nep-ppm New Economics Papers
on Project, Program and Portfolio Management
Issue of 2023‒08‒28
five papers chosen by
Arvi Kuura, Tartu Ülikool


  1. Economic Analysis of Smart Roadside Infrastructure Sensors for Connected and Automated Mobility By Laurent Kloeker; Gregor Joeken; Lutz Eckstein
  2. Using machine learning to map the European cleantech sector By Ambrois, Matteo; Butticè, Vincenzo; Caviggioli, Federico; Cerulli, Giovanni; Croce, Annalisa; De Marco, Antonio; Giordano, Andrea; Resce, Giuliano; Toschi, Laura; Ughetto, Elisa; Zinilli, Antonio
  3. Cities looking for waste heat: The dilemmas of energy and industry nexuses in French metropolitan areas By Antoine Fontaine; Laurence Rocher
  4. Cloud Cost Optimization: A Comprehensive Review of Strategies and Case Studies By Saurabh Deochake
  5. How research institutions can make the best of scandals – once they become unavoidable By Gilles Grolleau; Naoufel Mzoughi

  1. By: Laurent Kloeker; Gregor Joeken; Lutz Eckstein
    Abstract: Smart roadside infrastructure sensors in the form of intelligent transportation system stations (ITS-Ss) are increasingly deployed worldwide at relevant traffic nodes. The resulting digital twins of the real environment are suitable for developing and validating connected and automated driving functions and for increasing the operational safety of intelligent vehicles by providing ITS-S real-time data. However, ITS-Ss are very costly to establish and operate. The choice of sensor technology also has an impact on the overall costs as well as on the data quality. So far, there is only insufficient knowledge about the concrete expenses that arise with the construction of different ITS-S setups. Within this work, multiple modular infrastructure sensor setups are investigated with the help of a life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Their economic efficiency, different user requirements and sensor data qualities are considered. Based on the static cost model, a Monte Carlo simulation is performed, to generate a range of possible project costs and to quantify the financial risks of implementing ITS-S projects of different scales. Due to its modularity, the calculation model is suitable for diverse applications and outputs a distinctive evaluation of the underlying cost-benefit ratio of investigated setups.
    Date: 2023–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2307.12893&r=ppm
  2. By: Ambrois, Matteo; Butticè, Vincenzo; Caviggioli, Federico; Cerulli, Giovanni; Croce, Annalisa; De Marco, Antonio; Giordano, Andrea; Resce, Giuliano; Toschi, Laura; Ughetto, Elisa; Zinilli, Antonio
    Abstract: This working paper uses machine learning to identify Cleantech companies in the Orbis database, based on self-declared business descriptions. Identifying Cleantech companies is challenging, as there is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes Cleantech. This novel approach allows to scale-up the identification process by training an algorithm to mimic (human) expert assessment in order to identify Cleantech companies in a large dataset containing information on millions of European companies. The resulting dataset is used to construct a mapping of Cleantech companies in Europe and thereby provide a new perspective on the functioning of the EU cleantech sector. The paper serves as an introductory chapter to a series of analyses that will result from the CLEU project, a collaboration between the universities of Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano and Università degli Studi di Bologna. Notably, the project aims to deepen our understanding of the financing needs of the EU Cleantech sector. It was funded by the EIB's University Research Sponsorship (EIBURS) programme and supervised by the EIF's Research and Market Analysis Division.
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:eifwps:202391&r=ppm
  3. By: Antoine Fontaine (EVS - Environnement, Ville, Société - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Mines Saint-Étienne MSE - École des Mines de Saint-Étienne - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - INSA Lyon - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon - Université de Lyon - INSA - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - ENSAL - École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Lyon - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Laurence Rocher (EVS - Environnement, Ville, Société - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Mines Saint-Étienne MSE - École des Mines de Saint-Étienne - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - INSA Lyon - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon - Université de Lyon - INSA - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - ENSAL - École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Lyon - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: The sharp increase in and volatility of fossil fuel prices, due in particular to the Russian–Ukrainian conflict, is a powerful incentive for cities to accelerate their energy transition. Yet urban authorities have limited power over the construction of energy policies and the management of networks, and they remain dependent on remote and mainly carbon-intensive imported sources of energy. The recovery of waste heat from waste incineration or industrial emissions and its use in heating networks represents a solution for cities to control part of their energy supply, to develop their own capacities for action and to implement local transition strategies, in addition to the development of renewable energies. Based on the analysis of four case studies in France between 2019 and 2022, in the context preceding the current energy crisis, this article examines how cities are trying to develop waste heat recovery and the role this energy resource plays in the decarbonisation of urban energy systems. The analysis highlights that the emergence of these projects is more broadly part of the renegotiation dynamics of energy, ecological and economic relationships between cities and industries, and that their implementation results in the construction of new urban energy nexuses. The use of waste heat makes it possible to improve the energy efficiency of industrial and urban energy systems, sometimes significantly, but it must be seen as a transitional solution because it can temporarily increase cities' dependency on high-carbon and energy-inefficient industrial activities.
    Keywords: Urban nexus, Waste heat, Energy transition, Infrastructure, Public policy
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04156338&r=ppm
  4. By: Saurabh Deochake
    Abstract: Cloud computing has revolutionized the way organizations manage their IT infrastructure, but it has also introduced new challenges, such as managing cloud costs. This paper explores various techniques for cloud cost optimization, including cloud pricing, analysis, and strategies for resource allocation. Real-world case studies of these techniques are presented, along with a discussion of their effectiveness and key takeaways. The analysis conducted in this paper reveals that organizations can achieve significant cost savings by adopting cloud cost optimization techniques. Additionally, future research directions are proposed to advance the state of the art in this important field.
    Date: 2023–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2307.12479&r=ppm
  5. By: Gilles Grolleau (CEE-M - Centre d'Economie de l'Environnement - Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier, ESSCA Research Lab - ESSCA - Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers); Naoufel Mzoughi (ECODEVELOPPEMENT - Unité de recherche d'Écodéveloppement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)
    Abstract: We posit that, once scandals become unavoidable, they can be considered for transformation into opportunities for research institutions, scientific communities and science regulators to implement in-depth changes and policies they would otherwise oppose. Research institutions and scientific communities can take advantage of scandals by participating proactively in constructing their consequences. We develop four mechanisms by which scandals can be used to bring positive change in research institutions and scientific communities. These are nullifying the high-status protection of almost untouchable researchers, ‘resetting' the system that was conducive to scandals, changing the reference point upon which the entity is judged to emphasize progress and offering a learning opportunity to involved parties.
    Date: 2022–12–20
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03908837&r=ppm

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