Table 1 Code book for a structured qualitative PESTEL + I analysis for the IBC market uptake [27]

PESTEL

Strategic management method to analyse the macro-environment of an organisation or product (or supply chain). The method distinguishes in several groups of influencing factors. This category contains all coded segments from the subcategories

Political and Legal (P, L)

Every political and legal factor such as the role of state/governments (inter-governmental and governmental organisations, but also standard-setting bodies and further institutions), action plans, strategies, taxation, governmental subvention/subsidies, consumer incentives, trade barriers

Economic (E)

Economic factors comprise aspects such as the availability of resources, costumer needs as well as competitiveness and prices of technologies or products (CAPEX—capital expenditure, OPEX—operational expenditure)

Social (S)

Cultural or demographic factors such as changes in social thinking, consumer convenience or campaigns of non-governmental organisations

Technological (T)

Technological innovations such as different technologies, cost comparisons of plants, product life cycles as well as research and development

Environmental (E)

Environmental or "green" issues such as GHG emissions, environmental pollution, impact on biodiversity or the comparison to fossil fuels

 + I

Infrastructural (I)

Logistics and transport options. Examples can be railway network, road infrastructure or storage. (in the results section included in PESTEL factors, indicated here with symbol + I)

Market uptake support for IBCs

Within these categories, barriers and enablers for the market uptake support of IBCs are coded. The identification of these factors is seen as the basis for further strategic analysis

Barriers

All factors which hinder the market uptake of IBCs, e.g. disadvantages in politics or competitors

Enablers

All factors which support the market uptake of IBCs, e.g. technology advantages or subsidies