The Future of Environmental Engineering Technology: A Disruptive Innovation Perspective

Hui Huang; Junjie Lu; Lili Jin; Hongqiang Ren

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2024.06.009

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Engineering ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (10) : 153-160. DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2024.06.009

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The Future of Environmental Engineering Technology: A Disruptive Innovation Perspective

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Highlights

1.	Accelerated innovation of environmental engineering technologies in the new era.
2.	Current research status of eight subfields was analyzed by bibliometrics.。
3.	Disruptive technologies identified through discontinuous transformation characteristics.
4.	Ten technologies proposed from general and specific fields, technical links and innovation types.
5.	Backgrounds and key innovations of the disruptive technologies were elucidated.

Abstract

Scientific and technological revolutions and industrial transformations have accelerated the rate of innovation in environmental engineering technologies. However, few researchers have evaluated the current status and future trends of technologies. This paper summarizes the current research status in eight major subfields of environmental engineering—water treatment, air pollution control, soil/solid waste management, environmental biotechnology, environmental engineering equipment, emerging contaminants, synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions, and environmental risk and intelligent management—based on bibliometric analysis and future trends in greenization, low carbonization, and intelligentization. Disruptive technologies are further identified based on discontinuous transformation, and ten such technologies are proposed, covering general and specific fields, technical links, and value sources. Additionally, the background and key innovations in disruptive technologies are elucidated in detail. This study not only provides a scientific basis for strategic decision-making, planning, and implementation in the environmental engineering field but also offers methodological guidance for the research and determination of breakthrough technologies in other areas.

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Keywords

Environmental engineering technology / Disruptive innovation / Bibliometric analysis / Discontinuous transformation

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Hui Huang, Junjie Lu, Lili Jin, Hongqiang Ren. The Future of Environmental Engineering Technology: A Disruptive Innovation Perspective. Engineering, 2024, 41(10): 153‒160 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.06.009

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