Roadmap for Renewable Energy Technologies Diffusion : A comparative study of Socioeconomic, Regulatory, and Technological issues in Finland and Poland

Energy is a fundamental resource required for the functioning and prosperity of societies across the globe. However, due to e.g. industrialization, digitalization, overpopulation, and growing shares of the global middle and middle-high class, the energy demand levels are expeditiously increasing. Considering climate change and global warming issues, there is a need to significantly limit the utilization of fossil fuels for energy generation purposes. Renewable energy technologies (RETs) can support the global energy transition by providing more clean, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly solutions. The expanding technological innovation advancement generates the capacity of renewables to enhance, inter alia, energy efficiency and security, sustainable development, proficient use of native resources, independence from energy imports, and escalating cost competitiveness. Regrettably, the share of renewables in global energy mixes remains relatively modest and inadequate. This doctoral dissertation aims to explore the major factors influencing the diffusion of renewable energy technologies. Particular emphasis has been put on key regulatory, socioeconomic, and technological aspects of RETs diffusion in two European Union member states, Finland and Poland. By applying a problem-solving approach, this study initially detects the most hampering factors of RETs diffusion in order to address them and suggest effective improvement measures. The outcomes of this research highlight the importance of regulatory regimes and inter-sectoral collaborative networks to uphold the diffusion of environmentally-friendly solutions and propose circular economy, venture capital, and blockchain technology as possible incubators for RETs diffusion. Qualitative research methodology, strengthened with the philosophical approach of critical realism has helped to thoroughly investigate the phenomenon of RETs diffusion based on selected case studies from the RETs industry. A cross-country comparative analysis reveals novel insights on major similarities and differences in various predicaments for developing RETs in both investigated countries. The collective outcomes of the analyses served to develop a “Roadmap for RETs diffusion”, which suggests practical mechanisms, actions, and measures to facilitate the adoption of renewables in Finland and Poland. This study is a vital information source for the policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders and interest groups devoted to the widespread diffusion of RETs.Energia on yhteiskuntien toiminnan ja hyvinvoinnin kannalta keskeinen perusresurssi kaikkialla maailmassa. Energian kysyntä kasvaa kuitenkin nopeasti johtuen muun muassa teollistumisesta, digitalisaatiosta ja ylikansoituksesta. Ilmaston lämpenemisen hillitsemiseksi fossiilisten polttoaineiden käyttöä energiantuotantotarkoituksiin on merkittävästi rajoitettava. Uusiutuvan energian teknologiat (RET) voivat tukea maailmanlaajuista energiasiirtymää tarjoamalla puhtaampia, kestävämpiä ja ympäristöystävällisempiä ratkaisuja. Uusiin energialähteisiin liittyvät teknologiset innovaatiot parantavat energiatehokkuutta ja turval¬lisuutta, kestävää kehitystä, luonnonvarojen asiantuntevaa käyttöä, riippu¬mattomuutta energian tuonnista sekä kansallista kustannuskilpailukykyä. Uusiutuvien energialähteiden osuus maailman energiantuotannosta on kuitenkin edelleen suhteellisen vaatimaton. Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena on selvittää uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämiseen vaikuttavia keskeisiä tekijöitä. Uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämisen keskeisiä tekijöitä sääntelyn sekä sosioekonomisten ja teknologisten näkökohtien kannalta on tarkasteltu erityisesti kahdessa Euroopan unionin jäsenvaltiossa, Suomessa ja Puolassa. Tutkimuksessa on tunnistettu teknologioiden leviämistä vaikeuttavia tekijöitä ja niihin liittyviä parannuksia. Tutkimuksen tulokset korostavat sääntelyjärjestelmien välisten yhteistyöverkostojen merkitystä ympäristöystävällisten ratkaisujen edistämisessä, ja ehdottavat kierto¬taloutta, riskipääomaa ja lohkoketjuteknologiaa mahdollisiksi ratkaisuiksi uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämiselle. Tutkimus noudattaa kriittiseen realismiin pohjautuvaa laadullista tutkimusmetodologiaa. Uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden leviämistä tutkitaan tapaustutkimuksia käyttäen. Maiden välinen vertaileva analyysi tuo esiin havaintoja merkittävistä yhtäläisyyksistä ja eroista erilaisissa uusiutuvan energian teknologioiden kehityksen haasteissa molemmissa tutkituissa maissa. Analyysien tulosten pohjalta työssä on kehitetty tiekartta, joka ehdottaa käytännön mekanismeja, toimia ja toimenpiteitä uusiutuvien energialähteiden käyttöönoton helpotta¬miseksi Suomessa ja Puolassa. Tämä tutkimus toimii tietolähteenä poliittisille päättäjille, toimijoille ja muille sidosryhmille uusiutuvan energian teknologisen kehityksen alueella.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Towards Our Common Digital Future. Flagship Report.

In the report “Towards Our Common Digital Future”, the WBGU makes it clear that sustainability strategies and concepts need to be fundamentally further developed in the age of digitalization. Only if digital change and the Transformation towards Sustainability are synchronized can we succeed in advancing climate and Earth-system protection and in making social progress in human development. Without formative political action, digital change will further accelerate resource and energy consumption, and exacerbate damage to the environment and the climate. It is therefore an urgent political task to create the conditions needed to place digitalization at the service of sustainable development

Bitcoin, Virtual Currencies, and the Struggle of Law and Regulation to Keep Pace

At less than a decade old, Bitcoin and other virtual currencies have had a major societal impact, and proven to be a unique payment systems challenge for law enforcement, financial regulatory authorities worldwide, and the investment community. Rapid introduction and diffusion of technological changes throughout society, such as the blockchain that serves as Bitcoin’s crypto-foundation, continue to exceed the ability of law and regulation to keep pace. During 2017 alone, the market price of Bitcoin rose 1,735%, from about $970 to$14,292, causing an investor feeding frenzy. As of September 11, 2018, a total of 1,935 cryptocurrencies are reported, having an approximate market capitalization of $191.54 billion at that date. A brief history of the fast moving adoption of blockchain-based technology is provided, along with a look at the efforts of regulators to keep up with the staggering worldwide growth in the usage of virtual currencies. In the United States, enforcement actions for violations of law involving virtual currencies are brought primarily by: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and The Department of The Treasury through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This Article contributes to the literature and our understanding of the constant struggle of law and regulation to keep pace with rapid technological developments

Next Generation Business Ecosystems: Engineering Decentralized Markets, Self-Sovereign Identities and Tokenization

Digital transformation research increasingly shifts from studying information systems within organizations towards adopting an ecosystem perspective, where multiple actors co-create value. While digital platforms have become a ubiquitous phenomenon in consumer-facing industries, organizations remain cautious about fully embracing the ecosystem concept and sharing data with external partners. Concerns about the market power of platform orchestrators and ongoing discussions on privacy, individual empowerment, and digital sovereignty further complicate the widespread adoption of business ecosystems, particularly in the European Union. In this context, technological innovations in Web3, including blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies, have emerged as potential catalysts for disrupting centralized gatekeepers and enabling a strategic shift towards user-centric, privacy-oriented next-generation business ecosystems. However, existing research efforts focus on decentralizing interactions through distributed network topologies and open protocols lack theoretical convergence, resulting in a fragmented and complex landscape that inadequately addresses the challenges organizations face when transitioning to an ecosystem strategy that harnesses the potential of disintermediation. To address these gaps and successfully engineer next-generation business ecosystems, a comprehensive approach is needed that encompasses the technical design, economic models, and socio-technical dynamics. This dissertation aims to contribute to this endeavor by exploring the implications of Web3 technologies on digital innovation and transformation paths. Drawing on a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, it makes three overarching contributions: First, a conceptual perspective on \u27tokenization\u27 in markets clarifies its ambiguity and provides a unified understanding of the role in ecosystems. This perspective includes frameworks on: (a) technological; (b) economic; and (c) governance aspects of tokenization. Second, a design perspective on \u27decentralized marketplaces\u27 highlights the need for an integrated understanding of micro-structures, business structures, and IT infrastructures in blockchain-enabled marketplaces. This perspective includes: (a) an explorative literature review on design factors; (b) case studies and insights from practitioners to develop requirements and design principles; and (c) a design science project with an interface design prototype of blockchain-enabled marketplaces. Third, an economic perspective on \u27self-sovereign identities\u27 (SSI) as micro-structural elements of decentralized markets. This perspective includes: (a) value creation mechanisms and business aspects of strategic alliances governing SSI ecosystems; (b) business model characteristics adopted by organizations leveraging SSI; and (c) business model archetypes and a framework for SSI ecosystem engineering efforts. The dissertation concludes by discussing limitations as well as outlining potential avenues for future research. These include, amongst others, exploring the challenges of ecosystem bootstrapping in the absence of intermediaries, examining the make-or-join decision in ecosystem emergence, addressing the multidimensional complexity of Web3-enabled ecosystems, investigating incentive mechanisms for inter-organizational collaboration, understanding the role of trust in decentralized environments, and exploring varying degrees of decentralization with potential transition pathways

The Normative Order of the Internet: A Theory of Rule and Regulation Online

There is order on the internet, but how has this order emerged and what challenges will threaten and shape its future? This study shows how a legitimate order of norms has emerged online, through both national and international legal systems. It establishes the emergence of a normative order of the internet, an order which explains and justifies processes of online rule and regulation. This order integrates norms at three different levels (regional, national, international), of two types (privately and publicly authored), and of different character (from ius cogens to technical standards). The author assesses their internal coherence, their consonance with other order norms and their consistency with the order's finality. The normative order of the internet is based on and produces a liquefied system characterized by self-learning normativity. In light of the importance of the socio-communicative online space, this is a book for anyone interested in understanding the contemporary development of the internet.

Rivers as borders, dividing or uniting? : the effect of topography and implications for catchment management in South Africa

South Africa's water resources are unequally distributed over space and time to a high degree and our already stressed water resources situation will only be exacerbated by climate change if current predictions are correct. The potential for conflict over increasingly strained water resources in South Africa is thus very real. In order to deal with these complex problems national legislation is demanding that water resource management be decentralized to the local level where active participation can take place in an integrated manner in accordance with the principles of IWRM. However, administrative and political boundaries rarely match those of catchments as, throughout South Africa, rivers have been employed extensively to delineate administrative and political boundaries at a number of spatial scales. The aim of this research is to determine if rivers act as dividing or uniting features in a socio-political landscape and whether topography will influence their role in this context. By considering sections of the Orange-Senqu River, some of which are employed as political or administrative boundaries, this project furthermore aims to consider the implications of this for catchment management in South Africa. South Africa's proposed form of decentralized water management will have to contend with the effects of different topographies on the way in which rivers are perceived and utilized. The ability of a river to act as a dividing or uniting feature is dependent on a number of interrelated factors, the effects of which are either reduced or enhanced by the topography surrounding the river. Factors such as the state of the resource, levels of utilization, local histories and the employment of the river as a political or administrative border are all factors that determine the extent to which a river unites or divides the communities along its banks, and are all influenced by topography. The implications of this for the management of catchments in South Africa are significant. Local water management institutions will have to contend with a mismatch in borders and in many cases bridge social divides that are deeply entrenched along the banks of rivers. Importantly, the need for a context specific approach to catchment management is highlighted

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Legal Regulations and Social Consequences for Securing Data

There is a wide range of concerns and challenges related to stored data security – which range from privacy and management to operations readiness, These challenges span from financial to personal and public impact. With an abundance of regulations for the enforcement of data security and emerging requirements proposed every year, organizations cannot avoid the legal or social implications of inadequate data protection. Today, public spotlight and awareness are challenging organizations to enhance how data is protected more than at any other time. For this reason, organizations have made significant efforts to improve security. When looking at precautions or changes, the factors considered are costs associated with such action, a potential consequence of not acting, impact on users, the effort required, and the scope. For this reason, leaders need to make the hard decisions of which risks they can live with and which need to be reduced because it is unrealistic to think that data security can be guaranteed. However, it is essential to have physical, administrative, and technical controls to mitigate data risks. Data protection regulations define requirements, create procedures to identify the associated risks, determine the extent of the impact, and identify what precautions should be taken. This dissertation defined seven areas for consideration related to stored data security. The research facilitated developing a measurement tool to gather and analyze the knowledge and opinions of working professionals within the United States. The study was performed from July to October 2020, which resulted in a quantitative data sample used to analyze the effectiveness of legal regulations and social consequences for securing data