13,788 research outputs found

    Europe's Capacity to Act in the Global Tech Race: Charting a Path for Europe in Times of Major Technological Disruption

    Get PDF
    Technological leadership has become a central dimension of geopolitical power. In this development, the primary front in the emerging tech power rivalry is between the US (United States of America) and China (People’s Republic of China). The European Union (EU) has fallen behind and needs to catch-up. The stakes in this race are high and will have an impact on economic competition, national security and broader values-based notions of political order. This study sheds light on Europe’s approach to technological mastery. This study looks into the progress of the EU and its member states across selected technological fields and their global entanglements with other nations and technology actors

    How can SMEs benefit from big data? Challenges and a path forward

    Get PDF
    Big data is big news, and large companies in all sectors are making significant advances in their customer relations, product selection and development and consequent profitability through using this valuable commodity. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have proved themselves to be slow adopters of the new technology of big data analytics and are in danger of being left behind. In Europe, SMEs are a vital part of the economy, and the challenges they encounter need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. This paper identifies barriers to SME uptake of big data analytics and recognises their complex challenge to all stakeholders, including national and international policy makers, IT, business management and data science communities. The paper proposes a big data maturity model for SMEs as a first step towards an SME roadmap to data analytics. It considers the ‘state-of-the-art’ of IT with respect to usability and usefulness for SMEs and discusses how SMEs can overcome the barriers preventing them from adopting existing solutions. The paper then considers management perspectives and the role of maturity models in enhancing and structuring the adoption of data analytics in an organisation. The history of total quality management is reviewed to inform the core aspects of implanting a new paradigm. The paper concludes with recommendations to help SMEs develop their big data capability and enable them to continue as the engines of European industrial and business success. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

    Artificial Intelligence for the Financial Services Industry: What Challenges Organizations to Succeed?

    Get PDF
    As a research field, artificial intelligence (AI) exists for several years. More recently, technological breakthroughs, coupled with the fast availability of data, have brought AI closer to commercial use. Internet giants such as Google, Amazon, Apple or Facebook invest significantly into AI, thereby underlining its relevance for business models worldwide. For the highly data driven finance industry, AI is of intensive interest within pilot projects, still, few AI applications have been implemented so far. This study analyzes drivers and inhibitors of a successful AI application in the finance industry based on panel data comprising 22 semi-structured interviews with experts in AI in finance. As theoretical lens, we structured our results using the TOE framework. Guidelines for applying AI successfully reveal AI-specific role models and process competencies as crucial, before trained algorithms will have reached a quality level on which AI applications will operate without human intervention and moral concerns

    A German Digital Grand Strategy: Integrating Digital Technology, Economic Competitiveness, and National Security in Times of Geopolitical Change

    Get PDF
    This report systematically outlines the state of play in digital policy and Berlin's current policy approach. It provides 48 recommendations for strengthening Germany's efforts to build a confident, high-performing European digital economy embedded in an open, democratic, and rules-based digital order

    Contextual impacts on industrial processes brought by the digital transformation of manufacturing: a systematic review

    Get PDF
    The digital transformation of manufacturing (a phenomenon also known as "Industry 4.0" or "Smart Manufacturing") is finding a growing interest both at practitioner and academic levels, but is still in its infancy and needs deeper investigation. Even though current and potential advantages of digital manufacturing are remarkable, in terms of improved efficiency, sustainability, customization, and flexibility, only a limited number of companies has already developed ad hoc strategies necessary to achieve a superior performance. Through a systematic review, this study aims at assessing the current state of the art of the academic literature regarding the paradigm shift occurring in the manufacturing settings, in order to provide definitions as well as point out recurring patterns and gaps to be addressed by future research. For the literature search, the most representative keywords, strict criteria, and classification schemes based on authoritative reference studies were used. The final sample of 156 primary publications was analyzed through a systematic coding process to identify theoretical and methodological approaches, together with other significant elements. This analysis allowed a mapping of the literature based on clusters of critical themes to synthesize the developments of different research streams and provide the most representative picture of its current state. Research areas, insights, and gaps resulting from this analysis contributed to create a schematic research agenda, which clearly indicates the space for future evolutions of the state of knowledge in this field

    Differential Adoption of Cloud Technology: A Multiple Case Study of Large Firms and SMEs

    Get PDF
    Firms across the industry segments have been exploring cloud computing to derive benefits out of its technological features. Even though literature pertaining to cloud adoption by firms exists, the factors based on cloud-specific characteristics are mostly anecdotal in nature. Following a multiple case study approach, we identify factors specific to cloud technology adoption by firms. We further explain the differential adoption of the cloud between large and small firms. Overall we obtained 11 variables that differentiate large firms and SMEs in their adoption behaviour. We further contribute to theory by mapping the extracted variables of cloud adoption to Diffusion of innovation theory (DOI) and Technology organization Environment framework (TOE)

    The silver lining: cloud computing and small and medium enterprises

    Get PDF
    This paper shows how Australian businesses can get the most out of one of the biggest global innovations: information communications technology. Overview: Innovation – the successful application of new ideas – drives Australia’s productivity. Australia’s biggest innovation opportunity lies in creatively exploiting global innovations. One of the biggest of these is information and communications technology. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are an engine of the Australian economy. They employ two-thirds of Australian private sector workers and contribute half of Australia’s private sector GDP. Yet many SMEs have low productivity. Innovations may spread slowly to many smaller firms because they lack the capital or market intelligence that large firms can access. Online innovations – including mobile devices, e-commerce, and cloud computing – offer opportunities for firms of all sizes to become far more productive. This paper explores issues raised at a workshop run by Grattan Institute and Google on how policymakers and business can accelerate the spread of cloud computing among SMEs. It uses cloud computing – the delivery of on-demand information technology services over the Internet – as a case study for how online technologies can benefit smaller firms. Cloud computing can help level the playing field for smaller firms. It allows them to access sophisticated IT services that were previously out of reach. For example, it can allow them to manage and monitor their sales, operations and finances in real time. The cloud also offers capabilities that were previously unavailable to firms of any scale. For example, it allows multiple users to access applications or update documents at the same time from mobile devices. Cloud computing makes it easier for small firms to take new ideas to market. Firms that use cloud computing report more growth in revenue and profit than others do. But many Australian SMEs say they do not use cloud services. Many are not aware of the benefits or believe they do not have skills to capture them. Some are concerned about transition costs, data security and privacy. Networks are too slow or unreliable for cloud services in some areas of the country. Workshop participants agreed that government and industry can remove obstacles to the use of cloud computing and help SMEs capture its benefits. The industry itself should lead the education of SMEs on the case for cloud computing. Yet government can:  Choose policy settings that promote broader productivity growth and innovation;  Ensure interaction with government over the internet is the default for all businesses;  Provide an appropriate policy environment for investment in broadband networks that meet the needs of small business. Information technology’s contribution to productivity is just getting started. Small and medium enterprises should get on board
    • 

    corecore