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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]

Cultivating Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) serves as a crucial means to increase the income of impoverished households in remote areas, while also providing an important avenue towards achieving equitable economic development and environmental preservation. This paper explores the impact of the internet use on households' NTFPs cultivation practices. Based on the available dataset of 641 valid questionnaire responses collected through field research conducted by the research team, this study employs an in-depth analysis utilizing endogenous transformation models. Furthermore, the study recognizes the importance of considering heterogeneity among different user groups and purposes. The results indicate that households who use the internet with the proportion of NTFPs in their forest land being 8.863 % higher than others. Households who use the internet for sales having a proportion of NTFPs in their forest land that is 12.083 % higher than that of non-internet-using households, while households who use it for production only has a 6.971 % increase. Further analysis reveals that internet use increases households' social capital levels, thereby promoting NTFP cultivation, which is attributable to the rise of special e-commerce models such as WeChat business. Furthermore, the use of the internet to some extent reduces the supply of agricultural labor. • A total of 641 valid households' questionnaires from Sichuan and Shaanxi province was collected to explore the theme. • The impact of the Internet on the planting area of NTPFs varies according to the purpose of using the Internet. • The Internet can influence households' NTFPs cultivation decisions by their social capital and non-farm employment levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet and digital technologies have facilitated copyright sharing in an unprecedented way, creating significant tensions between the free flow of information and the exclusive nature of intellectual property. Copyright owners, users, and online platforms are the three major players in the copyright system. These stakeholders and their relations form the main structure of the copyright-sharing economy. Using China as an example, this paper provides a tripartite perspective on the copyright ecology based on three categories of sharing, namely unauthorized sharing, altruistic sharing, and freemium sharing. The line between copyright owners, users, and platforms has been blurred by rapidly changing technologies and market forces. By examining the strategies and practices of these parties, this paper illustrates the opportunities and challenges for China's copyright industry and digital economy. The paper concludes that under the shadow of the law, a sustainable copyright-sharing model must carefully align the interests of businesses and individual users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the spatial and temporal evolution of ecosystem service value (ESV) in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region using an improved equivalent factor method based on land use data for five periods from 2000 to 2020. The research also examines the mechanism and spatial spill-over effects of economic development and urbanisation on ESV using a spatial econometric model. The findings indicate that YRD region's ESV rose from 442,422 million to 1,304,068 million between 2000 and 2020 and considerable spatial spill-over impact is evident. Although local economic development contributes positively to the improvement of ESV, development in nearby cities has a reducing effect on local ESV, leading to an overall negative impact. Urbanisation's effect on ESV presents an inverted U-shaped curve. When the population urbanisation rate is less than 56.96 %, expansion is advantageous to ESV growth; however, when the rate is higher than this threshold, blind expansion of population urbanisation is not advantageous to growth. The study's findings provide useful insights for policy formulation and forging a course for sustainable regional eco-economic development. • This paper reveals the spatial and temporal evolution of ESV in the YRD since 21st century. • This paper examines the spatial spill-over effects of economic development and urbanisation on ESV. • Local economic development contributes positively to the improvement of ESV. • Development in nearby cities has a reducing effect on local ESV, leading to an overall negative impact. • Urbanisation's effect on the ESV exhibits an inverted U-shaped curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological developments in the digital economy will be distributed to all firms in various sectors of the economy. In this regard, the relevance of the topic is due to the need to study the use of digital technologies (DT) to create anti-turbulent conditions in the mode of effective business activity and economy in general, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. DT is the subject of countless discussions and publications about its effects. The aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that reveals the value of DT, which is not in the DT models themselves, but in the ability of organizations to use them. Our results have confirmed that DT are the driving force behind the development of modern business, because, first, they provide a clear incentive for their developers, companies, policy makers and users to solve the economic problems they face; second, DT remove the limitations of obtaining massive data sets based on global cooperation in the field of economic development; Third, given the scale of the beneficial impact of DT on business and the economy as a whole, some institutional innovation will be required to cope with the implementation of DT, as there should be no restrictions on their implementation and application, but rather, there should be promotion of the useful and safe use of DT, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of the article, the conclusions are presented, which will serve as a basis for further research and future practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly research has not yet discussed the totality of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) as part of a broader picture of sustainable development. This paper provides a unique analysis of the linkages between institutions, SDGs and digital technologies to establish their exact interdependencies. Factor analysis of the grand challenges of sustainable development has shown only SDG3 and SDG17 might progress through institutions' development in developed countries, while only SDG16 in developing countries. In developed countries, the institutions of human development, globalisation and innovations influence SDG3, and SDG17, which depend on digitised knowledge and the application of digital technologies. Human development and economic freedom, which rely on digital infrastructure and technologies, impacted SDG16 in developing countries. The digital knowledge index and the digital technologies index in developed countries enhance management efficiency, having a maximum impact on SDG3 and SDG17. The findings of this paper contribute to social and economic policy implications on digital technology development for addressing grand challenges. • Digital advancements can adequately address the grand challenges of sustainable development. • We weigh results separately for each SDG to create a theory of digital technology advancement. • This paper showcases the differences in sustainable development goals. • We supply reliable strategic milestones for managing digital technology development. A thorough analysis to figure out the differences in meeting the gran challenges of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital entrepreneurship may result in institutional turbulence and new initiatives are frequently blocked by vested interest groups who posit superior financial and relational resources. In this paper, we explore the role of cities in facilitating digital entrepreneurship and overcoming institutional resistance to innovation. Drawing upon two historical case studies of digital entrepreneurship in the city of Stockholm along with an extensive material on the sharing economy in Sweden, our results suggest that cities offer an environment that is critical for digital entrepreneurship. The economic and technological diversity of a city may provide the field conditions required for institutional change to take place and to avoid regulatory capture. • We explore the role of cities in facilitating digital entrepreneurship. • Historical and contemporary evidence from three sectors of the Swedish economy is provided. • The density of cities implies that network effects can be generated more efficiently. • Institutional experimentation seems more likely to take place in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing population and economic growth in Europe and the world are leading to growing demand for food, livestock feed, and energy, and consequently to growing negative impacts on the environment and climate change. Tensions and price fluctuations in international material supply chains have recently become an even greater challenge. As for biomass, its availability is limited due to land, water, human, and financial resources as well as the environmental boundaries. Therefore, efficiency of biomass use is becoming increasingly important; it is crucial to develop and apply integrated assessment frameworks for tracking progress in resource use efficiency that would allow comparing the efficiency of biomass and non-biomass use. This paper embarks on the analysis of biomass and non-biomass resource use in selected European countries over 2010–2019. The index decomposition analysis model is set up to decompose the changes in biomass consumption with respect to intensive and extensive drivers. Resource use efficiency is then assessed via the non-parametric frontier, taking into account the other inputs (labour and capital). The results suggest that biomass efficiency is higher than that of non-biomass materials. The efficiency scores suggest that further decoupling of domestic material consumption and economic growth is needed. • The biomass and non-biomass material consumption is assessed in the European economies. • The index decomposition analysis is used to factorize the changes in the biomass use. • The Data Envelopment Analysis is applied to identify performance gaps. • The intermediate consumption efficiency is much higher than that for the material use. • The improved use of biomass and non-biomass resources is crucial for the European economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Circular Economy requires a holistic approach to Business Analytics. • Business Analytics enables a more efficient and effective digital-enabled CE. • Circular Economy sets greater demand for data collection, integration, and analysis. Digital technologies are growing in importance for accelerating firms' circular economy transition. However, so far, the focus has primarily been on the technical aspects of implementing these technologies with limited research on the organizational resources and capabilities required for successfully leveraging digital technologies for circular economy. To address this gap, this paper explores the business analytics resources firms should develop and how these should be orchestrated towards a firm-wide capability. The paper proposes a conceptual model highlighting eight business analytics resources that, in combination, build a business analytics capability for the circular economy and how this relates to firms' circular economy implementation, resource orchestration capability, and competitive performance. The model is based on the results of a thematic analysis of 15 semi-structured expert interviews with key positions in industry. Our approach is informed by and further develops, the theory of the resource-based view and the resource orchestration view. Based on the results, we develop a deeper understanding of the importance of taking a holistic approach to business analytics when leveraging data and analytics towards a more efficient and effective digital-enabled circular economy, the smart circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgressions of ecological boundaries and increasing social inequality question the paradigm of continual economic growth guided by technological efficiency - often cited as the only solution to these crises. This paper develops a critical and diversified viewpoint on technology for degrowth. ‘Classical perspectives’ of Illich's convivial society, Elull's critique of technique, Mumford's tools and machines, and Schumacher's critique of gigantic techno-infrastructures are explored and combined with Arendt's instrumentality of technologies and Marxist perspectives on ownership. Two questions are posed regarding technology. First, which technologies are 'suitable' for a degrowth context? Previous frameworks by Illich and Schumacher are extended by ecological aspects to assess the suitability of technologies. Second, how should 'suitable' technologies be structured to enable egalitarian utilization? Here, Schumacher's “intermediate technologies” and ownership are central elements. The frameworks and analysis add value for degrowth activists and bridge the gap scientifically between Marxist views and those of degrowth. In conclusion, technologies in degrowth are suitable if they reduce ecological impact, enhance autonomy and conviviality, and are structurally available in an egalitarian way based on open-access regimes. In the discussion further research questions are posed regarding transforming agents and power relations between grassroots and the state. Limitations of the framework include the role of digital technologies for communication, here treated as electric tools, and the focus on industrialized societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa has struggled to maintain e-commerce in its growing economy, as e-commerce share in Africa's GDP amounted to less than 1 percent in 2018. However, Latin America succeeded in reaching 2.4 percent of e-commerce share of its GDP. E-commerce share in the GDP of the United States reached 10 percent, while China placed itself as a leader by reaching 20 percent level of e-commerce as a share of its GDP (UNCTAD, 2018). This evident gap created a massive opportunity for the establishment of e-commerce digital platform such as Jumia Group. A critical motivation for the present study is that digital platforms in Africa are gaining momentum, due to the increase that has been taking place in the apps economy in these countries. Furthermore, there is a knowledge gap, specifically on how African policymakers should govern this new disruptive technology to understand and promote digital platforms in African countries, as it is a new disruptive technology. This paper analyzes digital platforms (DPs) in developing countries by applying the analytical framework introduced by Rossotto et al. (2018). This framework can be summarized by the following pillars: definition, business models, platform enablers, and platform dynamics. The current study applies this framework to Jumia Egypt's digital platform. Additionally, this study investigates the importance of the changing nature of network effects and other economic idiosyncratic features of DPs. Finally, the paper concludes with practical and holistic policy recommendations to support the growth of DPs in Africa. • Digital platforms in Africa are gaining momentum due to the increase that has been taking place in the app economy in Africa. • This paper analyzes digital platforms (DPs) in developing countries using an analytical framework adopted from a published study by Rossotto et al. (2018). • The current paper addresses how to analyze DPs in Africa such as Jumia Egypt DP using the above mentioned framework, and how to assess the manifestation of the economic idiosyncratic features of DPs qualitatively. • Jumia Group's success, and in particular Jumia Egypt's success as an African unicorn, is based on an asset-light business model with localization as one of its main pillars. • African Policymakers need to be aware that these digital platforms are fueling the next wave of breakthrough innovation and are promoting economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The generation of traffic toward media apps/web sites has recently been addressed through use of push notifications. • This paper analyzes how vivid push notifications can influence the click-through rate (CTR). • Results provide evidences that vivid wording of headlines increases users' CTR. • Vivid images congruent with news' central theme moderate the relationships between vivid headline text and users' CTR. With the media environment becoming increasingly digital, the shift to online news has weakened the direct relationship between publishers and readers (Newman et al., 2019). The current challenge for news media, therefore, is to build traffic towards both their apps and web sites. The most popular means in meeting such a challenge is through the effective use of "push notifications." This paper analyzes how vivid push notifications can influence the click-through rate. It proposes that vivid (as opposed to "not vivid") wording of headlines will have a positive influence on click-through rates. The use of vivid images will also have a positive influence on click-through rates. Additionally, this paper proposes that vivid images will moderate the relationship between vivid headline text and click-through rate only when they are congruent with the central theme of the news item. In order to test this moderation model, we conducted quasi-experimental field research, using a random sample of 770 news push notifications from mainstream media, on the subject of general affairs. Data were analyzed using model 3 of the PROCESS macro. The results support the hypothesis and contribute to the scant literature on push notifications in various areas (notably in news media), by providing a better understanding of the underlying mechanism explaining user response: the vividness evoked by these messages contributes to users willing to deepen the content of the news. It also discusses practical implications, adding to the growing literature on mobile news effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper presents perspectives of members of the Degrowth community who were asked to identify wise and unwise futures of digitalisation in 2068. • The participants to the dialogue fear the increasing disconnection of humans from the natural environment and from one another as individuals. • Unwise futures include those technologies that allow allocation of scarce resources to the benefit of the wealthy few and authoritarian elites. • Wise futures should allow people to freely access digital technologies that are convivial, just, environmentally sustainable and democratic. Many of the benefits anticipated from technology in the 1960s remain unrealized today. Alongside the optimism that drives technological development, more sceptical views that regard the promises of technology with reflection, mistrust, and even hostility, have emerged within Western societies. One such group is the Degrowth community, a heterogenous group of researchers and activists who question technological advancements that contribute to environmentally and socially harmful economic growth. In this vein, the movement critically observes the current hype surrounding digital technology, which seems to reflect a mantra of "the more digital technology, the better". This paper presents perspectives that emerged from a dialogue among members of the Degrowth community, who were asked to imagine wise and unwise futures of digitalisation in 2068. Key concerns of unwise futures include increasing disconnection of humans from the natural environment and from one another as individuals, the use of digital technology for optimising the allocation of scarce resources to the benefit of the wealthy few, and authoritarian governance of technologies and life itself. Wise technological futures, in turn, allow people to freely access digital technologies that are convivial, just, environmentally sustainable, and guided by democratic deliberation. It remains controversial how far digital technologies and the interests and skills surrounding them can facilitate the principles of Degrowth, and the extent to which the harmful effects of digital technologies are already shaping social, ecological and technological futures. However, the dialogue clearly emphasised the need to develop more detailed socio-technological imaginaries that provide practically feasible alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents empirical evidence on the link between social equality and technology waves in the U.S. 1860–2019. We measure the impact of various technology adoption by the U.S. households on their social condition (social equality). Using unbalanced panel data for the U.S., we measure the individual technology impact (wave) on social equality over the last 160 years. The findings indicate that technology substantially impacts social equality (proxied by the life inequality index). Technology's impact on social equality varies across technology waves so that we can conclude not all technology is equally suitable for people. Digital technology adoption is significantly improving social equality in the U.S. The results also confirm that technology waves alone in the U.S. can explain about 30 % of changes in social equality. Policymakers should look at technology as a strong driver of social equality and adjust social policy accordingly. Economic growth models in a digital revolution time must pay attention not only to the Solow (1957) residual but also on social equality as a source of growth. • Income inequality occupies a large part of the economics body of literature • Using univariate singular spectrum analysis (SSA) (Ghil et al., 2002) we build a new time-series database. • We use this database for U.S 1860-2019 to investigate the link between technology adoption and social equality in the U.S • Our results show that technology's impact on social equality varies across technology waves • Our research raises an important question about the role of technology in promoting social equality [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We investigate the relation between digital technology and green economic growth. • A novel by-production model is applied to evaluate green productivity gains. • The results show a substantial green growth is observed in Chinese agriculture. • We find internet technology indeed promote sustainable development in agriculture. As the primary industry in an economy, sustainable agricultural growth has attracted much attention from researchers and policy-makers worldwide. Digitalization reform and information technology greatly impact agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, improving high-quality development and green growth in the agricultural sector. Based on a measure of digitalization and a green productivity indicator, this paper investigates the impact of internet development on the economic and environmental performance of Chinese agriculture. The empirical results suggest that substantial green growth is observed in Chinese provincial agriculture, which is largely motived by technological progress. Internet popularization and digital technology indeed promote sustainable development in agriculture. Furthermore, the corresponding policy implications are provided to create a new path for steady growth in Chinese agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalisation is promoted by both private and public actors as a way of contributing to the ecologisation of agriculture. However, this idea remains controversial. The debate is all the more crucial, as different ecologisation models exist, and as agriculture is experiencing new levels of industrialisation. In the literature, use of digital technology in agriculture has mainly been approached from a linear perspective of adoption but is rarely linked to ecologisation. In this paper, we aim to define digital use profiles of farmers and explain how they relate to ecologisation models. We distinguish production and information technologies. Based on 98 interviews with crop farmers in Occitanie (France), we show that there is a diversity of digital profiles. Through a mixed-method, we relate these profiles to a set of variables representing ecological and economic transformation in agriculture. It highlights links between some digital profiles and the further industrialisation of agriculture intertwined with weak or symbolic ecologisation. However, some digital uses associate with new forms of ecologisation that are based on input substitution. Digital use does not appear to support stronger ecologisation of farming. This study highlights the risk of a single model of digitalisation that only promotes one type of ecologisation pathway. • A diversity of digital technology use profiles exists. • Some digital uses are linked to the industrialisation of farming models. • Some digital uses are associated with the industrial development of organic farming. • Digital technology for information helps ecologisation changes already underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The diffusion of the advanced digital production technologies associated with Industry 4.0 remains limited among firms in developing economies. • Firms' participation in GVCs is positively and significantly associated with the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. • The adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies is associated with a labor productivity premium at the firm level. The adoption of new technology is a key driver of firm performance and economic development. Yet the process of transferring and adopting new technologies is not seamless, particularly when the pace of technological change accelerates, and more advanced capabilities are required for the effective operation of new technology. In this paper we develop a framework for the analysis of the drivers of adoption of advanced digital production technologies associated with Industry 4.0 in developing economies. In particular, we ask whether firms' participation to global value chains (GVCs) can facilitate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing sectors. Using a novel UNIDO database on firms' adoption of different generations of production technology in Ghana, Viet Nam, and Thailand, we find that firms' participation to GVCs is positively associated with the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, and that adoption is positively associated with firm-level performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyse the determinants for digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by considering inequalities in internet use and broadband subscriptions. The study considers 41 countries in the region which are geographically linked, and it allows for spatial interdependence. It also accounts for differences in demographic characteristics as well as social, political and economic infrastructure which affect ICT access and use. Globally, about half of the world's population is connected to the internet whereas the remaining half, i.e. about 3.8 billion people, are not (yet) connected. The problem is more severe in developing countries compared to developed countries; it is said to be unsatisfactory in SSA compared to other countries. We apply a spatial panel analysis using the spatial Durbin model (SDM) specifications for 451 observations from 2006 to 2016. Our estimation results show that there is a strong spatial interdependence among SSA, implying that internet access and broadband subscriptions in one country are affected by internet access and broadband subscriptions in another country, most likely due to spillover effects. Our results reveal that GDP per capita, gross capital formation, political stability, regulatory efficacy and electricity infrastructure directly affect the digital divide. Moreover, GDP per capita, population growth, government consumption, trade openness, and electricity infrastructure also indirectly affect the digital divide through spillover effects. Regarding policy implications we suggest that SSA governments should work closer together in ensuring internet openness and to increase the level of coordination between their countries in order to ensure digital inclusion in their countries. • Analyses digitalization and digital divide determinants in 41 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies. • Employs spatial Durbin model for 41 geographically connected SSA countries. • Finds strong interdependence of internet usage and access across SSA countries. • GDP per capita, gross capital formation, political stability, regulatory efficacy and electricity infrastructure are important for digitalization. • SSA governments should work closer in ensuring internet openness and increase the level of coordination between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the contribution of digitalization to economic growth of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) in comparison with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies. The main reason for comparing the most and the least developed countries to measure the effects of digitalization is to have an insight of whether such effects depend on the levels of development of the country. New technologies in Sub Saharan Africa are assumed to have played significant roles in economic activity, including accessibility of communications, which was impeded by poor infrastructure, accommodation of the poor majority who were initially financially excluded from mobile banking and participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in e-commerce. On the other hand, due to the effects of digitalization, least developed countries in SSA have been facing a premature deindustrialization. This study employs a panel dataset consisting of 11 years from 2006 to 2016 for 41 SSA and 33 OECD economies and we use the generalized linear methods of moments (GMM) estimators. The results show that digitalization has a positive contribution to economic growth in both groups of countries. The effect of broadband internet is minimal for SSA compared to OECD countries, whereas the impact of mobile telecommunications is higher in SSA compared to the OECD counterpart. These results are particularly interesting as less advanced technologies create more opportunities in the least developed countries since there is more space for improvement. With respect to policy implications, this study recommends that SSA governments should invest more in ICT along with other infrastructures, so as to benefit from digitalization and to realize significant economic growth. • Examines the contribution of digitalization to economic growth of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) in comparison with the OECD economies. • Analyses the positive and negative effects of digitalization developing countries. • Employse a panel data set for 74 countries and uses GMM estimators. • Finds that digitalization has a positive contribution to economic growth in both groups of countries. • Finds that broadband internet and mobile telecommunications have different impacts for OECD and SSA countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]