Sustainability and Transparency in Shipbuilding Networks (SUSTIS)

Shipping companies need to utilize the wider concept of sustainability in order to communicate a change in the way they are thinking. To achieve this, the shipyard as a system integrator and its subcontracting network have to cover larger part of the value chain with sustainability and transparency. In this project we study the possibilities of enlarging the scope of sustainability from ships operations to the whole life cycle and how this wider approach can be communicated efficiently to the customer.

Sustainability and Transparency in Shipbuilding Networks SUSTIS project focused on collecting, combining and utilization of sustainability information of materials and manufacturing processes for creating sustainability based value in shipbuilding. The goal was to 1) expand the use of sustainability arguments in shipbuilding business from operational use to the whole life-cycle starting from raw materials and working conditions and 2) generate new business through opening the sustainability data.

SUSTIS was a research project coordinated by University of Turku (Department of Future Technologies). The research partners included three units in University of Turku (Future Technologies, Centre for Collaborative Research, Finland Futures Research Centre) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Several industry partners have their own parallel projects linked to the research project.

The research project was conducted in two phases during the years 2016 to 2019. Phase I, linked with a parallel project by Meyer Turku Oy, focused in identifying relevant sustainability indicators, their transfer and utilization. The main result of the Phase I was validation of sustainability’s business value in the shipbuilding network and, ultimately, for the cruising business. In Phase II, the research scope widens, exploring more methods and solutions for data transferring. Utilization of the transferred sustainability data is covered by creating and testing various pilot applications. Phase II promotes dialogue around the utilization of sustainability arguments and data for increased economic resilience of the shipbuilding network. For making sustainability issues transparent and widely utilizable, a pilot platform for sustainability data is created. Phase II also includes quantification of the data with sustainability modeling as well as exploring the new business possibilities provided by the open sustainability data.

Website: https://embedded.utu.fi/sustis

Further information: Katariina Heikkilä, Leena Jokinen & Maria Höyssä (FFRC)

Publications:

  • Könnölä, K., Kangas, K., Seppälä, K., Mäkelä, M. & Lehtonen, L. (2020) Considering sustainability in cruise vessel design and construction based on existing sustainability certification systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 259, 120763. 

  • Saarni, J., Heikkilä, K., Kalliomäki, H., Mäkelä, M.. Jokinen, L. & Apostol, O. (2019) Sustainability in Shipbuilding – Observations from Project-Oriented Supply Network in Cruise Ship Construction. FFRC eBook 5/2019. Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku.

  • Apostol, O., Höyssä, H., Kalliomäki, H., Jokinen, L. & Mäkelä, M. (2019) A case study of how sustainability is made useful in new industrial contexts, in the proceedings of the European Accounting Association 2019 Annual Congress.

  • Apostol, O. Mäkelä, M., Heikkilä, K., Höyssä, M., Kalliomäki, H., Jokinen, L. & Saarni,  J. (2019) Why to communicate? A sensemaking perspective to sustainability communication, presented at Royal Holloway University of London, 19 June 2019.

  • Apostol, A., Mäkelä, M., Heikkilä, K., Höyssä, M., Kalliomäki, H., Jokinen, L. & Saarni, J. Accountability failure? (2019) A sensemaking perspective to sustainability communication, presented at the Interdisciplinary Accounting Discussion Group at the Department of Accounting and Finance, Turku School of Economics, 11 April 2019.

  • Jokinen, L., Mäkelä, M., Kalliomäki, H., Heikkilä, K., Apostol, O., Saarni, J. & Palonen T. (2019) Forward-looking sustainability collaboration within a shipbuilding network. Paper presented in Corporate Responsibility Research Conference CRRC 2019. University of Leeds, Tampere University, Kedge Business School. 11–13 Sept 2019.

  • Apostol, O., Jokinen, L., Heikkilä, K., Höyssä, M. and Mäkelä, M. (2018) Sustainability sense-making in complex industrial networks, 30th International Congress on Social and Environmental Accounting Research, St. Andrews, UK, 28–30 Aug 2018.

  • Apostol, O., Höyssä, M., Kalliomäki, H., Jokinen, L. & Mäkelä, M. (2018) Internal discursive effects on corporate decision to externally communicate sustainability. Paper presented in Nordic Accounting Conference 2018. Copenhagen Business School. 

  • Mäkelä, M., Apostol, O. & Heikkilä, K. (2018) Chapter 6: Pride and fear: Emotions in sustainability. In: Escobar-Pérez, B., del Mar Miras-Rodríguez, M. (eds.) Corporate social responsibility: Challenges in diversity, accountability and sustainability. Management Science – Theory and Applications. Nova Science Publishers, New York. p. 121–147.

  • Mäkelä, M., Apostol, O., Kalliomäki, H., Jokinen, L., Heikkilä, K. & Saarni, J. (2018) Collaborative sustainability in a shipbuilding network. Paper presented in Corporate Responsibility Research Conference CRRC 2018. University of Leeds, Kedge Business School. 10–12 Sept 2018.

  • Apostol, O. (2016) Sustainability best practices. Benchmarking results of the SUSTIS project. FFRC eBook 10/2016. Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku.  

  • Apostol, O., Mäkelä, M., Heikkilä, K. & Höyssä, M. (2016) Formalization of sustainability discourse: who benefits? Presented at the Interdisciplinary Accounting Discussion Group at the Department of Accounting and Finance, Turku School of Economics, 8 Dec 2016.

  • Apostol, O., Mäkelä, M., Heikkilä, K. & Höyssä, M. (2016) Constructing sustainability in complex business environments, 1st CSEAR Ireland Congress, Limerick, Ireland, 20–21 Oct 2016.

  • Heikkilä, K. (2016) Perspectives to sustainability in the shipbuilding network. Interview results of the SUSTIS project. FFRC eBook 9/2016. Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku.