Search results

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to highlight the game-changing potential of emerging technologies and how these will change the very face of companies cutting across industries. Our work also aims to highlight the converging point of these technologies and describes how these new-age inventions can be more effective if stakeholders adopt a collaborative approach rather than competing against each other.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Using real-world case studies, the chapter identifies the most significant emerging technologies heralding a new era of efficiency across business categories. This identification has been made based on both secondary data and expert interviews. The opinions of the domain and industry experts have also been included to select six emerging technologies for the analysis.

Findings: Based on secondary and primary data, the chapter has identified the five emerging technologies that are expected to change how businesses are run completely today. The technologies are: (1) Metaverse Platforms, (2) Blockchain Technology, (3) Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs), (4) Decentralised Finance, and (5) Cryptocurrency.

Research Limitations/Implications: By identifying emerging technologies and their application domains, the chapter contributes significantly to both the world of academia and practice. The research has important implications for scholars and practitioners as these stakeholders must prepare themselves to realise the maximum potential of these new-age inventions. Policymakers also need to contribute constructively so that the adoption and implementation of these technologies can be done smoothly and seamlessly.

Originality/Value: The research is unique in the sense that it identifies the most-significant emerging technologies and offers a constructive roadmap for stakeholders to integrate these new inventions into their functional procedures and operational mechanisms effectively and efficiently.

Technology is one of the crucial topics for the understanding of the content and meaning of creativity in management. More than ever knowledge and science determine technology and in turn technology determines the economy and management. The range of necessary creativity therefore risks to be highly determined by the evolution of technology. This will bring us to the crucial question whether in the future the diffusion of creativity is still possible when human-made environments are more and more determined by technology. Opdebeeck argues that the question about transhumanism and posthumanism on the relationship between technology and the enhancement of the human person is crucial for humanity and nature as well. With Jurgen Habermas he states that the problem is not modern science and technology per se, but the fact that the reified models of the science and technology migrate into the management life-world and gain power over our self-understanding. The solution must, therefore, rather be sought in keeping the distinction between the sphere of science and technology and the sphere of the human person.

The chapter pays specific attention to the organizing and reorganizing process of the embedding of new technology. The aim is to increase the understanding of how a focal technology is incrementally aligned into a customer’s different business settings. Embedding becomes subject to intense organizing efforts. It becomes a struggle with activating different features of the focal technology by forging and modifying the resource interfaces between the focal technology and customer resources.

The organizing efforts are about seeking, in an explorative mood, for resource interfaces between the focal technology and the customer resources. This organizing process enables the identification of new adaptation opportunities for technology embedding processes, whereby the focal technology obtains certain feature and values.

A systematically developed knowledge of resource interfaces is a key for activating different features of the focal technology and thereby facilitating its embedding into the customer’s various business settings. This is described in a single case study in the chapter. This case and the analysis show how a supplier and a customer struggle with developing resource interface knowledge to activate the different features of the focal technology, thereby facilitating its embedding process. The first part of the chapter establishes a theoretical framework, followed in the second part by the case study and analysis. The concluding discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing various interfaces as part of the organizing processes.

To reveal the impact of the development of technology parks and innovative networks on the national digital economies.

The following methods are utilised: the complex method, statistical analysis, comparative method, correlation analysis and linear programming (method of the game approach category).

We reveal the impact of the development of technology parks and innovative networks on the national digital economies. Analysis of the formation of the digital economy includes the assessment of its components (Rank Knowledge, Rank Technology, Rank Future readiness) in the context of the development of the analysed developed countries (Belgium, France, Iceland, Spain and Hong Kong). It is discovered that Hong Kong and Iceland have high indicators of digital technologies implementation. We prove that these results are connected to investments in this sphere made by integration structures, including the sphere of business, sciences and government agents (in the case of Hong Kong). We perform an analysis of the clustering of the given countries and describe the main forms of integration that ensure the innovative development of the economy. Based on the study of analytical and statistical materials, we determine the perspective model of the impact of these integration mechanisms on the state of innovative development of the digital economy, which could be applied to developing countries.

The originality and value of this research are due to the development of a model of the impact of implementing the integration mechanisms on the state of innovative development of the digital economy, which could be used in the case of developing countries.

Considering the gradual move into the information age, digital technologies have become the new trend in different industries ranging from agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and banking, among others. The construction industry has also evolved progressively since the last decade to explore and adopt digital transformation considering the immense contribution it has towards productivity. More so, the need to combat global warming has compelled experts to begin to seek new technologies in achieving the green effect. This has led experts and researchers in the industry to seek how digital technologies can help to achieve sustainability and further functional construction. There has been a huge gap as to maximising the impact of digital transformation as many organisations in the industry are still struggling to successfully adopt and implement digital construction. This chapter will help to fill this gap and provide clear insight into how digital can help further sustainable construction.

In the effort to procure solutions to emerging challenges faced in the construction industry, construction stakeholders implemented the use of several technologies in construction operations from the onset of project planning to completion. Cyber technology introduced into construction brought about the inclusion of wearable technology, mobile devices, apps, project management software, drones, 3D printers, robotics, etc. to enhance output as the industry tends towards that which is sustainable. This chapter identified benefits, barriers and other related cyber technology interactions within the scope of delivering projects that are of standard, budget and quality at the same time. The conclusion gave a summary of the whole chapter for further comprehension.

Recent advances in digital technologies and their accessibility with ease have become indispensable for children. In contrast to expectations and many regulations, children use digital technologies effectively in many areas from an early age. Digital technologies and digital media, commonly used in entertainment, learning and everyday activities, cover several user-induced problems and challenges. These uses are user-based, not technology-based, which highlights conscious, controlled and time-limited applications that are suitable for their developmental levels. On the other hand, technology has many positive effects, such as providing children with efficient and rich learning opportunities, providing concrete experiences, and increasing their academic success and interest. Also, digital technologies are frequently preferred in learning environments due to the visual preparation of technology-supported materials, addressing more than one sensory organ at the same time, and the inclusion of interaction components. However, in this process, the selection and use of current technologies and software suitable for children's development levels and the factors that need to be considered in the process of use are important to make the learning process effective.

The new technology aspects of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), such as digital technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), block chain, big data analysis and the internet of things (IoT) as a digital cosmos, have the potential to fundamentally transform the future of business and supply chain management. By augmenting the functional components of the food supply chain (FSC), these technologies can transform it into an intelligent food supply chain (iFSC). The purpose of this study is to identify the I4.0 utilization for FSC to become an iFSC. Additionally, it suggests future research agendas to bridge the academic knowledge gaps.

This study utilizes the bibliometric analysis methodology to investigate the techno-functional components of iFSC in the context of I4.0. The study followed steps of bibliometric analysis to assess existing components’ knowledge in the area of intelligent food supply chain management. It further reviews the selected articles to explore the need for I4.0 technologies’ adoption as well as its barriers and challenges for iFSC.

This study examines the integration of emerging technologies in FSC and concludes that the main emphasis is on the adoption of blockchain and internet of things technology. To convert it into iFSC, it should be integrated with I4.0 and AI-driven FSC systems. In addition to traditional responsibilities, emerging technologies are acknowledged that are relatively uncommon but possess significant potential for implementation in FSC. This study further outlines the challenges and barriers to the adoption of new technologies and presents a comprehensive research plan or collection of topics for future investigations on the transition from FSC to iFSC. Utilizing artificial intelligence techniques to enhance performance, decision-making, risk evaluation, real-time safety, and quality analysis, and prioritizing the elimination of barriers for new technologies.

The uniqueness of this study lies in the provision of an up-to-date review of the food supply chain. In doing so, the authors have expanded the current knowledge base on the utilization of all I4.0 technologies in FSC. The review of designated publications yield a distinctive contribution by highlighting hurdles and challenges for iFSC. This information is valuable for operations managers and policymakers to consider.

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers substantial potential for improving efficiency and effectiveness in various applications, notably within the domain of smart construction. Despite its growing adoption within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, its utilization remains limited. Despite efforts made by policymakers, the shift from traditional construction practices to smart construction poses significant challenges. Consequently, this study aims to explore, compare, and prioritize the determinants that impact the acceptance of the IoT among construction practitioners.

Based on the integrated model of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2), Task-Technology Fit (TTF), and perceived risk. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 309 construction practitioners in China, and the collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses.

The findings indicate that TTF, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, facilitating conditions, and perceived risk exert significant influence on construction practitioners’ intention to adopt IoT. Conversely, social influence and habit exhibit no significant impact. Notably, the results unveil the moderating influence of gender on key relationships – specifically, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, and habit – in relation to the behavioral intention to adopt IoT among construction practitioners. In general, the model explains 71% of the variance in the behavioral intention to adopt IoT, indicating that the independent constructs influenced 71% of practitioners’ intentions to use IoT.

These findings provide both theoretical support and empirical evidence, offering valuable insights for stakeholders aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the critical factors influencing practitioners’ intention to adopt IoT. This knowledge equips them to formulate programs and strategies for promoting effective IoT implementation within the AEC field.

This study contributes to the existing literature by affirming antecedents and uncovering moderators in IoT adoption. It enhances the existing theoretical frameworks by integrating UTAUT2, TTF, and perceived risk, thereby making a substantial contribution to the advancement of technology adoption research in the AEC sector.