GM methodological framework was organized into ten different steps, and three main phases: pre-assessment, environmental assessment and monitoring, and post-assessment. Concerning the practical testing of the GM methodological framework, two case studies were carried out: 1) the production of medium density particleboards for consumption by the residential and commercial wood furniture sector; and 2) the production of exhaust valves for using by automotive vehicles. Case study 1) highlighted the hot pressing process of wood-based panels, due to the consumption of electricity and the local airborne emissions of free formaldehyde. The hot pressing process showed potential to affect not only into the manufacturing environmental impacts, but also into the upstream and downstream life cycle stages. Case study 2) pointed out the centerless grinding machining of the stem of automotive valves, due to the electricity and cutting fluid consumption. However, the grinding machining process was not effective to influence into the environmental impacts of other product\'s life cycle stages (e.g., use, post-use). Based on the case studies results, it was proposed three simplified versions of the original GM methodological framework in order to improve its applicability into manufacturing industries.

Os temas economia circular e gestão do ciclo de vida de produtos vem ganhando cada vez mais importância nos meios acadêmico e empresarial. Isso se deve a diversos fatores, como o risco de esgotamento de recursos naturais, o aumento do preço de commodities e um maior rigor das legislações. Fica cada vez mais evidente a necessidade de mudança do modelo linear para modelos circulares. Entretanto, a literatura carece de referências que auxiliem as organizações modificarem a gestão para atender essa necessidade. Apesar disso, são poucos os trabalhos que sistematizam as práticas e técnicas em modelos de referência para a gestão, fazendo com que as organizações não saibam por onde começar sua jornada rumo à economia circular. Assim, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo propor um modelo de gestão orientado à economia circular e à melhoria ambiental do ciclo de vida de produtos. O modelo em questão foi desenvolvido a partir de uma extensa revisão da literatura sobre os temas gestão do ciclo de vida, economia circular, sistemas de medição de desempenho e gestão ambiental. Os princípios, práticas e técnicas encontrados foram sistematizados na estrutura da ISO 14001:2015, resultando na primeira versão do modelo. Em seguida, o modelo foi avaliado por especialistas e profissionais da área de gestão ambiental, gestão do ciclo de vida e economia circular. Adicionalmente, foram realizados estudos de casos em empresas que adotam práticas de gestão do ciclo de vida e economia circular, com o intuito de se identificar novas práticas, instrumentos, além das barreiras que essas empresas enfrentam. Por fim, o modelo foi revisado e melhorado, resultado na versão final. O resultado desta pesquisa contribui para a teoria e prática de gestão organizacional, ao propor um modelo com práticas e técnicas, com base científica, ao passo que apresenta um guia para empresas inserirem práticas de gestão que suporte a transição para economia circular. / Circular economy and life cycle management have been have increasingly gained attention of researchers and practitioners. The risk of depletion of natural resources, the higher prices of commodities and strict laws are pushing companies towards a new way of doing business. The current linear model is no more suitable, but question like where and how to start this change have not yet been answered. There is a lack of studies that attempt to answer this question, especially regarding organizational management. This thesis aims to fill this gap by developing a management model oriented to circular economy and improvement of environmental performance of life cycle of products. The model was developed throughout an extensive literature review on life cycle management, circular economy, performance measurement and environmental management. The circular economy and life cycle management principles, practices and techniques were systemized into ISO 14001:2015 framework. Then, experts and practitioners evaluated the model answering a questionnaire. Next, cases studies were carried out in companies that adopt life cycle management and circular economy practices. The main purpose of cases studies was to identify circular economy and life cycle management practices and the main barriers to its implementation. Finally, the model were revised and improved. The management model contributes to literature, by framing practices and tools in phases and steps, while it presents a guide for companies to include circular economy and life cycle approach into business management.

O conceito de Green Manufacturing (GM) se remete à manufatura ambientalmente sustentável de produtos. As pesquisas envolvendo GM tem se intensificado nos últimos anos, com destaque para a utilização da técnica de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV). Contudo, a adoção prática da GM pelas indústrias de manufatura ainda esbarra em diversas limitações. Entre as barreiras gerenciais, diversos autores destacam que o uso isolado da ACV e de outras técnicas e ferramentas muitas vezes se mostra limitado em prol de uma adequada promoção da GM no ambiente fabril. Assim, visando superar este tipo de barreira, a presente tese de doutorado foi proposta. Seu objetivo foi o de desenvolver e testar um novo procedimento de GM para a avaliação e o monitoramento ambiental de processos de manufatura. Para isso, uma pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada, onde ao todo 333 artigos foram selecionados e analisados, e diversas limitações foram identificadas nos mesmos, as quais serviram de base para o desenvolvimento do novo procedimento de GM desta tese. Como resultado, o procedimento desenvolvido foi organizado em dez etapas distintas, todas distribuídas em três macroetapas: pré-avaliação, avaliação e monitoramento ambiental, e pós-avaliação. Sobre o teste prático do procedimento, foram realizados dois estudos de caso: 1) uma empresa fabricante de painéis de madeira aglomerada para uso na produção de móveis residenciais e comerciais; e 2) uma empresa produtora de válvulas para uso em motores de veículos automotivos. O estudo 1) mostrou que o processo de prensagem à quente dos painéis foi destaque, especialmente devido ao consumo de eletricidade e as emissões ao ar de formaldeído livre geradas pelo processo. A prensagem à quente apresentou potencial para afetar não somente os impactos do processo de fabricação, mas também os impactos a montante e a jusante da manufatura. Já no estudo 2), foi destaque o processo de retificação centerless da haste das válvulas, devido ao consumo de eletricidade e de fluido de corte na retificação. O processo de retificação das válvulas não se mostrou capaz de influenciar significativamente os impactos de outras etapas do ciclo de vida do produto (e.g., uso, pós-uso). Finalmente, a partir dos resultados do seu teste prático, três versões simplificadas foram propostas para o procedimento de GM originalmente desenvolvido. Tais versões simplificadas se mostraram vantajosas, pois permitem uma melhor aplicabilidade do procedimento de GM no ambiente fabril. / Green manufacturing (GM) is the environmental benign manufacturing of products with a minimal negative impact on the natural environment. Research studies on GM have been increased in the last years with particular focus on the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, the manufacturing industry still faces some barriers and challenges that hinder the application of green manufacturing in practice. Regarding to managerial barriers, many authors highlight that the isolated use of LCA and other tools/techniques are limited in view of supporting the promotion of an effective implementation of GM at the shop floor area. Thus, this thesis was proposed to overcome part of such gaps. The present study was aimed at developing and testing a new GM methodological framework to environmentally evaluate and monitor manufacturing processes. For this, the GM methodological framework was based on a bibliographical research, where 333 articles were found and systematically analyzed. As result, the GM methodological framework was organized into ten different steps, and three main phases: pre-assessment, environmental assessment and monitoring, and post-assessment. Concerning the practical testing of the GM methodological framework, two case studies were carried out: 1) the production of medium density particleboards for consumption by the residential and commercial wood furniture sector; and 2) the production of exhaust valves for using by automotive vehicles. Case study 1) highlighted the hot pressing process of wood-based panels, due to the consumption of electricity and the local airborne emissions of free formaldehyde. The hot pressing process showed potential to affect not only into the manufacturing environmental impacts, but also into the upstream and downstream life cycle stages. Case study 2) pointed out the centerless grinding machining of the stem of automotive valves, due to the electricity and cutting fluid consumption. However, the grinding machining process was not effective to influence into the environmental impacts of other product\'s life cycle stages (e.g., use, post-use). Based on the case studies results, it was proposed three simplified versions of the original GM methodological framework in order to improve its applicability into manufacturing industries.

L’émergence des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) au début des années 1990, notamment internet, a permis de produire facilement des données et de les diffuser au reste du monde. L’essor des bases de données, le développement des outils applicatifs et la réduction des coûts de stockage ont conduit à l’augmentation quasi exponentielle des quantités de données au sein de l’entreprise. Plus les données sont volumineuses, plus la quantité d’interrelations entre données augmente. Le grand nombre de corrélations (visibles ou cachées) entre données rend les données plus entrelacées et complexes. Les données sont aussi plus hétérogènes, car elles peuvent venir de plusieurs sources et exister dans de nombreux formats (texte, image, audio, vidéo, etc.) ou à différents degrés de structuration (structurées, semi-structurées, non-structurées). Les systèmes d’information des entreprises actuelles contiennent des données qui sont plus massives, complexes et hétérogènes. L’augmentation de la complexité, la globalisation et le travail collaboratif font qu’un projet industriel (conception de produit) demande la participation et la collaboration d’acteurs qui viennent de plusieurs domaines et de lieux de travail. Afin d’assurer la qualité des données, d’éviter les redondances et les dysfonctionnements des flux de données, tous les acteurs doivent travailler sur un référentiel commun partagé. Dans cet environnement de multi-utilisation de données, chaque utilisateur introduit son propre point de vue quand il ajoute de nouvelles données et informations techniques. Les données peuvent soit avoir des dénominations différentes, soit ne pas avoir des provenances vérifiables. Par conséquent, ces données sont difficilement interprétées et accessibles aux autres acteurs. Elles restent inexploitées ou non exploitées au maximum afin de pouvoir les partager et/ou les réutiliser. L’accès aux données (ou la recherche de données), par définition est le processus d’extraction des informations à partir d’une base de données en utilisant des requêtes, pour répondre à une question spécifique. L’extraction des informations est une fonction indispensable pour tout système d’information. Cependant, cette dernière n’est jamais facile car elle représente toujours un goulot majeur d’étranglement pour toutes les organisations (Soylu et al. 2013). Dans l’environnement de données complexes, hétérogènes et de multi-utilisation de données, fournir à tous les utilisateurs un accès facile et simple aux données devient plus difficile pour deux raisons : - Le manque de compétences techniques. Pour formuler informatiquement une requête complexe (les requêtes conjonctives), l’utilisateur doit connaitre la structuration de données, c’est-à-dire la façon dont les données sont organisées et stockées dans la base de données. Quand les données sont volumineuses et complexes, ce n’est pas facile d’avoir une compréhension approfondie sur toutes les dépendances et interrelations entre données, même pour les techniciens du système d’information. De plus, cette compréhension n’est pas forcément liée au savoir et savoir-faire du domaine et il est donc, très rare que les utilisateurs finaux possèdent les compétences suffisantes. - Différents points de vue des utilisateurs. Dans l’environnement de multi-utilisation de données, chaque utilisateur introduit son propre point de vue quand il ajoute des nouvelles données et informations techniques. Les données peuvent être nommées de manières très différentes et les provenances de données ne sont pas suffisamment fournies. / The emergence of Information and Comunication Technologies (ICT) in the early 1990s, especially the Internet, made it easy to produce data and disseminate it to the rest of the world. The strength of new Database Management System (DBMS) and the reduction of storage costs have led to an exponential increase of volume data within entreprise information system. The large number of correlations (visible or hidden) between data makes them more intertwined and complex. The data are also heterogeneous, as they can come from many sources and exist in many formats (text, image, audio, video, etc.) or at different levels of structuring (structured, semi-structured, unstructured). All companies now have to face with data sources that are more and more massive, complex and heterogeneous.technical information. The data may either have different denominations or may not have verifiable provenances. Consequently, these data are difficult to interpret and accessible by other actors. They remain unexploited or not maximally exploited for the purpose of sharing and reuse. Data access (or data querying), by definition, is the process of extracting information from a database using queries to answer a specific question. Extracting information is an indispensable function for any information system. However, the latter is never easy but it always represents a major bottleneck for all organizations (Soylu et al. 2013). In the environment of multiuse of complex and heterogeneous, providing all users with easy and simple access to data becomes more difficult for two reasons : - Lack of technical skills : In order to correctly formulate a query a user must know the structure of data, ie how the data is organized and stored in the database. When data is large and complex, it is not easy to have a thorough understanding of all the dependencies and interrelationships between data, even for information system technicians. Moreover, this understanding is not necessarily linked to the domain competences and it is therefore very rare that end users have sufficient theses such skills. - Different user perspectives : In the multi-use environment, each user introduces their own point of view when adding new data and technical information. Data can be namedin very different ways and data provenances are not sufficiently recorded. Consequently, they become difficultly interpretable and accessible by other actors since they do not have sufficient understanding of data semantics. The thesis work presented in this manuscript aims to improve the multi-use of complex and heterogeneous data by expert usiness actors by providing them with a semantic and visual access to the data. We find that, although the initial design of the databases has taken into account the logic of the domain (using the entity-association model for example), it is common practice to modify this design in order to adapt specific techniques needs. As a result, the final design is often a form that diverges from the original conceptual structure and there is a clear distinction between the technical knowledge needed to extract data and the knowledge that the expert actors have to interpret, process and produce data (Soylu et al. 2013). Based on bibliographical studies about data management tools, knowledge representation, visualization techniques and Semantic Web technologies (Berners-Lee et al. 2001), etc., in order to provide an easy data access to different expert actors, we propose to use a comprehensive and declarative representation of the data that is semantic, conceptual and integrates domain knowledge closeed to expert actors.

Die seit Jahren anhaltende digitale Transformation erfährt durch neue, innovative Prozesse, Methoden und Technologien erneut ein atemberaubendes Wachstum in allen Bereichen. Entlang eines jeden Produktlebenszyklus werden unter den aktuellen Trends wie z.B. Systems Engineering, Industrie 4.0 und Internet of Things vielfältige Lösungen geschaffen, um vor allem die digitale Repräsentanz eines Produktes sowie der zu deren Herstellung notwendigen Produktionsmittel und der betreffenden Umgebung beim Betrieb des Produktes zu erschaffen bzw. auszubauen. Die digitale Repräsentanz, der sog. „Digitale Zwilling“ (oder auch 'Digitale Schatten') dient vor allem dazu, die Durchgängigkeit und Nachvollziehbarkeit aller produktrelevanten und -bezogenen Informationen sicherzustellen und für unterschiedlichste Szenarien und Stakeholder nutzbar zu machen. Die Informationen im Product Life-cycle Management (PLM) durchlaufen dabei unterschiedliche Reifegrade. In den Spezifikationsphasen werden die Informationen im Soll-Zustand auch gern als „Digitaler Master“ bezeichnet. [...]

This case study examines the James 1:27 Trust as an information, communication and technology response to the plight of orphans and vulnerable children within the context of an HIV and AIDS epidemic. The James 1:27 Trust demonstrates how social networks can be mobilized in support of children at risk. The use of business information and management systems to administer concepts such as “virtual adoption” is deemed an important innovative contribution. The James 1:27 Trust and its model is studied as a contributor in finding solutions to scale and multiply levels of care by community and faith-based organisations to orphans and vulnerable children. The James 1:27 Trust is located at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria, Africa’s first internationally accredited science park. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour in HIV/AIDS))