280 research outputs found

    NEMISA Digital Skills Conference (Colloquium) 2023

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    The purpose of the colloquium and events centred around the central role that data plays today as a desirable commodity that must become an important part of massifying digital skilling efforts. Governments amass even more critical data that, if leveraged, could change the way public services are delivered, and even change the social and economic fortunes of any country. Therefore, smart governments and organisations increasingly require data skills to gain insights and foresight, to secure themselves, and for improved decision making and efficiency. However, data skills are scarce, and even more challenging is the inconsistency of the associated training programs with most curated for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Nonetheless, the interdisciplinary yet agnostic nature of data means that there is opportunity to expand data skills into the non-STEM disciplines as well.College of Engineering, Science and Technolog

    Exploring the transition from techno centric industry 4.0 towards value centric industry 5.0: a systematic literature review

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    This systematic literature review synthesises the literature on human centric IN 4.0 and IN 5.0 while exploring driving forces behind the transition from technocentric IN 4.0 to value centric IN 5.0 using the principles of the multiple level perspective (MLP). Works that discuss contextual, regime and niche level factors which impact on the transition were explored. The Covid- 19 pandemic and Climate change are identified as key contextual, ‘Landscape’, factors impacting the transition while Trust, Mass personalisation and Autonomy are highlighted as key Regime factors. In terms of Niche innovations, Advanced Extended reality technologies, Cobots/ Advanced Robotics, and Advanced AI are often connected with landscape or regime issues. Drawing on MLP theory, the study demonstrates that the transition from IN 4.0 towards IN 5.0 is occurring through a reconfiguration pattern. The paper further emphasises aspects that both practitioners and academics need to be cognisant of in order to affect a transition from IN 4.0 to IN 5.0

    Management of socio-economic transformations of business processes: current realities, global challenges, forecast scenarios and development prospects

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    The authors of the scientific monograph have come to the conclusion that мanagement of socio-economic transformations of business processes requires the use of mechanisms to support of entrepreneurship, sectors of the national economy, the financial system, and critical infrastructure. Basic research focuses on assessment the state of social service provision, analysing economic security, implementing innovation and introducing digital technologies. The research results have been implemented in the different models of costing, credit risk and capital management, tax control, use of artificial intelligence and blockchain. The results of the study can be used in the developing of policies, programmes and strategies for economic security, development of the agricultural sector, transformation of industrial policy, implementation of employment policy in decision-making at the level of ministries and agencies that regulate the management of socio-economic and European integration processes. The results can also be used by students and young scientists in the educational process and conducting scientific research on global challenges and creation scenarios for the development of socio-economic processes

    The Socio-Technical Dynamics of Renewable Energy Policies in Germany

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    Growing environmental concerns and human-caused climate change increase the pressure on policymakers for rapid action to transform how societies convert energy, produce goods, or transport freight. Innovation and technological progress may contribute to such transitions. However, technological change is hard to predict, requires time, and may be laden with political conflicts. Although more sustainable technologies are available, incentivizing demand and deployment are crucial to accelerate transitions. As transformations develop over decades, understanding the temporal dynamics of policies is critical for governance. In Germany, the renewable energy act incentivizes the deployment of renewable energy technologies by remunerating electricity fed into the common grid. This dissertation assesses how socio-technical developments of solar and wind energy conversion technologies and the renewable energy act interactively shaped each other. Drawing on frameworks such as technological innovation systems, legitimacy, framing, and policy feedback, the contents of 16,485 newspaper articles and additional empirical studies were scrutinized. Combining methods from natural language processing, machine learning, and statistics, this thesis develops text models to assess changes in content and sentiment in large corpora over time. Three studies focus on the shifts in media framing of the German renewable energy act, the underlying co-evolution of technological and policy processes, and the development of the legitimacy of wind power. The results confirm that renewable energy deployment and policy are contested with varying intensity over time. Where change ought to occur, non-linear dynamics of innovation and technology uptake, growing policy costs, economic interests of incumbents, and technology side effects increasingly complicate policymaking over time. The early phases of the renewable energy act were shaped by positive expectations toward renewable energy technologies, which later shifted towards an emphasis on policy costs. The findings highlight the importance of the prosperity of underlying innovation systems as supporters of policy ambition and maintenance over time. However, policy costs and side effects must be managed effectively to withstand increasing contestation. These results may contribute to advancing the successful governance of sectoral transitions likely to unfold over several decades

    Metaverse. Old urban issues in new virtual cities

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    Recent years have seen the arise of some early attempts to build virtual cities, utopias or affective dystopias in an embodied Internet, which in some respects appear to be the ultimate expression of the neoliberal city paradigma (even if virtual). Although there is an extensive disciplinary literature on the relationship between planning and virtual or augmented reality linked mainly to the gaming industry, this often avoids design and value issues. The observation of some of these early experiences - Decentraland, Minecraft, Liberland Metaverse, to name a few - poses important questions and problems that are gradually becoming inescapable for designers and urban planners, and allows us to make some partial considerations on the risks and potentialities of these early virtual cities

    Productivity and flexibility improvement of assembly lines for high-mix low-volume production. A white goods industry case

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    Las tendencias globales de la personalización e individualización en masa impulsan la producción industrial en serie corta y variada; y por tanto una gran variedad de productos en pequeñas cantidades. Por ello, la customización en masa precisa de sistemas de ensamblaje que sean a la vez altamente productivos y flexibles, a diferencia de la tradicional oposición entre ambas características. La llamada cuarta revolución industrial trae diversas tecnologías habilitadoras que podrían ser útiles para abordar este problema. Sin embargo, las metodologías para implementar el ensamblaje 4.0 todavía no han sido resueltas. De hecho, para aprovechar todas las ventajas potenciales de la Industria 4.0, es necesario contar con un nivel previo de excelencia operacional y un análisis holístico de los sistemas productivos. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo entender y definir cómo mejorar la productividad y la flexibilidad de las operaciones de montaje en serie corta y variada.Esta meta se ha dividido en tres objetivos. El primer objetivo consiste en comprender las relaciones entre la Industria 4.0 y las operaciones de ensamblaje, así como sus implicaciones para los operarios. El segundo objetivo consiste en desarrollar una metodología y las herramientas necesarias para evaluar el rendimiento de diferentes configuraciones de cadenas de ensamblaje. El último objetivo consiste en el diseño de sistemas de ensamblaje que permitan incrementar su productividad al menos un 25 %, produciendo en serie corta y variada, mediante la combinación de puestos de montaje manual y estaciones automatizadas.Para abordar la fase de comprensión y definición del problema, se llevó a cabo una revisión bibliográfica sistemática y se desarrolló un marco conceptual para el Ensamblaje 4.0. Se desarrollaron, verificaron y validaron dos herramientas de evaluación del rendimiento: un modelo matemático analítico y varios modelos de simulación por eventos discretos. Para la verificación, y como punto de partida para los análisis, se ha utilizado un caso de estudio industrial de un fabricante global de electrodomésticos. Se han empleado múltiples escenarios de simulación y técnicas de diseño de experimentos para investigar tres cuestiones clave.En primer lugar, se identificaron los factores más críticos para el rendimiento de líneas de montaje manuales multi-modelo. En segundo lugar, se analizó el rendimiento de líneas de montaje semiautomáticas paralelas con operarios móviles en comparación con líneas semiautomáticas o manuales con operarios fijos, empleando diversos escenarios de demanda en serie corta y variada. Por último, se investigó el uso de trenes milkrun para la logística interna de líneas de ensamblaje multi-modelo bajo la influencia de perturbaciones.Los resultados de las simulaciones muestran que las líneas paralelas con operarios móviles pueden superar a las de operarios fijos en cualquier escenario de demanda, alcanzando como mínimo el objetivo de mejorar la productividad en un 25% o más. También permiten reducir cómodamente el número de operarios trabajando en la línea sin afectar negativamente al equilibrado de la misma, posibilitando la producción eficiente de bajo volumen. Los resultados de las simulaciones de logística interna indican que los milkrun pueden proteger las líneas de ensamblaje de las perturbaciones originadas en procesos aguas arriba.Futuras líneas de investigación en base a los resultados obtenidos en esta tesis podrían incluir la expansión e integración de los modelos de simulación actuales para analizar las cadenas de montaje paralelas con operarios móviles incorporando logística, averías y mantenimiento, problemas de control de calidad y políticas de gestión de los retrabajos. Otra línea podría ser el uso de diferentes herramienta para el análisis del desempeño como, por ejemplo, técnicas de programación de la producción que permitan evaluar el desempeño operacional de diferentes configuraciones de cadenas de montaje con operarios móviles, tanto en términos de automatización como de organización en planta. Podrían incorporarse tecnologías de la Industria 4.0 a los modelos de simulación para evaluar su impacto operacional global ¿como cobots para ensamblaje o para la manipulación de materiales, realidad aumentada para el apoyo cognitivo a los operarios, o AGVs para la conducciónde los trenes milkrun. Por último, el trabajo presentado en esta tesis acerca las líneas de ensamblaje semiautomáticas con operarios móviles a su implementación industrial.<br /

    Multi-Agent Modelling of Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems for IEC 61499 Based Distributed Intelligent Automation

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    Traditional industrial automation systems developed under IEC 61131-3 in centralized architectures are statically programmed with determined procedures to perform predefined tasks in structured environments. Major challenges are that these systems designed under traditional engineering techniques and running on legacy automation platforms are unable to automatically discover alternative solutions, flexibly coordinate reconfigurable modules, and actively deploy corresponding functions, to quickly respond to frequent changes and intelligently adapt to evolving requirements in dynamic environments. The core objective of this research is to explore the design of multi-layer automation architectures to enable real-time adaptation at the device level and run-time intelligence throughout the whole system under a well-integrated modelling framework. Central to this goal is the research on the integration of multi-agent modelling and IEC 61499 function block modelling to form a new automation infrastructure for industrial cyber-physical systems. Multi-agent modelling uses autonomous and cooperative agents to achieve run-time intelligence in system design and module reconfiguration. IEC 61499 function block modelling applies object-oriented and event-driven function blocks to realize real-time adaption of automation logic and control algorithms. In this thesis, the design focuses on a two-layer self-manageable architecture modelling: a) the high-level cyber module designed as multi-agent computing model consisting of Monitoring Agent, Analysis Agent, Self-Learning Agent, Planning Agent, Execution Agent, and Knowledge Agent; and b) the low-level physical module designed as agent-embedded IEC 61499 function block model with Self-Manageable Service Execution Agent, Self-Configuration Agent, Self-Healing Agent, Self-Optimization Agent, and Self-Protection Agent. The design results in a new computing module for high-level multi-agent based automation architectures and a new design pattern for low-level function block modelled control solutions. The architecture modelling framework is demonstrated through various tests on the multi-agent simulation model developed in the agent modelling environment NetLogo and the experimental testbed designed on the Jetson Nano and Raspberry Pi platforms. The performance evaluation of regular execution time and adaptation time in two typical conditions for systems designed under three different architectures are also analyzed. The results demonstrate the ability of the proposed architecture to respond to major challenges in Industry 4.0

    Technological innovation for digital supply chains within small and medium size manufacturing enterprises

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    The rapidly growing world of digitalisation opens the doorway for the new era of automation that plays a crucial role within the industry. Furthermore, technological innovations that are emerging every day are disrupting traditional business processes especially within small and medium size manufacturing enterprises (SMEs). The current industrial revolution pioneer for profit maximisation with cost reduction shows a significant refinement in improving sustainability that drives forward digitalisation. Evidence shows that industries have identified digitalisation as a priority in the upcoming years as the global supply chain is equipping itself with the digital world in the current industrial revolution. Economic growth is dependent on SMEs around the world where small and medium size Manufacturing Enterprises (SMMEs) play a vital role in the current competitive world while they are not able to manage their supply chains effectively and efficiently due to a lack of optimisation of digitalisation. They identify that technological innovation is evident for transforming themselves with digital supply chain, while global market leading organisations are positioning themselves with the world of digitalisation to their end consumers in their supply chain utilising technological innovation virtually driving towards a new era of a digital ecosystem. This research aims to investigate the impact of technological innovation to foster and promote digital supply chain within SMMEs. Due to the exploratory nature, this study adopted a case study approach where the data is collected using a semi-structured interview across 4 cases from three various countries. The findings indicate a lack of framework for the digitalisation of supply chains within SMMEs, in addition to a lack of technological innovation and financial constraints that served as limiting factors for digitalisation of supply chain within organisations. Further, a framework has been developed consisting of five elements that have been identified from empirical data as being critical for Digital Supply Chain (DSC) transformation. The theoretical contributions of this research are the identification of problems faced, limitations of technological innovation, and an improved understanding of how digital supply chain transformation can be initiated and achieved in the context of SMMEs. The practical contribution of this study is imbedded in the developed framework in the form of recommended strategies for SMMEs for digitalisation of supply chain

    Assessing cybersecurity at an industrial unit 4.0

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    Mestrado em Cibersegurança na Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão do Instituto Politécnico de Viana do CasteloThe last 20 years have emerged significant developments in industrial production and development, with new technologies, networks and emerging production systems due to the development of the internet and new distributed adaptive production systems. These architectures resulted in improved service activities, new business models and increased demand and offering of goods, resulting in fewer interactions among production system participants. The convergence of IT/OT environments has increased the complexity and vulnerability of previously isolated OT/ICS networks, and the growing need to expand automation in the industry creates a big challenge in terms of cybersecurity. In this context, how can we identify suspicious activity, assess risks and help prevent downtime in an increasingly technological industry? For this thesis, data collected through an online survey on the subject of convergence in the national industry was analyzed in order to know if this subject, from the perspective of professionals, deserves the attention of the organizations where they develop their professional activity with technologies of IT/OT. A set of real cases and the consequences of serious security failures that occurred in the period between 2021 and 2023, increasingly common, with an impact on the global industry, are identified and analyzed. The technological complexity that results from the convergence between information technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) is analyzed, highlighting in practice the challenges for which cybersecurity has to prepare itself in order to develop effective and context-adjusted responses under review. The biggest challenge lies in the cyber-secure integration of data-centric computing technologies in the IT systems with the monitoring of events, processes and devices in the OT systems. After analyzing the complexity of the IT/OT technologies essential for Industry 4.0, we recommend a careful reading of the set of frameworks described in this document about internationally recognized good practices in cybersecurity. Regular access to public databases, described in this document, on risk patterns and fundamental vulnerabilities is recommended for the development of an updated cybersecurity strategy. Finally, good practices are described to analyze, frame and apply to avoid risk situations by monitoring the trend of cybersecurity incidents, known software flaws, as well as vulnerabilities and associated risks, which can result in ransomware and its associated consequences.Nos últimos 20 anos surgiram desenvolvimentos significativos na produção e desenvolvimento industrial, com novas tecnologias, redes e sistemas de produção emergentes devido ao desenvolvimento da internet e novos sistemas de produção adaptativos distribuídos. Essas arquiteturas resultaram em melhores atividades de serviço, novos modelos de negócios e aumento da demanda e oferta de bens, resultando em menos interações entre os participantes do sistema de produção. A convergência de ambientes de IT/OT aumentou a complexidade e vulnerabilidade de redes OT/ICS anteriormente isoladas, e a crescente necessidade de expandir a automação na indústria cria um grande desafio em termos de segurança cibernética. Nesse contexto, como identificar atividades suspeitas, avaliar riscos e ajudar a prevenir paradas em um setor cada vez mais tecnológico? Para esta tese, foram analisados dados recolhidos através de um inquérito online sobre o tema da convergência na indústria nacional, de forma a saber se este tema, na perspetiva dos profissionais, merece a atenção das organizações onde desenvolvem a sua atividade profissional com tecnologias de IT/OT. São identificados e analisados um conjunto de casos reais e as consequências de falhas graves de segurança ocorridas no período entre 2021 e 2023, cada vez mais comuns, com impacto na indústria à escala global. Analisa-se a complexidade tecnológica que resulta da convergência entre tecnologias de informação (IT) e tecnologias operacionais (OT), destacando na prática os desafios para os quais a cibersegurança tem de se preparar de forma a desenvolver respostas eficazes e ajustadas ao contexto em análise. O maior desafio está na integração ”cibersegura” de tecnologias de computação centradas em dados nos sistemas de IT com a monitorização de eventos, de processos e de dispositivos nos sistemas OT. Depois de analisar a complexidade das tecnologias IT/OT essenciais para a Indústria 4.0, recomenda-se uma leitura atenta do conjunto de frameworks descritos neste documento sobre boas práticas internacionalmente reconhecidas em cibersegurança. Bem como do acesso regular às bases de dados públicas, descritas neste documento, sobre padrões de risco e vulnerabilidades fundamentais essenciais para o desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de cibersegurança atualizada. Por fim, são sugeridas, um conjunto de boas práticas para analisar, enquadrar, e aplicar na estratégia de cibersegurança de uma organização, para evitar situações de risco, monitorizando a tendência de incidentes de cibersegurança, de falhas de software conhecidas, de vulnerabilidades e riscos associados, que podem resultar, por exemplo, em ransomware com as suas consequências associadas

    Robots learn to behave: improving human-robot collaboration in flexible manufacturing applications

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    L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen
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