Adoption of Digital Technologies and Decision Support Systems in Horticulture Supply Chains

This paper presents key factors affecting the adoption of digital technologies and decision support technologies in horticulture supply chains. Using the case study method, in-depth interviews were conducted with decision-makers of three distinctive horticulture supply chains, complemented by site observations. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is the theoretical foundation guiding this qualitative study. The findings indicate the constructs perceived ease of use, usefulness, attitudes, behavioural intentions, trust, social influence, and costs affecting adoption. The study contributes to the literature by presenting an integrated TAM model that can be used to understand adoption in horticulture supply chains. It strengthens TAM by providing evidence of its applicability to real-life industry settings and further creates a link to the unique adoption problems in industry. The practical contribution to ICT developers, industry peak bodies, and governments is that the inter-firms’ interactions need to be considered when designing decision support technologies and implementing improvement programs

Big Data in the Public Interest: Applications, Limitations, and Relevance in the Western Cape Provincial Department of Agriculture

School of Public Leadershi

An exploratory research on the impact of IoT and 5G technology in the climate policymaking process

For decades, climate change and climate-related issues have exponentially increased, causing a global multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder negative impact. In response to this global issue, policymakers and decision-makers have begun to scheme climate policies and responses to avoid further harm. However, the policy process and its currents policy infrastructure, instruments, and tools seem to not be up to the task to tackle a complex and irreversible systemic problem engulfed in uncertainties that expands on a broad temporal and spatial scale. The climate policy cycle is a challenging task requiring enormous data, planning, Evaluation, and monitoring. However, these procedures are often ignored due to their complexity, the lack of climate information, and climate portfolios available to the different stakeholders. In this exploratory research, we delve and explore the challenges and difficulties of the climate policymaking process and how can the research and development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that enable the collection of real-time climate data, specifically the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5th Generation of Mobile Communication Systems (5G), can become a potential climate policymaking instrument and tool.Durante décadas, as mudanças climáticas e as questões relacionadas ao clima aumentaram exponencialmente, causando um impacto negativo global multissetorial e de múltiplas partes interessadas. Em resposta a esta questão global, os formuladores de políticas e tomadores de decisão começaram a traçar políticas e respostas climáticas para evitar mais danos. No entanto, o processo político e sua atual infraestrutura, instrumentos e ferramentas parecem não estar à altura da tarefa de lidar com um problema sistêmico complexo e irreversível envolto em incertezas que se expande em uma ampla escala temporal e espacial. O ciclo da política climática é uma tarefa desafiadora que exige enormes dados, planejamento, avaliação e monitoramento. No entanto, esses procedimentos são muitas vezes ignorados devido à sua complexidade, à falta de informações sobre o clima e aos portfólios climáticos disponíveis para as diferentes partes interessadas. Nesta pesquisa exploratória, nós aprofundamos e exploramos os desafios e dificuldades do processo de formulação de políticas climáticas e como a pesquisa e o desenvolvimento de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TICs) que permitem a coleta de dados climáticos em tempo real, especificamente a Internet das Coisas ( IoT) e 5ª Geração de Sistemas de Comunicação Móvel (5G), pode se tornar um instrumento e ferramenta potencial de formulação de políticas climáticas

Big data for monitoring educational systems

This report considers “how advances in big data are likely to transform the context and methodology of monitoring educational systems within a long-term perspective (10-30 years) and impact the evidence based policy development in the sector”, big data are “large amounts of different types of data produced with high velocity from a high number of various types of sources.” Five independent experts were commissioned by Ecorys, responding to themes of: students' privacy, educational equity and efficiency, student tracking, assessment and skills. The experts were asked to consider the “macro perspective on governance on educational systems at all levels from primary, secondary education and tertiary – the latter covering all aspects of tertiary from further, to higher, and to VET”, prioritising primary and secondary levels of education

Langattoman mobiiliteknologian kestävän kehityksen vaikutukset

Connectivity has changed the world for good, and its impact will only increase in the future. Connecting people, and due to Internet of Things (IoT), connecting devices have created and will continue to create various opportunities for individuals, industries and the society. This has a major impact on sustainable development, and it provides solutions that may help improve the economic, social and environmental fields. In the economic field, connectivity and access to the Internet have enabled distance working and various new business opportunities. Connectivity and ICT may increase GDP, generate massive financial benefit and lift people from poverty in developing countries. With the IoT, the industries’ efficiency and productivity may improve and time may be saved. In the social field connectivity enables e.g. studying regardless of people’s physical location and helps improve health and digitalize healthcare. It may help save millions of lives and allow people to contact almost anyone, anywhere, anytime. In addition, it has eased life in many ways on a daily basis in convenient and entertaining ways. The impact of connectivity on the environment is also massive, and the potential to help prevent climate change is great. Connectivity-enabled resource efficiency and dematerialization, again, help replace physical products with services. In the future, ICT may help abate CO2 emissions by much more than it will generate by its deployment. Connectivity and ICT may help decouple economic growth from emissions growth. There will also be challenges and some clear risks. Because of the digital divide, many people are still unable to benefit from connectivity and ICT. Automation may make some jobs disappear in the future, and privacy protection will create some risks for individuals and society. Due to the IoT, energy usage will increase and the numerous devices in the IoT require materials as well. Connectivity must also be reliable; it enables many everyday businesses to operate. All in all, the positive impact is enormous and exceeds the negative impact. The potential that connectivity has is extremely vast, and it should definitely be exploited. Ultimately, connectivity has the potential to create benefits in every field of sustainable development simultaneously: it may very likely create a win-win-win situation.Konnektiviteetti on muuttanut maailmaa pysyvästi, ja sen vaikutus kasvaa tulevaisuudessa yhä. Internet of Things (IoT) eli asioiden Internet yhdistää ihmisten lisäksi esineitä, jotka voivat kommunikoida keskenään. Tämä luo valtavasti mahdollisuuksia ihmisille, teollisuudelle ja yhteiskunnalle. Potentiaali vaikuttaa kestävään kehitykseen (talous, sosiaalinen puoli, ympäristö) on erittäin suuri. Taloudelliset vaikutukset ovat merkittävät. Konnektiviteetti ja ICT luovat uusia liiketoimintamahdollisuuksia. Ne voivat auttaa nostamaan BKT:tä ja nostaa ihmisiä köyhyydestä etenkin kehitysmaissa. IoT voi auttaa kehittämään monien prosessien ja teollisuudenalojen tehokkuutta ja tuottavuutta sekä säästää merkittävästi aikaa. Sosiaaliset hyödyt ovat hyvin laajat. Konnektiviteetti mahdollistaa opiskelun sijainnista riippumatta, voi auttaa lisäämään ihmisten terveyttä ja digitalisoi terveydenhuoltoa. Se voi välillisesti pelastaa miljoonien ihmisten hengen monella eri tavalla, ja antaa ihmisille mahdollisuuden yhteydenpitoon lähes kenen kanssa tahansa, missä ja milloin tahansa. Konnektiviteetti parantaa elämänlaatua myös monia käytännön asioita helpottamalla. Ympäristövaikutukset ovat myös suuret, ja konnektiviteetti voi auttaa torjumaan ilmastonmuutosta; tulevaisuudessa sen aikaansaamat CO2-päästövähennykset ovat moninkertaiset sen omaan tuotantoon nähden. Konnektiviteetin avulla resurssi- ja materiaalitehokkuus auttavat korvaamaan fyysisiä tuotteita palveluilla. Potentiaali talouskasvun ja päästöjen kasvamisen yhteyden katkaisemiseksi on suuri. Konnektiviteetti aikaansaa myös haasteita. Suuri osa ihmisistä on yhä ilman Internet-yhteyttä, ja siten hyötyjen ulottumattomissa. Automaatio korvaa osan työpaikoista, ja tieto- ja yksityisyydensuoja voivat epäonnistuessaan muodostaa suuren riskin. IoT taas lisää energiankulutusta ja edellyttää paljon materiaalia laitteiden määrän vuoksi. Konnektiviteetin tulee myös olla luotettava; yhteyden katkeaminen voi muodostaa riskin. Tulokset osoittavat, että positiiviset vaikutukset ovat ylivoimaisesti negatiivisia suuremmat, ja konnektiviteetin potentiaali on erityisen merkittävä. Sitä tulee ehdottomasti hyödyntää kestävämpää tulevaisuutta luodessa, sillä konnektiviteetin avulla on mahdollista aikaansaada höytyjä kaikilla kestävän kehityksen osa-alueilla samanaikaisesti: lopputulos on erittäin mahdollisesti win-win-win-tilanne

The shaping of anticipation: The networked development of inferential capacity in governing Southeast Asian deltas

Motivated by foreseeable changes in the Earth's systems, governments across the world learn to anticipate the consequences. Understanding how such anticipation comes about should ease its further development. We therefore explore the central capacity within anticipatory governance: the capacity to infer future consequences. Such inferential capacity consists of tools, techniques, and practices increasing an agent's options to infer consequences. We examine the development of this capacity for two Southeast Asian deltas, using data from a multi-sited ethnography and a social network analysis. These methods combine the small-scale ‘lived’ perspective of agents and the multiscale network in which these agents deploy strategies to entrench tools, techniques, and practices for inferential capacity. Strategic choices in positioning for network effects and fostering reciprocity matter, while values and historical contingencies cannot be brushed aside

Big Data Challenges to Privacy: Merits and Limits of the GDPR

Big Data technologies are required due to the enormous expansion in data. The enormous amount of data poses privacy concerns