Local development and technological innovation in Algeria: experiences and perspectives

The starting point of the present paper is the idea that to define a regional development policy which should effectively respond to the new challenges of the future, in particular to the globalisation of the economy and the acceleration of technological changes, it is necessary to think about new methods that grant a privilege to the local solution, using to the maximum the local skills, the national technological strength, the creative and innovative capabilities existents. But, referring to the Mediterranean basin, there are major disparities between regions and countries in the field of innovation and R&D, as also in the level of diffusion of modern information and communication technologies. In particular some Third Mediterranean countries as also some regions of South Europe, if on the one hand have clear difficulties in developing modern forms of industrialisation capable to insure an access to the international markets, on the other need to increase the competitiveness of their firms, to improve their strengths and to compensate the disadvantages due to their periphericity by developing their international contacts with neighbouring countries in the Mediterranean Basin. This study identifies and analyses the policies adopted by Algeria in the development of technological and managerial capabilities to highlight the facilities and the constraints for implementing and managing advanced technology and innovation in the economic lagging regions and to explore ways of innovative co-operation in this field.

Sustainability, transport and design: reviewing the prospects for safely encouraging eco-driving

Private vehicle use contributes a disproportionately large amount to the degradation of the environment we inhabit. Technological advancement is of course critical to the mitigation of climate change, however alone it will not suffice; we must also see behavioural change. This paper will argue for the application of Ergonomics to the design of private vehicles, particularly low-carbon vehicles (e.g. hybrid and electric), to encourage this behavioural change. A brief review of literature is offered concerning the effect of the design of a technological object on behaviour, the inter-related nature of goals and feedback in guiding performance, the effect on fuel economy of different driving styles, and the various challenges brought by hybrid and electric vehicles, including range anxiety, workload and distraction, complexity, and novelty. This is followed by a discussion on the potential applicability of a particular design framework, namely Ecological Interface Design, to the design of in-vehicle interfaces that encourage energy-conserving driving behaviours whilst minimising distraction and workload, thus ensuring safety

Technology assessment of future intercity passenger transportation systems. Volume 6: Impact assessment

Consequences that might occur if certain technological developments take place in intercity transportation are described. These consequences are broad ranging, and include economic, environmental, social, institutional, energy-related, and transportation service implications. The possible consequences are traced through direct (primary) impacts to indirect (secondary, tertiary, etc.) impacts. Chains of consequences are traced, reaching as far beyond the original transportation cause as is necessary to identify all impacts felt to be influenced significantly by the technological development considered

An overview on the obsolescence of physical assets for the defence facing the challenges of industry 4.0 and the new operating environments

Libro en Open AccessThis contribution is intended to observe special features presented in physical assets for defence. Particularly, the management of defence assets has to consider not only the reliability, availability, maintainability and other factors frequently used in asset management. On the contrary, such systems should also take into account their adaptation to changing operating environments as well as their capability to changes on the technological context. This study approaches to the current real situation where, due to the diversity of conflicts in our international context, the same type of defence systems must be able to provide services under different boundary conditions in different areas of the globe. At the same time, new concepts from the Industry 4.0 provide quick changes that should be considered along the life cycle of a defence asset. As a finding or consequence, these variations in operating conditions and in technology may accelerate asset degradation by modifying its reliability, its up-to-date status and, in general terms, its end-of-life estimation, depending of course on a diversity of factors. This accelerated deterioration of the asset is often known as “obsolescence” and its implications are often evaluated (when possible), in terms of costs from different natures. The originality of this contribution is the introduction of a discussion on how a proper analysis may help to reduce errors and mistakes in the decision-making process regarding the suitability or not of repairing, replacing, or modernizing the asset or system under study. In other words, the obsolescence analysis, from a reliability and technological point of view, could be used to determine the conservation or not of a specific asset fleet, in order to understand the effects of operational and technology factors variation over the functionality and life cycle cost of physical assets for defence

A hybrid Delphi-SWOT paradigm for oil and gas pipeline strategic planning in Caspian Sea basin

The Caspian Sea basin holds large quantities of both oil and natural gas that could help meet the increasing global demand for energy resources. Consequently, the oil and gas potential of the region has attracted the attention of the international oil and gas industry. The key to realizing the energy producing potential of the region is the development of transnational export routes to take oil and gas from the landlocked Caspian Sea basin to world markets. The evaluation and selection of alternative transnational export routes is a complex multi-criteria problem with conflicting objectives. The decision makers (DMs) are required to consider a vast amount of information concerning internal strengths and weaknesses of the alternative routes as well as external opportunities and threats to them. This paper presents a hybrid model that combines strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis with the Delphi metho

Technological safety of sustainable development of coal enterprises

Purpose. Substantiation of conceptual base of searching the ways of threats prevention to sustainable development of coal enterprises in the presence of multidirectional vectors of economic pressure of the external environment. Methods. Methods of the structural and comparative analysis for an assessment of usage of the main definitions of a research, their essence and communication with other categories which define efficiency of development of the coal enterprise are used for the solution of the set tasks in the work; groups and classifications are used for systematization of types of economic security and stability of the enterprise, and also factors which cause them. Findings. The analysis of main definitions that reflecting essence of such scientific phenomena as “sustainable development” and “economic security” of the enterprise is conducted. Actuality and reasonability of scientific research conducting on formation of methodical base and tools of an assessment of a technological component of sustainable development safety of coal enterprises is substantiated. Originality. Research of opportunities of the comprehensive programs creation of adaptive management of the mining enterprise including a retrospective and perspective assessment of a pathway of its development. Practical implications. Introduction of adaptation activity at the coal enterprises in aspect of process of technological safety ensuring.Мета. Обґрунтування концептуальної бази пошуку шляхів запобігання загрозам сталого розвитку вугільних підприємств при наявності різноспрямованих векторів економічного тиску зовнішнього середовища. Методика. Для вирішення поставлених у роботі завдань використані методи структурно-порівняльного аналізу – для оцінки використання основних дефініцій дослідження, їх сутності та зв’язку з іншими категоріями, які визначають ефективність розвитку вугільного підприємства; групування й класифікації – для систематизації видів економічної безпеки і стійкості підприємства, а також факторів, які їх обумовлюють. Результати. Проведено аналіз основних визначень, що відображають сутність таких наукових феноменів, як “сталий розвиток” і “економічна безпека” підприємства. Обґрунтована актуальність та доцільність проведення наукових досліджень з формування методичної бази й інструментарію оцінки технологічної складової безпеки сталого розвитку вугільних підприємств. Наукова новизна. Дослідження можливостей створення комплексних програм адаптивного управління гірничим підприємством, що включають ретроспективну і перспективну оцінки траєкторії його розвитку. Практична значимість. Впровадження адаптаційної діяльності на вугільних підприємствах в аспекті процесу забезпечення технологічної безпеки.Цель. Обоснование концептуальной базы поиска путей предотвращения угроз устойчивому развитию угольных предприятий при наличии разнонаправленных векторов экономического давления внешней среды. Методика. Для решения поставленных в работе задач использованы методы структурно-сравнительного анализа – для оценки использования основных дефиниций исследования, их сущности и связи с другими категориями, которые определяют эффективность развития угольного предприятия; группировки и классификации – для систематизации видов экономической безопасности и устойчивости предприятия, а также факторов, которые их обусловливают. Результаты. Проведен анализ основных определений, отражающих сущность таких научных феноменов, как “устойчивое развитие” и “экономическая безопасность” предприятия. Обоснована актуальность и целесообразность проведения научных исследований по формированию методической базы и инструментария оценки технологической составляющей безопасности устойчивого развития угольных предприятий. Научная новизна. Исследование возможностей создания комплексных программ адаптивного управления горным предприятием, включающих ретроспективную и перспективную оценку траектории его развития. Практическая значимость. Внедрение адаптационной деятельности на угольных предприятиях в аспекте процесса обеспечения технологической безопасности.Authors express gratitude for the help and consultations during work performing for director of management of coal mining of LLC “DTEK Energy” Mykhailo Barabash

Energy-water-environment nexus underpinning future desalination sustainability

Energy-water-environment nexus is very important to attain COP21 goal, maintaining environment temperature increase below 2 °C, but unfortunately two third share of CO2 emission has already been used and the remaining will be exhausted by 2050. A number of technological developments in power and desalination sectors improved their efficiencies to save energy and carbon emission but still they are operating at 35% and 10% of their thermodynamic limits. Research in desalination processes contributing to fuel World population for their improved living standard and to reduce specific energy consumption and to protect environment. Recently developed highly efficient nature-inspired membranes (aquaporin & graphene) and trend in thermally driven cycle's hybridization could potentially lower then energy requirement for water purification. This paper presents a state of art review on energy, water and environment interconnection and future energy efficient desalination possibilities to save energy and protect environment

Trends for the development of anthropocentric production systems in small less industrialised countries: The case of Portugal

This paper analyses the problems and trends of the introduction of anthropocentric production systems (APS) in small less industrialized member states of the European Union, specifically the case of Portugal, based on the report for the FAST-Anthropocentric Technology Assessment Project (Monitor Programme) on “Prospects and conditions for APS in Europe by the 21st century”. Research teams from all countries of the European Community, as well as researchers from USA, Japan and Australia were participating in this project. The aim of this paper is to characterize APS and to present some special considerations related to the socioeconomic factors affecting the prospects and conditions for APS in Portugal. APS is defined as a system based on the utilization of skilled human resources and flexible technology adapted to the needs of flexible and participative organization. Among socioeconomic factors, some critical aspects for the development of APS will be focused, namely technological infrastructure, management strategies, perceived impact of introduction of automated systems on the division of labor and organizational structure, educational and vocational training and social actors strategies towards industrial automation. This analysis is based on a sample of industrial firms, built up for qualitative analysis, and on case studies analysis that can be reference examples for further development of APS, and not just for economic policy purposes alone. We have also analyzed the type of existing industrial relations, the union and employer strategies and some aspects of public policies towards the introduction of new technologies in the order to understand the extent to which there exist obstacles to and favorable conditions for the diffusion of anthropocentric systems. Finally some recommendations are presented to stress the trends for the implementation and development of anthropocentric production systems in Portugal.production systems; Portugal; Technology Assessment; human resources; organization; management strategies; automation;