Imaginaries of innovation: Turning technology development into a public issue

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Pesch
Keyword(s):  
Technology Assessment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Life World ◽  
Public Issue ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Public Scrutiny ◽  
Innovation Processes ◽  
Do So

Abstract New technologies will have a big impact on our public life-world, suggesting that it is necessary to have a public debate on innovation. Such a debate is missing: instead of having a debate on the process of technology development, only expected effects of new technologies are discussed. This is undesirable as innovation processes recruit implicit normative assumptions that should be opened up for public scrutiny. This article aims to outline conditions and possibilities for organizing such public debates on innovation. It will do so by depicting innovations as wilful metamorphoses which materialize worldviews and expectations entertained by technology developers. Existing technology assessment organizations could instigate discussions on the desirability and credibility of these worldviews and expectations, so as to further democratize the process of technology development.

Home, Sweet Home: Negotiating Intimacy in Brazilian Elitist Closed Condominiums

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 374-395
Author(s):  
Rafael Ignacio Estrada Mejia ◽  
Carla Guerrón Guerron Montero
Keyword(s):  
Collective Mode ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Social Distinction ◽  
History Of ◽  
Collective Production ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Do So

This article aims to decrease the cultural invisibility of the wealthy by exploring the Brazilian emergent elites and their preferred living arrangement: elitist closed condominiums (BECCs) from a micropolitical perspective.  We answer the question: What is the relationship between intimacy and subjectivity that is produced in the collective mode of existence of BECCs? To do so, we trace the history of the elite home, from the master’s house (casa grande) to contemporary closed condominiums. Following, we discuss the features of closed condominiums as spaces of segregation, fragmentation and social distinction, characterized by minimal public life and an internalized sociability. Finally, based on ethnographic research conducted in the mid-size city of Londrina (state of Paraná) between 2015 and 2017, we concentrate on four members of the emergent elite who live in BECCs, addressing their collective production of subjectivity. 

The Dilemma between Aligned Expectations and Diversity in Innovation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timur Ergen
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Historical Case ◽  
History Of Capitalism ◽  
Synthetic Fuel ◽  
The Us ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One ◽  
Technology Policies ◽  
Lock In ◽  
Innovation Processes

This chapter brings together arguments from economics, sociology, and political economy to show that innovation processes are characterized by a dilemma between the advantages of aligned expectations—including greater coordination and investment—and those of diversity, including superior openness to new technological possibilities. To illustrate the argument, the chapter discusses a historical case involving one of the largest coordinated peace-time attempts to hasten technological innovation in the history of capitalism, namely the US energy technology policies of the 1970s and 1980s. Close examination of the commercialization of photovoltaics and synthetic fuel initiatives illustrates both sides of the dilemma between shared versus diverse expectations in innovation: coordination but possible premature lock-in on the one hand, and openness but possible stagnation on the other. The chapter shows that even the exploration and interpretation of new technologies may be as much a product of focused investment as of trial-and-error search.

scholarly journals Trusting the Corona-Warn-App? Contemplations on trust and trustworthiness at the intersection of technology, politics and public debate

2021 ◽  
pp. 026732312110283
Author(s):  
Judith Simon ◽  
Gernot Rieder
Keyword(s):  
Technology Development ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Moral Duties ◽  
Moral Demands

Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions of whom or what to trust have become paramount. This article examines the public debates surrounding the initial development of the German Corona-Warn-App in 2020 as a case study to analyse such questions at the intersection of trust and trustworthiness in technology development, design and oversight. Providing some insights into the nature and dynamics of trust and trustworthiness, we argue that (a) trust is only desirable and justified if placed well, that is, if directed at those being trustworthy; that (b) trust and trustworthiness come in degrees and have both epistemic and moral components; and that (c) such a normatively demanding understanding of trust excludes technologies as proper objects of trust and requires that trust is directed at socio-technical assemblages consisting of both humans and artefacts. We conclude with some lessons learned from our case study, highlighting the epistemic and moral demands for trustworthy technology development as well as for public debates about such technologies, which ultimately requires attributing epistemic and moral duties to all actors involved.

scholarly journals Living data

Human Affairs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 512-517
Author(s):  
Barry Allen
Keyword(s):  
Technical Change ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technical Object ◽  
Question Today ◽  
Modes Of Existence ◽  
New Infrastructure ◽  
Do So

AbstractWe see new technologies changing how we live, and seemingly set to do so at a rising pace. How should we describe these changes, and what exactly is changing? I discuss the theory of technical change in Simondon, On the Modes of Existence of the Technical Object. Once we understand precisely what sort of change qualifies as “technical,” we see that the changes in question today have little to do with technology as such, more with a new infrastructure for its deployment.

Hospital-based health technology assessment in Brazil: current experiences and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Coelho de Soárez ◽  
Vera Lúcia Edais Pepe ◽  
Hillegonda Maria Dutilh Novaes
Keyword(s):  
Health Technology Assessment ◽  
Technology Assessment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Regulation System ◽  
Hospital Policy ◽  
National Network ◽  
Unified Health System ◽  
Use Of Resources

Abstract In Brazil, there is no consensus on the concept of hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA). There is great variability in the existing models and difficulty in evaluating their results—whether in respect of clinical decisions, quality of care, and hospital policy and management or in respect of optimizing the use of resources. This study aims to discuss the experiences of HB-HTA, its integration into the regulatory system for the adoption of new technologies into the Brazilian public (SUS) (Unified Health System), and its main challenges. During a workshop, a panel of specialists in HTA and/or HB-HTA was formed, representative of four different perspectives: (i) Health services and health technology assessment units, (ii) Academia, (iii) Secretary of State for Health, and (iv) the Federal SUS sector. This was followed by discussion, a preliminary consensus, contributions from the audience, a plenary session, and a final consensus. HB-HTA is not institutionalized, nor is it part of the regulation system for the adoption of new technologies in the SUS. The main challenges are the difficulties in creating qualified teams, financial support, and sustainability. The work of these bodies in respect of the evaluation of new technologies deserves further studies analyzing the relationship between the pressure for adoption from the hospital team and industry professionals and legal rulings. It is necessary to strengthen HB-HTA culture and implement this policy in hospital management, making assessment bodies a part of managerial and decision-making processes in hospitals, and develop regional collaborative networks and a national network of HTA.

scholarly journals Leviathan, or the Rudder of Public Health

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Denis Horgan ◽  
Walter Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Big Data ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Personalised Medicine ◽  
Member States ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Do So

In the world of modern health, despite the fact that we've been blessed with amazing advances of late - the advent of personalised medicine is just one example - “change” for most citizens seems slow. There are clear discrepancies in availability of the best care for all, the divisions in access from country to country, wealthy to poor, are large. There are even discrepancies between regions of the larger countries, where access often varies alarmingly. Too many Member States (with their competence for healthcare) appear to be clinging stubbornly to the concept of “one-size-fits-all” in healthcare and often stifle advances possible through personalised medicine. Meanwhile, the legislative arena encompassing health has grown big and unwieldy in many respects. And bigger is not always better. The health advances spoken of above, an increased knowledge on the part of patients, the emergence of Big Data and more, are quickly changing the face of healthcare in Europe. But healthcare thinking across the EU isn't changing fast enough. The new technologies will certainly speak for themselves, but only if allowed to do so. Acknowledging that, this article highlights a positive reform agenda, while explaining that new avenues need to be explored.

scholarly journals How to approach a many splendoured thing: Proxy Technology Assessment as a methodological praxis to study virtual experience

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizzy Bleumers ◽  
Kris Naessens ◽  
An Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Technology Assessment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Virtual Experiences

This article introduces Proxy Technology Assessment (PTA) as a methodological approach that can widen the scope of virtual world and game research. Studies of how people experience virtual worlds and games often focus on individual in-world or in-game experiences. However, people do not perceive these worlds and games in isolation. They are embedded within a social context that has strongly intertwined online and offline components. Studying virtual experiences while accounting for these interconnections calls for new methodological approaches. PTA answers this call.Combining several methods, PTA can be used to investigate how new technology may impact and settle within people's everyday life (Pierson et al., 2006). It involves introducing related devices or applications, available today, to users in their natural setting and studying the context-embedded practices they alter or evoke. This allows researchers to detect social and functional requirements to improve the design of new technologies. These requirements, like the practices under investigation, do not stop at the outlines of a magic circle (cf. Huizinga, 1955).We will start this article by contextualizing and defining PTA. Next, we will describe the practical implementation of PTA. Each step of the procedure will be illustrated with examples and supplemented with lessons learned from two interdisciplinary scientific projects, Hi-Masquerade and Teleon, concerned with how people perceive and use virtual worlds and games respectively.

scholarly journals Support for the Development of Technological Innovations at an R&D Organisation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12469
Author(s):  
Beata Poteralska
Keyword(s):  
Technology Assessment ◽  
Research Result ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Original Matrix ◽  
Organisational Capabilities ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Innovation Processes

Effective development of technological innovations requires efficient management at the stages of their generation, realisation, and their implementation. For this aim, concepts such as foresight, technology assessment, and organisational capabilities assessment can be applied; however, so far they have been used mainly individually or sometimes combined but to a very limited extent. Moreover, they are not used comprehensively, but only selectively, e.g., at some stages of the innovation processes. The research problem undertaken in the paper concerns the effectiveness of the integration of these concepts: future research (mainly foresight), technology assessment, and organisational capabilities assessment for the needs of supporting innovation processes. The paper is aimed at presenting an original approach assuming the integration of the aforementioned triad. The proposed approach has been developed individually by the paper’s author on the basis of (1) state of the art analysis comprising both theoretical approaches and practical examples of individual and combined application of the concepts analysed, and (2) the author’s practical experience resulting from research projects conducted collectively. The research result comprises an original matrix approach where the individual concepts of the triad are applied in a way enabling their mutual complementation at all successive stages of the innovation process. The approach proposed comprises modules referring to the succeeding stages of the innovation process, namely generation, realisation and application of technological innovations. The areas of the approach application and possible directions of its further development are presented.

scholarly journals FORECASTING OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ECONOMY: ACCOUNTING POINT OF VIEW

2019 ◽  
pp. 37-44
Author(s):  
L. Shkulipa
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Hype Cycle ◽  
Predictive Assessment ◽  
Further Development

In the article the importance of blockchain technology in the economy and predicting its development from the accounting point of view was investigated. The methods used in the study are based on the analysis of literature related to disclosure issues and a description of existing blockchain claims on the world stage. On the basis of this, a predictive assessment of the considered results for the further development of blockchain technology in the economy, its impact on accounting and the profession of accountant was made. The findings include the positive and negative effects of blockchain technology on the medical and banking sectors, information technology, the financial sector, and accounting. The blockchain in the hype cycle was considered as a phenomenon that all new technologies undergo before stable existing or disappearing. Based on the consideration of the most famous blockchain projects with the combination of Big Data, the estimation of the development technologies of Blockchain and Big Data in finance was discussed. This study suggests to consider blockchain technology as (1) a new way of sending and processing invoices, documents, contracts, and payments, reducing errors, costs and transaction time; (2) a path to financial equality through affordability; (3) investments in the local economy so that developing countries can grow significantly; (4) updating the currency market and the international monetary and financial transaction system; (5) a major breakthrough in the economy together with the Big Data technology.

scholarly journals THE WORLD DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY: THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT STRATAGEMS

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
Olena Taranukha
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Business Models ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
The World ◽  
New Business

The digital economy allows to compose the new business models, digital platforms and services, which create new types of economic activity, as well as the transformation of traditional industries. Due to the industries transformation to the digital economy there is the transformation of the world economy, or rather the economy itself is being digitized The purpose of the paper is to reveal the essence and features of the digital economy formation and to consider what significant transformations will take place in the world by the analysis of major trends in the near future. Accumulating all the concepts, we can say that the digital economy is the rather complex term, but we can assume that its development is based on the key components According to forecast estimates, the most advanced retail companies will begin implementing the service of virtual and voice search of goods by 2022. This will require from the company the better understanding of the consumers wishes, their interests and intentions. Consider the main technological development trends for 2020-2025 based on the data of the major consulting agencies and the consulting company "Cartner" Figure 2 shows the forecast curve of the new technologies development. Innovative development triggers that will actively influence the technology development include the following: the Authenticated Provenance, Low-Cost Single Board Computers at the Edge, Self-Supervised Learning, BMI (Brain Machine Interface), active development of "Packaged Business Capabilities" services, Digital Twin of the Person and Composible Enterprises. The peak of disappointments will be Social Distancing Technologies and Secure Access Service. The source of expectations will be the development of Carbon-Based transistors technology and Human digital Ontologies. The formation of a productivity platform will be based on trends in Self-Development and Self-Education. Digital IT trends grow, evolve and acquire new properties of social technologies that can influence the structure of the community, form dependencies and demand. Therefore, companies, large corporations and government need to move to more flexible composite business architectures. The modular business model is based on four basic principles: modularity, efficiency, continuous improvement and adaptive innovation. This business model allows to move from rigid traditional planning to a flexible response to rapidly changing business needs. In general, it creates opportunities for innovative approaches, reduces costs and improves partnerships. It is important to pay attention to the other technologies in the new business model such as bundled business services, data factories, private 5G networks and embedded artificial intelligence. Thus, as a result of the research it is proved that the digital world is a completely new order of life, which requires to change our thinking. The person should be always focused on the new technologies and methods in order the enterprises remain competitive and constantly developed, it will promote the economy development and the growth of well-being of the society. So, taking into account the global trends in technology development, Ukraine has to adapt to the new standards quickly and implement innovative solutions for the economic development. The digitalization of the economy, on the one hand, is the key to economic success, on the other hand, it is the driving force in the conditions of the conceptual understanding of the digital economy essence. The growth of the quality and innovation level of domestic goods and services should provide not only sustainable economic growth, but also competitive advantages with further integration into the EU. At the same time, there is the relevant need of the scientific and technological research, the formation of a certain business ("digital") culture, the implementation of smart city ideas in Ukraine based on the development of local communities and the emergence of new initiatives and proposals for innovative solutions.

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