Konzeption einer Unterstützung für Softwareentwickler im Bereich IT-Sicherheit mit Hilfe mentaler Modelle

Dem Fortschritt durch Digitalisierung stehen steigende Fallzahlen im Bereich von Cybercrime gegenüber. Schwachstellen der IT-Sicherheit, z. B. durch falsche Anwendung und Implementierung eigentlich sicherer Kryptographie, bieten Angreifern die Möglichkeit großen Schaden anzurichten. Grund ist häufig ein fehlendes gemeinsames Verständnis von Kryptographie-Experten als Designer von Sicherheitslösungen und Softwareentwicklern als deren Nutzer. Ziel der hier vorgestellten Arbeit war die Erarbeitung einer Unterstützung für Softwareentwickler bei der Auswahl und Integration geeigneter Sicherheitslösungen. Es fanden hierfür Erhebungen der mentalen Modelle von Softwareentwicklern und Kryptographie-Experten, sowie Interviews statt. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse wurden zur Erarbeitung eines Prototyps in Form einer Webseite verwendet

Prinzipien moderner Technologiepolitik

During the last decade a number of principles of modern technology policy emerged from the intensive debate on efficient designs of technology policy to encourage and strengthen the competitiveness of economies. While at the beginning national innovation systems like national economies seemed to be a sufficient framework the ongoing process of globalization of knowledge production and its rapid diffusion changed the perspective. However, each country as a distinct location in a global economy and in an emerging global innovation system has to develop its particular competence to become or remain an attractive partner. A number of principles should be applied as guide lines to design and evaluate the respective technology policy. Nine principles are proposed in the paper. Starting with the destinction of mission versus diffusion oriented technology policies one objective of modern technology policy is to search for an adequate policy mix. Next the concept of network development in innovation systems looks for ways to increase the efficiency of the innovation system. Each institution of the innovation system should become part of a competence centre which link research institutions with innovative companies and government agencies involved in the funding and regulation process of innovation, forming something like a triple helix, a term proposed by Leydesdorff. Competence centres link to each other in the innovation system and compete with others to win market shares in the innovation system. Furthermore each organisation should apply internally and externally the principles of learning with those of lean research organisations. The basic framework, however, to ensure efficiency in the innovation system is that the government establishes a legal and regulatory framework to foster institutional competition in the innovation system so that inefficient institutions are replaced by efficient ones through a self-selection process. Selection might be accomplished by a market mechanism or a continuous evaluation of institutions. Without sufficient scientific reputation or market success no institution should be entitled to permanent funding from public or private sources. The theoretical perfect split of public and private financing would be given by the difference between the private and social rate of return of an innovation activity, so that only the amount of positive externalities which cannot be internalised by private sources should be financed by public ones. Furthermore, giving financial subsidies to institutions should reflect that public funding should be judged by the principle of sustainable economic and social impacts on the innovation system. Since the innovation process usually is associated with the willingness to take risks and face uncertainties one should apply and develop modern techniques of risk analysis and risk control to increase the returns of investments in an innovation activity. Finally, one should take care that the subsidiary principle with respect to the policy institutions is applied especially in the context of diffusion and mission oriented technology policy. On the regional level diffusion policy should be at the centre stage while on the national level governments or even transnational organisations like the EU should concentrate on mission oriented technology policy and on the issue to establish a framework for institutional competition in the innovation system so that each institution in the innovation system faces a level playing field. For Germany in all areas of mission and diffusion oriented technology policy exist substantial inefficiencies. The first and most decisive step to reform, however, would be the introduction of institutional competition in this area to encourage a self-reorganisation process of institutions. Without institutional competition the current funding system has only marginal incentives to overcome their internal inertia. Since there is little or no risk of failure for current institutions, there is a substantial reluctance to rapidly adjust to the changed environment of a globalizing innovation system. Countries or regions, however, who will lead this transition to more efficient innovations systems in a global environment will be significantly more rewarded than those who follow behind. The regions where competence centres in the global innovations system are located will acquire the highest longterm per capita income increases for their regions in the future knowledge based global economy because they enable the region to simultaneously push forward the knowledge frontier and internalise the economic and social benefits of a global knowledge base most efficiently.

Die Auswirkungen der Digitalisierung auf die Musikindustrie

Die neuen Technologien der Digitalisierung zeigen drastische Auswirkungen auf den Erwerb und Konsum von Musik und stellen die Musikindustrie vor neue Herausforderungen. Seit Ende der 1990er Jahre leidet die Tonträgerindustrie weltweit an enormen Umsatz- und Absatzeinbußen. Als Hauptursachen gelten das massenhafte Brennen von CDs sowie das illegale Tauschen von digitalen Musikdateien über das Internet (filesharing). Potentielle Kunden tauschen nun Musik, anstatt sie zu kaufen. Allerdings beginnt auch der legale digitale Musikmarkt sich zu etablieren. Seit mehreren Jahren steigen die Umsätze kontinuierlich und der Markt für digitale Musik entwickelte sich von einem Nischenmarkt zu einem bedeutendem Absatzmarkt. Mit den neu entstandenen Möglichkeiten der Musikverwertung drangen auch zahlreiche neue Wettbewerber in den Musikmarkt, welche jedoch zumeist aus branchenfremden Unternehmen stammen. In dieser Arbeit werden die etablierten Strukturen und Prinzipien der Musikverwertung den neuen Gegebenheiten am Musikmarkt gegenübergestellt, um die Veränderungen zu veranschaulichen. Dabei wird zuerst ein Einblick in die Entstehung des Tonträgermarktes und den damit verknüpften rechtlichen und ökonomischen Grundlagen gewährt. Darauf folgend werden die neueren Entwicklungen und deren Auswirkungen, sowie die neuen Wettbewerber am Musikmarkt thematisiert. Abschließend werden einige Strategien und Maßnahmen angeführt, welche von den etablierten Akteuren der Musikindustrie und deren Interessensverbänden initiiert wurden, um ihre Quasi-Monopolstellung weiterhin zu festigen

Quantum computing as an enabling technology for the next business cycle

We need more computing capacity for the next growth cycle, and computers with conventional transistor technology are reaching their limits. So new ideas are required. The quantum computer, which overcomes the binary system and is not based on silicon microchips, could be a solution. This technology will continue to develop exponentially and transform science, the economy, and society. Furthermore, the paradigm of quantum communication offers an entirely novel possibility of distributed computing by allowing quantum computers to be networked via quantum channels to intrinsically secure communication. This article explains how quantum computers exploit new phenomena that do not occur in classical physics. Along the four primary application areas identified (optimization, simulation, machine learning, and cryptography), we describe possible applications in various industries. Our critical appraisal presents the technical challenges that still hold the potential for quantum computing to complement traditional computing systems. Accordingly, small and mid-sized companies do not necessarily need to invest in quantum computers but in their use. Quantum as a service can be the first step for visionary leaders to get familiar with it and gain a competitive advantage early on

Exposures and exposure hedging in exchange rate risk management

Corporations are affected by increasing volatilities on foreign exchange markets. A response to this development was the creation of financial instruments, so called derivatives, in order to protect corporations from the effects of flexible exchange rates. To understand the included risks and to take correct decisions it is necessary to get a fundamental insight into exchange rate risk management. First it is the aim of this paper to systemize the possibilities of determining exchange rate risk as well as objectives of exchange rate risk management. In the second part of the paper a model to determine the optimal hedge ratio in the case of hedging transaction risks with forwards is described. --Currency Risk,Transaction Risk,Currency Forwards,Optimal Hedging

Exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities: the impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth

Knowledge is recognized as an important ingredient for economic growth in addition to physical capital and labor. While transforming knowledge into products and processes it is exploited commercially. Nevertheless, the existing knowledge stock and the absorptive capacity of actors like employees at firms and researchers at universities and research institutions are conditional for the ability to produce, identify, and exploit knowledge. Since incumbent firms do not exploit new knowledge to the full extent, realized entrepreneurial opportunities may arise. This paper tests the hypothesis whether or not entrepreneurship is an important vehicle for knowledge flows and economic growth. The empirical results indicate that an increase in innovative start-up activity is more effective than an increase in general entrepreneurship for economic growth. --Regional growth,knowledge,entrepreneurship