Identification of Energy Efficiency Trends in the Context of the Development of Industry 4.0 Using the Polish Steel Sector as an Example

Radosław Wolniak, Sebastian Saniuk, Sandra Grabowska and Bożena Gajdzik
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Radosław Wolniak: Department Economy and Informatics, Silesian University of Technology, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
Sebastian Saniuk: Department of Engineering Management and Logistics Systems, University of Zielona Gora, 65-246 Zielona Gora, Poland
Sandra Grabowska: Department of Production Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 40-019 Katowice, Poland
Bożena Gajdzik: Department of Industrial Informatics, Silesian University of Technology, 40-019 Katowice, Poland

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: The steel sector is crucial for the national economy of Poland and the global economy. In response to the challenges of the global steel market and the need to increase the sector’s competitiveness, a number of actions have been taken to increase the energy efficiency of steel production. Based on the synthesis of the literature and our own research, we describe the issues related to energy efficiency and the Industry 4.0 concept. The main aim of this paper is to identify energy efficiency trends in enterprises, especially those that focus on increasing the energy efficiency of production processes, and to make recommendations for investment policy for the Polish steel sector in the era of Industry 4.0. To achieve our goals and answer the research question, we used data from 2000–2019 for the Polish steel industry. The calculations and models in this paper were made by using Gretl software. Using direct research, an econometric model was built that verified the hypothesis regarding the relationship between investment in new technologies and the energy efficiency of steel production. Future investment policies should take the implementation of Industry 4.0 tools in the steel sector into account, which, according to the authors, will measurably improve energy efficiency.

Keywords: energy efficiency; Industry 4.0; investment policy in the steel sector (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (28)

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