This scenario study focused on potential future demand of critical metals if the world strives for equitable use of technologies in the world in 2050. Smartphones and other electronics are increasing in the world and the consumption rate is high as the use-life generally are short. Technologies moving away from fossil fuels have increased in recent years and include solar cells and wind power in the energy sector and electric vehicles in the transportation sector. All these growing technologies are dependent on some specific metals. In some technological areas, the potential future use of specific metals have the risk to become critically scarce, as the use of these technologies increase. These technologies and their use of these potentially critical metals have been investigated in this scenario study, assuming equitable technology distribution in 2050. For metals which in the scenario study indicate critical supply, potential strategies have been screened. Rare earth elements have played a huge role improving wind turbines due to their use of neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. Indium and tellurium are used to produce the new generation of solar cells. Lithium is important in electric vehicles and smartphone batteries. These potentially scarce metals might have the possibility to be substituted with other metals that can serve as a good enough substitution in these application. If these metals are substituted it is important that the substitution materials will not in themselves become critical. Substituting one critical metal with another might just result in the same unsustainable problems. These potentially scarce metals are also connected to some environmental consequences as demand is rapidly growing and mining is the main source for these metals. Another problem is that recycling rates are low and these metals often end up in landfills where they pose a risk of leaching hazardous or harmful substances. This scenario study showed supply limitations for the seven metals that were included. The outcome of this study resulted in the following conclusions:  Indium and tellurium have a risk to become extremely critical where neither reduced material intensity nor recycling can decrease demand enough.  Lithium demand Risks to become too high to support with current reserves and as material intensity is likely to increase, and recycling only can contribute with small shares in 2050, substitution is the preferable solution to the lithium scarcity.  Neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium demands can be reduced through reduced material intensity, but as they are dependent on other REEs the availability of these four metals will depend on the demand for other REEs  Materials under development as substitutions have to be studied regarding their availability and price sensitivity. Substituting one critical metal with another may result in similar problems for a new metal instead of a long-term solution. / <p>2017-05-02</p>

Denna studie söker att utforska vilka effekter och konsekvenser covid-pandemin kan ha på konferensverksamhet som bedrivs på hotell i Sverige. Genom en scenariostudie undersöks hur framtidens marknad för konferenser som en del av hotellverksamhet i Sverige kan se ut med hänsyn till covid-pandemins effekter. För att skapa scenariot användes en tvåstegs-studie bestående av intervjuer och en enkätundersökning. Studien belyser dessutom vilka praktiska implikationer scenariot får, samt vilka anpassningar konferenshotellen kan göra för att möta scenariot. Scenariot visar att det även efter pandemin kommer att finnas en efterfrågan på fysiska möten och en möjlighet att bedriva en vinstdrivande konferensverksamhet på hotell. Dock indikerar studien på att konferenshotellen troligtvis kommer påverkas av långvariga marknadsförändringar. Förändringarna inkluderar förändrade köpbeteenden, ökad användning av digitala inslag i möten, större fokus på aktivitet och upplevelse, färre stora möten, minskad maxkapacitet i konferenslokaler, större fokus på trygghet och ökad osäkerhet på marknaden. Den ökade osäkerheten leder till att konferenshotellen föreslås arbeta mer aktivt med att bygga resilienta organisationer. Dessutom föreslås en rad andra anpassningsåtgärder för att konferenshotell ska kunna bedriva en vinstdrivande konferensverksamhet. Inga liknande studier har kunnat hittas och därför erbjuder denna studie en insikt i ett outforskat och högaktuellt ämne som inbjuder till vidare forskning. / This study seeks to explore what effects and consequences the covid-pandemic will have on conference services at hotels in Sweden. A scenario study examines what the future market for conferences as part of hotel businesses in Sweden may look like with regard to the effects of the covid pandemic. The scenario is created by executing a two step-study consisting of interviews and a survey. The study also illustrates what practical implications the scenario will have, and what adjustments the conference hotels can make to meet said scenario. The scenario shows that even after the pandemic, there will still be a demand for physical meetings and an ability to operate profitable conference services at hotels. Nevertheless, the study indicates that conference hotels most likely will be affected by long term changes on the market. The changes include change in purchase behaviour, increased use of digital technologies in meetings, a larger focus on activities and experiences, fewer large meetings, decreased maximum capacity in conference rooms, more focus on safety and security and more insecurity on the market. The increased insecurity leads up to the suggestion that the conference hotels work more actively with building resilient organisations. In addition, other adaptation measures for the ability to operate profitable conference services are suggested. No similar studies have been found and therefore this study offers an insight into an unexplored and very current topic that invites further research.