What is the potential value of tokens and token engineering for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry? A positional paper.

What is the value of tokens for blockchain applications in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC)? How can token engineering be contextualized in AEC? This positional paper instigates the tackling of these largely unexplored questions. Following a literature review and a visiting of token engineering fundamentals, the paper’s position is that tokens can indeed hold potential value for AEC. This value can be direct, utilitarian, security-related, and/or pegged, and reflected in technical and economic terms. For this value to be realized, the token must be systematically embedded in the AEC ecosystem – therefore dependent on sociotechnical parameters in AEC

THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF ART INVESTMENTS – THE APPLICABILITY OF EU and US INVESTOR PROTECTION REGULATIONS TO THE ART MARKET

In the face of increasing inflation rates and global political as well as economic turmoil, investors are looking for alternatives to securities and bonds to store values. Among those asset classes benefitting from this trend is art. Record-breaking results at auctions, a quick market recovery following the pandemic as well as stable compound annual growth rated of the art market have stirred the interest of a growing number of investors in this form of alternative investment which promises stability in times of economic uncertainty. This trend is furthermore spurred by technological advancements; especially DLT-based business models add to the practicability and accessibility of investment models. For the art market, which previously used to be an investment option reserved rather for high-net worth individuals, the digitalization of values brings the opportunity to address new market participants. As an example, concepts such as the “tokenization” of artworks and “fractional ownership” invite a broader public, who would otherwise hardly have access to this asset. By extending the offer to invest in an artwork to many instead of just to a single collector, the costs for each individual investor are reduced to only a share of the actual sales price. Accordingly, art has become a widely recognized alternative asset class, which is constantly compared to conservative forms of investment, such as stocks and bonds. Against this background, the question arises as to what extent art is regulated as an asset class. The importance of an in-depth analysis of the applicable investor protection rules becomes even more apparent in consideration of the opacity of the art market, which also accounts for a reason why this sector has been only scarcely addressed by legal academia so far. The relatively new practical accessibility of the art investment market stands in stark contrast to the lack of available information on the traded properties. The deep-rooted tradition of discretion in art trades continues to shroud a cloak of silence over essential data on past and ongoing sales, with the result of there being an insufficient informational basis for investors to predict price developments. This dissertation project aims to shed light on the opaque structures of art investments and examine the currently applicable level of investor protection rules in direct comparison to that in traditional securities markets. The jurisdictional scope of this paper extends to both, the financial market laws of the European Union as well as of the United States of America. In this context, also the question will be raised as to how art investment instruments can be categorized from a legal point of view, in particular, whether they fit into the existing framework of financial instruments

Digitale Transformation aus unternehmensübergreifender Perspektive: Management der Koevolution von Plattformbesitzern und Komplementoren in Plattformökosystemen

Digital platforms have the potential to transform how organizations are doing business in their respective ecosystems. Motivated by this transformation, the purpose of this thesis is to increase the understanding of digital transformation from an inter-organizational perspective. Therefore, this thesis clarifies the phenomenon of digital transformation, and models and analyzes multiple digital platform ecosystems. Building upon that, this dissertation reflects on multiple case studies on how platform owners can manage the co-evolution of their complementors in digital transformations in digital platform ecosystems.Digitale Plattformen haben das Potential, die Art und Weise, wie Unternehmen in ihren jeweiligen Ökosystemen Geschäfte machen, zu verändern. Motiviert durch diese Transformation, ist das Ziel dieser Arbeit, das Verständnis von digitaler Transformation aus einer inter-organisatorischen Perspektive zu erhöhen. Daher erläutert diese Arbeit das Phänomen der digitalen Transformation, und modelliert und analysiert mehrere digitale Plattformökosysteme. Darauf aufbauend reflektiert diese Dissertation in mehreren Fallstudien darüber, wie Plattformbesitzer die Koevolution ihrer Komplementoren in digitalen Transformationen in digitalen Plattformökosystemen steuern können

A Model For Improving Ethics In Construction Materials And Products Supply Chain Using Blockchain

There are countless materials and products that make up a building, including cladding, glazing, roofing, floors, ceilings, systems, etc., and the hidden and fragmented structure of the supply chain makes it highly vulnerable to several forms of ethical breaches at different tiers. Consumers also are increasingly concerned about where the products they are buying come from, highlighting important areas of concern that include the ethical, environmental, and social issues. Whereas current research identifies digitalization as a key part of providing transparency and increasing fairness in supply chains, and blockchain technology is lauded as having the potential to deliver this. However, while there has been a growing emphasis on ethics in construction in recent years, and an increase in studies around blockchain, there remains a paucity of studies related to how blockchain may help to improve the environmental and social dimensions of ethics in construction supply chains. A gap that this study fills through a holistic triple bottom line (TBL) approach. To achieve this, the study aims to develop and validate a model for improving ethics in construction materials and products supply chains (CMPSC) following the TBL construct using blockchain technology. The study also explores the current state of ethics in the CMPSC and the implementations of blockchain for ethics and applies the learnings to develop a conceptual model to improve environmental, social and business ethics in the CMPSC using blockchain. The model was then refined and validated via a dual-phase validation protocol consisting of expert interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 30 participants participated in this study, this comprised of 16 construction industry supply chain professionals, 10 professionals in the ethics/ sustainability in construction and 4 blockchain technology experts. NVivo 12 was utilised to thematically analyse both the interviews and the focus group data. This approach was utilised to investigate the data from both a data-driven perspective (a perspective based on coding in an inductive way); and from the research question perspective (to check if the data is consistent with the research questions and if it provides sufficient information). The 30 interviews resulted in 4 high-level themes, 15 mid-level themes and 28 low-level themes, with the total number of codes within the themes being 721. The analysis of the focus group data resulted in 3 high-level themes and 10 mid-level themes, bringing the total number of codes within all themes to 74. Results from this study revealed that the effectiveness of current ethical measures in the CMPSC has been limited due to weak implementation and compliance, the inability of the government to play its role, and the outright denial of unethical practises within supply chains. Results also show that even though greater emphasis is placed on the business component of ethics while the environmental or social component may only receive as much attention if it can be monetised or if it is demanded; nonetheless, the current state of ethics in the CMPSC remains weak across the three dimensions examined. Further results show that while blockchain may help improve ethics in the CMPSC, in addition to the transparency and digitization that technology provides, the need for education and the upholding of personal ethical values by supply chain players are key to the success of both current and new ethical supply chain initiatives. Individuals must first be made ethically aware in order to act ethically; only then may the implementation of a technological tool prosper. The main contribution of this study to knowledge is the development of a model for improving ethics in the CMPSC within the TBL construct through blockchain technology. The model developed in this study provides practical clarity on how blockchain may be implemented within fragmented supply chains and a significant understanding of a socio-technical approach to addressing the issue of ethics within construction supply chains. It also has a vital role in helping the intended users and actors improve their knowledge of the technology and how blockchain can help to improve ethics in the CMPSC and also understand their roles and responsibilities on the network, thereby providing a framework and prerequisite guidance for the Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) providers in the development of the computer model (blockchain network). The findings of this thesis demonstrate new insights and contribute to the existing body of knowledge by further advancing the discussion on the role of the blockchain in the construction industry

Appropriate Wisdom, Technology, and Management toward Environmental Sustainability for Development

The protection and maintenance of environmental resources for future generations require responsible interaction between humans and the environment in order to avoid wasting natural resources. According to an ancient Native American proverb, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” This indigenous wisdom has the potential to play a significant role in defining environmental sustainability. Recent technological advances could sustain humankind and allow for comfortable living. However, not all of these advancements have the potential to protect the environment for future generations. Developing societies and maintaining the sustainability of the ecosystem require appropriate wisdom, technology, and management collaboration. This book is a collection of 19 important articles (15 research articles, 3 review papers, and 1 editorial) that were published in the Special Issue of the journal Sustainability entitled “Appropriate Wisdom, Technology, and Management toward Environmental Sustainability for Development” during 2021-2022.addresses the policymakers and decision-makers who are willing to develop societies that practice environmental sustainability, by collecting the most recent contributions on the appropriate wisdom, technology, and management regarding the different aspects of a community that can retain environmental sustainability

Blockchain and gender digital inequalities in Africa: A critical afrofemtric analysis

Advances in the technological sphere are synergistic with society’s progression. Technological innovations result in social realities, and these correspondingly remodel technologies to reconcile their functions and values with society’s needs. The birth of blockchain ushered in euphoric pronouncements about its disruptive potentialities for low-resourced societies. While dominant discourses frame it as a tool for enabling grassroots participation in socioeconomic activities, they ignore the societal embeddedness of innovations. A central premise of this study is that the modalities of blockchain’s adoption reflect, and to an extent cement, the inequitable gender power dynamics of its context. Drawing on principles of gender justice from my original critical theory afrofemtrism, technofeminism, and the social construction of technology, I examined the adoption of blockchain technologies in Ghana and its engagement with gender digital inequalities. My empirical data is from 33 qualitative interviews with participants in the blockchain economy. I found that investing and trading in cryptocurrency are the principal blockchain activities in Ghana. This evinces the perception of low entry barriers without needing specialized education. Additionally, participants are overwhelmingly male, and the women in the space navigate a complex existence of relegation and comity. Their presence in this male-dominated space opens them to ridicule, and yet they benefit from better transactional opportunities as people perceive them to be more trustworthy than the average man. Blockchain could engender financial emancipation for women and other marginalized social groups. However, conditions like the compound effect of inhibiting familial, societal, and cultural socialization on gendered interests and progression undercut these affordances. Blockchain in itself is, therefore, not a panacea. Interventions for social change must include gender justice-conscious policymaking, as well as nationwide conscientization of the underpinnings of gender digital disparities. This study’s findings are integral to advancing studies in gender disparities in a sociotechnical arena. It also contributes to knowledge emanating from the Global South, particularly regarding emerging technology

Power and trust : analysis of the effects of deglobalisation and financial technology in the United Kingdom, United States and European Union

This thesis researched the effects deglobalisation and financial technology are having on the United Kingdom, United States and European Union since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Particular attention is paid to financial services, as it is the industry most closely related to the GFC and is central to the concept of financial technology.It begins by examining the development and dynamics of the globalised economy, defines what deglobalisation is, reviews financial crises predating the GFC and introduces the concept and history of financial technology. Analysis then focuses on the current financial regulatory landscape of the EU, UK and US. It then reviews technological developments that have occurred in the aftermath of the GFC to determine which have the greatest likelihood for adoption by the financial services industry within the next five to ten years and how they are most likely to be implemented. Particular attention is given to blockchain and smart contracts and their potential for business integration.It then assesses financial legislation passed during Trump’s tenure to determine its ramifications. The thesis concludes with analysis of the state of deglobalisation and socioeconomic conditions, especially within the UK as of 2021, the outcome of the finalised Brexit agreement for financial services and how they have affected the UK economy. This is to determine what the consequences of the period of deglobalisation from 2016 to early 2021 have ultimately meant for the US, UK and EU

Responsible AI and Analytics for an Ethical and Inclusive Digitized Society

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