Big Data and the Internet of Things

Advances in sensing and computing capabilities are making it possible to embed increasing computing power in small devices. This has enabled the sensing devices not just to passively capture data at very high resolution but also to take sophisticated actions in response. Combined with advances in communication, this is resulting in an ecosystem of highly interconnected devices referred to as the Internet of Things - IoT. In conjunction, the advances in machine learning have allowed building models on this ever increasing amounts of data. Consequently, devices all the way from heavy assets such as aircraft engines to wearables such as health monitors can all now not only generate massive amounts of data but can draw back on aggregate analytics to "improve" their performance over time. Big data analytics has been identified as a key enabler for the IoT. In this chapter, we discuss various avenues of the IoT where big data analytics either is already making a significant impact or is on the cusp of doing so. We also discuss social implications and areas of concern.Comment: 33 pages. draft of upcoming book chapter in Japkowicz and Stefanowski (eds.) Big Data Analysis: New algorithms for a new society, Springer Series on Studies in Big Data, to appea

Localism and energy: Negotiating approaches to embedding resilience in energy systems

Tensions are evident in energy policy objectives between centralised top-down interconnected energy systems and localised distributed approaches. Examination of these tensions indicates that a localised approach can address a systemic problem of interconnected systems; namely vulnerability. The challenge for energy policy is to realise the interrelated goals of energy security, climate and environmental targets and social and economic issues such as fuel poverty, whilst mitigating vulnerability. The effectiveness of conventional approaches is debateable. A transition to a low carbon pathway should focus on resilience, counter to vulnerability. This article draws from on-going work which evaluates the energy aspects of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project to refurbish and re-build a local authority’s entire stock of sheltered accommodation to high environmental standards. Initial findings suggest that whereas more conventional procurement processes tend to increase systemic vulnerability, a user focussed process driven through PFI competitive dialogue is beginning to motivate some developers to adopt innovative approaches to energy system development. Conceptually these findings strongly suggest that embedding ‘Open Source’ principles in energy system development acts to work against systemic vulnerabilities by embedding resilience

Climate adaptation manual for local government: embedding resilience to climate change

This manual highlights leading case studies and practical resources from Australian municipalities and overseas, and includes a step-by-step framework for effectively embedding climate risk into council operations. The resource will be useful for council staff involved in climate risk assessment and planning such as asset managers, strategic planners, and corporate and community services staff.   This ACELG Research Partnership Scheme project was undertaken with local councils from all Australian states: City of Canada Bay (NSW), City of Randwick (NSW), Pittwater Council (NSW), City of Greater Geelong (VIC), City of Port Phillip (VIC), City of Melbourne (VIC), City of Townsville (QLD), City of Onkaparinga (SA), City of Clarence (Tas) and City of Greater Geraldton (WA)

The impact of regulation, ownership and business culture on managing corporate risk within the water industry

Although the specifics of water utility ownership, regulation and management culture have been explored in terms of their impact on economic and customer value, there has been little meaningful engagement with their influence on the risk environment and risk management. Using a literature review as the primary source of information, this paper maps the existing knowledge base onto two critical questions: what are the particular features of regulation, ownership and management culture which influence the risk dynamic, and what are the implications of these relationships in the context of ambitions for resilient organizations? In addressing these queries, the paper considers the mindful choices and adjustments a utility must make to its risk management strategy to manage strategic tensions between efficiency, risk and resilience. The conclusions note a gap in understanding of the drivers required for a paradigm shift within the water sector from a re-active to a pro-active risk management culture. A proposed model of the tensions between reactive risk management and pro-active, adaptive risk management provides a compelling case for measured risk management approaches which are informed by an appreciation of regulation, ownership and business culture. Such approaches will support water authorities in meeting corporate aspirations to become "high reliability" services while retaining the capacity to out-perform financial and service level targets

Satellite-enabled interactive education: scenarios and systems architectures

There are specific sectors of the economy that can benefit from satellite-based tele-education. Areas, such as maritime and agriculture, share common needs for both broadband connectivity at remote geographical areas that cannot otherwise be covered, and for innovative content for tele-education purposes. Furthermore, each area has special requirements with regard to the type of content to be delivered. In this paper we propose a set of architectural designs and case scenarios that will realise such interactive end-to-end education systems based on satellite communications. Services requirements in this setting are also identified and discussed

The interaction of lean and building information modeling in construction

Lean construction and Building Information Modeling are quite different initiatives, but both are having profound impacts on the construction industry. A rigorous analysis of the myriad specific interactions between them indicates that a synergy exists which, if properly understood in theoretical terms, can be exploited to improve construction processes beyond the degree to which it might be improved by application of either of these paradigms independently. Using a matrix that juxtaposes BIM functionalities with prescriptive lean construction principles, fifty-six interactions have been identified, all but four of which represent constructive interaction. Although evidence for the majority of these has been found, the matrix is not considered complete, but rather a framework for research to explore the degree of validity of the interactions. Construction executives, managers, designers and developers of IT systems for construction can also benefit from the framework as an aid to recognizing the potential synergies when planning their lean and BIM adoption strategies

Research needs and priorities

Irrigated farming / Agriculture / Research priorities / Irrigation management / Sri Lanka

Challenges for Water Researchers in Alberta in a Climate of Policy Uncertainty

A safe and plentiful supply of surface water is crucial to the well-being of every resident of Alberta. The effective and efficient use of surface water is central to economic growth and environmental sustainability. As the necessary but competing demands on surface water intensify, the awareness of its limited supply increases. This is particularly evident in southern Alberta, which has experienced significant agricultural, industrial and population growth. In addition to its use for extensive irrigation, surface water in the South Saskatchewan River basin is vital to meet drinking and sanitation needs in rural and urban communities. Management of this key resource involves many researchable issues– water supply, water treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection and processing, flood control, navigation, hydropower production, aquatic recreation – which interact with each other and with government policies. The purpose of this article is to outline the priorities for socio-economic research on surface water resource issues in light of the ever-changing legal and policy frameworks in Alberta.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Servitization and operations management : a service-dominant logic approach

Managing organisational performance in sectors such as equipment provision has become increasingly complex as competition has heightened and firms have felt pressure to add value through the provision of services (Baines et al, 2007; Howard and Caldwell, 2011; Neely et al., 2011). This provision is commonly referred to as the servitization of manufacturing (Vandermerwe & Rada, 1988). By extending the traditional offering of equipment to include service activities however, underlying operational delivery systems and processes have become more complex to manage and co-ordinate. No longer are firms simply making and shipping products; they are now engaged in a more complex world of design and delivery (Neely et al., 2011). This study aims to explore servitization from a value perspective through the lens of Service-Dominant (S-D) logic, and to propose its implications for operations management