Near Field Communication: Technology and Market Trends

Among the different hi-tech content domains, the telecommunications industry is one of the most relevant, in particular for the Italian economy. Moreover, Near Field Communication (NFC) represents an example of innovative production and a technological introduction in the telecommunications context. It has a threefold function: card emulator, peer-to-peer communication and digital content access, and it could be pervasively integrated in many different domains, especially in the mobile payment one. The increasing attention on NFC technology from the academic community has improved an analysis on the changes and the development perspective about mobile payments. It has considered the work done by the GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) and the NFC Forum in recent years. This study starts from an analysis of the scientific contributions to Near Field Communication and how the main researches on this topic were conceived. Our focus is on the diffusion rates, the adoption rates and the technology life cycle. After that, we analyze the technical-economical elements of NFC. Finally, this work presents the state of art of the improvements to this technology with a deeper focus on NFC technologies applied to the tourism industry. In this way, we have done a case analysis that shows some of the NFC existent applications linked to each stage of the tourism value chain

"Integrazione tra un impianto a ciclo combinato e un impianto solare termodinamico: il caso Archimede"

Italy’s excellent exposure to sunlight, especially in the south, is bound to lead the country to rely massively on solar power plants that will therefore be called upon to play an increasingly incisive role in the nation’s energy scenario, as one of the concrete potential solutions to the need to diversify energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ENEA is committed to a large-scale programme aimed at developing and demonstrating some of the currently available technologies for the exploitation of solar power for the generation of energy, including solar thermal plants that generate high temperature heat through concentration solar systems. The programme is designed taking into account the varying degree of scientific and industrial maturity of the two applications, and in both cases, the final goal is to set up and operate demonstration facilities with a view to encouraging the large-scale dissemination of the technologies developed, as well as to stimulating the creation of a self-sustained market

"Technology and Innovation in Europe: an empirical study"

In the industrialised world, creating, exploiting and commercialising new technologies is absolutely essential if a country is to stay competitive vis-à-vis other countries. High-technology sectors are key drivers for economic growth, productivity and welfare, and are generally a source of high value added and well-paid employment. Technology-intensive enterprises are often referred to as high-technology - or high-tech - companies. This paper explores Europe’s performance in high technology industries and knowledge-intensive services by looking at the different facets in using statistics on enterprises (value added, production value, etc.), on venture capital investments, on high-tech trade, on employment and on R&D personnel and expenditure

"L'etichettatura dei prodotti biologici"

Organic production can be defined as an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony. European Regulation require that organic foods are grown without synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, modern genetic engineering techniques (including genetically modified crops), chemical fertilizers. Organic farming uses various methods to enhance or maintain soil fertility, such as crop rotation, tillage and cultivation practices, cover crops, and natural products (such as natural fertilizers, pesticides, and so on); it use specific methods to minimize air, soil, and water pollution. The compartment of the organic products has recorded in these years a notable growth on world staircase. Also in Italy it is verified a strong expansion; the primary production biological orientation is represented by cereals (23,1%) and fodder (20,7%), followed by olive oil (11,4%) and wine production (4%) below 3% all other crops. This paper analyzes the future dynamics about organic products and the importance role of: availability, trust and the high level of prices

Integrazione tra un impianto a ciclo combinato e un impianto solare termodinamico:il progetto Archimende -XXI Congresso nazionale di merceologia - Foggia, settembre 2004

Italy’s excellent exposure to sunlight, especially in the south, is bound to lead the country to rely massively on solar power plants that will therefore be called upon to play an increasingly incisive role in the nation’s energy scenario, as one of the concrete potential solutions to the need to diversify energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ENEA is committed to a large-scale programme aimed at developing and demonstrating some of the currently available technologies for the exploitation of solar power for the generation of energy, including solar thermal plants that generate high temperature heat through concentration solar systems.The programme is designed taking into account the varying degree of scientific and industrial maturity of the two applications, and in both cases, the final goal is to set up and operate demonstration facilities with a view to encouraging the large-scale dissemination of the technologies developed, as well as to stimulating the creation of a self-sustained market