Federated Robust Embedded Systems: Concepts and Challenges

The development within the area of embedded systems (ESs) is moving rapidly, not least due to falling costs of computation and communication equipment. It is believed that increased communication opportunities will lead to the future ESs no longer being parts of isolated products, but rather parts of larger communities or federations of ESs, within which information is exchanged for the benefit of all participants. This vision is asserted by a number of interrelated research topics, such as the internet of things, cyber-physical systems, systems of systems, and multi-agent systems. In this work, the focus is primarily on ESs, with their specific real-time and safety requirements. While the vision of interconnected ESs is quite promising, it also brings great challenges to the development of future systems in an efficient, safe, and reliable way. In this work, a pre-study has been carried out in order to gain a better understanding about common concepts and challenges that naturally arise in federations of ESs. The work was organized around a series of workshops, with contributions from both academic participants and industrial partners with a strong experience in ES development. During the workshops, a portfolio of possible ES federation scenarios was collected, and a number of application examples were discussed more thoroughly on different abstraction levels, starting from screening the nature of interactions on the federation level and proceeding down to the implementation details within each ES. These discussions led to a better understanding of what can be expected in the future federated ESs. In this report, the discussed applications are summarized, together with their characteristics, challenges, and necessary solution elements, providing a ground for the future research within the area of communicating ESs

Advancing IoT Platforms Interoperability

The IoT European Platforms Initiative (IoT-EPI) projects are addressing the topic of Internet of Things and Platforms for Connected Smart Objects and aim to deliver an IoT extended into a web of platforms for connected devices and objects that supports smart environments, businesses, services and persons with dynamic and adaptive configuration capabilities. The specific areas of focus of the research activities are architectures and semantic interoperability, which reliably cover multiple use cases. The goal is to deliver dynamically-configured infrastructure and integration platforms for connected smart objects covering multiple technologies and multiple intelligent artefacts. The IoT-EPI ecosystem has been created with the objective of increasing the impact of the IoT-related European research and innovation, including seven European promising projects on IoT platforms: AGILE, BIG IoT, INTER-IoT, VICINITY, SymbIoTe, bIoTope, and TagItSmart.This white paper provides an insight regarding interoperability in the IoT platforms and ecosystems created and used by IoT-EPI. The scope of this document covers the interoperability aspects, challenges and approaches that cope with interoperability in the current existing IoT platforms and presents some insights regarding the future of interoperability in this context. It presents possible solutions, and a possible IoT interoperability platform architecture

Advancing IoT Platforms Interoperability

The IoT European Platforms Initiative (IoT-EPI) projects are addressing the topic of Internet of Things and Platforms for Connected Smart Objects and aim to deliver an IoT extended into a web of platforms for connected devices and objects that supports smart environments, businesses, services and persons with dynamic and adaptive configuration capabilities. The specific areas of focus of the research activities are architectures and semantic interoperability, which reliably cover multiple use cases. The goal is to deliver dynamically-configured infrastructure and integration platforms for connected smart objects covering multiple technologies and multiple intelligent artefacts. The IoT-EPI ecosystem has been created with the objective of increasing the impact of the IoT-related European research and innovation, including seven European promising projects on IoT platforms: AGILE, BIG IoT, INTER-IoT, VICINITY, SymbIoTe, bIoTope, and TagItSmart.This white paper provides an insight regarding interoperability in the IoT platforms and ecosystems created and used by IoT-EPI. The scope of this document covers the interoperability aspects, challenges and approaches that cope with interoperability in the current existing IoT platforms and presents some insights regarding the future of interoperability in this context. It presents possible solutions, and a possible IoT interoperability platform architecture

WoodCircus, Underpinning the vital role of the forest-based sector in the Circular Bioeconomy. D2.2 Resource Efficiency, Side Streams and Value Chain Analysis – WP2 Final Report

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Organisational culture in internationally federated non-profit organisations : the importance of industry and governance

In the era of globalisation, organisations around the world have increasingly become stages of global diversity where multi-cultural workforces interact in teams on a daily basis. International organisations, in particular, are a characteristic display of cross-cultural interaction. The study of organisational culture in a multi-cultural organisational environment is receiving growing attention due to a pressing need to understand and manage the consequences of cross-cultural interaction and achieve better organisational outcomes. However, so far, studies in the area have focused on multinational for-profit organisations and neglected other industry and governance, missing opportunities for broader and richer understanding in the field. The present study covered a case of an internationally federated complex non-profit organisation and captured new insights, thereby contributing to theory and enriching the empirical evidence in the field of study. The results shed light on the importance of industry and governance, and provoked critical questions for further research. The unique features of non-profit and federated governance culture depicted the opportunities for cross-learning with other industries. The study highlighted the distinct formation of conventional cultural dimensions contributing to cultural cohesion and cushioning the federation against excessive fragmentation. The dimensions of institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance depicted interesting behaviours in the study context. These dimensions dominated behaviour and have rendered other dimensions subservient. Cultural behaviours, such as cultural-anchoring and power grouping, transpired as unique findings to the industry and governance, where consensus and fragmentation have played integrative and accommodative roles. Dominant dimensions determined direction and intensity in subservient dimensions irrespective of values espoused by leadership in the subservient dimensions. The line between organisational politics and the ingroup collectivism dimension was blurred, calling for further research in the field of organisational behaviour. Further research in the field could focus on shaping organisational cultural dimensions fit for diverse industry and governance contexts, identifying areas of cross-fertilisation of learning, investigating the significance of dominant versus subservient dimensions in the process of organisational cultural change, and broadening the knowledge base in the field by studying diverse organisational typologies.Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL)D. B. L

HUMANITIES IN THE AGE OF ALGORITHMS : A mixed-methods study on the futures of Akava Special Branches in 2036

This master’s thesis in Futures Studies is connected to an assignment from trade union Aka-va Special Branches (AE) to create futures images and to ideate new services for the union in 2036. The research question is the following: How did the mixed-methods foresight process conducted online serve the creation of futures images and new services for Akava Special Branches in 2036? The images and service ideas were cocreated in a mixed-methods foresight process combining elements from Futures Studies and Service Design. The process followed the framework of a participatory futures workshop and was divided into pre-workshop, work-shop, and post-workshop phases. Other methodological tools used were futures window, PESTEL-chart, Dator’s futures archetypes, survey, and futures image. In addition, mood-boards and storyboards, typical Service Design tools, were used to refine the futures images. The end-products of the process were four futures images (consisting of a narrative, a moodboard, and a storyboard) and seven new service ideas. The images were evaluated by the participants in terms of probability and preferability, and the new service ideas in terms of facility to execute and preferability. The workshops were organised with AE’s stakeholders and took place completely online. The online environment promoted accessibility and resulted with heterogenous groups and a representative sample of the intended focus groups. The MIRO platform enabled cocreation but required a tutorial and basic IT-skills to run smoothly. However, facilitating more than one group with MIRO and Microsoft Teams was challenging. Not being physically present at the same place also hindered the communication between the participants. PESTEL-chart worked as a cradle for the pre-assignment and then as a tool for shared understanding in the workshop phase. It also fed driving forces to Dator’s chart of archetypes. Focusing on the Finnish labour market, AE’s organisation and member profile throughout the workshops ensured the micro and macro perspectives in the futures images. The moodboards and storyboards emphasised the communicative value of the images. Evaluation of the images and service ideas after the actual workshops brought an additional layer of validation to the process. The mixed-methods foresight process could be applied to creating futures for any labour union and, as a modified version, for any generic organisationPro-gradu on liitoksissa ammattiliitto Akavan Erityisalojen (AE) toimeksiantoon luoda liitolle tulevaisuuskuvia ja ideoita uusista palveluista vuonna 2036. Tutkielman tutkimuskysymys on: miten verkkopohjainen monimenetelmällinen ennakointiprosessi palveli tulevaisuuksien luomista ja uusien palveluiden ideointia Akavan Erityisaloille vuodelle 2036? Ennakointiprosessissa yhdistyivät tulevaisuudentutkimuksen ja palvelumuotoilun menetelmät. Prosessi noudatteli tulevaisuustyöpajan rakennetta ja oli jaettu esiosioon, varsinaiseen ja jälkiosioon. Muita tulevaisuudentutkimukselle tyypillisiä menetelmällisiä työkaluja olivat tulevaisuusikkuna, PESTEL-taulukko, Jim Datorin tulevaisuusarkkityypit, kyselytutkimus ja tulevaisuuskuvat. Palvelumuotoilun työkaluista tulevaisuuskuvia täydentämään käytettiin tunnelmataulua ja palvelusarjakuvaa. Prosessin lopputuotteet olivat neljä tulevaisuuskuvaa koostuen narratiivista, tunnelma-taulusta ja palvelusarjakuvasta sekä seitsemän uutta palveluideaa. Lisäksi osallistujat arvioivat kuvat todennäköisyyden ja toivottavuuden ja palveluideat toimeenpanon helppouden ja toivottavuuden perusteella. Työpajoihin kutsuttiin Akavan Erityisalojen sidosryhmiä ja ne järjestettiin kokonaan verkossa. Verkkoympäristö helpotti osallistumista työpajoihin ja edesauttoi edustavan osallistujaotoksen saamista ja heterogeenisten ryhmien muodostamista. MIRO-alustalla oli helppo luoda näyttäviä tehtävänantoja. Alusta mahdollisti yhteiskehittämisen, mutta vaati osallistujilta harjoittelua ja tietoteknisten perustaitojen hallintaa. Fasilitointi MIRO:n ja Microsoft Teamsin välityksellä oli hankalaa, ja ne mahdollistivat keskittymisen vain yhteen ryhmään kerrallaan. Kehollisen läsnäolon puute myös rajoitti osallistujien välistä viestintää. PESTEL-taulukko toimi hyvin ennakkotehtävässä ja yhteisen ymmärryksen luomiseksi varsinaisen työpajan alussa. Se myös syötti hyvin muutosilmiöitä Datorin tulevaisuuden arkkityyppien taulukkoon. Saman kolmitasoisen katsantotavan säilyttäminen (Suomen työmarkkinajärjestelmä, AE:n organisaatio ja jäsentaso) prosessin eri vaiheissa toi johdonmukaisuutta tulevaisuuskuviin. Tunnelmataulut ja palvelusarjakuvat voimistivat kuvien viestejä. Tulevaisuuskuvien ja palveluideoiden arvottaminen varsinaisten työpajojen jälkeen toi prosessiin lisää uskottavuutta. Monimenetelmällinen metodi olisi sovellettavissa muidenkin ammattiliittojen ja muutoksin toistenkin organisaatioiden tulevaisuuksien rakentamiseen