Eco‐Holonic 4.0 Circular Business Model to Conceptualize Sustainable Value Chain Towards Digital Transition

 Sustainability2020,12,1889;doi:10.3390/su12051889www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Article Eco‐Holonic4.0CircularBusinessModelto ConceptualizeSustainableValueChainTowards DigitalTransition MaríaJesúsÁvila‐Gutiérrez*,AlejandroMartín‐Gómez,FranciscoAguayo‐González andJuanRamónLama‐Ruiz  DesignEngineeringDept,UniversityofSeville,EscuelaPolitécnicaSuperior,VirgendeÁfrica7, 41011,Seville,Spain;[email protected](A.M.‐G.);[email protected](F.A.‐G.);[email protected](J.R.L.‐R.) *Correspondence:[email protected](M.J.A.‐G.) Received:1February2020;Accepted:27February2020;Published:2March2020 Abstract:ThepurposeofthispaperistoconceptualizeacircularbusinessmodelbasedonanEco‐ HolonicArchitecture,throughtheintegrationofcirculareconomyandholonicprinciples.A conceptualmodelisdevelopedtomanagethecomplexityofintegratingcirculareconomy principles,digitaltransformation,andtoolsandframeworksforsustainabilityintobusinessmodels. Theproposedarchitectureismultilevelandmultiscaleinordertoachievetheinstantiationofthe sustainablevaluechaininanyterritory.Thearchitecturepromotestheincorporationofcircular economyandholonicprinciplesintonewcircularbusinessmodels.Thisintegratedperspectiveof businessmodelcansupportthedesignandupgradeofthemanufacturingcompaniesintheir respectiveindustrialsectors.Theconceptualmodelproposedisbasedonactivitytheorythat considerstheinteractionsbetweentechnicalandsocialsystemsandallowsthemitigationofthe metabolicriftthatexistsbetweennaturalandsocialmetabolism.Thisstudycontributestothe existingliteratureoncirculareconomy,circularbusinessmodelsandactivitytheorybyconsidering holonicparadigmconcerns,whichhavenotbeenexploredyet.Thisresearchalsooffersaunique holonicarchitectureofcircularbusinessmodelbyconsideringdifferentlevels,relationships, dynamismandcontextualization(territory)aspects. Keywords:circulareconomy;circularbusinessmodel;holonicsystems;activitytheory;sustainable manufacturing  1.Introduction CircularEconomy(CE)orneweraofabundanceandprosperityispresentedasanalternative modeltolineareconomyorscarcityeconomy[1].CEisnotanewconcept;however,thenoveltyisin theinterestofitsimplementationatthelevelofgovernment,industryandsociety.Nowadays,CEis stillnotcontextualizedandsomeauthorstrytodiscussdifferentconceptsaboutthisterm[2].The potentialityofCElieswiththepurposeofregeneratingandrestoringthenaturalenvironment.Thus, productsandprocessesareredesignedinordertomaximizethevalueofresources.Economicgrowth isdecoupledfromtheconsumptionoffiniteresources[3].CEisstronglyinfluencedbyconceptsfrom differentframeworks,suchaseco‐efficiency[4],CradletoCradle(C2C)[5],cyclicity,efficiency toxicity,andIndustrialEcology(IE)[6].CEisaparadigmofactionthathasresultedfromthe evolutionoftheconceptofsustainability[7,8],thatincludessynergisticarticulationfromtheTriple BottomLine(TBL),economy,ecologyandequity(3E). TheobjectiveofsustainabilityandCEistonaturifytechnicalsystemsfromtheeventsthatoccur inthenaturalworld.Themainchallengeforthisapproachistobringthedynamicsofnatural Sustainability2020,12,18892of32 operation(fromnaturalecosystems)totheindustrialsectorsothattherationaluseofnatural resourcestakesplaceaccordingtotherateofrenewal,respectandcooperationwithnature[9].From IE,specialemphasishasbeenplacedonthepillarofnaturalsustainability.CElimitstheproduction flowtothelevelthatnaturetolerates,usingthecyclesofnaturalecosystemsineconomiccyclesand respectingnaturalrhythms.ThisdeterminesthatCEconception,asaparadigmforsustainability, needstheresearchindifferentpillarssuchassocialsustainability.CEopensnewbusiness opportunities(relationshipswithinvaluechains),innovativechallengesandstimulatesthe emergenceofnewBusinessModels(BM).Awell‐designedBMhasagreatpotentialandcanserveas anessentialstrategictoolforthecompany[10]. BMsarerepresentationsofhowbusinessescreateeconomicvalueforacompanythroughthe creationofvalueforitscustomers[11].TheincorporationofCEprinciples[12]tothebusinessgives risetoCBM,wherethevalueiscreatedthroughtheinterrelationofactivities[13].Owingtothewide varietyofactivitiesandrelationshipsbetweenthem,differenttypesofbusinessesandapplications canbefound[14–20].Regardingbusiness,itisnecessarytoknowtherelationshipbetweenthe activitiesofthesystem,establishingthemeansofachievingtheobjectives(what),theunderstanding ofhowtoachievethatgoal(how),themotivationtoachievetheobjective(why),andtheevolution ofeveryelementinthesystem(where‐to)[21].BMsareusedtoimplementCEandtheymayhavea differentrelevanceaccordingtotheirscale(micro,mesoandmacro)[18].Inadditiontodefiningwhat aBMis,itisnecessarytoconsiderdynamiccapabilitiesandinteractionsthatconstituteakeyissue thatenablesthecreationandimplementationofeffectiveBMs[22]. Intermsofresearch,paradigmsandframeworksthataretryingtoaddresstheaboveissues,are theholonic[23]andtheHolonicManufacturingSystems(HMS)[24],whichhavehadmany contributionsfromresearchworkstodoctoraltheses,amongwhicharetheapplicationofholonic systemstodesignandmanufacturefromTBL,creatingEco‐Holonicmanufacturingsystems[25],the holonicconceptinautomatedmanufacturingsystems[26]ormodel‐drivenmethodologiesfortesting adistributedmulti‐agentmanufacturingsystem[27–29].Theseworkshaveallowedtopositively evaluatetheholonicparadigmtoaddressthevarietyrequiredbythelifecycleengineeringof manufacturingsystems[30],mainlyindifferentaspects,suchasitsnon‐lineardynamiccharacter,its complexityinthedifferentlevelsofgranularity(micro,mesoandmacro),thevarietyofviews[31– 33](energyflows,materials,water,information,humanresources,etc.),aswellastherequirements ofadaptiveinnovationtothetechnologicalandsocio‐economiccontext. Inthiswork,ahighlighteddistancefromconventionalapproachesatindustrialandsocial systemsisestablished,asanecosystemwithoutsolutionofcontinuitywithnaturalecosystems.A particularformofappropriationofmaterialflows,energyandinformation(socialmetabolism) providedbythebiosphere,fromwhichitcannotbeseparated,andwhichwouldbefoundin sustainabledynamicequilibriumunderacertainendometabolismandexometabolismisconsidered [34].Theproposedapproachconsidersequallyimportanttechnology,economicprocesses,business interrelations,financing,governmentpolicies,businessadministration,society,cultureand anthropologicalaspectsbasedonthreeelements:(1)asystemicperspectivethatintegratesthe componentsofindustryandbiosphere,(2)anemphasisonbiophysicalextractionforhumanactivities andthecomplexrelationshipsofmaterialandenergyflowswithindustrialsystemand(3)a considerationoftheevolutionofthelong‐termtechnologicaldynamicsasatransitionelementto movefromanunsustainableindustrialsystem,basedonlineareconomy,towardsacyclicaland regenerativeindustrialecosystem[1,35]. Therearemanyquestionsandopportunitiesinrelationtotheneweraoftechnicalsystems[36], amongwhichmitigationorreversalofthemetabolicrift[37],causedbytheindustrialrevolution, throughemergingtechnologiesandthepotentialofdigitizationofferedbyinformationtechnologies inthecontextofCEandIndustry4.0areconsidered[38].Therefore,thispaperaddressesthe followingresearchquestions(RQs):(RQ1)Isitpossibletoconfiguretechnicalandsocialsystems (technosphereandsociosphere)ofavarietyanalogoustonaturalsystems(naturesphere)thatcoevolveinanadaptiveandevolutionarilystablewayconsideringthesocio‐historicalandcultural modelfromLevVygotskyandEngestrom?;(RQ2)Whichistheappropriateparadigmaticframework Sustainability2020,12,18893of32 thatallowsanopenarchitecturetoconceiveCBMandtheirtechnicalsystemsinawaythatare integratedintonatureundercriteriaofsustainabilitywiththeTBLfromtheparadigmoftheCE?; (RQ3)Whichknowledge,tools,methodologiesandtechniquesshouldintegratetheproposed architecturesothattechnicalsystemwasconceivedasnaturetoobtaintherequiredvarietywith specialemphasistodigitalenablersofIndustry4.0? Regardingtheaboveandtheissuesandopportunitiesthatariseundertheclosureoftechnical cycles,objectivescanbeformulatedbasedondifferentissues.Amongtheseobjectivesarefound:(1) Theincorporationofsustainabilityinearlyphasesofeconomicactivitythatisformalizedthrough businessundertheparadigmofCEfromTBL,(2)CharacterizationofCEasaparadigmof sustainabilityincorporatingActivityTheory(AT)asaframeworkofcircularappropriationofnatural resourcesthatmitigatethemetabolicrift,(3)Reinterpretingtheprinciplesoftheholonicparadigm fromtheconceptofsustainability,CE,andATforitsprojectionintheconceptionofindustrial ecosystems,wherenatureisconsideredasamodel,measureandmentor[39,40],(4)DefininganEco‐ HolonicArchitecturemultilevelandmultiscaleforbusiness,itsvaluechain,productsandecocompatiblemanufacturingsystems,integrableinthecontext(territory),(5)Integratingthecultureof digitization[41]andconnectivitythroughdigitalenablers[42,43].Thislastconsiderationcanbe articulatedunderthesupplychainapproach,encompassingeveryactivityassociatedwiththeflow andtransformationofproductsfromtherawmaterials(extraction)stagetotheenduser,aswellas theassociatedinformationflow[44].Valuechainconsidersthemeaningofvalueinseveralcontexts, includingcommercialrelationships,consumerpurchasesandtheinterestsofthecompanyʹs stakeholders[45].Leanphilosophyispresentedasanadequatecandidatetodefinevaluefromthe clientʹsperspective. ThisapproachcontributestogiveaunifiedperspectiveofCBMusingtoolsandframeworksthat contemplatethecircularityfromtheTBL.Thisresearchisuniqueifitiscomparedwithstudieswhere businessesarecontemplatedatdifferentlevelsbuttherelationships,dynamicsandcontextualization (territory)ofthesearenottakenintoaccount[18]. Giventheobjectivestodevelop,thispaperisorganizedasfollows.Section2providesavision oftheBM,frameworks,toolsandmodelsfortheformalizationofbusinesssuchasATundertheCE andthetransitiontowardsTBLinordertoestablishthenecessaryrequirementsthatmustbesatisfied bytheholonicparadigm.Section3,theprinciplesofCEandknowledgebasearereinterpretedfor theirinclusionintheholonicconceptualframework.Section4,acasestudyaboutEco‐Holonic Architecturemultilevelandmultiscaleforacircularbusinessisformulated.Finally,Section5 presentstheconclusionsandoutlook. 2.BackgroundoftheLiterature Inthissection,areviewaboutthemainconceptsrelatedtothisworkiscarriedout.Theinitial questionisrelatedtotheexistenceofCBMthatsupportthedifferentorganizationsandthatconstitute anintegratingframeworkofreferencefromtheperspectiveoftheCE. BasedonthetypesofliteraturereviewproposedbyMayer[46],inthepresentwork,aStatus Quoreviewwillbecarriedout.Thistypeofreviewisbeingconsideredasadescriptionofthemost currentresearchforaparticulartopicorfieldofresearchthathasbeenstructuredinthefivepoints showninFigure1. Sustainability2020,12,18894of32  Figure1.Backgroundreview. Inthisline,severalconceptshavebeenanalyzedseparatelyas:(1)understandingwhatisaBM, andwhichisthelastaimpursuedbythesemodels;(2)thebusinessasasetofactivitiesthatcreate value;(3)theknowledgeincorporatedthroughtools,frameworksandstrategiesthatsupportBMs fromtheperspectiveofCEand3E;and(4)theselectionofthemostcompleteparadigmthatsatisfies therequirementsofcurrentbusinessanditssustainabletransitiontotheCE. 2.1.BusinessmodelsandCircularBusinessModel. Companieshavetothinkabouthowtheycreateanddelivervalueandwhichrolebusiness models(BM)play.ThetransitiontowardsnewBMsrequirestoinnovateandreplacethecurrentBM throughtheincorporationofnewopportunities[47].Therearedifferentapproachesaboutwhata BMisexactly,whatcomponentsconstituteitandhowitshouldbeused.Oneoftheseapproachesis presentedbyOsterwalderandPigneur[48],whoarguethataBMisthereasonbehindwhat organizationscreate,offerandhowtheycapturevalue.Richardson[49]establishesthatthethree elementsofaBM(valueproposition,creationanddeliveryofvalue,andvaluecapture)mustpresent circularity,efficiency,effectivenessandsafety,inordertoachieveoptimalperformanceof sustainabilitywithintheCE.Likewise,Geissdoerfer[50]relateshoweachelementofBMisaffected bytheeconomic,environmentalandsocialdimensions. Inthisway,BMscanholdanintermediatepositionatalevelofabstractioninrelationtothe formoforganizationofsocietyforthecreationofvalue[51].BMs,asasystemofinterrelatedactivities, impliesthatchangesinonecomponentofteninvolvechangesinothers.Thus,makinganewproduct (valueproposal)mayrequirenewprocessesandnewresources(infrastructuremanagement)[52]. TheimplementationoftheparadigmofCEintotheBMsupposesnotablechangesinthesame ones[53];mainly,owingtoCE,treatsdifferentaspectssuchasclosedmaterialloopsthroughmultiple phases[54],CEfromIEperspective[55],ecologicalrecirculationandrecyclingofmaterialresources [56],economicsystemasaclosedmaterialloopinCircularBusinessModels(CBM)[57],industrial economyofzerodisbursementsbenefitingtechnicalandbiologicalmaterialinputs[58],CEbasedon commercialmodelsthatuseeconomicvalueretainedinproductsafteruse[59],economicmodelin thedesignandmanagementofprocessesthatseekstomaximizethefunctioningofecosystemsand Sustainability2020,12,18895of32 humanwell‐being[60],CEasacoreforthereuseofproduct,componentandmaterial[61]andfinally, CEasapromoterofhigh‐valuematerialcyclesbeyondtraditionalrecycling,inordertodevelop systemapproachesforthecooperationofproducers,consumersandothersocialactorsinthe sustainabledevelopment.AllthesepossibleaspectscontributetopromotethechangeincurrentBMs, socompaniesarerequiredtoparticipateinaninnovationprocessoftheBM,fromacircular perspective[62]. TherearemanytechniquesandtoolsbasedonframeworksaboutBM.Inthisway,someofthem aredescribedastheoneproposedbyOsterwalderandPigneur,thatcreatestheCanvasBMasatool todescribe,analyzeanddesigncurrentBMs.Itdescribesthelogicofhoworganizationsgenerate benefits,helpwithstructuringtheorganizationandenablethedevelopmentofstrategiesinasimple way.ThisBMiscomposedofnineblocksthatrepresenttheviewsoftheactivitiesofanorganization throughtheprocessesandvalueflowscarriedoutinthem. TheframeworkproposedbyAl‐DebeiandFitzgerald[63]presentsfourcomponentsoftheBM: (1)valueproposition,(2)valuearchitecture,(3)valuenetwork,and(4)financialvalue.Theyexplain themainconstructionsanddimensionsoftheBMconcept.ThemostnotabledifferencewithCanvas modelisthevaluenetworkthatexpressesthecooperativeimportanceoftheorganization.Thismodel providesaclearvisionoftherolesofthedifferentstakeholdersandhowtheexchangeofvalue betweenthemtakesplace. JoyceandPaquin[64]evolvedCanvasmodelinconjunctionwiththe3Ebyaddingthesocial andenvironmentallayer.Thesethreelayersarebasedon3E,andtheyareusedtomeasuresocial, economicandenvironmentalimpactsoftheactivitiesoforganizations,soithasbeenadoptedby organizationswithsustainablepurposes. AntikainenandValkokari[18]foundthatcurrentBMtoolslacksomeimportantperspectiveson innovationinBMs.Therefore,theyaddperspectivesforCBMsuchastrendsandfactorsatthe ecosystemlevel,valueforpartnersandstakeholderswithinacompany,andtheimpactsof sustainabilityandcircularity.Thisframeworksuggestsacontinuousiterationoftheevaluationof sustainabilityandcircularitysothattheprocesscanbeoptimized,anditsdynamicsunderstood.The frameworkisthemostspecifiedtoolforCBMamongtheexistingBMtools.However,itrequires furtherdevelopmentbecausethecurrenttoolhasvaguedescriptionsandlimitedexamples. RoomeandLouche[65]explainhownewBMsforsustainabilityaregeneratedthroughthe relationshipsbetweengroupsandindividualsinsideandoutsideofcompanies.Gauthierand Gilomen[66]analyzethetransformationsandthenatureofchangeinSBMs.AbdelkafiandTauscher [67]presentdynamicsystemsappliedtoSBMs.Likewise,UpwardandJones[68]establishan ontologyofSBMs. Otherauthors,however,chooseCanvasmodelasaframeworkfocusedonthecirculationof materialsinclosedloops,theBusinessCycleCanvas[57].Barquet[69]presentsCanvasmodelasa centralcomponentandusesitasatoolfortheconceptualizationofthecircularmodel.Inthisway, Dewulf[20]developsanextendedCanvasmodelwiththecostandsocialbenefitcomponents. Amongthem,thecaseofLewandowski[14]ishighlighted,whichestablishesaBMfortheCE basedonCanvasBM.ItidentifieshowtoapplyCEprinciplestotheBMframeworkknownasoneof themostpopular.Although,itshouldbementionedthatdespitethecontributionofestablishingthe principlesoftheCEtoeachoftheblocksoftheCanvasmethod,ithassomeshortcomingssuchas thatthemodelisnotcontextualized,anditisappliedtoastaticlifecyclewhenthelifecycleisaffected byexternalagentssoitshouldbeadynamiclifecycle.Itshowslinearrelationshipsatthesamelevel andnotatotherlevelsofspecificity,itdoesnotrepresentthedifferentviewofcomplexityofthe business,anditdoesnotrepresentelementsofself‐regulationsincethebusinessisconsideredas somethingincontinuousautonomousevolutionandself‐regulating. OwingtothegreatvarietyofexistingBMs,itcanbesaidthateachofthemshowsdifferent developmentpaths,perspectivesandinterpretations,sothatthereisnoreferencemodelthatpicks upthatvariety.Therefore,itisnecessarytofindatoolthatincludesthecircularvaluesandthat contemplatesagapofsocialaspectofCBM,theinstantiationatdifferentlevelsofconcretionandthe contextualizationinordertoachieveCircularandSustainableBusinessModels. Sustainability2020,12,18896of32 2.2.BusinessasActivityThatCreatesValue Businessesaresystemsofactivitiesthatcreatevalue[47].CBMisasystemofsustainable, intelligentandconnectedactivitiesthatsupporttheprinciplesofCE.ActivityTheory(AT)isan approachwidelyknownasthesociohistoricalapproachtovaluecreation.Thistheorywastheresult oftheeffortsmadeforthedevelopmentofamodelbasedontheMarxistphilosophyandthoughts. ItwasinitiatedbyLevSemiónovichVygotsky[70].ThisresearchhadbeenexpandingbyLeontiev andotherauthorssuchasEngestrom.Engestrom[71]wasakeyauthorinthedevelopmentoftheAT bydesigninggenerictemplatesthathavefoundgreatindustrialapplication.Thistheorysuggeststhat thecontextmustbeconsideredintheanalysisofhumanaction,andthattheobjectofhumanaction isseparatedfromtheresult.ThekeyelementsinthetheoryofactivityarereflectedinFigure2,and theyare:thesubjectortechnospherethatconstitutesthetechnicalsystems,theobjectornatural capital,natursphere,andcommunity.Tools,rulesandthedivisionoflaborconstitutetheartifacts usedintheactivitiestoestablishthecontext.Inthiscase,naturecontributeswithnaturalresources totechnicalsystems,whichthroughhumanactiontransformnaturalcapitalwiththeuseoftools.All ofthemcontextualizedinacommunity,throughestablishedrulesandaproperlyorganizedsystem. Thisrelationshipofnaturalsystemsandthesocietyoftechnicalsystemshasbeenalteredoverthe years,sinceinthebeginning,theirrelationshipwasfullyintegratedandhasgraduallybeenseparated bytheappearanceofworkandtheartificial.Thisseparationofthenaturalandtheartificialwas namedmetabolicrift,aconceptintroducedbyMarxandcontinuedbyFoster[72].  Figure2.DevelopmentofbusinessusingActivitySystem. Sustainability2020,12,18897of32 ResearcharoundtheATaresubstantialandhavehadmanycontributionsinthefieldsof education[73]andlearningincollaborativeenvironments[74],onlinelearning[75],digitalteaching [76],collectionandanalysisoflearningdata[77],creativitydevelopmentmethodology[78], informationsystems[79],apps[80],inclusiveeducation[81],andBuildingInformationModelling (BIM)implementation[82].InrelationtoBMs,therearesomeworkssuchasdesigningBMsfrom differentperspectives[83],digitalBMs[84],andapplicationtoSmartcompanies[85].Fromthepoint ofviewoftheBM,theydonotprovideanexplicitmethodologysincetheymainlyfocusonthedesign andcharacterizationofthedifferentsubjectsinaqualitativeway.Theyprovideasimilarapproach toatemplatetoeasetheanalysisoftheinformationgatheredfromthedifferentnodesaswellasthe studyofpossiblecontradictions. Actually,BMsaredecontextualized.Thistheoryaimstounderstandhumanactivityasa complexsocialphenomenonsituatedwhereitiscomposedofthesubject,objectandtools.Allthisis developedinacontextcomposedbythecommunity,organizationanditsrules.Fromthepointof viewofacompany,itisagenericinstrumentwithaproactivecharacterinthedecision‐makingand evaluationoftheprocessesofanorganization,independentoftechnologyandthespecificcontextin whichitiscarriedout.Differentdecisionscanbeanalyzedandtakentoassesstheconsequenceson thepillarsofsustainabilitybeforethedevelopmentoftheactivity. InadditiontoAT,asaframeworkforBM,itispossibletofindotherframeworksandtools, whicharedetailedbelow. 2.3.ToolsandMethodologiesforCircularEconomy CEasaparadigmtowardssustainabilityisbasedonthesecauses:lackofcyclicity,efficiencyand toxicityinindustrialecosystems.CEusesTBLasthebasisforitstechniquesandtools.CEasa paradigminitiallyprovidesaframeworkthatintegratesmanyofthetechniquesandmethodsofIE. LifeCycleAssessment(LCA)atitsoriginwasnotasaframeworkforwork,butatthepresenttime, CEparadigmintegratesdifferentframeworksofworksuchasvaluecreationframeworksthat representthecauseandframeworksthatseektomitigateharmorthatrepresenttheconsequence[7]. Table1showsalistofthetoolsandmethodologiesthatareusedtoachieveCEintheCBM.They areclassifiedaccordingtotheircontributiontothedifferentperspectives,dependingonnatural metabolism(natursphere)ortechnicalmetabolism(technosphere),theaspectofTBL(Ecology‐E1, Economy‐E2,Equity‐E3)andbasedonitsapplicationlevel(micro(1),meso(2)andmacro(3)).The suitabilityofeachtoolisrepresentedby(suitable)and(notsuitable).  Sustainability2020,12,18898of32  Table1.Frameworks,techniquesandtoolstoincorporatetheknowledge(noosphere)ofATinCB. Methodologies /TechniquesReferencesNatural Metabolism Technical Metabolism TBLLevel E1E2E3 MaterialFlowAnalysis[86,87](1),(2),(3) LifeCycleAssessment[88–91](1),(2),(3) Materialentryperserviceunit[92](3) EcologicalRucksack[93](3) Watercircularity[94](3) Longevityindicator[95](2),(3) Input‐OutputAnalysis[96](1),(2),(3) Trophicchain[97,98](2) Industrialsymbiosis[99,100](2) EcologicalNetworksAnalysis[101–103](1),(2),(3) Biogeochemicalcycles[60](1) EmbeddedEnergyAnalysis[104,105](1),(2),(3) EmergyAnalysis[106](1),(2) ExergyAnalysis[107](2),(3) AnalysisofSocialExergy[108](2),(3) Sankeydiagram[109](3) SubstanceFlowAnalysis[110](1),(2),(3) SubstanceAnalysisfromC2C[111](1),(2),(3) Bioinspiredorbiomimetic design[112,113](2),(3) Lifecyclecostanalysis[114,115](3) AnalysisofEconomic Networks[116–118](1),(2),(3) Cost‐BenefitAnalysis[119](2),(3) Eco‐costs/Valueratio[120](3) CreatingEco‐efficientValue[121–123](2),(3) TheoryofActor‐Network[124](2),(3) Socioconstructivism[125](3) SocialLifeCycleAnalysis[126,127](3) SocialNetworkAnalysis[128](2),(3) Permaculture[129](3) CircularValueEcosystems[130](1) NaturalCapitalism[131](1),(2) BlueEconomy[132](1),(2),(3) ExtendedExergyAnalysis[133](2),(3) CreationofEco‐EfficientValue[134](2) IndustrialEcology[135–138](1) CradletoCradle(C2C)[139,140](1),(2),(3) SustainableLifeCycle Analysis[141,142](1),(2),(3) Derivedfromthisinformationandinordertoorganizeit,itispossibletoestablishatoolbox associatedtoCBMwiththecomponentsoftheTBL,sustainabilityprinciples[7],andtheviewonthe naturalandtechnicalsystems. 2.4.Eco‐Holonic Theholonicitselfconstitutesaknowledgeframeworkforthemodelingofcomplexstructuresin harmonywiththecontext.Inthepresentwork,thetermEco‐Holonichasbeenestablishedto reinterprettheinterestoftheintegrationoftheactivitybeingmodeledinasustainableway.The conceptofEco‐Holonicalsystemistheunionoftheconceptofsustainabilityandholonicsystem[25]. ThecentralelementofEco‐HolonicArchitectureistheEco‐Holon.AnEco‐HolonisaHolonthatisin Sustainability2020,12,18899of32 stableevolutionaryequilibriumwiththeEco‐HolarchiesoftheCollaborationandCooperation domains,throughadialecticalaction.Itsbioinspiredreferencewouldbeanorganismthatis integratedinaharmonicandstablewayintheCollaborationdomains.Inthisdomain,transforming thematter,energyandinformationthatconstituteitandgiveitmeaningasalivingbeingallowits co‐evolutionwiththeenvironment.AnEco‐Holonhaspropertiesthatareclearlydefinedinprevious publications,suchas[143]. InEco‐HolonicArchitecturemodelingprocess,thefollowingelementsaredistinguished:(1) Eco‐HolonicentitiesandEco‐Holarchies;(2)Entitiesviewsandgeneralities;and(3)lifecyclemodel. 1. Eco‐HolonicentitiesandEco‐Holarchies.Theyaretheentitiesthatarerequiredtomodelandproject fromCE.Allentitieshavearealandvirtualpart.Dependingontheproject,itmaybenecessary tomodelalltheentitiesoronlysomeofthem.Eco‐HolarchiesaredefinedintermsofEco‐Holons andtheinteractionsbetweenthem.InFigure3isrepresentedanEco‐Holonasahybridcyberphysicalentityconstitutedbytwoparts:(1)arealpartwithmachinetomachine(m2m) communicationand,(2)adigitaltwinincloudwithinternetconnectionandgreatcomputer capacity.Asanexample,therealpartofthemodelwillbeformallyspecified.ArealEco‐ Holarchywithhlevelsisdenotedby‘𝐸𝐻’setdefinedinEquation(1),where𝐸𝐻isthesetof alltheEco‐HolonsatlevelioftheEco‐Holarchy. 𝐸𝐻𝐸𝐻 ,𝐸𝐻 󰇝𝐸𝐻, 𝐸𝐻,𝐸𝐻,…,𝐸𝐻󰇞(1)  Figure3.RealandvirtualEco‐HolonandEco‐Holarchycomposedoffourlevels. Similarly,asetofEco‐HolonsatlevelioftheEco‐HolarchyisdefinedbyEquation(2),where 𝐸𝐻iscomposedofEco‐HolonjatlevelioftheEco‐Holons,and𝑛isthetotalnumberofEco‐Holons atleveli. 𝐸𝐻 𝐸𝐻 , 𝐸𝐻 ,𝐸𝐻 ,…,𝐸𝐻 (2) Forthisnotation,itshouldbenotedthatEco‐HolonoflevelhoftheEco‐Holarchy,forexample, 𝐸𝐻isasingleEco‐HolonasshowninEquation(3): 𝐸𝐻󰇝𝐻 󰇞; ∀𝐻 ∈𝐻:𝐻 ∈𝐻 (3) Accordingtothisdefinition,Eco‐HolonsatlevelzerocontainEco‐Holonsattheatomiclevel. Formally,theseEco‐HolonscanberepresentedaccordingtoEquation(4). Sustainability2020,12,188916of32  Figure7.KnowledgebaseintheLifecycleEco‐HolonforCircularbusiness. Thevaluechainworksasaninterfacebetweennaturalandtechnicalsystems.Eachlinkofthe valuechaincanbeconceptualizedasamatrixandtoevaluatingtherelationshipsbetweenlinksare usedthemetrics. Manymetricshavebeendevelopedtounderstandtherelationshipbetweenthestructureand behaviorofeachlinkofthevaluechainfromthepointofviewofnaturifyingthesystems[160,161] asshowninFigure8(industrialecosystemadaptedfrom[98]).  Figure8.Ecosystem,relationshipandmatrixrepresentation. Sustainability2020,12,188917of32 Thestructuralmeasuresandmetricsmostoftenusedbyenvironmentalistscanbecalculated usingbinarymatricesofthestructures.Allcalculationsarebasedonifarelationshipexistsornot, taking‘zeros’and‘ones’asdataandcompletingtherelationshipsbetweentheactorsthatarerelated. ThefollowingmetricsarecommonlyusedbyecologiststoconductFoodChainorFoodWeb assessments[162]:  Numberofspeciesoractors(N).Thetotalnumberofactorsinanetwork,sometimesreferredto as‘speciesrichness’.Itisrepresentedbythenumberofrowsandcolumnsinthetrophicchain matrix[F]. 𝑓  󰇛𝑖󰇜󰇫1 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 ∑ 𝑓  0   0 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 ∑ 𝑓  0   󰇬 (8) 𝑓 󰇛 𝑗 󰇜󰇫1 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 ∑ 𝑓  0   0 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 ∑ 𝑓  0   󰇬 (9)  Numberoflinks(L).Thenumberofdirectlinksorinteractionsbetweenactorsinanetwork. Representedbythetotalnumberofnon‐zerointeractionsinthematrix[F].  Linkdensity(LD).Theratioofthetotalnumberoflinkstothetotalnumberofagentsina network. 𝐿𝐿 𝑁(10)  Numberofprey(nprey).Actorswhoareeatenbyatleastoneother.Representedbythenumber ofnon‐zerorowsinthematrix[F].‘Prey‘inanindustrialnetworktransfersmaterialorenergy tobeusedbyothers;i.e.,theyaretheproducers. 𝑛   𝑓 󰇛𝑖󰇜   (11)  Numberofpredators(npredators).Actorsthateatatleastoneother.Representedbythenumberof non‐zerocolumnsinthematrix[F].‘Predators’inanindustrialnetworkreceivematterorenergy fromothers;i.e.,theyaretheconsumers. 𝑛   𝑓 󰇛 𝑗 󰇜   (12)  Prey‐predatorrelationship(PR).Therelationshipofthenumberofactorseatenbyanotherwith thenumberofactorsthatfeedonanother.Thatis,theproportionofprey‐predatorsor producers‐consumers.Thisisthenumberofnon‐zerorowsinthematrix[F]betweenthenumber ofnon‐zerocolumns. 𝑃𝑛 𝑛(13)  SpecializedPredatorFraction(Ps).Thenumberofpredators(consumers)eatingonlyoneactor, dividedbythetotalnumberofconsumersinthenetwork.Thisisthesumofthenumberof columnswithonlyonenon‐zeroelementinthematrix[F]dividedbythetotalnumberof columnswithnon‐zeroelements. 𝑓 󰇛 𝑗 󰇜󰇫1 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 ∑ 𝑓  1   0 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 ∑ 𝑓  1   󰇬 (14) 𝑛  𝑓 󰇛 𝑗 󰇜   (15) Sustainability2020,12,188918of32 𝑃𝑛 𝑛 (16)  Generalization(G).Theaveragenumberofpreyseatenbypredatorsinanetwork,which correspondstotheaveragenumberofproducersinteractingwithaconsumerinanindustrial network.Generatedbyaddingthecolumnsinamatrix[F]anddividingthisfigurebythe numberofcolumnswithnon‐nilelements(thenumberofpredators/consumers). 𝐺 𝐿 𝑛(17)  Vulnerability(V).Theaveragenumberofpredatorsperpreyinanetwork,whichcorresponds totheaveragenumberofconsumersinteractingwithaproducerinanindustrialnetwork. Generatedbyaddingtherowsinamatrix[F]anddividingbythetotalnumberofrowswith non‐zeroelements(thenumberofprey/producers). 𝑉 𝐿 𝑛(18)  Cyclicality(ʎmáx).Itrepresentsameasureoftheforceandpresenceofcyclicpathwaysinthe system.Itisobtainedbyfindingthemaximumactualeigenvalueofthetransposedmatrix[F]. 𝐶𝐿 𝑁(19) ʎ á𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 0 det󰇛 𝐴  ʎ 𝐼󰇜(20) Theformulasfortheseparametersarerepresentedbytheequations(8)‐(20)representingthe relationshipbetweentheactor’srowsandcolumns.Allcalculationsrepresentedbytheequationsare basedonbinaryinformationofwhetherornotthereisalinkbetweentwoactorsinthematrix,which makesthesemetricsverysuitableforapplicationtomanufacturingnetworks,asiteliminatesthe needtoobtainmaterialandenergydataoftenownedinternallybymanufacturers. 4.StudyCase:Eco‐HolonicArchitecture4.0forCircularBusiness Thissectionisdividedintwoparts.Firstly,agenericcircularbusinessiscontextualizedunder Eco‐Holonicframeworkandsecondly,aparticularmodelingframeworkfortheinformationalview ofEco‐HolonicArchitectureiscarriedout. 4.1.ConceptualEco‐HolonicArchitectureforCircularBusiness4.0 TheconceptualframeworkestablishesanEco‐HolonicArchitecture(multiscaleandmultilevel) accordingtoCEprinciples.ThisarchitectureisshowninFigure9anditisintegratedbyaprincipal Holoncalled‘CircularBusinessEco‐Holon’andsixEco‐Holarchies:(1)circularsector;(2)circular valuechain;(3)circularindustrialplant;(4)circularresources;(5)circularmanufacturing,and(6) circulardevice. TheprincipalHolonisCircularBusinessEco‐Holon.ItisanabstractHolonthatrepresentsthe businessinitselfandthatencompasseseverythingrelatedtothebusinessatanylevelandscaleas theactivitycarriedouttoobtainabenefit.CircularBusinessEco‐HoloniswholeofCircularSector Eco‐Holarchy,thatiscomposedfortheEco‐Holonsofagricultural,industrial,constructionandsmart citysectors.Thesesectorsarenotuniqueandothersectorscouldbeincorporated.Firstly,the agriculturalandindustrialsector,representthefirststageofmetabolism,linkedtotheappropriation ofenvironmentalresources.Secondly,theconstructionsector,orientedmainlytosatisfythe exosomaticmetabolismofsocietyʹsmetabolism,referredtothestructuresusedbyindividualsto satisfytheirneedsandinterests.Finally,thesmartcityisidentifiedasapreferredconsumerofgoods andservices.ThisEco‐Holon,asanabstractentity,collectstheprinciplesandobjectivesofCEand Sustainability2020,12,188919of32 naturalprinciplesonwhichitisbased.Otherholonsinthesuccessiveholarchiesmaintainthese principlesconsignedinthisHolon. Theholarchymustbeself‐organizedandinreal‐timetomitigateandreversethemetabolicrift. Accordingtothisobjective,theconceptofcircularityofCE[163],acquiresimportanceinthe definitionofastrategythatmustbecarriedoutbytheholarchy.Thecircularityofresourcesis necessaryforimprovingtheeconomicandenvironmentalperformanceofindustrializedcountries [164].Thisisrelatedtotheprocessofcircularityintheindustrialmetabolismmodelthroughthevalue chain.  Figure9.Eco‐HolonicmodelingentitiesforCircularEconomyBusinessasCyber‐physicalentity. InFigure9,thisholarchyaimstointegratethelinksofthevaluechaininCooperationdomain, topromotethecoevolutionofthevaluechainthroughverticalandhorizontalintegration.TheEco‐ HolarchyofCircularValueChaincontainsassociatedtechniquesasEcologicalNetworkAnalysis (ENA).Dependingontheflowofresources(substances,materials,energy,etc.),ENAisusedtostudy theecologicalrelationshipsbetweenholons[165].Thecharacteristicsofthemetabolicnetworkthat constitutestheholarchyandthenatural,socialandeconomiccomponentsofanindustrialecosystem canbeabstractedasnodesinanetwork,andtheexchangesbetweenthesenodescanbetreatedas metabolicpathways[102].Thepointofviewoftheanalogybetweennaturalandsocialmetabolism andtherelationshipbetweentwoholonscanbeofdifferenttypes[166].Consequently,theknowledge ofENAisincorporatedintotheholarchy,whichusesENAtodrivetheflowandanalyzethe metabolicpathways.Therefore,theanalysistoolscanbeusedtoanalyzetheecologicalrelationships betweenholons[102,167,168]inaholarchyorinseveralholarchiesatthesamelevel. TheCircularEngineeringCompanyisbasedonmodelsofbusinessarchitecturesusedas instrumentsthatallowcompaniestofacetheassociatedchallengeswiththecomplexityofthe operatingenvironment.Amongbusinessarchitectures,themostknownare[169]:CIMOSA,GRAI, PERA,ARIS,MISSIOM‐IEM,AKMandArchiMAte. Sustainability2020,12,188920of32 TheCBMhasitsoriginintheengineeringcompany,whichisdevelopedthroughamethodology anddesignanddevelopmentworkenvironmentsasBIMandPLM. AfundamentalcomponentofCircularEngineeringCompanyEco‐HolonistheMethodology Eco‐Holon.ThisEco‐Holontakespartinafractalizedwayatdifferentlevels(creationofacompany, projectionoftheindustrialpark,industrialplantandproduct),givingsupportforthedesignof processes,strategyanditsmanagement,aswellastheintegrationwiththetechnologicaland informationsystems. CBM,inrelationtotheindustrialplant,mustbeinstantiatedintheterritory,undercriteriaof diversityandprinciplesofcohesionandorganicdevelopment.Forthis,itisnecessarythatthereisa CBMentitythatmanagestheuseoflandandthecommoninfrastructuresthatcansupplyvarious businessestablishedinaspecificgeographicalarea.Thisholoncanalsobecalled,dependingonits embodimentinaspecificterritory,IndustrialParkEco‐Holon.Thefundamentalobjectivesofthese Eco‐Holonsaretofacilitatematerials,substanceandenergyclosingcyclesofproducts‐processes,and tomaximizethethreevaluecomponentsofvaluechainthatformstheclusterofCBs.Allthisthrough thedecisiontolocatetheindustrialplantusingoptimizationtoolsfromtheperspectiveofindustrial metabolism. CircularIndustrialPlantEco‐Holonmanagestheinternalprocessestotheindustrialplantand therelationswiththerestofholonsofindustrialplant.Theinternalholarchyhasafractalcharacter asaproduct,processandresource.Itiscomposedofproductentities,strategiesandproceduresto encapsulatethecomplexityofprocesses,equipment,facilitiesandinfrastructureresources.These threeentitiesmakeupeachlinkinCircularValueChain. CircularProductEco‐Holonhasknowledgeoftheproductanditsmanufacturingprocessto ensurethecorrectmanufacture.Additionally,itisbasedontheprinciplesofCE.Itcontains informationabouttheproductlifecycle,userrequirements,design,processplans,materiallist, qualityassuranceprocedures,andmodelsofthetypeofproduct.Itactsasaninformationserverfor theotherEco‐Holonsintheholarchy.Thisholoncomprisesfunctionalitiesthataretraditionally coveredbyproductdesign,processplanningandqualityassurance.Likewise,itassumesthe objectivesofevaluationandmonitoringoftheproductinitslifecycleandincludesthethree dimensionsofsustainability,thereductionofentropybasedonthecomponents,processes incorporatedinitslifecycle,andtheorientationtowardstheclosureofcycle.ThisEco‐Holoncontains informationonthetypeofnutrients(technicalorbiological)thatareincorporated,usefulinthe establishmentofmetabolicpathways. CircularProcessEco‐Holonhastheknowledgeoftheproductionprocesstoensurethecorrect manufactureoftheproductbasedontheprinciplesofCE.Itcontainsinformationandmethodsto manufacturetheproductsusingresources.CircularProcessEco‐Holonmonitorsevaluatesand transfersinformationtootherholonsoftheholarchy.ThisinformationisaboutKPIsinthe environmentaldimension(cyclicity,efficiencyandtoxicityofprocess),socialandeconomic.This informationallowstherestofEco‐HolonsoftheEco‐Holarchytomakedecisionsbasedontheir objectivesundertheprinciplesofCE. CircularResourceEco‐Holon,asacyber‐physicalsystem,containsaphysicalpart,aproduction resourceofthemanufacturingsystem,andapartofinformationprocessingthatcontrolstheresource. ItoffersproductioncapacityandfunctionalityforEco‐HolonsofEco‐Holarchy.Itcontainsmethods forallocatingproductionresourcesandknowledgeandprocedurestoorganize,useandcontrolthese productionresources.ACircularResourceEco‐Holonisanabstractionofthemeansofproduction, suchasafactory,aworkshop,machines,conveyors,pipes,self‐guidedvehicles,components,tools, materialstorageandpersonnel. 4.2.TechnologicalImplementationoftheEco‐HolarchiesinCircularBusiness ThemodelingframeworkoftheinformationalviewsofthedifferentholarchiesofthecyberphysicalholonswillbedoneunderthemodularArrowheadarchitecturewhichhasanorientationto microservices.Arrowheadenablesdifferentmodesofclient‐serverrelationship,allowingthe integrationofnewcomponents(sensors/actuators)andfacilitatinginteroperabilitywithother Sustainability2020,12,188921of32 systems.Itisbasedontheuseofcontainerswhichallowadeploymentofservicesfromabase containerimage.Thestructureofabasicholonfromthepointofviewofmicroservicesisasshown intheFigure10.  Figure10.InformationalviewandbasicHolonmicroservices. Thiscontributestotheisolationofservicesfromthearchitecture,separatingitfromother servicesandprovidinghigherlevelsofsecurity.Theownersoftheseservicesaresmall,independent teamsthatcanbesupportedintheCloud.Thearrowheadarchitecturetogetherwiththedocker technology,inadditiontothefeaturessuchas:Agility,scalability,fractality,modularity,autonomy, specialization,simplicity,reusability,andsecurity,makesittherightapproachtoimplementthe informationviewoftheEco‐HolonicArchitectureofthecircularbusiness. Figure11showsamultilevelandmultiscaleEco‐HolonicArchitectureforthecircularbusiness withthreeviews:(1)conceptualview,(2)knowledgeview,and(3)informationview.Itconstitutes thethreespecificationandmodelingdomainscorrespondingtotheDomainoftheCircularEco‐ HolonicBusiness,theDomainoftheEco‐compatiblemetabolicknowledgeonthetechnosphereand thenaturesphere,andtheDomainoftheinformationsystemfortheoptimizationandcontinuous improvementofthemetabolismfromtheexcellenceofsustainability,respectively.  Figure11.TechnologyimplementationforEco‐Holonicmodel. Sustainability2020,12,188922of32 Themostsignificantfeaturesofthesedomainsare:(1)Establishmentofthedesigndomain holarchiesinthecontextofitssustainablevaluechainfromtheparadigmoftheCEthrowstudyof valuechainanholonizationofthebusinessentity;(2)establishmentoftheknowledgemodelthatwill supporttheholonatanyofthelevelsandscalesforthedevelopmentofsustainablebusinessactivity undertheparadigmoftheCEand(3)formulationofaninformationsystembasedonmicroservices fortheEco‐HolonicArchitectureofCircularBusinesses4.0throughoutitslifecycle. 4.2.1.Domainofholarchies’designinthecontextofthesustainablevaluechainfromCE Thisdomainisarticulatedundertheconsiderationofstrategiesonthecollaborativedomainand thecooperativedomainandtheself‐regulatorymechanismsoftheholons[143].Tothisend,itis necessaryfor: 1. Identificationofthecharacteristicfeaturesofthecontextofthecircularbusinessthatconstitute thedomainsofcollaborationoraccommodationholarchiesandformulationofthenaturaland socialterritorialaxesinwhichtheseholarchieswillbeintegratedwithinthebusiness.This impliesawideknowledgeofthereceptionecosystemsandtheestablishmentofan environmental,socialandeconomicecologicalinventorythatwillbeaffectedbythebusinessto beimplemented. 2. Identificationandcharacterizationofthecollaborativedomainformedbythepotential longitudinalcollaborativeclustersofthevaluechaininwhichthebusinessisintegrated,under theconsiderationofcyclicity,toxicity,efficiencyonthetechnosphereandnaturesphere ecosystemsinthesearchforeco‐compatibilityandregenerativemetabolisminthebusinesswith biologicalandtechnicalnutrientanalysis. 3. Identificationoftransversalcollaborativeclusterswithotherholons(links)oftheholarchyofthe valuechainsforopeninnovation,havingasobjectiveseco‐compatibilityandregenerative metabolismfromtheanalysisoftheprinciplesofthetheoryofsustainableactivityunderCE paradigm. 4. Integratedmultilevelandmultiscaledevelopmentofbusinessholarchiesandtheircooperation domainstoguaranteeself‐regulationfromtheeco‐metabolicCEprinciplesunderthethree pillarsofsustainabilitythroughKPIs,structuredinthethreedimensionsof3E,inanintegrated wayandorientedtothecontinuousimprovementfromtheexcellenceofsustainability constitutingtheconsignmentsoftheholonicentities. 5. ConceptionofthefeaturesoftheEco‐Holonicentityofthebusinessascyberphysicalsystemsin itsdoublerealandvirtualworldexistencewithregardtoskillsandknowledgeforthe improvement,optimization,monitoringandcontrolofsustainability,establishingknowledge, KPIs,improvementstrategies,balancedscorecardsandsubordinatedmodels,inthecloud,in thefogandinthefield. 4.2.2.EstablishmentoftheMultilevelandMultiscaleHolonKnowledgeModel Onceformulated,themultilevelandmultiscaleholarchiesoftheEco‐Holonicconceptual domainofthecircularbusiness,itbecomesnecessarytoestablishtheknowledgemodelthatwill supporttheholonatanyofthelevelsandscalesforthedevelopmentofthebusinessactivity, accordingtothelevelofoperationalconcretionproposedfromthetheoryoftheactivity,whichoffers agreatopportunitytoconceivethesustainabilityofthebusiness,withitsprocessesandtasks.The objectiveofthisstageistheconceptionofEco‐Holonicsbusinesseswithaneco‐compatible metabolismwiththenaturesphereandtechnosphereinadditiontoremediatethemetabolicrift.For thispurposeitisnecessaryto: 1. Determinetheactivitiestobecarriedoutinthedifferentstagesoftheholonʹslifecycle,defining thedifferentelementsthatcharacterizeitforthepurposesofcyclicity,toxicityandefficiencyin theecosystemsofthetechnosphereandthenaturesphere. 2. Forthedifferentstagesandactivitiestoidentifythemethods,techniquesandtoolstoobtainthe KPIsofthethreepillarsofsustainabilityunderCEparadigm,formulatinganinstanceofthe Sustainability2020,12,188923of32 knowledgematrixfortheeco‐compatiblemetabolismofthebusinesswiththenaturesphereand technosphere. 3. Determineasetofapplicationsandsoftwaretoolsinthedifferentstagesofthelifecycleforthe eco‐compatiblemetabolismofthebusinessinamodularwaytobesupportedbythearchitecture oftheservice‐orientedinformationsystem. 4.2.3.FormulationofAnInformationSystemfortheEco‐HolonicArchitectureofCircularBusinesses4.0. TheestablishmentofaninformationsystemfortheEco‐HolonicArchitectureofCircular Businesses4.0mustallowthedevelopmentoftheSustainableLifeCycleEngineeringfromthe paradigmoftheCE,orientedtotheexcellenceunderstrategiesofmonitoringandcontrolthrough thecontrolpanelsoftheKPIsinitsthreepillarsofsustainability.Forthispurpose,thisinformation systemrequires: 1. Inthedesignanddevelopmentphaseofthebusiness,itisnecessarytohavemethodsandtools forthemodelingandsimulationofthebusiness,formulatingdigitalmodelsandsimulationsof Products,ManufacturingProcessesinPLMandFacilityenvironmentsinBIMapplications, whichwilllaterconstitutethedigitalmodelsthatwillbeintegratedintothedigitaltwin. Togetherwiththebusinessholonmodelandtheproduct,processandfacilityholons,itis necessarytoconceivetheassociatedinformationsystemsasacyber‐physicalEco‐Holon ArchitectureinthedimensionsoftheCloud,Fogandfield. 2. InthethirdpartofFigure10,theinformationsystemassociatedwiththeEco‐Holonic ArchitectureofSustainableBusinessfromtheCEisrepresented[170]: a. Sensorizethecyber‐physicalentitiesintheirrealdimensioninthefieldthroughintelligent sensorics,digitizingthesustainablebehaviorattheoperationallevel. b. Dataentry,cleaningandprocessingandstorageinSQLandNSQLdatabases. c. ThetreatmentwithtechniquesofArtificialIntelligence,BigData,DataAnality,Datascience, CognitiveComputing,machineLearning,deeplearning…formulationofsubrogatedmodels forobtainingandcontrollingsustainability,visualizationofsustainabilityKPIsindifferent controlpanelsofthebusinessholarchy. d. Formulateknowledgemodelsforsustainablebusinessmanagementandoperation. Everythingmentionedisbasedonoperational,developmentandprocessconcepts,aswellason theorganizationindistributedenvironmentsandusingCloudservices.Microservicesarean architecturalandorganizationalapproachtosoftwaredevelopmentwherethesoftwareiscomposed ofsmallindependentservicesthatcommunicatethroughwell‐definedAPIs.Microserviceshavea greaterpracticalorientation,duetohavinglightermechanismsthanSOAs,thatis,inamoreefficient way.Nevertheless,thereisanequivalencewithservice‐orientedarchitecturalstyles,where microservicesarethecomponents,andtheconnectorsrepresenttheinteractionsbetweenthem. Anotherimportanttopiciscoordinationmechanisms.Fromthepointofviewofmicroservices, coordinationcanbedoneintwoways:bychoreographyororchestration.Choreographyprevails overorchestrationcommonlyusedintraditionalservice‐orientedarchitecturesuchasSOA.In choreography,eachnodelistenstoevents(event‐driven),andperformsitspartifnecessary,by originating‘ServiceCallChains’,while,inorchestration,thereisacentralnodethatcontrolsthe servicesthatarecalled.Forinteractionbetweenservicesbychoreography,eachmicroserviceis requiredtoknowdetailsofthedomainincludingtheendpoints,andthecommunicationprotocol. Intermsofthedeployment/operation,andbecauseoftheimportanceoftheexecution environmentintechnology,operationalaspects,includinginformationontheinstancesofpackaged services,andtheirbehaviormustbeconsidered.Thecharacteristicsorattributesthatshouldbe associatedwithdockersthatrunamicroservicearementionedinthestudy[171]:IP,Identifier, Network,Interface. Dockers’useinthedefinitionofamicroservicearchitectureisimportantasexpressedinseveral researches[171–174].Althoughadockerissimilartoavirtualmachine,itsharesthesameoperating Sustainability2020,12,188924of32 systemasthemachinewherethedockerisrunning.Althoughitisdependentonthehostmachine, itimprovesperformanceandspeedsupsystemstartup. Anessentialrequirementamonglocalcloudsistheabilitytocommunicatesafely.Tothisend, theArrowheadframeworkprovideslocalnumbersforthemonitoringandcontrolofagivenmachine orlocalcloudsassociatedwiththemanagementofaprocessorevenintegratedintoaservice‐based businessmanagementarchitecture,easilysolvingtheinherentinteroperabilityproblems. Inpractice,thesuccessfulimplementationoftheproposedframeworkwouldrequirethe necessarypreviousrequirementstoimplementtheEco‐Holonicmodel.Amongthenecessary conditionsarefoundbusinessesthatdetermine:(1)Small,mediumorlargecompaniesintheprocess ofimplementationordigitaltransformationandintegrationofKETs;(2)Theadoptionofanopen innovationculturemodelfortheestablishmentofverticalandhorizontalclustersinthevirtualvalue chain;and(3)Theconceptionofacollaborative,self‐assertiveandintelligentinformationsystem architecturebasedoncyber‐physicalsystemsthathaveasstrategicobjectivestheincorporationof sustainabilityundertheparadigmofthecirculareconomy. 5.Conclusion ThisworkprovidesanEco‐HolonicCBMtocontextualizethesustainabletransitiontowardsCE. TheproposalaimsattheincardinationwithinparadigmofCE,basedonitspillars(economy,ecology andequity)inawaythatallowsmitigatingorrevertingthemetabolicrift.Allthisfromthe possibilitiesofeco‐efficiency(effectsorreduceddamage)andeco‐effectiveness(causesoradded value).Inthisway,bythesynergisticarticulationofeco‐effectivenessandeco‐efficiency,itispossible todesignthesocialmetabolismofCBandtheirvaluechainorsupply. Anovelframeworkispresentedfortheanalysisoftheelementsoractivitiesthatincorporate valueintheCBbasedontheATofVygotsky’s,onwhichhassettledinitsnoosphere(knowledge) thesetoftechniquesandtoolswhicharesynergisticallyarticulatedtosolvethecontradictionsof circularitybetweentheactivityelementswiththeaimofmitigatingthemetabolicrift.ATis integratedintothevaluechainofCBM,withaproposaloftransitionofvaluechains3.0to4.0.This frameworkworksasanorganizationalenablerthatsupportsthedigitalizationofthevaluechainof abusinessasacyberphysicalsystem(Industry4.0). Eco‐HolonicArchitectureisproposedforthedevelopmentofCBandtheirtechnicalsystems, developingtheontologyofthedifferentholonsandholarchies.Inthiscontext,theholonicontology ofCBisproposedandallowsthebusinessdeploymentinanindustrialterritory(contextualization). TheproposalisaninnovativecontributiontothedevelopmentofCBMinthecontextoftheemerging paradigmofCE,digitalizationofbusinessesandcompanies,andtheaimofmitigatingthemetabolic riftfromtheearlystagesinanaggregatelevelasitisthebusinessvaluechain.Thequantificationof thismodelcouldbeincorporatedintotheholarchiesestablishingtherelationsandflowsbetween entitieswithquantitativemethodssuchasecologicalrelations[98,175],livingsystemtheoryinthe differentlevelsofgranularityforthemodelingoftheknowledge[176–178],contextualizingmaterial, energyandinformationoftheprocessanduseofsustainableindicatorsforeachoftheentities[179]. Anotheraspecttoconsideristheincorporationofopeninnovationwithfractalcriteria(repeatedat differentscales)inEco‐HolonicArchitecture,andagileandLeanprinciplesinthebusiness[180,181]. Moreover,thispaperproposestheArrowheadarchitectureasatoolforthecreationoflocalclouds toenablereal‐timeperformanceandsecurity,interoperabilityandscalabilitythroughcloud interaction.Tothisend,theproposedEco‐Holonicconceptualframeworkhasbeentransposedinto thedomainandfunctionalinformationmodelingwiththeelementsoftheArrowheadarchitecture andsubsequentimplementationwithDockertechnology.Thisfavorsanewefficient,effectiveand smartbusinessintermsofreducinginputsofnaturalresources,materialandenergy,orwasteand pollutantsintheprocesses.Theseapproachescanbeconsideredforanextwork. AuthorContributions:Conceptualization,M.J.A.‐G.,A.M.‐G.,andF.A.‐G..;Investigation,M.J.A.‐G.,A.M.‐G., andJ.R.L.‐R.;Methodology,M.J.A.‐G.andF.A.‐G.;Writing—originaldraft,M.J.A.‐G.,A.M.‐G.,andJ.R.L.‐R.; Writing—reviewandediting,M.J.A.‐G.,A.M.‐G.,andF.A.‐G. Funding:Thisresearchreceivednoexternalfunding. Sustainability2020,12,188925of32 ConflictsofInterest:Theauthorsdeclarenoconflictofinterest. References 1. Michelini,G.;Moraes,R.N.;Cunha,R.N.;Costa,J.M.H.;Ometto,A.R.FromLineartoCircularEconomy: PSSConductingtheTransition.ProcediaCIRP2017,64,2–6. 2. Kirchherr,J.;Reike,D.;Hekkert,M.Conceptualizingthecirculareconomy:Ananalysisof114definitions. Resour.Conserv.Recycl.2017,127,221–232. 3. Ghisellini,P.;Cialani,C.;Ulgiati,S.Areviewoncirculareconomy:Theexpectedtransitiontoabalanced interplayofenvironmentalandeconomicsystems.J.Clean.Prod.2016,114,11–32. 4. Liu,W.;Zhan,J.;Li,Z.;Jia,S.;Zhang,F.;Li,Y.Eco‐efficiencyevaluationofregionalcirculareconomy:A casestudyinZengcheng,Guangzhou.Sustainability2018,10,453. 5. Braungart,M.;McDonough,W.;Bollinger,A.Cradle‐to‐cradledesign:Creatinghealthyemissions—A strategyforeco‐effectiveproductandsystemdesign.J.Clean.Prod.2007,15,1337–1348. 6. Graedel,T.E.;Allenby,B.R.IndustrialEcologyandSustainableEngineering:InternationalEdition;Pearson EducationInc.:UpperSaddleRiver,NJ,USA;PrenticeHall:UpperSaddleRiver,NJ,USA,2010. 7. Avila‐Gutiérrez,M.J.;Martín‐Gómez,A.;Aguayo‐González,F.;Córdoba‐Roldán,A.Standardization FrameworkforSustainabilityfromCircularEconomy4.0.Sustainability2019,11,6490. 8. Geissdoerfer,M.;Savaget,P.;Bocken,N.M.P.;Hultink,E.J.TheCircularEconomy—Anewsustainability paradigm?J.Clean.Prod.2017,143,757–768. 9. Lundholm,J.T.;Richardson,P.J.MINI‐REVIEW:Habitatanaloguesforreconciliationecologyinurbanand industrialenvironments.J.Appl.Ecol.2010,47,966–975. 10. Fjeldstad,Ø.D.;Snow,C.C.Businessmodelsandorganizationdesign.LongRangePlann.2018,51,32–39. 11. Lüdeke‐Freund,F.;Gold,S.;Bocken,N.M.P.AReviewandTypologyofCircularEconomyBusinessModel Patterns.J.Ind.Ecol.2019,23,36–61. 12. Suárez‐Eiroa,B.;Fernández,E.;Méndez‐Martínez,G.;Soto‐Oñate,D.Operationalprinciplesofcircular economyforsustainabledevelopment:Linkingtheoryandpractice.J.Clean.Prod.2019,214,952–961. 13. Zott,C.;Amit,R.;Massa,L.Thebusinessmodel:Recentdevelopmentsandfutureresearch.J.Manage.2011, 37,1019–1042. 14. Lewandowski,M.Designingthebusinessmodelsforcirculareconomy‐Towardstheconceptual framework.Sustainability2016,8,43. 15. Evans,S.;Vladimirova,D.;Holgado,M.;VanFossen,K.;Yang,M.;Silva,E.A.;Barlow,C.Y.BusinessModel InnovationforSustainability:TowardsaUnifiedPerspectiveforCreationofSustainableBusinessModels. Bus.Strateg.Environ.2017,26,597–608. 16. Swaminathan,J.M.;Tayur,S.R.ModelsforSupplyChainsinE‐BusinessModels.Manage.Sci.2003,49, 1387–1406. 17. Carra,G.;Magdani,N.CircularBusinessModelsfortheBuiltEnvironment;Arup,BAM&CE100:London, UK,2017. 18. Antikainen,M.;Valkokari,K.AFrameworkforSustainableCircularBusinessModelInnovation.Technol. Innov.Manag.Rev.2016,6,5–12. 19. Pfisterer,D.;Radonjic‐Simic,M.;Reichwald,J.BusinessModelDesignandArchitecturefortheInternetof Everything.J.Sens.ActuatorNetworks2016,5,7. 20. Dewulf,K.Playitforward:Agame‐basedtoolforsustainableproductandbusinessmodelinnovationin thefuzzyfrontend.InProceedingsofthe6thEMSUconferences(ERSCP‐2010),Delft,TheNetherlands, 25–29October2010. 21. Collins,P.;Shukla,S.;Redmiles,D.Activitytheoryandsystemdesign:Aviewfromthetrenches.Comput. Support.Coop.Work2002,11,55–80. 22. Teece,D.J.Businessmodelsanddynamiccapabilities.LongRangePlann.2018,51,40–49. 23. Koestler,A.TheGhostintheMachine;Arkana:London,UK,1968;ISBN0‐14‐019192‐5. 24. Christensen,J.HolonicManufacturingSystems:InitialArchitectureandStandardsDirections.Holonic Manuf.Syst.1994,1–20. 25. Ávila‐Gutiérrez,M.J.ArquitecturadereferenciaEco‐HolónicaparaIngenieríadeFabricaciónSostenible;Una propuestaparaconcebirlaFabricacióncomoNaturaleza;UniversidaddeCádiz:Cádiz,Spain,2017. Sustainability2020,12,188932of32 179. Fan,C.;Carrell,J.;Zhang,H.Aninvestigationofindicatorsformeasuringsustainablemanufacturing.In Proceedingsofthe2010IEEEInternationalSymposiumonSustainableSystemsandTechnology,ISSST 2010,Arlington,VA,USA,17–19May2010. 180. Zhou,B.Leanprinciples,practices,andimpacts:Astudyonsmallandmedium‐sizedenterprises(SMEs). Ann.Oper.Res.2016,241,457–474. 181. Duggan,K.J.LeanProductionSimplified,SecondEdition;3nded.;CRCPress:NewYork,NY,USA,2007;ISBN 9781439852545.  ©2020bytheauthors.LicenseeMDPI,Basel,Switzerland.Thisarticleisanopenaccess articledistributedunderthetermsandconditionsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution (CCBY)license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 