Presentation slides on "Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world: Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) workshop preliminary analysis" presented at Product Lifetimes And The Environment (PLATE) 2023 Conference in Espoo, Finland. The conference paper can be found on: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371294194_Key_global_challenges_and_opportunities_for_scaling_up_upcycling_businesses_in_the_world_Interpretive_structural_modelling_workshop_preliminary_analysis

1. Key global challenges and opportunities for
scaling up upcycling businesses in the world:
Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM)
workshop preliminary analysis
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab
Product Lifetimes And The Environment (PLATE) 2023
Conference at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland
(31/05/2023 - 02/06/2023)

2. Upcycling
 Promising approach to extending the life span of products, components and materials
 Transforming used/waste products, components and materials into a product or
material of higher quality or value than the compositional elements
 ‘creative’ or ‘advanced’ forms of repair, reuse, repurpose, refurbishment, upgrade,
redesign, remake, remanufacture, recycling, etc.
 Main practices in the circular economy
 Reducing solid waste and increasing resource efficiency
 Reducing industrial energy consumption
 Creating new job opportunities
 Reducing material costs
 Still a niche practice
 Scaling up for full potential
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

3. Upcycling value chain
 Understanding interrelated and self-
reinforcing challenges critical for
scaling up
 Consumers’ negative perception of
upcycled products  demand  price 
sales  limited market  few good
quality products  consumers’
perception (UK textile and wood
upcycling businesses)
 Factors impacting upcycling
successes across industries and
countries largely unknown
 Which challenges/opps to prioritise?
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

4. Study overview
 Aim: identify critical global challenges and opportunities for scaling up
upcycling businesses worldwide
 Methods
Literature review
Online questionnaire
Global challenges and opportunities for
scaling up upcycling
6 global challenges and 6 opportunities
ISM workshops
Prioritised and structured challenges and
opportunities
METHOD
OUTCOME
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

5. Phase 1: Literature review
 Identify global challenges and opportunities
for scaling up upcycling
 February – March 2021
 Nine (9) common categories of
challenges and ten (10) common
opportunities for successful upcycling
across industries and countries

6. Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab
Phase 2: Online questionnaire
 Select up to six (6) key global
challenges and opportunities
 July – August 2022
 Upcycling experts in AHRC-
funded International Upcycling
Research Network
 14 responses (67% response
rate): 9 academics + 5
practitioners from 12 countries in
5 continents (Africa, Asia,
Australia, Europe, and South
America)
 Answers with min. 50%

7. Phase 3: Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM)
 ISM online workshops
 ISM: qualitative and interpretive method to structure various factors into a
hierarchy based on the importance of the factors and visualise the interaction
between these factors to help decision-makers in tackling these factors in order
 Two online workshops in September 2022
 Invitation to: the same 21 AHRC-funded International Upcycling Research Network
members who expressed interest in the study participation
 Participants: 9 academics and practitioners from 7 countries (Botswana, Kenya,
India, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, and the UK) of 3 continents (Africa, Asia
and Europe)
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

8. Phase 3: ISM workshop procedure and analysis
 Workshop procedure: aims and objectives  6 challenges  challenge 1 
challenge 2  challenge 3  chal 4  chal 5  chal 6  6 opportunities 
opportunity 1  opportunity 2  opportunity 3  opp 4  opp 5  opp 6 
feedback on the workshop
 Whether the presented factor would influence other factors
 Individual opinions  group agreement
 Note taking and video recording with the participants’ consent
 Analysis: SSIM (Structural Similarity Index) RM (Reachability Matrix)  MICMAC
(cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) analysis
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

9. Results: 6 key global challenges and opportunities
Key global challenges
C1. Limitations from the materials (e.g., inconsistency, damage)
C2. Lack of facilities/equipment
C3. Time-consuming processes
C4. Consumers’ low awareness of upcycling
C5. Consumers’ negative perception of upcycled products
C6. Limited legislation, standards, and warranty
Key global opportunities
O1. Improved material provision
O2. Targeting high-opportunity product categories
O3. Suitable technologies, techniques, and innovation in production
O4. Varied stakeholder involvement (e.g., large brands, local authorities)
O5. Involving citizens in upcycling initiatives/events
O6. Awareness-raising activities (e.g., campaign, communication, training, education)
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

10. Results: Key global challenges SSIM
 Structural Similarity
Index (SSIM)
 V: challenge i will influence
challenge j, but not in both
directions.
 A: challenge j will influence
challenge i, but not in both
directions.
 X: challenge i and j will
influence each other.
 O: challenge i and j are
unrelated.
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

11. Results: Key global challenges RM
 Reachability Matrix (RM)
 SSIM  binary matrix
 if the (i, j) entry in the SSIM is V, then
the (i, j) entry in the RM becomes 1,
and the (j, i) entry 0.
 if the (i, j) entry in the SSIM is A, then
the (i, j) entry in the RM becomes 0,
and the (j, i) entry 1.
 if the (i, j) entry in the SSIM is X, then
the (i, j) entry in the RM becomes 1,
and the (j, i) entry also 1.
 if the (i, j) entry in the SSIM is O, then
the (i, j) entry in the RM becomes 0 and
the (j, i) entry also 0.
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

12. Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab
Results: Key global challenges MICMAC analysis
 No autonomous challenges (weak
drivers, weakly dependent and relatively
disconnected from the system)
 No dependent challenges (other
challenges need to be addressed first)
 No driver challenges (strong driving
power but weak dependence power)
 All challenges within the linkage cluster
(strong driving power and strong
dependence; any action on each will affect
others and have a feedback effect on itself)

13. Results: Key global challenges RM into levels
 Partitioning of the RM into different
levels (iterations 1 to 3)
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

14. Results: Key global challenges ISM model
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

15. Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab
Results: Key global opportunities SSIM and RM

16. Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab
Results: Key global opps MICMAC and RM to levels

17. Results: Key global opportunities ISM model
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

18. Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab
Discussion and conclusion
 All key global challenges and opportunities are interlinked
 Key opportunities reflect key challenges: ‘involving citizens in upcycling
initiatives/events’ (Level 3 Opp) whereas ‘consumers’ low awareness of upcycling’
(Level 4 challenge)
 Preliminary analysis of the study based on limited sample
 3rd ISM workshop in PLATE 2023
 Issue in bundling of data, ignoring different contexts
 No comparative analysis between different industries/countries/continents
 First priority intervention: involving citizens in upcycling initiatives and events
for awareness raising activities (e.g. campaign, communication, training,
education) addressing ‘consumers’ low awareness of upcycling’ and ‘consumers’
negative perception of upcycled products’
 Second priority intervention: ‘improving material provision’ and addressing ‘time-
consuming processes’ by ‘suitable technologies, techniques, and innovation in
production’

19. Acknowledgements
 AHRC Research Networking grant for International Upcycling Research Network
[grant number AH/W007134/1]
 Staff Innovation Allowance from De Montfort University (DMU)
 DMU Faculty (Arts, Design and Humanities) Enhancing Research Culture fund
 Guy Bingham, Stuart Lawson, Kelley Wilder, Kate Cheyne, Siobhan Keenan, Deborah
Cartmell, Heather McLaughlin
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

20. WS4 1.30-3.00 PM on Friday 2nd June
WS4 – Identifying key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up
upcycling businesses using Interpretive Structural Modelling
 Workshop 4 / T004
 Friday 13.30 – 15.00
 Aim: identify critical global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling
businesses worldwide, utilising Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM).
 Organisers:
– Dr Amal Abuzeinab, De Montfort University, UK
– Dr Kyungeun Sung, De Montfort University, UK
– Prof Richie Moalosi, University of Botswana, Botswana
 Target audience: global experts and key stakeholders in sustainable production
and consumption focusing on upcycling-based and/or circular businesses
 Target number: 15-20
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

21. Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab
International Upcycling Festival 2024
https://upcyclingfestival2024.our.dmu.ac.uk/call-for-papers/

22. International Upcycling Festival 2024
 Aim: showcase the network activities and outcomes, expand the network, and engage
businesses and consumers for direct impact
 Full paper submission by 31 July 2023
 Call for other contributions open in October 2023
 Day 1 on Thursday 1
1th April 2024 (9am-5pm) at DMU: academic presentations and
discussions
 Day 2 on Friday 12th April 2024 (12pm-9pm) at LCB Depot: engaging businesses
and consumers for awareness raising, knowledge transfer, new data collection and
networking through a public lecture series, stakeholder workshops, family-friendly
activities
 Installations: Poster presentations, film screening, mini exhibitions, etc.
 Gala dinner: informal networking between advisory board and network members
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab

23. Dr Kyungeun Sung
Senior Lecturer in Product Design
De Montfort University
Gateway House, Leicester, UK
Email: Kyungeun.sung@dmu.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)116 207 8498
Website:
https://www.kyungeunsung.com/home
Dr Amal Abuzeinab
Senior Lecturer in Architecture
De Montfort University
Gateway House, Leicester, UK
Email: amal.abuzeinab@dmu.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)116 250 6089
Website: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-
dmu/academic-staff/art-design-
humanities/amal-abuzeinab/amal-
abuzeinab.aspx
Thank you. Any questions? 
Key global challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses in the world
Dr Kyungeun Sung and Dr Amal Abuzeinab