Entrepreneurial ecosystems, agency and regional development: emergence and new path creation in the Cardiff city region

This paper addresses the process of entrepreneurial ecosystem emergence in regions and the mechanisms through which new industrial paths are created. It focuses on the context of a relatively weak economic region and develops a mode of analysis that considers the role of human agency within the emergence of entrepreneurial ecosystems. This analysis addresses the case study of the Cardiff city region in the United Kingdom. It indicates that the revitalisation of lagging regions through an entrepreneurial ecosystem approach is likely to be contingent upon a number of important components: (1) access to potential entrepreneurial agency, (2) the engagement of ‘enlightened’ local political agency and (3) the formation of a collective agency across entrepreneurial and political agents as well as other relevant stakeholders. The emergence of collective agency in the city region is found to have led to new policies, networks and entrepreneurial support within the high-tech industry, coupled with the development of new industrial paths and improved economic conditions. The paper argues that adopting an agency-based approach to analysing entrepreneurial emergence highlights the importance of key human actors in such emergence. It is concluded that lagging regions can trigger a process of development through new path creation stemming from the emergence of an entrepreneurial ecosystem

4D printing roadmap

Four-dimensional (4D) printing is an advanced manufacturing technology that has rapidly emerged as a transformative tool with the capacity to reshape various research domains and industries. Distinguished by its integration of time as a dimension, 4D printing allows objects to dynamically respond to external stimuli, setting it apart from conventional 3D printing. This roadmap has been devised, by contributions of 44 active researchers in this field from 32 affiliations world-wide, to navigate the swiftly evolving landscape of 4D printing, consolidating recent advancements and making them accessible to experts across diverse fields, ranging from biomedicine to aerospace, textiles to electronics. The roadmap’s goal is to empower both experts and enthusiasts, facilitating the exploitation of 4D printing’s transformative potential to create intelligent, adaptive objects that are not only feasible but readily attainable. By addressing current and future challenges and proposing advancements in science and technology, it sets the stage for revolutionary progress in numerous industries, positioning 4D printing as a transformative tool for the future

S3 PGTI buddying: an evaluation

As our postgraduate taught provision in the School grows, so has our need to have more formalised support for these students. There’s an assumption PGT students have the experience to manage the transition. However, we know that postgraduate study can also be challenging, stressful and isolating with high levels of stress, poor mental health and fatigue. Additionally, international students coming to the UK for PGT study can experience culture shock, language shock and academic shock which negatively impacts self-esteem. We're seeing international students arrive late, missing key induction activities. In January 2023 a pilot Buddying scheme was launched to support our new PGT students. This was extended in September 2023 and evaluated

Problematic Internet use among adults: a longitudinal European study

There are few cross-cultural studies utilizing longitudinal analysis to explore problematic internet use (PIU), and almost none among adults. The present follow-up study compared three waves across 12-month period every six months and observed the natural course and trajectory of PIU in a European multi-country sample of adults from 11 countries (Finland, Belgium). A total of 139 participants (45.5% females) provided data across all three waves with an average age of 26.14 years (SD = 5.92). There were longitudinal effects in PIU, with statistical differences between at-risk users compared to healthy users in Waves 1 and 2, and Waves 1 and 3. The analyses of variance showed a longitudinal effect of waves on the PIU symptoms. PIU was significantly affected by time and type of user, with those classed as at-risk having higher scores than healthy users, although PIU decreased over time. In addition, the type of PIU detected in adults contained mild addictive symptoms. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that PIU was generally low among European adult population and tended to decrease over the one-year period, what contrasts with adolescent population findings

Exploring the behavioral indicators of resilience in professional academy youth soccer

The capacity to demonstrate resilience is important for performance and development outcomes in youth soccer. A key feature of resilience is the demonstration of positive behavioral responses to pressures or setbacks, yet little research exists on the specific behaviors that characterize resilience in the youth soccer literature. This study aimed to explore the behavioral indicators of resilience through focus groups and interviews with 60 participants from six professional soccer academies and one National Soccer Governing Body. The data was collected in two phases, the first involved a discussion of the observable behaviors associated with resilience in youth soccer. In the second phase, participants reflected on examples of resilience behaviors alongside video clips. These acted as a stimulus to contextualize the behaviors arising from the first phase. Content analysis was used to analyze the data and 36 behaviors were identified across six themes: (a) teammate support-focused (e.g., verbal support following mistakes), (b) emotion-focused (e.g., displaying emotional regulation), (c) effort-focused (e.g., physical efforts to overcome challenge), (d) rebound (e.g., positive reactions to a mistake), (e) robust (e.g., showing composure when under pressure), and (f) learning-focused (e.g., willingness to accept feedback). The results offer an insight into a multifaceted range of resilience behaviors in the context of youth soccer. With this knowledge, practitioners can make informed decisions around player development by assessing specific behavioral metrics related to resilience, players can engage in structured self-reflection practices pertaining to resilience development, and researchers can work toward the development of validated observational tools for resilience assessment

Unpacking polycentric climate governance: tracing the evolution of transnational municipal networks over time

All governance systems are polycentric to some extent, in that they comprise multiple actors with varying degrees of autonomy. However, there has been limited theorization as to how we might measure polycentricity, even though this could help us to unpack networks and understand governance arrangements better. We present three dimensions of governance to conceptualize degrees of polycentricity – governance of networks (internal organization and management at the network level), governance by networks (their impacts at the membership level), and governance with networks (collaboration with other actors at the system level). We then trace the evolution of three transnational municipal networks (Climate Alliance, Covenant of Mayors, and 100 Resilient Cities/ Resilient Cities Network), which are located at different positions along the polycentric-monocentric spectrum. We examine how these networks have become more or less polycentric over time and highlight trade-offs between different dimensions of polycentric governance, most notably governance of and governance by

Instruments for measuring psychological dimensions in human-robot interaction: systematic review of psychometric properties

Background: Numerous user-related psychological dimensions can significantly influence the dynamics between humans and robots. For developers and researchers, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the psychometric properties of the available instruments used to assess these dimensions as they indicate the reliability and validity of the assessment. Objective: This study aims to provide a systematic review of the instruments available for assessing the psychological aspects of the relationship between people and social and domestic robots, offering a summary of their psychometric properties and the quality of the evidence. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines across different databases: Scopus, PubMed, and IEEE Xplore. The search strategy encompassed studies meeting the following inclusion criteria: (1) the instrument could assess psychological dimensions related to social and domestic robots, including attitudes, beliefs, opinions, feelings, and perceptions; (2) the study focused on validating the instrument; (3) the study evaluated the psychometric properties of the instrument; (4) the study underwent peer review; and (5) the study was in English. Studies focusing on industrial robots, rescue robots, or robotic arms or those primarily concerned with technology validation or measuring anthropomorphism were excluded. Independent reviewers extracted instrument properties and the methodological quality of their evidence following the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments guidelines. Results: From 3828 identified records, the search strategy yielded 34 (0.89%) articles that validated and examined the psychometric properties of 27 instruments designed to assess individuals’ psychological dimensions in relation to social and domestic robots. These instruments encompass a broad spectrum of psychological dimensions. While most studies predominantly focused on structural validity (24/27, 89%) and internal consistency (26/27, 96%), consideration of other psychometric properties was frequently inconsistent or absent. No instrument evaluated measurement error and responsiveness despite their significance in the clinical context. Most of the instruments (17/27, 63%) were targeted at both adults and older adults (aged ≥18 years). There was a limited number of instruments specifically designed for children, older adults, and health care contexts. Conclusions: Given the strong interest in assessing psychological dimensions in the human-robot relationship, there is a need to develop new instruments using more rigorous methodologies and consider a broader range of psychometric properties. This is essential to ensure the creation of reliable and valid measures for assessing people’s psychological dimensions regarding social and domestic robots. Among its limitations, this review included instruments applicable to both social and domestic robots while excluding those for other specific types of robots (eg, industrial robots)

A diplomatic conduit: the role of science diplomacy in Africa

The link between science, technology, and innovation (STI) and diplomacy is not new. Examples of formal diplomatic relations between states focused on science date back to the 1800s. Research in understanding these relations has, however, been playing catchup. This has seen concepts such as science diplomacy, digital diplomacy, and cyber diplomacy gaining traction in Diplomatic Studies. While work continues in unpacking the value of these typologies, STI continues to be singled out for its role in supporting peace and security, development, and integration across Africa. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), vaccination development, information and communication technology, play an increasing role in addressing the transnational challenges facing the continent. The problem is that technology transfer and scientific engagement retains a hierarchical structure between developed and developing countries, bringing criticism of limited scope and lack of recipient ownership, rather than promoting partnerships. Through exploratory analysis this chapter considers developments in science diplomacy and its role in Africa’s inter- and intra-national relations, arguing that while there has been increased cooperation in science, technology and innovation this has not translated into a significant role for science diplomacy in addressing inequalities in the global structure. This discussion aims to move analysis beyond merely addressing the meaning of science diplomacy, to considering questions of capacity, application, and role of science diplomacy in practice