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The crafts sector, traditionally characterized by its adherence to heritage and small-scale familial enterprises, confronts an array of unprecedented challenges stemming from rapid technological advancement, globalization, climate change, and shifting demographics. This article presents a pioneering investigation into the profound and transformative effects of digitalization on the crafts sector, offering novel insights into the future trajectory of this industry. Through an explorative approach, we critically examine and interrogate the social imaginary underpinning the crafts sector, shedding light on the intricate interplay between tradition and innovation. Leveraging an inter- and transdisciplinary framework, our research brings together academics, experts, and practitioners from diverse regions in Italy and Austria to explore the nexus of digitalization and craft futures. We introduce three future scenarios for the crafts sector, each delineating varying degrees of digitalization and their potential implications. Employing a mixed-method approach encompassing expert interviews, a Delphi survey, focus groups, and scenario development, our study offers a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted landscape of craft futures. Furthermore, through the visualization of these scenarios, we provide a tangible platform for envisioning and engaging with the myriad possibilities that lie ahead. By synthesizing innovative methodologies from future studies and social imaginaries with a specific focus on the crafts sector, our research offers a robust analytical framework for navigating the complex dynamics of digitalization and envisioning transformative futures. This paper not only illuminates the disruptive forces unleashed by digitalization but also provides strategic insights to inform future decision-making processes within the crafts sector and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Digitalization in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated significantly across Europe, including in regions that are at the stage of catch-up development. However, as innovative technologies are intensively integrated into everyday life, the digital gap between the EU countries is increasing. The widening digital gap is becoming a serious threat to achieving the EU's sustainable development goals and building a sustainable European society. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article was to empirically substantiate the inclusiveness and convergence of the digital strategy in the EU countries. Methods: Using the method of fuzzy sets, the level of asymmetry in access to transactional (e-commerce), information (cloud computing), operational (artificial intelligence) technologies in the EU countries was assessed. The negative impact of the digital gap within the countries (the gap between small, medium, large companies) and the global digital gap (the gap between EU countries) on the competitiveness of countries was established, for which correlation analysis and the Granger causality test were used. Findings & value added: The findings of this study contribute to the literature of digital transformation and digital gap of European countries. The impact of the digital gap in transactional, information, operational technologies on the competitiveness of countries is differentiated depending on the level of digitalization of the country. Cluster groups of countries are determined by the convergence of digitalization and ways to ensure long-term competitiveness. The directions for reducing the digital gap in the EU countries are substantiated by changing the priorities of spending on innovation and increasing productivity, diversifying the digital technologies used. The empirical results obtained can serve as a basis for improving the effectiveness of the digitalization policy in the EU countries in accordance with individual convergence goals. The main added value of the paper is related to the presented research procedure, which can be used in analyses of digital technologies development also for other countries. The results provide valuable insights into evaluating the digital technologies in European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is intended to be an extension of innovation studies on the complexity of technological change and its relationship with the dynamics of the triple helix actors. Therefore, the research question is how to reduce the complexity of digital transformation from the point of view of innovation actors for a faster and more effective adaptation of their strategies? To answer that question, this paper conceives digitization as a 'new technological path'. The complexity of digitization is assumed as the clearest expression of current technological change. The speed, dynamics and strength developed give technological change a character of domination. These characteristics have a transforming power on the actors that form the triple helix. Specifically, the objective of this work is to characterize the dynamism of the theoretical approach to technological change by making a longitudinal analysis of the development of digitization. The theoretical analysis allowed the identification of a set of variables, which modifies the way the actors are organized in triple helix model and can generate new arrangements in the interaction process. Also, it was observed that the variables identified are distinctive from other innovation variables in the approaches of Schumpeterian and neo-Schumpeterian actors. The results of this work were achieved using qualitative analysis through the MAGG methodological approach that made it possible to systematize and classify longitudinally different theoretical perspectives on the dynamics of technological change. A theoretical contrasting method was relevant because it allowed us to identify these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify the dynamic capabilities required for electrical energy service providers to transform toward a digital and platform-based business models in the context of the current energy transition. The paper contributes to two fields: Information systems in the domain of platforms ecosystems and digital services innovation through the usage of dynamic capabilities theoretical lens and the field of energy informatics in the domain of digital business models and service innovation. Through the case study approach we investigate the case of Norwegian electrical energy provider TrønderEnergi and how the company is moving toward a fully digital business model and how the company build the dynamic capabilities required for the digitalization era. Through semi-structured interviews, the study managed to identify several activities related to each capability and then classified these activities under three main activities, which are: sensing, seizing, and transforming, and then classified them into sub-capabilities and identified activities related to each sup capability. The paper concludes with managerial implications for practitioners and initiates an empirical extension for the dynamic capabilities theoretical lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the consequences of globalization are the liberalization of markets, the development of technology, etc. elements that are interdependent and that have direct effects on economic development, demographic and political development. In these conditions, modern education, as a factor promoting research and innovation, must face the new challenges related to the construction of a multifactorial education, the formation of new skills, new professional competences, Therefore, the current paper aims to analyze precisely the problems of the digital transformation of the educational space and the training of professional skills, among the students of the Faculty of Management and Rural Development (FMDR) with the aim of increasing their degree of integration on the labor market. The research methodology assumed, on the one hand, an analysis of the specialized literature regarding the importance of digitalization in the formation of the competencies of university graduates, and on the other hand, the measurement of the FMDR students' perception regarding these aspects. Data collection was carried out with the help of a questionnaire with a number of 15 questions, which was applied to FMDR students and answered by a number of 127 respondents. The data were processed with the help of statistical methods, and the results obtained were analyzed and interpreted, forming the basis of the formulation of conclusions that highlighted the importance that digitization has in the training of graduates' skills and in increasing their degree of integration on the labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital transformation is of great significance to green and high-quality development of logistics industry (L-GHD). This paper analyzes the theoretical mechanism of digitalization affecting the L-GHD. In the meantime, taking the urban data of China's Yellow River Basin as an example, a fixed effect model is established to empirically test the impact of digitalization on the L-GHD. The results show that: (1) digitalization can significantly promote the L-GHD. (2) Digitalization indirectly promotes the L-GHD through technological innovation input and output, optimized allocation of labor and capital elements. (3) The heterogeneity test of city types shows that the impact of digitalization on the L-GHD is more significant in non-resource-based cities. Urban location heterogeneity test shows that digitalization has a more significant impact on L-GHD in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin. Finally, it puts forward suggestions to accelerate the healthy development of digitalization and help the L-GHD in the Yellow River Basin of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital transformation is a phenomenon introduced by the transformative power of digital technologies, and it has become a key driver for the energy sector, with advancements in technology leading to significant changes in the way energy is produced, transmitted, and consumed. The impact of digital transformation on the energy sector is profound, with benefits such as improved efficiency, cost reduction, and enhanced customer experience. This article provides a review of the impact of digital transformation on the energy sector, highlighting key trends and emerging technologies that are transforming the sector. The article begins by defining the concept of digital transformation, describing its scope, and explaining two conceptual frameworks to provide a deep understanding of the concept. This article then explores the benefits of digital transformation, examines its impact, and identifies its enablers and barriers. Each source examined was analyzed to extract qualitative results and assess its contribution to the researched topic. This paper also acknowledges the challenges posed by digital transformation, including concerns about cybersecurity, data privacy, and workforce displacement. Finally, we discuss the potential developments that are expected in the future of digital transformation in the power sector and conclude that digital transformation has the potential to significantly improve the energy sector's efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to analyze the positioning of Ukraine in the global indices of innovative development and competitiveness, to evaluate the indicators of innovation activity and, based on the outcomes of the research, to determine the place of Ukraine in the global innovation space. The dynamics of innovation activity on an international scale based on the consolidated indicators of the Global Innovation Index are presented. Ukraine's position in it and progress in achieving goals to better understand the processes that stimulate or constrain innovation are determined. Econometric methods to generalize the positioning of Ukraine in the global innovation space and the DEA method to study the relative individual effectiveness of the innovation environment and innovation activities in Europe are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remanufacturing, a crucial step of reverse logistics, focuses on restoring or enhancing the functionality of waste products. The challenge in planning an effective remanufacturing reverse logistics system lies in the uncertainties from various sources. In addition, the evolving industrial landscape in Industry 5.0 necessitates adaptability to technological advancements. This paper proposes an integrated and digitalized architecture for uncertain reverse logistics network design. A fuzzy optimization model is first formulated to identify potential network configurations under varying demand-satisfying and capacity constraints. These solutions are automatically converted and assessed in a dynamic simulation environment with practical operational logic under a set of real-world scenarios. Numerical experiments are performed to validate the method and show the advantages of integrating optimization with dynamic simulation on a digital platform for strategic network planning. The results, built upon previous research, indicate that while initial investments in technology might be substantial, they may lead to long-term reductions in both costs and emissions. Moreover, collaborative decision-making is essential to mitigate potential disruptions and cascading effects. Our research contributes to the development of a novel integrated decision-support architecture and underscores the role of digitalization and Industry 5.0 in future smart and sustainable reverse logistics planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the digital era, digitalization brings great opportunities and challenges for cities' environmental governance and economic growth. However, it is worth noting that the impact of digitalization on cities' green transition has not been studied from the perspective of Metcalfe's Law. This paper uses the principal component method and non-radial directional distance function (NDDF) to calculate the digital development level and the green economic performance of 269 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019. (1) The empirical findings demonstrate that digitalization has become a strong driver for cities' green economic transformation. (2) Digitalization indirectly promotes green transition through industrial structure optimization and green technological innovation. (3) The heterogeneity results show that the positive effect of digitalization on green development is more obvious in eastern and economically developed cities. (4) Using the partially linear functional-coefficient model (PLFC), this paper studies the non-linear nexus between digitalization and green economic transition from the perspective of Metcalfe's Law. Thus, Metcalfe's law is confirmed in the green transition of Chinese cities. Some policy recommendations are offered for realizing the coordinated development of digitalization and greening of the urban economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on a recent National Science Foundation working paper that identified a strong association between cloud use and various types of innovation but did not consider whether 1) cloud adoption is a reliable indicator of the innovation orientation of a firm, or 2) cloud adoption enables various types of innovation. We estimate propensity score matching and endogenous treatment effect models to control for innovation orientation, producing evidence to test the second explanation. Findings support an enabling effect of the cloud on innovation providing concrete evidence of the adverse impact of the digital divide. • New data allows examining effects of the digital divide on cloud computing. • Earlier analysis identified a strong association between the cloud and innovation. • It is not clear if cloud adoption enables innovation or is merely an indicator of it. • Controlling for endogeneity allows testing these alternative explanations. • Evidence of an enabling effect suggests the digital divide may inhibit rural innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of industrial, innovation-related economic policies such as Industry 4.0 and the advanced digitalization of production play an increasingly important role in fulfilling economic objectives in both Canada and the United States. There are a variety of ways in which such industrial-related policy approaches can be developed and implemented. Varying aspects of industrial and economic innovation often occur within a regional context, which can change policy is developed and implemented, dramatically and with little warning. This paper applies a case-based approach to examine enabling and constraining factors of regional innovation policy in two cases - Ontario, Canada and Massachusetts, US. Moving beyond a linear conception of regional innovation, this research explores how policies and modalities for collaboration can facilitate Industry 4.0 and related innovation ecosystems. Our analysis suggests that regional innovation impact is influenced through four principal factors: industrial clusters; context; collaborative synergies; and network intermediaries. Additional research could focus on an expanded case examination of the relationship between top-down policy approaches and the operation of regional innovation ecosystems coupled with bottom-up market- and stakeholderdriven analytic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inefficient and ineffective Construction Contract Administration (CCA) is at the root of many of the sector challenges. Emerging digital technologies such as blockchain are revealing some capabilities with the potential for improving CCA. This paper addresses the research question of whether and how can blockchain contribute to improving CCA and what are the specific challenges to its adoption in CCA. The study adopts a systematic review of studies in this domain and their subsequent analysis against a CCA framework. Most applications were found to be centered on two CCA functions; the financial management , and the document and record management. CCA functions that embed complex contractual logics such as claims and disputes resolution management have received scant attention. To advance blockchain application in CCA, a structured roadmap of its key challenges relating to technology, process, policy and society is proposed for future research. The outcome of this paper provides scholars, practitioners and policymakers, interested in construction contracts, with the evidence about the current level of blockchain contribution to CCA and a structured set of recommendations for future research. [Display omitted] • The blockchain's role in improving construction contract administration is examined. • A functional framework of contract administration is used to evaluate studies. • Evidence of blockchain role in reducing causes of poor contract administration is identified. • Existing coverage, gaps, and future directions in this domain are identified and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's turbulent and unstable environment, international companies, including Ukraine and Georgia, are forced to move to technologies they did not plan to implement for some time and reconsider their strategic priorities. "Become digital or die" is the reality of the COVID-19 epidemic. Companies that will survive in the long run - those that have the best tools that allow them to be flexible, agile, agile; those who are better than others will be able to respond to changes in the product range, control and monitor their factories, regulate supply chains and will be able to use their workforce really anywhere. Mixed research methods were used to analyse the data. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study were the dialectical method of cognition, a systematic approach to the use of general provisions of economic theory. According to the research results, despite the serious positive transformations in the field of digitalization, there are a number of current and significant unresolved issues in the industry. It is established that the digital economy in Ukraine and Georgia, despite a number of existing problems, is developing dynamically. Organizations in various sectors of the economy are beginning to actively implement digital solutions, taking into account the specifics of their activities. Innovation is the engine of economic development, so attempts are made to find and create the most appropriate forms of organizational associations of innovative enterprises, alliances, within which strong cooperative ties can be established. The need for large-scale cooperation and coordination in the form of networking of participants in the innovation process becomes quite obvious, which provides them with a beneficial effect and corresponding competitive advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented shock to firms with adverse consequences for existing productive capacities. At the same time, digitalization has increasingly been touted as a key pathway for mitigating economic losses from the pandemic, and we expect firms facing digital constraints to be less resilient to supply shocks. This paper uses firm-level data to investigate whether digitally-enabled firms have been able to mitigate economic losses arising from the pandemic better than digitally-constrained firms in the Middle East and Central Asia region using a difference-in-differences approach. Controlling for demand conditions, we find that digitally-enabled firms faced a lower decline in sales by about 4 percentage points during the pandemic compared to digitally-constrained firms, suggesting that digitalization acted as a hedge during the pandemic. Against this backdrop, our results suggest that policymakers need to close the digital gap and accelerate firms' digital transformation. This will be essential for economies to bounce back from the pandemic, and build the foundations for future resilience. • We study the impact of digitalization on business performance during the COVID-19 crisis. • A difference-in-difference methodology is employed to study how investment in digital technologies affect both digitally-enabled and digitally constrained firms. • We find that firms that have invested in digitalization before the crisis experienced a smaller decline in sales compared to those that have not. • This effect is particularly stronger in contact-intensive sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of modernity entering its digital stage, theoretical conceptions of the relation between technology and space regard the two as becoming increasingly interlinked. In human geography, such conceptual advances are mainly reflected either in models of globalization as being driven by technological change or in more specific investigations into technologies that have an inherent relation to space and place, such as locative media. The article opens up a geographical perspective on the relation of technology and space by focussing on the micro-level of the everyday use of technology. A framework is proposed that understands the symbolic geographies involved in the everyday interaction with technology as a combination ofnumericcomponents (places and networks coded by numbers),deicticexpressions and graphics (as in egocentric interfaces sensitive to the user’s location) and commontoponyms(established place names). Not only is this model applicable to the example of locative media, it also promises to be transferable to various kinds of complex infrastructure systems (including those for communication and transport) and media technology. The last part of the paper reflects on the apparent renaissance of traditional geographic concepts (such as place, landscape, region or nation state) in the context of digitalized lifeworlds. This can be explained by innovations in interface design enabling both providers and users of technological systems to integrate familiar geographic concepts into interaction language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization is a megatrend that affects and transforms societal, economic, and environmental processes on a global scale. Driven by a combination of technological advances as well as shifting societal demands, digitalization also affects the operation and planning of the electricity sector. This paper uses megatrend analysis framework to analyze digitalization phenomena, its regional differences, technologies, use cases and challenges. It highlights potential system-level benefits (e.g., increased efficiency, transparency, consumer participation) and challenges (e.g., electricity demand growth, autonomy loss, increasing cyber risks) currently reported in the literature. Eventually, building on the thorough analysis, we present a menu of policy options to exploit its full potential of digitalized electricity systems while mitigating adverse effects on decarbonization goals and consumers. • New digital technologies and business models are changing the electricity sector. • Consequences and progression of digitalization are not homogeneous between nations. • Progress depends on ICT infrastructure, funding, economy, skills, policy/regulation. • Policies addressing opportunities and challenges of the transition are needed. • Electricity system transformation needs systematic, but contextual approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy has demonstrated strong resilience and great potential, under the interwoven influence of the global pandemic and severe environmental concerns across the world. Therefore, there is a need to focus on the value of green economic growth in the digital economy. This paper constructs an evaluation index system and adopts the SEEA (System of Environmental and Economic Accounting) method to measure the digitalization level (Digi) and green economy growth level (GEG) of China. The internal mechanism and linear relationship between digitalization and green economy growth are examined based on the panel data from 2013 to 2019. Moreover, this study explores the spatial spillover effect. The major study findings are as follows: (1) Digitalization and green economy growth represent a steady growth trend, and the former as a whole significantly promotes the latter, with a marginal effect of 1.648. (2) The mechanism analysis indicates the intermediary effects' size of three crucial intermediaries: green technology innovation > advanced industrial structure > the rationalization of industrial structure. (3) Both the "local effect" (0.556; 0.574) and "neighboring effect" (1.382; 1.415) of digitalization on green economy growth are positive under the two weight matrices and display "simultaneous resonance" characteristics based on the spatial perspective. (4) There exists obvious regional spatial heterogeneity and resource endowment heterogeneity. Finally, this study put forward corresponding policy implications, such as construction of new digital infrastructures and guiding green-energy consumption. • The green economic growth (GEG) level is measured by the SEEA method. • The linear relationship shows digitalization (Digi) can significantly promote GEG. • The spatial effect of Digi on GEG shows "positive simultaneous resonance". • Three crucial intermedia's effects are compared. • The heterogeneous impact is explored from different dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological up gradations and changes in the overall economic scenario has changed the overall dynamics of retail practices and consumer base. Professionals in organizations are looking for consumer insight s to enhance the profitability and growth index of their businesses. They are working with their clientele to have a better knowhow on the beliefs, attitudes and notions shared by consumers throughout their purchase making journey. Various tools and techniques from the vicinity of interdisciplinary approaches and research base are used, that could help clients to generate a holistic view of their consumers - one that could develop their product better, making it more promising and successful. The paper is highlighting how e-commerce is overpowering other sectors in terms of growth and is expected to reach new heights in the current digital era driven by huge investment in the sector, hiking internet user base and changing economic scenario of the country. This digital era retail will soon bridge the gap to come at par with the traditional physical retail in the next few years. Retailers in India need to get ready to keep up with use of technology or digitalization in retail. Digitalization in businesses or retail was a choice earlier, but now it has become a necessity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous researchers have examined the motivations of developers to participate in hackathons events and the challenges of open data hackathons, but limited studies have focused on the preparation and evaluation of these contests. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine factors that lead to the effective implementation and success of open data hackathons and innovation contests. Six case studies of open data hackathons and innovation contests held between 2014 and 2018 in Thessaloniki were studied in order to identify the factors leading to the success of hackathon contests using criteria from the existing literature. The results show that the most significant factors were clear problem definition, mentors' participation to the contest, level of support to participants by mentors in order to launch their applications to the market, jury members' knowledge and experience, the entry requirements of the competition, and the participation of companies, data providers, and academics. Furthermore, organizers should take team members' competences and skills, as well as the support of post-launch activities for applications, into consideration. This paper can be of interest to organizers of hackathon events because they could be knowledgeable about the factors that should take into consideration for the successful implementation of these events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union is funding scientific research through the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. Since the key priorities for the next few decades are the reduction in carbon emissions and the enhancement of energy system conversion efficiency, a collection of the most recent research projects can be beneficial to researchers and stakeholders who want to easily access and identify recent innovation in the energy sector. This paper proposes an overview of the Horizon 2020 projects on smart distributed energy systems, with particular focus on heating and cooling networks and their efficient management and control. The characteristics of the selected projects are summarized, and the relevant features, including the energy vectors involved, main applications and expected outputs are reported and analyzed. The resulting framework fosters the deployment of digital technologies and software platforms to achieve smart and optimized energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]