Towards a framework for the evaluation of policies of cluster upgrading and innovation

In the current scenario, a large and growing number of policies for local development and cluster upgrading explicitly incorporate the idea of innovation as a systemic process, embedded in specific socio-cultural and institutional contexts and intermingled with international challenges, opportunities, and strategies. These policies bring new challenges to the activities of analysis and evaluation: despite the diffusion of a systemic approach both in innovation thinking and in innovation policies, a proper system-based framework for the analysis and evaluation of these policies is far from being achieved (Bellandi and Caloffi, 2010). Trying to advance our reflection on this field, we propose some exemplifications on a quite delimited set of contexts, i.e. those of industrial districts (Italian, in particular), characterized by SMEs clusters facing contemporary globalization challenges. Focusing on innovation policies aimed at supporting functional upgrading of districts and clusters soaked in changing international filières and value chains, the paper discusses the meaning of evaluation of industrial policies when a systemic perspective is considered. On such premises a couple of exemplifications are illustrate some features of appropriate evaluation methods. Finally, some methodological aspects concerning the design process of evaluation activities are discussed.Evaluation of policies; systemic approaches to evaluation; innovation and cluster policies; industrial districts

Misinformation Detection in Social Media

abstract: The pervasive use of social media gives it a crucial role in helping the public perceive reliable information. Meanwhile, the openness and timeliness of social networking sites also allow for the rapid creation and dissemination of misinformation. It becomes increasingly difficult for online users to find accurate and trustworthy information. As witnessed in recent incidents of misinformation, it escalates quickly and can impact social media users with undesirable consequences and wreak havoc instantaneously. Different from some existing research in psychology and social sciences about misinformation, social media platforms pose unprecedented challenges for misinformation detection. First, intentional spreaders of misinformation will actively disguise themselves. Second, content of misinformation may be manipulated to avoid being detected, while abundant contextual information may play a vital role in detecting it. Third, not only accuracy, earliness of a detection method is also important in containing misinformation from being viral. Fourth, social media platforms have been used as a fundamental data source for various disciplines, and these research may have been conducted in the presence of misinformation. To tackle the challenges, we focus on developing machine learning algorithms that are robust to adversarial manipulation and data scarcity. The main objective of this dissertation is to provide a systematic study of misinformation detection in social media. To tackle the challenges of adversarial attacks, I propose adaptive detection algorithms to deal with the active manipulations of misinformation spreaders via content and networks. To facilitate content-based approaches, I analyze the contextual data of misinformation and propose to incorporate the specific contextual patterns of misinformation into a principled detection framework. Considering its rapidly growing nature, I study how misinformation can be detected at an early stage. In particular, I focus on the challenge of data scarcity and propose a novel framework to enable historical data to be utilized for emerging incidents that are seemingly irrelevant. With misinformation being viral, applications that rely on social media data face the challenge of corrupted data. To this end, I present robust statistical relational learning and personalization algorithms to minimize the negative effect of misinformation.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Computer Science 201

Global Innovations in Measurement and Evaluation

We researched the latest developments in theory and practice in measurement and evaluation. And we found that new thinking, techniques, and technology are influencing and improving practice. This report highlights 8 developments that we think have the greatest potential to improve evaluation and programme design, and the careful collection and use of data. In it, we seek to inform and inspire—to celebrate what is possible, and encourage wider application of these ideas

The transformation of transport policy in Great Britain? 'New Realism' and New Labour's decade of displacement activity

In a 1999 paper, Goodwin announced ‘the transformation of transport policy in Great Britain’. His central point was that consensus was emerging among policy makers and academics based on earlier work including Transport: The New Realism, which rejected previous orthodoxy that the supply of road space could and should be continually expanded to match demand. Instead a combination of investment in public transport, walking and cycling opportunities and – crucially – demand management should form the basis of transport policy to address rising vehicle use and associated increases in congestion and pollution / carbon emissions. This thinking formed the basis of the 1997 Labour government’s ‘sustainable transport’ policy, but after 13 years in power ministers neither transformed policy nor tackled longstanding transport trends. Our main aim in this paper is to revisit the concept of New Realism and re-examine its potential utility as an agent of change in British transport policy. Notwithstanding the outcome of Labour’s approach to transport policy, we find that the central tenets of the New Realism remain robust and that the main barriers to change are related to broader political and governance issues which suppress radical policy innovation

(R)Urban synergy reconsidered: the role of information networks in climate change adaptation and mitigation

The paper is focused on the relationship between urban and rural settlements, established via information networks and oriented towards climate change adaptation and mitigation. The first part of the paper provides a review of emerging ideas and innovations related to the (un)conventional use of information networks in reducing the consequences of climate change, while the second part examines the strategic role of networks in the exchange of data and knowledge. Two levels are especially emphasized - the domain of public communication of climate change, and the level of connectivity within (r)urban hybrid systems (i.e. their effectiveness, accessibility and low-carbon outcomes). In accordance with recent environmental and technological trends, as well as the possible spatiofunctional flexibility of (r)urban hybrid settlements, the paper indentifies and analyses three areas of networks applicability, targeting main challenges of the anticipated climate-friendly development - human behaviour, ecological awareness and general efficiency

State of Health Equity Movement, 2011 Update Part B: Catalog of Activities DRA Project Report No. 11-02

State of Health Equity Movement, 2011 Update Part B: Catalog of Activities DRA Project Report No. 11-0

The business opportunity of Internet of Things to tackle air pollution through traffic management in Europe

With 7 million people dying and $3 billion loss to the global economy each year, air pollution is among the most dangerous threats to human life, to the economy and to the environment. Research has shown that traffic is among the biggest sources of air pollution and that city dwellers are the most affected group. To deal with the problem, governments have started to resort to the use of technologies as Internet of Things (IoT), given their potential to lead to outstanding results. However, research on the use of IoT to address air pollution is scarce. This dissertation aims at studying the status quo of IoT, how it is being implemented to tackle air quality issues in cities and the business opportunity coming from its deployment. Based on ten semi-structured interviews with experts in the fields of IoT, air quality, traffic management and smart cities and a review of the literature available on these fields, this work provides an analysis of a road pricing scheme powered by IoT-sensors, able to considerably reduce key air pollutants. To study its economic impact and prove its effects on key stakeholders, a cost-benefit analysis has been performed. The analysis showed the profitability of the project on the mid-term and positive effects on the society as a whole. On this basis, the research provides governments with the guidelines for a profitable and effective policy implementation harnessing IoT potential to target bad air quality.Com 7 milhões de fatalidades e$3 bilhões de perdas na economia mundial cada ano, a poluição atmosférica está entre as maiores ameaças para a vida humana, economia e o meio ambiente. A literatura tem mostrado que o tráfego está entre as maiores fontes de poluição atmosférica, e que a população residente em centros urbanos está entre os grupos mais afetados. Para enfrentar o problema os governos começaram a recorrer ao uso de tecnologias como Internet of Things (IoT), dado o seu potencial para obter resultados excecionais. Contudo, a investigação para o uso da IoT em relação à poluição atmosférica é escassa. Este estudo pretende refletir sobre o status quo da IoT, como esta tecnologia está a ser implementada para lidar com problemas relacionados com a poluição atmosférica nas cidades, e as oportunidades de negócio provenientes do seu desenvolvimento. Baseado em dez entrevistas semiestruturadas com expertos nas áreas de IoT, qualidade do ar, gestão de tráfego, “Smart cities”, e uma revisão da literatura existente nestas áreas, este trabalho fornece uma análise de um esquema de tarifação rodoviária, proporcionado por sensores-IoT, que permitem uma redução considerável de poluentes atmosféricos em cidades. Para estudar o seu impacto económico e provar o seu impacto nas partes interessadas, foi realizada uma análise custo-benefício. Esta análise mostrou a rentabilidade do projeto a médio-prazo e os seus efeitos positivos na sociedade. A investigação oferece aos governos diretrizes para implementação de políticas rentáveis e eficazes, aproveitando o potencial de IoT para mitigar a má qualidade do ar

Green Technology for Smart Cities

In view of the enormous social and environmental changes at the global level, more and more cities worldwide have directed their development strategies towards smart policies aimed at sustainable mobility, energy upgrading of the building stock, increase of energy production from renewable sources, improvement of waste management and implementation of ICT infrastructures. The goal is to turn into Smart Cities, able to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants by offering a lasting opportunity for cultural, economic and social growth within a healthy, safe, stimulating and dynamic environment. After an overview of the role of cities in climate changes and environmental pollution worldwide, the article provides an up to date definition of Smart City and of its main expected features, focussing on technology innovation, smart governance and main financing and support programs. An analysis of the most interesting initiatives at the international level pursued by cities investigating the three main areas of Green Buildings, Smart grid-Smart lighting, and Smart mobility is given, with the objective to offer a broad reference for the identification of development sustainable plans and programs at the urban level within the current legislative framework

New Technology and Automation in Freight Transport and Handling Systems

This is an evidence review that examines the trends in manufacturing and global supply chains, looking at the international trade, technology and users, and how these may change between now and 2040. The review has been commissioned by the Government Office for Science within the Foresight project. The Foresight Future of Mobility project is run from within the UK Government Office for Science (GO-Science). The Foresight project was launched to try to understand the broad question "What benefits/ opportunities could the transport system of the future provide and what are the implications for Government and society?