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Smart systems engineering contributing to an intelligent carbon-neutral future: opportunities, challenges, and prospects

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Abstract

This communication paper provides an overview of multi-scale smart systems engineering (SSE) approaches and their applications in crucial domains including materials discovery, intelligent manufacturing, and environmental management. A major focus of this interdisciplinary field is on the design, operation and management of multi-scale systems with enhanced economic and environmental performance. The emergence of big data analytics, internet of things, machine learning, and general artificial intelligence could revolutionize next-generation research, industry and society. A detailed discussion is provided herein on opportunities, challenges, and future directions of SSE in response to the pressing carbon-neutrality targets.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program and Tsinghua-Foshan Innovation Special Fund (TFISF). Xiaonan Wang thanks the award of Future Chemical Engineers and the Global Chinese Chemical Engineering Symposium (GCCES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Xiaonan Wang

  2. Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Singapore

    Jie Li, Yingzhe Zheng & Jiali Li

Authors
  1. Xiaonan Wang
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  2. Jie Li
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  3. Yingzhe Zheng
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  4. Jiali Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaonan Wang.

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Wang, X., Li, J., Zheng, Y. et al. Smart systems engineering contributing to an intelligent carbon-neutral future: opportunities, challenges, and prospects. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng. 16, 1023–1029 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-022-2142-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-022-2142-6

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