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In the era of industry 4.0, managing the design is a challenging mission. Within a dynamic environment, several disciplines have adopted the complex adaptive system (CAS) perspective. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how we may deepen our understanding of the design process as a CAS. In this respect, the key complexity drivers of the design process are discussed and an organizational decomposition for the simulation of the design process as CAS is conducted.

The proposed methodology comprises three steps. First, the complexity drivers of the design process are presented and are matched with those of CAS. Second, an analysis of over 111 selected papers is presented to choose the appropriate model for the design process from the CAS theory. Third, the paper provides methodological guidelines to develop an organizational decision support system that supports the complexity of the design process.

An analysis of the key drivers of design process complexity shows the need to adopt the CAS theory. In addition to that, a comparative analysis between all the organizational methodologies developed in the literature leads the authors to conclude that agent-oriented Software Process for engineering complex System is the appropriate methodology for simulating the design process. In this respect, a system requirements phase of the decision support system is conducted.

The originality of this paper lies in the fact of analysing the complexity of the design process as a CAS. In doing so, all the richness of the CAS theory can be used to meet the challenges of those already existing in the theory of the design.

The purpose of this paper is to produce a critical history of MP3 technology in an effort to show how its stature as the digital music format of choice had nothing to do with music or associated industries and that its configuration as a product to be bought and sold was unintended.

The approach is reminiscent of Michel Foucault's critical histories, which sought to problematise our current understanding of existing cultural arrangements by unearthing the conditions that made the production of knowledge and their accompanying artefacts possible.

The paper documents how MP3s emerged by outlining the conditions that made its production viable, showing how before MP3s were profiled as commodities to be bought and sold online, the composite of technologies making up the standard MPEG1‐Layer III were objects of knowledge within the fields of electrical engineering and psychoacoustics, and later a process of compression used mainly by audio broadcasting professionals. The paper concludes by examining MPEG1‐Layer III's reconstitution as MP3: its formal configuration and valuation, first as a license for the broadcasting industry to compress sound and then as a “free‐ware” application distributed online.

The paper problematises the taken for granted status of commodities, in this case, MP3s, as digital music to be bought and sold, by revealing how they emerged. At a more parochial level, it produces a competing history of MP3 technology which until now has not been told.

Time and cost are usually critical to construction clients. Given the many contributory factors, improved quantitative models of time and cost may help clients to predict project outcomes at the outset, and also at different stages of the project life span. These can also help to compare deviations in significant contributory factors, and to suggest corrective actions. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural networks (ANN) were applied in developing such quantitative models in a research project based in Hong Kong. A comparative study indicated that ANN had better prediction capabilities than MLR by itself. Significant factors identified through quantitative models developed, indicated that time over‐run levels were mainly governed by non‐procurement related factors (e.g. project characteristics and client/client representative characteristics), while cost over‐run levels were significantly influenced by both procurement and non‐procurement related factors (e.g. project characteristics, client/client representative characteristics and contractual payment modalities). A parallel approach yielded interesting comparisons of the variations of mean time and cost over‐runs, when comparing groups of projects using different procurement sub‐systems, from the Hong Kong sample.

While most age groups in the United States show zero or near zero growth, older adults continue to increase in population. Futurists and demographers suggest that we are in a transitional period prior to an even more intense shift to an older society. They project that current increases in the education, income, activity, and advocacy of older adults will continue. Those rises, in turn, will enable elders to enhance public awareness of their development, role, and plight, leading to political and social action more favorable to them.

Excellenzen meine sehr verehrten Damen und Herren liebe Kollegen Es ist mir eine besondere Freude und Ehre, erstmals einen AIEST Kongress in der Sozialistischen Republik der Tschechoslowakei zu eröffnen und dies in der prächtigen Stadt Prag, der Hauptstadt und dem kulturellen und politischen Mittelpunkt. Die Stadt ist durch ihr reiches Erbe an kulturellen Gütern besonders für unsern 34. Kongress geeignet. Auf den berechtigten Wunsch der Organisatoren des diesjährigen Kongresses hin haben wir das Thema “Tourismus und architektonisches Erbe — kulturelle, rechtliche, wirtschaftliche und marketing‐orientierte Aspekte” gewählt.

This paper describes ways of simplifying the equations characterising the equilibrium shape of reflowed solder in the interconnection of TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) and MCR (Moulded Carrier Ring) components with negligible loss in accuracy. A drastic reduction of the numerical effort necessary to calculate the solder volume for fine pitch devices is achieved. The equations are applied to TAB and MCR packages which are hotbar‐soldered to a substrate. The results of these calculations are in good agreement with experimental data.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the prospects of a Southeast Asian knowledge economy in light of regional integration processes and the participation of Southeast Asia in global innovation networks.

The evidence base is a combination of quantitative data on R&D investments, patent applications and publications, with qualitative data from 40 semi-structured expert interviews conducted with innovation experts, research managers and policymakers in six ASEAN Member States.

Despite economic growth and increases in R&D inputs and outputs in individual ASEAN Member States, innovation policy at regional ASEAN level remains weak. In addition, the economic integration of the ASEAN Economic Community is progressing slowly. In this environment, evidence is presented for a certain level of regional integration when it comes to the exploitation of knowledge produced within and outside of ASEAN. While a regional market for knowledge exploitation is conceivable, this is not accompanied by the regional integration of knowledge production.

The main practical implication of this argument is the need for ASEAN policymakers to appreciate the disconnection between regional knowledge production and exploitation. This paper offers conceptual tools to engage in ASEAN-level policy discussions on this issue that can help facilitate the best possible regional outcome.

Despite several studies on the ASEAN Economic Community process, there has been no contribution so far that combines a discussion of the economic integration process with a look at the regional knowledge economy and innovation systems. This perspective does not only contribute to innovation systems literature, but also entails important policy lessons.

The findings of the Steering Group on Food Freshness in relation to the compulsory date marking of food contained in their Report, reviewed elsewhere in this issue, has brought within measurable distance the Regulations which were, in any case, promised for1975. The Group consider that the extension of voluntary open date marking systems will not be sufficiently rapid (or sufficiently comprehensive) to avoid the need or justify the delay in introducing legislation.

Solvents! Will the common vortex be water? Will traditional liquids continue their long and satisfactory reign? Will the need for change be thrust upon the producer of solvents or will he anticipate demand? Where does health and safety slot in? Will local demands soon give way completely to European, transnational, even world demands? What's happening with solvents in that great potential market in the Pacific Basin? What have the oil companies mapped out for us over the next decade? Will solvents become redundant?

Few things have been better documented over the past decade than the decline of formal—read big and heavily‐staffed—strategic planning departments. Recently, however, there seems to be a planning renaissance of sorts with smaller, stream‐lined departments cropping up in U.S. companies (see “The New Lean Planning Machine” Business Strategy, July/August 1994). Now there are some new data that are guaranteed to warm the down‐sized, down‐trodden hearts of corporate planners everywhere—especially those looking to keep those seedling departments alive. The results of some recent research (by the authors of this piece) suggest that a key aspect of strategic planning—getting senior executives to agree on, and put into writing, a definition of the purpose and scope of the company—can actually translate into profits.