Circular economy (CE) proposes a transition in production and consumption practices that has a key relevance in wood-based industries, since forests are also connected to climate and biodiversity goals. If the bioeconomy is to sustainably suffice the increasing demand in the Nordics, wood-based manufacturing should become more circular. The wood commodity has embedded some circular principles to its production processes, but generally employs a waste management perspective, and research gaps exist on the relationships between actors. Inter-organisational collaboration (IOC) has been presented as key to enable effective circular solutions. While some studies exist in converging IOC and circularity, previous research demand empirical investigations.  This thesis investigates the current state of IOCs for forming and improving circular value chains in wood-based manufacturing, while empirically validating the CE and supply chain collaboration model by Calicchio Berardi and Peregrino de Brito (2021). To this aim, network and IOC theory form the theoretical underpinning. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with Nordic wood-based manufacturing companies.  Findings show that IOCs for the CE can concern material sourcing, side streams, and/or main products, and the nature and extent of these collaborations are explained. Side stream collaborations were strong for companies close to the primary resource, and for those material sourcing IOCs for circularity took the shape of new requirements. Main product collaborations were very diverse and recent, indicating a growing trend in collaborating for circularity. Based on empirical data, a linguistic change from supply chain to value cycles is proposed. The model used is found valid and mostly represented in this study, indicating how these IOCs form and improve. However, a revised version is presented – the CE and value cycles collaboration model – based on empirical findings from this study. The authors then indicate future research streams possibilities and practical implications of the study.

Purpose: Information management is crucial for a food manufacturing company as it increases productivity, lowers cost, and enables traceability as well as data-driven decision-making. A lack of information management leads to consequences such as lack of customer demand and requirements, which result in high inventory or stockout. The purpose of this study is to enable digitalized information management in food value chains, and this study aims to know which information needs to be considered for data-driven decision-making. The purpose and aim align with adapting to the current trends of industry 4.0 and digitalized information management. To fulfill the purpose, two research questions are formulated: (1) What type of information needs to be considered for data-driven decision-making in food value chains? and (2) How should the parts of the value chain be digitalized to enable data-driven decision-making in food value chains?  Method: The chosen approach for this study was an inductive approach and the chosen strategies were a literature review and a single case study in the Swedish food manufacturing industry. To gain an understanding of the case company’s value chain, interviews were used as a data collection technique. The interviews were then analyzed and then combined with the literature review to answer both the research questions. The quality of the study was evaluated by using thetrustworthiness criteria. There were also five principles, when it comes to research ethics, that were used during this study.   Findings: After the conducted interviews, the relevant actors were identified and mapped in the case company’s value chain. It was found that the company used a lot of manual information management procedures, which led to several challenges for data-driven decision-making within the company. The mapping revealed which information was relevant for the respective actors within the case company. This provided a starting point from which empirical and theoretical data were studied to address these challenges and answer the two research questions and fulfill the purpose of this study.   Analysis: To build a framework for digital information management, it was necessary to customize existing equipment and resources, adapt the process to the specific industry, and move toward the concept of industry 4.0. With these elements in mind, the framework was created using data acquired from both the literature research and the case study. The framework consists of a loop, that allows for continual improvement.   Conclusion: Applying the correct technology is important for digitalized information management, and the food manufacturing industry suffers from limited technologies in this aspect. This thesis informs the reader on how to digitalize information management. The academic contribution is a theoretical framework for the digitalization of information management using industry 4.0 concepts, which can support companies to generate revenue. / <p>Externt samarbete utesluts, eftersom företaget inte vill skylta med sitt namn. </p>

Due to the textile industry’s polluting impact on aquatic environments the Sweden Textile Water Initiative (STWI) was established. This Sida funded collaboration between SIWI (Stockholm International Water Institute), Swedish fashion brands and their suppliers received international recognition for their success in achieving tangible environmental results after implementing sustainability measures at the suppliers. However, the financing from Sida was only for a limited period of time and the projects lost momentum when the money ran out. Moreover, claims have been made that monetary savings which suppliers made from more efficient resource use has been subject to profit theft from the brands by reducing their order prices. Furthermore, the brands genuine desire to achieve sustainability in the supply chain is questioned by modest supplier nominations. Previous research shows problems in value chain management and how both intentional and unintentional actions affect power dynamics and other factors in the value chain. This research contributes to the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) literature by including a Swedish partnership perspective. In addition, new research is continuously needed in sustainability and textile value chains as conditions in the industry change rapidly (such as increased environmental awareness, and not least the covid-19 pandemic).  The purpose of this thesis is to answer the research question; "Is there a pattern of economic benefits for sustainability efforts in the textile supply chain being unfairly distributed between stakeholders in international partnerships?" This is achieved by conducting a case study of the Sweden Textile Water Initiative (STWI), including a supplier survey, semi-structured interviews with brands and supplier representatives, as well as a literature study.  The results showed that no coherent definition of "fair" had been established within a STWI context, and although suppliers were the only ones to receive direct financial profits, brands still indicated that this was not necessarily unfair. Furthermore, it was discovered that order quantities had decreased, but that motivations for decrease could be due to a number of reasons; restructuring in business model, changed consumer behavior/demand, and order placement with other suppliers. Regarding the order price, the majority of suppliers considered that these had decreased, while brands unanimously claimed they had increased. Contradictions in the respondents' answers does not necessarily render their experiences untrue, as they rarely have direct financial transactions due to the structure of the value chain. Another result showed that the brands modest number of nominated suppliers was largely due to hesitation from suppliers to join the partnership, as well as brands focusing on strategic placement, and being more oriented towards where the projects will have the largest impact. Finally, the results led to a number of suggestions on how improved partnerships can be achieved.  The plethora of factors that affect the complex structure of the industry also leaves many opportunities to explore cause-effect relationships. Further research needs include mapping market-, upstream- and downstream- pressure on suppliers, definitions of justice and risk responsibility, driving forces leading to relocation of production countries and comparisons of environmental legislation related to textile production. / Till följd av den förorenande miljöpåverkan som textilproduktion har på vattendrag bildades partnerskapet Sweden Textile Water Initiative (STWI). Detta Sida-finansierade samarbete mellan SIWI (Stockholm International Water Institute), svenska modeföretag och deras leverantö rer erhöll internationellt erkännande för sin framgång med att nå konkreta miljöresultat efter implementering av hållbarhetsåtgärder hos leverantörerna. Finansieringen från Sida pågick dock endast under en begränsad tidsperiod och projekten förlorade momentum när pengarna tog slut. Dessutom har påståenden gjorts om att de monetära besparingar som leverantörer gjort genom effektivare resursanvändning har hamnat hos modeföretagen genom sänkta orderpriser. Vidare ifrågasätts modeföretagen genuina vilja att uppnå hållbarhet i leverantörskedjan av sparsamma leverantörsnomineringar till partnerskapet, då det indikerar vilja att vara delaktiga, utan transparens kring den egna värdekedjan. Tidigare forskning visar på problematik i värdekedjeledning samt hur både avsiktliga och oavsiktliga handlingar påverkar maktdynamik och andra faktorer i värdekedjan. Detta arbete avser att bidra till den större SSCM-litteraturen med ett partneskapsperspektiv mellan aktörerna i värdekejdan istället för topstyrt från varumärken. Dessutom behövs kontinuerligt ny intersektionell forskning inom textil värdekedjor eftersom förhållandena i branschen ändras snabbt (såsom ökad miljömedvetenhet och inte minst covid-19-pandemin).  Syftet med detta examensarbete är att besvara forskningsfrågan; “Finns det ett mönster av att ekonomiska vinster från hållbarhets-insatser i textil värdekedjan fördelas på ett orättvist sätt mellan intressenter i internationella partnerskap?”. Detta görs genom att utföra en fallstudie av Sweden Textile Water Initiative (STWI), inkluderande enkät till leverantörer, semi-strukturerade intervjuer med mode- företag och leverantörs representanter samt en litteraturstudie.  Resultaten påvisade att det saknades en gemensamt definierad tolkning av “orättvist” inom STWI och trots att leverantörer var de enda som erhöll direkt ekonomisk vinst indikerade ändå modeföretag att detta inte nödvändigtvis var orättvist. Vidare upptäcktes att orderkvantiteter hade minskat men att detta kunde bero på ett antal anledningar; omstrukturering i affärsmodell, förändrat konsumentbeteende/efterfrågan och orderplacering hos andra leverantörer, medan genomförande av STWI inte ansågs vara en betydande anledning. Gällande orderpris så ansåg majoriteten av leverantörer att dessa hade sjunkit medan modeföretag enhälligt hävdade att de hade ökat. Att det finns motsättningar i svaren betyder inte nödvändigtvis att deras erfarenheter är osanna, eftersom dessa aktörer sällan har direkta ekonomiska transaktioner till följd av värdekedjans struktur. Ett annat resultat visade att modeföretags låga antal nominerade leverantörer till stor del berodde på tveksamhet från leverantörer att medverka i partnerskapet samt att fokusering på leverantörer där åtgärder skulle ge störst nytta. Slutligen ledde resultaten till ett antal förslag på hur förbättrade partnerskap kan uppnås.  Överflödet av faktorer som påverkar den komplexa strukturen i textilindustrin lämnar många möjligheter att utforska orsakssamband. Ytterligare forskningsbehov inkluderar kartläggning av marknad-, uppströms- och nedströms tryck på leverantörer, definitioner av rättvisa och riskansvar, drivkrafter som leder till omlokalisering av produktionsländer och jämförelser av miljölagstiftning relaterad till textilproduktion.

Climate change is a wicked problem and finding solutions to revert the negative trend of global warming remains one of the dominant global issues. Coffee production contributes to global warming significantly, due to its high greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, Sweden is among the top three coffee consuming countries and Vietnam remains the world’s second biggest coffee producing country. The presented research examines perceptions on sustainability and social responsibility within the global coffee value chain. Further, this paper investigates challenges to increase sustainability and a more common ground within the network of stakeholders. This research consists of three different methods to collect data from three stakeholders amongst the coffee value chain: (i) qualitative interviews with Vietnamese farmers, (ii) a quantitative questionnaire with Swedish consumers, and (iii) a document analysis on Swedish coffee companies’ presentation on their sustainability work. Our findings show the difficulty of finding a consistent definition and views by the stakeholders on what sustainable coffee is, and on the distribution of responsibilities in the field. Due to the complexity of the global value chain network, and despite rising awareness and interest, a knowledge-gap remains between the stakeholders. While sustainability certification standards are one attempt of spreading more knowledge, they have been identified as one of the main challenges. Closing this gap and creating a more common ground is necessary to ensure more sustainability and environmentally friendly practices along the global coffee value chain.

Many developing countries are undergoing rapid urbanization which often outpaces affordable housing development, aggravating housing shortages. To address this, some governments initiate affordable housing schemes, aiming to provide low-income households with access to affordable housing. This thesis examines the impact of government affordable housing schemes on housing affordability in Rwanda, focusing on their distributional impact and their targeted households. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study analyses data from the fifth Integrated Living Conditions Survey (EICV5) to investigate income distribution, housing expenditure patterns, and expenditure-to-income ratios across different population segments and geographical regions. Complemented by a review of government policies and institutional frameworks, the study contextualises its findings within consumer theory, New Institutional Economics (NIE), and Housing Supply Value Chain frameworks. The analysis reveals significant disparities in income and expenditure-to-income ratios (EIR) among households across different deciles and geographical regions. These variations are shaped by factors such as household economic capacity, institutional frameworks, housing supply value chain, and regional population density. The study emphasizes the importance of strict eligibility criteria for beneficiaries of affordable housing units set by the government of Rwanda to maintain long-term affordability and prevent speculation in government-supported projects. However, variations in target beneficiaries, income requirements, and housing costs across the ongoing affordable housing projects highlight the complexity of defining and implementing affordable housing in Rwanda. Some projects target displaced households, while others target higher-income brackets, challenging the local definition of affordable housing. This master’s thesis sheds light on the distributional impact of government affordable housing schemes in Rwanda, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in ensuring housing affordability for low-income households amidst rapid urbanization and evolving housing dynamics.

Background: The textile industry new regulations require companies to integrate traceability in their value chain and circular initiatives. Recent studies present concern of the lack of traceability in products. Traceability is seen as an enabler for sustainability, since it displays company value chain activities. This research is part of the research project Systemdemonstratorn for a circular value chain. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to provide insights of the requirements in terms of traceability for companies’ adaptation to the digital product passport for the aim of creating an enhanced circular textile system. The research questions are divided in stage 1 to determine the current state and stage 2 to establish the requirement of future stage. Methodology: This research applies a qualitative approach with an explorative stance. The constructed conceptual framework is based on a merge of value stream mapping and The Butterfly Diagram with the addition of a proposed structure for the digital product passport from CIRPASS. The primary data was collected from semi-structured interviews and a conducted interview tool supported by the 5W1H information gathering technique. Findings: To analyse the findings this research conducted a thematic analysis, where themes were conducted individually in stage 1 and stage 2. The finding indicated a need of an integrated technological solution, a demand for a clear strategic communication process and a desire of clarity both within the companies and in the industry, it may still be a concern due to the novelty of the subject. Increased knowledge was further demonstrated as a necessity together with increased responsibility and lower ambiguity. Integrating traceability in circular loops and a unique product identifier was also distinguished as requirements. It was also stated that participants companies had progressed to different extent in the circular loops. Certifications was further distinguished as an established way amongst the participant to verify their traceability. Key findings are still an absence of completely understanding the concept of traceability. Contribution: This research contributes to demonstrating a success in merging value stream mapping and The Butterfly Diagram for mapping current state of information flow. It provides an insight for requirements needed for the future adoption of the digital product passport regarding traceability for an enhanced circular textile system and provides a pathway for textile management. The research further establish direction for enriching the knowledge by providing insights to future research which align with the subject.

This study explores the barriers to cross-sector collaboration among NGOs, for-profit organizations, PBCs, social enterprise and public entities within the plastic industry, aiming to identify the challenges hindering the transition towards a holistic circular economy. The research investigates the complex dynamics and interconnected factors that impede collaborative efforts in addressing the global plastic pollution crisis. Employing a qualitative approach, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with actors representing various sectors and roles within the plastic value chain. The research design involved a thematic analysis of the interview data, guided by the theoretical frameworks of Social Network Theory, Systems Thinking, and Innovation. This approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the barriers to cross-sector collaboration, considering the interplay of power dynamics, economic priorities, and the lack of feasible, scalable solutions. The findings reveal three major barriers: power imbalances and disconnect among actors within the plastic industry network, the prioritization of profit over sustainability in the current economic system, and the absence of realistic, feasible solutions that can be implemented on a large scale across the entire value chain. The study highlights the necessity of fostering an inclusive environment, shifting mindsets, and developing innovative, scalable solutions to overcome these barriers. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex challenges in achieving cross-sector collaboration and provide valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers working towards a sustainable future in the plastic industry.

This research has aimed to understand supply chain resilience in the federal government, specifically healthcare PPE supply chain resilience. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the fragility of global supply chains. Before COVID-19, low-cost medical supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE), which typically requires less skilled labor, had been produced in China and Malaysia and imported to the United States. However, COVID-19 created an overwhelming shortage in medical supplies globally, forcing the United States to create federal policies that could make their domestic supply chain lines more resilient to external disruptions. This research explored the effects of one such policy intervention, the “Making PPE in America Act” of 2021, on maintaining healthcare supply chain resilience of the healthcare supply chains for non-military areas of the U.S. government. Two qualitative studies were conducted to examine the federal government’s response to this issue and its impact on the industry. The research provides valuable insights into the resilience of the healthcare supply chains for non-military areas of the U.S. federal government. It enhances limited scholarly literature on healthcare supply chain resilience through the lens of U.S. civilian healthcare federal government organizations. The research highlights the importance of an organizational-level definition of supply chain resilience, which should be articulated throughout the organization to ensure a holistic approach. It also recommends incorporating technologies to facilitate predictive analytics, real-time data, and technology automation. Federal agencies and industry partners can use this research to develop and implement strategies to improve or, in some cases, create strategies that will positively impact their supply chain resilience posture.Keywords: Global value chain, healthcare, personal protective equipment, reflexive thematic analysis, supply chain resilience / Business Administration/International Business Administration

The Swedish Initiative on Sustainable Palm Oil in food and cosmetic and detergent industries hasemerged in 2014 following other EU national initiatives. This thesis project aims to explore thecondition of the initiative by examining who the key important stakeholders are and how these palmoil key stakeholders in Swedish market develop and implement their Sustainable Palm OilInitiatives. A qualitative approach using case study technique is used to guide the study andsupported by a combination of several theoretical frameworks, such as stakeholders’ theory and thevalue chain concept to address the research questions. Rooted from six organizations as study cases,the study found that the key important stakeholders for these organizations in developing andimplementing the initiatives are retailers, suppliers, consumers, trade associations, and Non-Governmental Organizations. Furthermore, the study also found that these six organizations useethical sourcing tool based on Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certification scheme toimplement the Initiative in their respective member companies. As authorisers, the Swedish FoodFederation and the Swedish Cosmetics, Detergents and Toiletries Association developed Palm OilWorking Group and a simple platform for their member companies both in Swedish food andcosmetic and detergent industries in order to spread and manage the initiative. Världsnaturfonden,on the other hand serves as an external influencer that conducts lobbying and facilitations to supportSwedish companies to use certified segregated palm oil products to drive responsible palm oilproduction. The results show that Kicks, Croda, and Fazer facilitate the operationalization of ethicalsourcing initiative throughout their primary and supporting value chain activities. In addition,intertwined relationship between upstream and downstream parts of palm oil supply chain networksinfluences the outcome of the Swedish Initiative on Sustainable Palm Oil in spreading the initiativetoward market transformation in Sweden.

Each year, only around 10% of the produced films will go to theatrical release, and 90% of the produced films might be the missing jewels lost in time. In Taiwan, movie distributors will act as this filter role to find out those 10% films. In this case, we will introduce the basic knowledge of the industry and discuss the evaluation process of the distributors and at the end reaching our conclusions and suggestions.