Sustainable Manufacturing Processes - The Coaching Method Enabling Companies to Innovate

This book arises from the need inside the European process industry to innovate existing manufacturing processes towards sustainability. Next to this sector, startups and scale ups of novel manufacturing routes want to do sustainability first time right.



Methodically, the book describes and analyzes technological, economical, psychological and organizational factors that prevent innovation in companies. Subsequently, a unique innovation method is presented. It is inside-out, meaning innovation promoting and inhibiting factors are identified and companies are coached to innovate their own process. To inspire and motivate, a comprehensive set of state-of-art technologies is interfaced with company manufacturing processes.



The uniqueness of the method lies in the fact, it is structured yet leaves room for creativity. It builds on fundamental driving forces encountered in physics and chemistry. It starts in reality, reaches technological abstrac tness and then comes back with a realistic innovation. Finally, it is the company itself that innovates.



This book can support companies dealing with innovating their existing manufacturing processes and for start/scale ups that want to be sustainable right from the start.

Rezension:

A nice combination of framing the sustainability challenge and process intensification solutions

Nicely set up, with a smooth and easily accessible writing style. It is written as if you are sitting next to me and calmly telling the story, without pretensions.
A nice combination of framing the sustainability challenge and then offering process intensification solutions.
For me, chapters 1 & 2 seem to be for a different audience than chapters 3-5. I understand that both are necessary. However, I think there are few people who can get as much out of both parts.
I find chapter 3 (and somewhat chapter 4) pleasantly practical with nice examples. For me, they are the highlight of the book; the rest is a useful build-up, but not the core.
In summary: A smooth, practically written guide to support an organization that wants to become more sustainable but doesn't yet know how, in their journey towards cost-effective improvements - Arend Jan Zeeuw

Valuable log book for companies to grow better and healthier

If companies were people, this is a very useful guide to help them grow better and healthier. Henk Akse shares a lean method based in his expertise and experience to promote innovation and profitability and sustainability, concepts that are often considered non compatible.
With equal amounts of common sense and clever ideas, this book offers strategies and tools to make progress happen. It presents wide-vision principles, while being able to go down the very detailed real life examples. It is impressive how the text covers open questions about management and technology, then going down to such details as how to properly take care of impurities in chemical process.
This book emphasizes the human factor as a major driving force, including ideas to build and reinforce team building and maintenance, and team work to achieve group objectives.
In summary, this is an excellent inspiration to push innovation and sustain ability in the chemical industry. Henk Aske helps to identify the important questions, and then offers a valuable rationale to answer them in a fruitful and straightforward manner. - J.R Galan-Mascaros (ICREA Professor at ICIQ, Spain)