Improvement strategies future trends

Abstract This review is intended to provide the recent status in the development of polymeric-electrolyte (proton-exchange) membranes for the improvement of fuel cell performance based primarily on the preceding chapters of this book. Special attention is paid to the modification of present membranes, recent novel strategies for preparation of membranes, conceptual design of new membrane materials, and also promising approaches to overcome issues that severely restrict commercialization. The critical role of the materials and membranes and also relevant infrastructure of electrode is addressed. The new possibihties to improve technologies for implementation, and future trends are briefly examined. 

The improved forecast techniques can be used in two ways. Firstly, it can be the short-term episode forecasts for the next few days. Secondly, it is an integrated modelling system for long-term air quality management to predict future episodic pollution levels, taking into account estimated trends in local traffic and other emissions. In both ways the modelling system can be employed to evaluate alternative scenarios and to develop efficient strategies to reduce emissions, pollution levels, and PE to prevent health consequences in a cost-effective way. 

Technological progress determines the characteristics of flows in supply chains. It influences flow time, quality, cost, effectiveness and efficiency. The computerisation and automation of operation is the most dynamic economic trend. Labour costs in supply chains, in particular in high-tech sectors, are more often generated by intellectual and social capital than by the actual labour force. The trend described above is demonstrated by the improvement of operational indicators of supply chains such as production efficiency, delivery time, production and distribution waste and process quality. It seems obvious that in the foreseeable future those supply chains that do not use modern solutions will be less competitive or will, following a survival strategy, search for other sources of competitive advantage. 

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