Pusan National University researchers identify key barriers hindering data-driven smart manufacturing adoption

A comprehensive set of issues, covering different aspects of manufacturing data analytics, can help manufacturers transition to smart manufacturing

Pusan National University

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CISM offers a structured guide for manufacturers to identify and resolve issues that emerge during MDA implementation, and also serves as a reference for developing educational and training resources. It has the potential to lead to wider adoption of MDA in the industry.

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Credit: Ki-Hun Kim from Pusan National University

Modern manufacturing operates in complex environments where traditional management approaches are no longer enough. This highlights the need for real-time, dynamic and self-adaptive management strategies. Manufacturing data analytics (MDA) has emerged as a powerful solution for transforming traditional manufacturing into smart manufacturing. Through MDA, manufacturers can identify hidden patterns in external and internal data, allowing them to better anticipate and respond to geopolitical risks and rapidly changing customer expectations and demands. However, despite these benefits, adoption of MDA remains surprisingly low, with fewer than one in five projects reaching full implementation.

Why the low uptake?

Because manufacturers face numerous challenges during MDA implementation. The MDA process typically involves five main steps: data preparation, data analysis, evaluation and interpretation of results, and implementation of results into manufacturing systems. Unique issues can arise at each of these steps. Additionally, there are broader issues related to technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) contexts. While past studies have investigated many of these issues, they have not been able to provide a comprehensive list, overlooking TOE contexts, and being limited to only specific steps of MDA.

To address this gap, a research team led by Assistant Professor Ki-Hun Kim from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Pusan National University, South Korea, developed a comprehensive issue set for MDA implementation (CISM), with active contributions from Mr. Sa-Eun Park and Mr. Sang-Jae Lee, also from the same department. “To accelerate the adoption of MDA, manufacturers must first be able to identify and resolve the various challenges that may arise during its implementation. This includes not only technical issues but also organizational and environmental factors that significantly influence the success of MDA initiatives,” explains Dr. Kim. “CISM provides a structured framework to proactively recognize and resolve these issues, supporting a more efficient and effective MDA implementation.” The team included Mr. Sa-Eun Park and Mr. Sang-Jae Lee, also from Pusan National University. Their study was made available online on June 09, 2025, and published in Volume 82 of the Journal of Manufacturing Systems in October 2025.

The team first started by identifying relevant literature from the SCOPUS database. They identified 35 papers that addressed various issues related to MDA implementation. By systematically reviewing these papers, they identified a comprehensive set of 29 issues, grouped into 9 categories, each mapped to the relevant TOE context and step of the MDA process. Of these, 26 issues are related to technological context, 11 to organizational context, and 4 to environmental context.  The 9 categories of CISM reflect different aspects of the MDA process, from understanding the problem and preparing data, to identifying the knowledge gap between data scientists and domain experts, and aligning MDA models to real-world manufacturing systems.

To validate CISM, the research team applied it to three real-world case studies in the rubber manufacturing industry, focusing on optimizing recipe formulation and mixing processes to ensure consistent, high-quality production. The framework effectively captured all implementation challenges encountered during the projects, demonstrating its comprehensiveness and practical applicability.

The authors also highlight directions for future research: ranking the relative importance of each issue, exploring their relevance across different manufacturing contexts, and developing tailored strategies to address them.

“CISM can help manufacturers establish clear guidelines for identifying and prioritizing the issues that need to be proactively addressed to ensure effective MDA implementation,” notes Dr. Kim. “Moreover, it can serve as a foundational reference for developing education and training resources related to MDA. These efforts will, in turn, enable manufacturers to deliver high-quality products more efficiently and reliably, extending the benefits directly to consumers.”

In summary, CISM provides a solid foundation for both researchers and practitioners working to improve real-world MDA implementation. It represents a meaningful step forward in the journey toward widespread, data-driven smart manufacturing.

 

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Reference                                    

Title of original paper: Comprehensive issue identification for manufacturing data analytics implementation: Systematic literature review and case studies

Journal: Journal of Manufacturing Systems

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmsy.2025.05.006

                                    

About Pusan National University

Pusan National University, located in Busan, South Korea, was founded in 1946 and is now the No. 1 national university of South Korea in research and educational competency. The multi-campus university also has other smaller campuses in Yangsan, Miryang, and Ami. The university prides itself on the principles of truth, freedom, and service and has approximately 30,000 students, 1,200 professors, and 750 faculty members. The university comprises 14 colleges (schools) and one independent division, with 103 departments in all.

Website: https://www.pusan.ac.kr/eng/Main.do

About Assistant Professor Ki-Hun Kim

Dr. Ki-Hun Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Pusan National University and is jointly affiliated with the Graduate School of Data Science. His research focuses on the development and applications of AI for various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.

Lab: https://sites.google.com/view/iai-lab/home?authuser=0

Scopus ID: 57020115300

About Mr. Sa-Eun Park

Sa-Eun Park is currently a graduate student in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Pusan National University. He is pursuing an MS-Ph.D. integrated course under the supervision of Professor Ki-Hun Kim. His research involves developing advanced AI methods to optimize industrial processes and enhance decision-making capabilities.

About Mr. Sang-Jae Lee

Sang-Jae Lee earned a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Pusan National University. His research focuses on a time series forecasting and practical AI applications in various industries.

 

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Journal

Journal of Manufacturing Systems

DOI

10.1016/j.jmsy.2025.05.006 

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Comprehensive issue identification for manufacturing data analytics implementation: Systematic literature review and case studies

Article Publication Date

1-Oct-2025

 

Uncovering behavioral clues to childhood maltreatment

Researchers use a non-self-rating questionnaire for identifying children at risk and understanding their difficulties to guide early intervention

University of Fukui

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The first plot (A) shows the calculated links between the age at which childhood maltreatment happens and the type of behavioral problems that arise. The second plot (B) shows the calculated links between the type of maltreatment and the behavioral problems.

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Credit: Takuya Makino from the University of Fukui, Japan Source link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry/articles/10.3389/frcha.2025.1493432/full

Childhood maltreatment leaves deep and lasting marks that have far-reaching consequences, extending beyond immediate trauma and affecting survivors in ways that are often invisible and misunderstood. Many survivors often face a complex mix of challenges that have an impact not only on their mental well-being but also on their physical health, social development, and overall quality of life. Studies have shown that the consequences of childhood maltreatment can be truly profound, influencing the risk of chronic health conditions and hindering educational and employment opportunities and lifelong relationships.

However, despite the severity of its effects, most studies on childhood maltreatment have been retrospective, focusing on adults looking back on their childhood experiences. This leaves significant gaps in our understanding of how maltreatment impacts children as it unfolds. Moreover, traditional trauma assessments often involve directly questioning children about their painful experiences, which can add to the psychological stress of these already vulnerable individuals. As a result, healthcare professionals often struggle to fully detect and address the wide-ranging effects of maltreatment in real time.

Using a more comprehensive way to understand the consequences of childhood maltreatment, a research team from Japan’s United Graduate School of Child Development, which includes the University of Osaka, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and the University of Fukui, have now used a less psychologically invasive questionnaire to find answers. This study was led by graduate student Takuya Makino and included researchers Dr. Shota Nishitani, Dr. Shinichiro Takiguchi, Ms. Akiko Yao, Dr. Takashi X. Fujisawa, and Dr. Akemi Tomoda from the University of Fukui. In this study, the team showcased how a widely used behavioral assessment tool can accurately identify maltreatment without directly questioning children about traumatic experiences. Their findings were published in Volume 4 of Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry on May 8, 2025.

Explaining the rationale behind this, Mr. Makino, the main author of this study, says, “We often deal with people who have been diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, or autism spectrum disorder, but when we carefully review their medical histories, we find that they were once maltreated children.” Adding further, he says, “The difficulties they present are multi-layered and often confusing to us ourselves. In this context, we set out to identify their difficulties more comprehensively, while at the same time elaborating on them.”

The team used the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a non-invasive questionnaire completed by caregivers not involved in maltreatment, to assess children’s behavioral and emotional problems across eight categories. The CBCL measures issues like withdrawal, anxiety, attention difficulties, and aggression based on caregivers’ everyday observations. They compared 32 children with confirmed maltreatment histories to 29 typically developing peers assessed using the CBCL 4-18 questionnaire.

This approach allowed the team to pinpoint specific behavioral and emotional challenges linked to childhood maltreatment and to develop mathematical models that could predict a child’s exposure to maltreatment. They also investigated how the timing and type of maltreatment affected specific behavioral outcomes.

Results revealed that maltreated children scored significantly higher in seven out of eight behavioral problem areas compared to their peers, particularly in obsessive thoughts, attention difficulties, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Using CBCL scores, the researchers developed a predictive model that identified maltreated children with 90.6% accuracy and 96.6% specificity.

The study also uncovered critical timing patterns. For instance, abuse or neglect at the age of five was particularly linked to withdrawal and thought problems, while maltreatment between ages five and seven was more associated with somatic complaints—physical symptoms like headaches or stomach-aches without medical cause. Notably, the type of abuse also mattered; physical abuse was more connected to behavioral problems and somatic complaints, while emotional abuse was linked to anxiety, depression, and obsessive thoughts.

These findings have the potential to reshape how healthcare providers identify and support maltreated children. Since the CBCL does not require children to discuss traumatic experiences directly, it offers a less intrusive yet comprehensive tool for recognizing those in need. “Our study is a wake-up call for clinicians to look beyond trauma-specific symptoms,” says Mr. Makino, “Because different types of maltreatment give rise to different issues; this perspective can guide more sophisticated and targeted interventions.”

Hopefully, continued research in this area will better equip professionals to provide appropriate support that addresses each child’s specific needs. Over time, this could help break the cycle of long-term consequences that often extend into adulthood for survivors.

 

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Reference
DOI: 10.3389/frcha.2025.1493432

 

About University of Fukui, Japan
The University of Fukui is a preeminent research institution with robust undergraduate and graduate schools focusing on education, medical and science, engineering, and global and community studies. The university conducts cutting-edge research and strives to nurture human resources capable of contributing to society on the local, national, and global level.

Website: https://www.u-fukui.ac.jp/eng/

 

About graduate student Takuya Makino from University of Fukui, Japan
Takuya Makino is a clinical psychologist, certified behavioral therapist, and graduate student at the Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Fukui Hospital. He specializes in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. He currently holds 13 scientific publications to his name. His research interests include child and adolescent, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

 

Funding information
All phases of this study were supported by AMED under Grant Number JP20gk0110052, JSPS KAKENHI Scientific Research (A) (19H00617 and 22H00492), Scientific Research (C) (20K02700 and 18K02480), Young Scientists, and Early-Career Scientists (15K21026 and 18K13109), Grant-in-Aid for “Creating a Safe and Secure Living Environment in the Changing Public and Private Spheres” from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)/Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX) a research grant from Japan-United States Brain Research Cooperative Program, research grant from the Strategic Budget to Realize University Missions, research grants from the University of Fukui (FY 2019 and 2020), Grant-in-Aid for Translational Research from the Life Science Innovation Center, University of Fukui (LSI20305 and LSI22202), and Grant for Life Cycle Medicine from Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui.

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Journal

Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

DOI

10.3389/frcha.2025.1493432 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Assessing childhood maltreatment exposure using the child behavior checklist

COI Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

PLASTIC IRONY

New study finds polyethylene (PE) packaging can outperform alternatives on life cycle GWP

FH Campus Wien - University of Applied Sciences

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Vienna, July 11, 2025 A new Europe-focused study reveals that polyethylene (PE), the most widely used packaging material in Europe, has lower life cycle global warming potential (GWP) - often used to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - than conventional packaging alternatives, such as paper, metals, and glass, in most applications. The finding arrives as the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) came into force in February 2025, offering policymakers valuable insights for work on delegated acts that could directly or indirectly lead to substitution of plastic packaging by alternatives.

The research conducted by a team including leading packaging and life cycle assessment (LCA) experts from the University of Applied Science Vienna, Austria, Circular Analytics TK GmbH, Austria, Michigan State University School of Packaging, United States and in collaboration with ExxonMobil  was recently published in Cleaner Environmental Systems. The research team and the study adhered to ISO standards 14040/14044 requirements for conducting an LCA. Their assessment was based on sampled formats, data from high-volume PE packaging, and alternatives selected from Austria and Germany. All scenarios were modeled to cover the packaging life cycle from cradle (raw material extraction) to end-of-life, excluding the use phase (e.g., breakage rates and product loss due to packaging performance).

They evaluated 50 real-world packaging formats across five end-use applications. These included pallet wraps, collation packaging, rigid non-food containers, heavy-duty sacks, and flexible food packaging. They also include commonly known products such as shipping and transport packaging materials, collation packaging for drink containers, shampoo and cosmetic bottles, heavy-duty sacks, and food wraps.

Key Findings:

• PE packaging showed lower life cycle GWP in 34 out of 50 (68%) applications evaluated in Europe.
• When evaluated against paper and multi-material options, PE packaging demonstrated lower life cycle GWP in 19 of 35 cases.
• Replacing PE packaging with alternative materials, including paper, paper multimaterials, glass, and metals, would increase life cycle GWP emissions by up to 6.96 million tons of CO2 equivalent — a rise of 40–64%.
• This substitution would also increase packaging weight by at least 244%, adding material, transport, and waste burdens.
• No clear environmental advantage was found for alternatives in water use, measured as water scarcity, or fossil resource use.

The results call for a more nuanced, data-driven approach when discussing packaging material substitution policies.

The study’s policy implications offer timely insights for regulators and companies as they work to meet the new European PPWR requirements. The study underscores the importance of considering environmental trade-offs when selecting packaging materials and highlights the benefits of PE-based packaging in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and packaging weight.

“Polyethylene packaging plays a critical role in preserving and protecting goods across value chains, and our study demonstrates its potential environmental advantages over many recognized alternative materials,” said Manfred Tacker, lead author of the study. “These insights are vital for regulators and companies aiming to implement sustainable packaging solutions.”

“This study improved our understanding of the potential environmental impacts of packaging by evaluating PE and alternative packaging materials. It highlighted that policymakers should holistically assess product-packaging systems to effectively reduce GWP and other environmental impacts across the supply chain, emphasizing that LCA can be a valuable tool to inform such evaluations,” said Rafael Auras, co-author and a professor at the Michigan State University School of Packaging.

The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, industries, and sustainability advocates reevaluating materials in the drive toward a circular economy.

Author: Manfred Tacker

Circularanalytics.com

Contact Information: For more information, please contact:

Sigrun Reininghaus-Cussac
Science Communications

FH Campus Wien/ University of Applied Life Sciences
phone: +43 1 606 68 77-6430
sigrun.reininghaus-cussac@fh-campuswien.ac.at
www.fh-campuswien.ac.at 

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Journal

Cleaner Environmental Systems

DOI

10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100270 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Life cycle assessment of polyethylene packaging and alternatives on the European market

 

A technological breakthrough for ultra-fast and greener AI

A team from Université Laval has designed a tiny optical chip capable of transmitting 1,000 gigabits per second while reducing energy consumption

Université Laval

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Artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT are notorious for being power-hungry. To tackle this challenge, a team from the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL) has come up with an optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speed. As thin as a strand of hair, this technology offers unrivalled energy efficiency.  

Published in Nature Photonics, the innovation harnesses the power of light to transmit information. Unlike traditional systems that rely solely on light intensity, this chip also uses the phase of light, in other words, its shift. 

By adding a new dimension to the signal, the system reaches unprecedented performance levels, all while maintaining a tiny size. “We’re jumping from 56 gigabits per second to 1,000 gigabits per second,” says PhD student Alireza Geravand, the first author of the study. 

The equivalent of 100 million books transferred in 7 minutes 

The research team sees massive potential for training AI models. “At 1,000 gigabits per second, you could transfer an entire training dataset—the equivalent of over 100 million books—in under seven minutes. That’s about the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee,” Geravand adds. And all of this would only consume 4 joules of energy—just enough to heat one millilitre of water by one degree Celsius. 

The breakthrough relies on microring modulators—tiny ring-shaped devices made from silicon that can manipulate light to encode information. The system uses two pairs of rings: one for intensity, the other for phase. 

Today’s AI data centres rely on tens or even hundreds of thousands of processors, communicating like neurons in the brain. Each processor spans a few millimetres, but when you add it all up, the infrastructure quickly becomes enormous, and so does the energy to power it. “You end up with a system that’s kilometres long,” says the PhD student. With their new technology, the units can communicate quickly and efficiently as if they were only a few metres apart—a considerable advantage as AI demand continues to grow. 

This technology could hit the market in the coming years. Companies like NVIDIA are already starting to use microring modulators albeit limited to light intensity.  

“Ten years ago, our lab laid the groundwork for this technology. Today, we’re taking it to the next level. Maybe in a few years, the industry will catch up, and this innovation will make its way into the real world,” Geravand concludes. 

Other contributors to the study include Zibo Zheng, Farshid Shateri, Simon Levasseur, Leslie A. Rusch, and Wei Shi. 

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Journal

Nature Photonics

DOI

10.1038/s41566-025-01686-1 

Article Title

Ultrafast coherent dynamics of microring modulators

 

Can a parasitic worm help rebuild blue crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay?

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

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An egg-bearing blue crab found near Oyster, VA. Scientists believe the presence of an egg-eating parasitic worm may aid in the management of the fishery by revealing the number of times a crab has spawned.

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Credit: Alex Schneider

Parasitic, egg-eating worms might sound like the stuff of nightmares, but they’re simply a fact of life for blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. Interestingly, a new study published in the journal PLOS One by researchers at William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS suggests these worms could serve as a valuable biomarker for managing the fishery.

The most recent Winter Dredge Survey, conducted by the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS in collaboration with Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, recorded historically low numbers of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. The findings have sparked concern among the fishery’s many stakeholders and highlight a need for new tools that can help balance economic and ecological priorities—this study may help with that.

The worm, Carcinonemertes carcinophila, infests and lives on the egg clutches of female blue crabs. While they do not eat enough eggs to drastically reduce the crabs’ reproductive output, they grow and change color after feeding making them a potential biomarker for determining whether a female crab has spawned. However, crabs living throughout the Chesapeake Bay experience a wide range of salinity levels, and it was previously unclear whether the worms could survive in the lower salinities found in some parts of the Bay and its tributaries.

“Other species of Carcinonemertes cannot survive in salinity levels below 20 parts per thousand, which is a common occurrence in the Bay’s tributaries and during high-precipitation events,” said Professor Jeffrey Shields at the Batten School & VIMS. “We found this worm to be much tougher than other species.”

Evaluating the worms’ potential as biomarkers

The study continues research initiated by former Batten School & VIMS student Alex Schneider Ph.D. ’24, who investigated blue crab reproduction to support improved fishery management. One part of her dissertation focused on Carcinonemertes carcinophila’s potential for determining the number of times a female crab has reproduced.

Schneider collaborated with Alex Pomroy, an undergraduate student at William & Mary and the study’s lead author. Under Shields’ mentorship, the researchers collected worms from blue crabs and subjected them to a wide range of salinities.

As expected, the worms thrived in mid-to-high salinity levels of 20–30 parts per thousand (psu). However, the researchers also found that the worms could acclimate and survive at a salinity of 10 psu and even withstand and recover from short durations (up to 39 hours) at levels as low as five psu.

“Female crabs often migrate from low-salinity waters to high-salinity waters to lay eggs. We found that the worms had a wide salinity tolerance, and that they survived well at the lower salinities representative of where crabs might begin their migrations,” said Pomroy. “This means that the worms are likely to infest crabs throughout their adult lives, confirming their potential as biomarkers for reproduction.”

Implications for fishery management

The blue crab is one of the most important commercial and recreational species in Chesapeake Bay. Egg production is a key component of many fishery models, but it has been difficult to determine how many times a female crab has spawned.

Female crabs that have not yet produced offspring are termed primiparous, while those that have reproduced multiple times are multiparous. Previous research by Schneider and others at the Batten School & VIMS demonstrated that female blue crabs produce more offspring in their first clutch, with fecundity—or reproductive potential—declining in subsequent clutches. The study also showed that nearly all crabs reproducing in June were primiparous, while those reproducing later in the spawning season were mostly multiparous.

In another study published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, Schneider and co-authors used the worm to provide the first-ever estimate of the proportion of crabs that have and have not spawned during winter. This information helps managers understand the impacts of commercial and recreational harvest on spawning demographics and the overall composition of the population before the spawning season.

“If you’re trying to increase the blue crab population in the Bay, it makes sense to protect the primiparous crabs if they are producing more offspring,” said Schneider. “The presence and physical characteristics of this worm can serve as a sort of living history of whether a crab has spawned, potentially giving us a tool to identify how fecundity changes over a female’s life and which crabs are the most productive.”

In its state advisory role, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science conducts population surveys and provides scientific guidance to inform fisheries management and is continuing to track the proportion of multiparous spawners using the worms as a biomarker. The results from this and related studies will be shared with all partners involved in managing the Bay’s blue crab fishery.  The authors note that additional research on the reproductive ecology of female blue crabs may help to better manage this vitally important species.

Lead author Alex Pomroy records the responsiveness of the worms after they are exposed to varying salinity levels.

Credit

Alex Pomroy

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Journal

PLOS One

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0326493 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Salinity tolerance, hyposaline stress recovery, and survival of the nemertean worm, Carcinonemertes carcinophila (Nemertea) in relation to its host, the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

Article Publication Date

9-Jul-2025