What Affects the Main Engine of Growth in the European Economy? Industrial Interconnectedness and Differences in Performance of Business Services Across the EU25

The main purpose of this study is to determine what are the main factors which stand behind the diversity in performance of business services measured by their contribution to growth in the EU Member States. We show that in addition to typical growth factors which enhance labor productivity, also the extent of interconnectedness of business services with upstream industries is important to explain service-based economic growth. Our analysis yields two interesting results. Firstly, we show that patterns of industrial interconnectedness of business services are considerably diversified across the EU Member States indicating large differences in the integration of services as supplier with other sectors on a country level. Secondly we show that the diversified growth performance of business services across the EU25 countries can be explained by differences in labor productivity and differences in forward linkages. Our results indicate the fundamental role of business services as the main engine of growth in the European economy. This service-based growth is channeled mainly through increases in labor productivity and forward interconnectedness of services with downstream industries. On the policy making level our results indicate that investment in human and intangible capital are crucial for the service-dominated economy as they not only enhance economic growth inside knowledge intensive services but also facilitate transmission of growth impulses to downstream industries by increasing diffusion and integration of services as suppliers of high value added inputs to the economy

Measuring Network Effects in Mobile Telecommunications Markets with Stated‐Preference Valuation Methods

This paper demonstrates how stated-preference methods can be applied to modeling consumers' preferences in the field of mobile telecommunications, and to measuring and the valuation of network effects. We illustrate this with a case study of mobile phone operators in Poland. We utilize the Choice Experiment method and present the respondents with hypothetical choices of mobile phone operators, while explicitly controlling for network effects in the form of other users in the same network. Based on the hypothetical choices consumers make we construct a conditional random parameters multinomial logit model to analyze their preferences. This approach allows us to calculate welfare effects associated with alternatives, as well as marginal rates of substitution (and hence implicit prices) of the attributes used to describe the choices, such as operator brand and distribution of family and friends between available mobile networks. The latter constitutes a network effect as consumer's utility is influenced by the number (or ratio) of members of his or her family, friends and other users subscribed to the same operator. Our results confirm the existence of a strong network effect, which is related to the size of the social network group a particular subscriber belongs to, rather than the absolute size of the mobile operator's customer base. We observe that there are two sources of this 'gross' network effect - pecuniary (arising from possible price discounts for on-net calls) and non-pecuniary, and demonstrate a way to disaggregate them. In addition, we find that brand perception and brand loyalty are important determinants of operator choice. Finally, through the application of a non-market valuation method we are able to calculate monetary values of the network effect and brand loyalty, and both turn out to be relatively high. The results might be of a particular interest to mobile phone operators and regulatory authorities - we find that the capacity for vigorous price competition between mobile operators is limited due to significant non-price barriers which mitigate subscribers' mobility in the market. We demonstrate a way to measure these effects in monetary terms based on modeling of consumer preferences. --Network effects,mobile telecommunications,brand valuation,stated preference methods,non-market valuation methods,choice experiment,multinomial conditional logit model,preference heterogeneity,random parameters model

Values of binary partition function represented by a sum of three squares

Let $m$ be a positive integer and $b_{m}(n)$ be the number of partitions of a non-negative integer n with parts being powers of 2, where each part can take $m$ colors. We show that if $m=2^{k}-1$, then the natural density of $n$ such that $b_{m}(n)$ cannot be represented as a sum of three squares exists, and equals 1/12 for $k$ =1,2 and 1/6 for $k$≥3. In particular, for $m$=1 the equation $b_{1}(n)=x^2+y^2+z^2$ has a solution in integers if and only if n is not of the form $2^{2k+2}(8s+2t_{s}+3)+i$ for $i$=0,1 and $k$, $s$ are non-negative integers, and where $t_{n}$ is the $n$th term in the Prouhet–Thue–Morse sequence. A similar characterization is obtained for the solutions in $n$ of the equation $b_{2^k-1}(n)=x^2+y^2+z^2$

Solutions of certain meta-Fibonacci recurrences

In this note we investigate the solutions of certain meta-Fibonacci recurrences of the form $f(n)=f(n-f(n-1))+f(n-2)$ for various sets of initial conditions. In the case when $f(n)=1$ for $n\leq 1$, we prove that the resulting integer sequence is closely related to the function counting binary partitions of a certain type.Comment: 18 page

Estimating investments in General Purpose Technologies: The case of AI Investments in Europe

In spite of a large interest in General Purpose Technologies, it is unclear how much economies invest in their development and diffusion. For example, various sources provide various figures of investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This constantly blurs the understanding of the AI-driven revolution among policy makers and business leaders and constraints informed decision making. The current report presents an original and comprehensive methodology to estimate AI investments. It rests on three assumptions: First, it considers AI as a general-purpose technology (GPT). Second, it includes not only investments in the core AI technology, but in complementary assets and capabilities necessary for its adoption. Finally, the methodology recognises different roles that the public and private sectors play in the process of AI creation and implementation. Using this approach, AI investments in Europe are estimated.JRC.B.6-Digital Econom

Blockchain for digital government

In less than ten years from its advent in 2008, the concept of distributed ledgers has entered into mainstream research and policy agendas. Enthusiastic reception, fuelled by the success of Bitcoin and the explosion of potential use cases created high, if not hyped, expectations with respect to the transformative role of blockchain for the industry and the public sector. Growing experimentation with distributed ledgers and the emergence of the first operational implementations provide an opportunity to go beyond hype and speculation based on theoretical use cases. This report looks at the ongoing exploration of blockchain technology by governments. The analysis of a group of pioneering developments of public services shows that blockchain technology can reduce bureaucracy, increase the efficiency of administrative processes and increase the level of trust in public record keeping. Based on the state-of-art developments, blockchain has not yet demonstrated to be either transformative or even disruptive innovation for governments as it is sometimes portrayed. Ongoing projects bring incremental rather than fundamental changes to the operational capacities of governments. Nevertheless some of them propose clear value for citizens. Technological and ecosystem maturity of distributed ledgers have to increase in order to unlock the transformative power of blockchain. Policy agenda should focus on non-technological barriers, such as incompatibility between blockchain-based solutions and existing legal and organizational frameworks. This principal policy goal cannot be achieved by adapting technology to legacy systems. It requires using the transformative power of blockchain to be used to create new processes, organizations, structures and standards. Hence, policy support should stimulate more experimentation with both the technology and new administrative processes that can be re-engineered for blockchain.JRC.B.6-Digital Econom

Pół wieku innowacji – prace Oddziału Instytutu Łączności we Wrocławiu. Telekomunikacja i Techniki Informacyjne, 2009, nr 3-4

Omówiono główne kierunki prac badawczych w dziedzinie kompatybilności elektromagnetycznej, prowadzonych w Oddziale Instytutu Łączności we Wrocławiu od momentu jego powstania. Podkreślono ich pionierski,a jednocześnie użyteczny charakter i szeroki zakres, obejmujący również prace normalizacyjne i konstrukcyjne oraz współpracę międzynarodową

Współpraca Instytutu Łączności z wybranymi partnerami zagranicznymi, Telekomunikacja i Techniki Informacyjne, 2018, nr 1-2

Artykuł przedstawia pokrótce historię międzynarodowej współpracy Instytutu Łączności – Państwowego Instytutu Badawczego (IŁ) w wybranych dziedzinach, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem najistotniejszych międzynarodowych konferencji, których był inicjatorem i organizatorem oraz w zakresie współpracy w ramach najważniejszych organizacji międzynarodowych (ITU, CEPT, IEC, IALA-IMO, ETSI, URSI, IEEE-EMCS, ICTP, OWŁ/RWPG)

Digital Transformation in Transport, Construction, Energy, Government and Public Administration

This report provides an analysis of digital transformation (DT) in a selection of policy areas covering transport, construction, energy, and digital government and public administration. DT refers in the report to the profound changes that are taking place in all sectors of the economy and society as a result of the uptake and integration of digital technologies in every aspect of human life. Digital technologies are having increasing impacts on the way of living, of working, on communication, and on social interaction of a growing share of the population. DT is expected to be a strategic policy area for a number of years to come and there is an urgent need to be able to identify and address current and future challenges for the economy and society, evaluating impact and identifying areas requiring policy intervention. Because of the very wide range of interrelated domains to be considered when analysing DT, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted to produce this report, involving experts from different domains. For each of the four sectors that are covered, the report presents an overview of DT, DT enablers and barriers, its economic and social impacts, and concludes with the way forward for policy and future research.JRC.B.6-Digital Econom

Totally implantable central venous access ports

Całkowicie implantowane systemy dożylnego podawania leków (tzw. porty dożylne) stanowią niezwykle dogodne rozwiązanie u chorych poddanych chemioterapii. Metoda ta znajduje coraz szersze zastosowanie. Rocznie 700-1000 dorosłym chorym w Polsce wszczepia się port donaczyniowy. Z inicjatywy krajowego konsultanta w dziedzinie onkologii klinicznej odbyło się spotkanie uzgodnieniowe w celu ustalenia zasad bezpiecznego stosowania portów w Polsce. W spotkaniu uczestniczyło 26 ekspertów z 17 ośrodków onkologicznych. Rezultatem spotkania stało się uzgodnienie zasad przedstawionych w formie standardów i zaleceń. Uzgodnienia dotyczyły wskazań do zastosowania portów, kwalifikacji chorych, warunków technicznych implantacji i okresu obserwacji po zabiegu, zapobiegania i leczenia powikłań infekcyjnych i powikłań zakrzepowych, szkolenia personelu obsługującego porty, informacji przekazywanej chorym.Totally implantable central venous access ports are very useful in chemotherapic treatment. It gains wider application. In Poland they are implanted in 700-1000 patient annually. National Consultant in Clinical Oncology at meeting with 26 experts from 17 oncologic centers established the principles of safe implantation of ports in Poland. The meeting resulted in report on standards and recommendations containing: recommendation on ports application, patients’ qualification, implantation technics and follow-up observation, prevention and treatment of infection and thrombotic complication, professional staff training and information for patients