An ISM-based approach to overcoming barriers to adopting next-generation processing and computing technologies in the ceramics and glass manufacturing industries

Next-generation processing and computing technologies (NGPTs), being new platforms that provide high energy efficiency and process intensification, are touted as key decarbonisation enablers in the ceramic and glass manufacturing sectors, but there are adoption barriers to overcome. Through a critical literature review and thematic analysis of ceramics and glass stakeholders’ interviews and workshop data, twelve consolidated barriers were identified, broadly grouped into economic, organisational, external & regulatory, and operational & technological factors. The Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) technique was adopted to deepen the understanding of the contextual interactions and interdependencies among the barriers, structuring them into seven hierarchical layers. This ISM output was further complemented with a MICMAC analysis to determine the dependence and driving powers of the barriers. Regulatory ambiguity alongside a lack of digital strategy were established to be the two most influential barriers, with knock-on effects on the remaining ones, in the interplay between NGPTs adoption and digital transformation towards net-zero, in both sectors. The results offer uniquely useful policy insights and practical managerial levers for ceramics and glass stakeholders regarding targeted intervention options prioritisation when designing response strategies for overcoming the barriers.