Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) are one of the three new greening measures of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). We used an interdisciplinary and European‐scale approach to evaluate ecological effectiveness and farmers’ perception of the different EFA options. We assessed potential benefits of EFA options for biodiversity using a survey among 88 ecologists from 17 European countries. We further analyzed data on EFA uptake at the EU level and in eight EU Member States, and reviewed socio‐economic factors influencing farmers’ decisions. We then identified possible ways to improve EFAs. Ecologists scored field margins, buffer strips, fallow land, and landscape features as most beneficial whereas farmers mostly implemented “catch crops and green cover,” nitrogen‐fixing crops, and fallow land. Based on the expert inputs and a review of the factors influencing farmers’ decisions, we suggest that EFA implementation could be improved by (a) prioritizing EFA options that promote biodiversity (e.g., reducing the weight or even excluding ineffective options); (b) reducing administrative constraints; (c) setting stricter management requirements (e.g., limiting agrochemical use); and (d) offering further incentives for expanding options like landscape features and buffer strips. We finally propose further improvements at the next CAP reform, to improve ecological effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness.

Within only a couple of years, Industry 4.0 made the transition from a potential buzzword with an uncertain future to a serious manufacturing concept that is adopted by a constantly increasing number of companies. However, recent studies suggest that corporations struggle with the transitional process or even hesitate to implement Industry 4.0 at all. As a consequence, several investigations examined the potential factors that influence the implementation of Industry 4.0. Yet a comprehensive view of the issue cannot be formed because the findings are spread throughout a number of publications, and no single study has attempted to synthesize previous investigations. Therefore, this study sets out to build a solid foundation for future research and to provide orientation for practitioners and governmental institutions by building a bridge between what already has been explored and by showing how the Systems Thinking perspective can help to get a better understanding of the complex nature of Industry 4.0. Based on a systematic literature review, this study presents and discusses a comprehensive list of potential factors that influence the implementation of Industry 4.0 and strengthens the idea that further research is necessary in order to address contradictory findings and to develop efficient Industry 4.0 implementation frameworks.

HighlightsA structured protocol for adapting a spatial ecosystem service model to local contexts is proposed.Decision context, the final users and uses of maps should drive the way the spatial ecosystem service models are structured.Simply increasing spatial resolution is not sufficient to increase legitimacy and the ultimate utility of maps.The type and level of stakeholders’ involvement is a determinant of spatial model usefulness.

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