scholarly journals Emerging Technologies: Innovation, Demassification, Effectiveness, Revolutions In Military Affairs

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-308
Author(s):  
Mircea Udrescu ◽  
Eugen Siteanu
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Great Powers ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Destructive Effect ◽  
Psychological Warfare ◽  
Modern Vision ◽  
Human Density

Abstract While emerging technologies are generally incipient technologies, still under development, whose competitive impact is expected to be quite high and may have long-term strategic significance, by replacing current technologies with the potential to become key technologies, “emerging destructive technologies”designates the set of emerging technologies that are meant to be destructive and be used as methods, systems and techniques specific to war. And, since the great powers do not seem too willing to bury the hatchett of war, but use it in all geopolitical discourses, the destructive component of emerging technologies has become a catalyst for the innovative efforts of companies and states, which leave open great prospects for success in the lucrative business. The practice of emerging technologies so far has led to a change in the paradigm of warfare for many countries, to the conduct of remote warfare, to simultaneous and rather complicated hybrid actions, to the transformation of radio and television into modern instruments of psychological warfare. Emerging technologies with a destructive role are in the process of triggering new revolutions in the field of military affairs, resulting in the privatization of quality ideas incorporated in the means of combat, but also to dominate the market competition. Emerging technologies with a destructive effect propose for political decision makers: the decrease of human density on the battlefield, a modular articulated army with the possibility of ad-hoc summoning, a modern vision of the super-soldier, robotization and miniaturization of combat technique.

Image Theory and the Initiation of Strategic Rivalries

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjeet S. Pardesi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Cognitive Process ◽  
International System ◽  
Great Powers ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Image Theory ◽  
Policy Choices ◽  
Domestic Affairs

The assessment of an opponent as a strategic rival is analytically equivalent to evaluating its strategic image. The central decision-makers of states reevaluate the image of other regional states and the great powers of the system in response to strategic shocks, as they have an impact on interstate interaction capacity. Interaction capacity in the international system can be affected by three types of changes—military, political, and economic. A strategic rivalry is a process that initiates when the central decision-makers of at least one state in a dyad ascribe the image of an enemy to the other as a consequence of such shocks. It is important to empirically demonstrate the ascription of these images through a cognitive process because strategic rivalries are a function of decision-maker perceptions by definition. Four types of enemy images are identified here—expansionist states, which are territorially revisionist; hegemonic states, which circumscribe a given state’s foreign policy choices; imperial states, which intervene in a given state’s domestic affairs in addition to being hegemonic; and peer-competitors, who pose latent and/or long-term threats. Once formed, these images are sustained over long periods of time and change only slowly in response to additional strategic shocks. These images also inform the strategy that a given state pursues toward its rival.

scholarly journals The Great War and the Middle East

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-73
Author(s):  
Amr G.E. Sabet
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Great Powers ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Alternative Perspective ◽  
Military Conflicts ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Great War

This book attempts to provide a new reading of the historical events thatserved to shape the Middle East, during and immediately after the firstGreat War (1914-1918). While it does not go so far as to make revisionistclaims, it does make a claim to an alternative perspective on other narratives.The author questions how this grand conflict has been portrayed, notonly in its immediate aftermath but also in its long-term effects observed incurrent regional instabilities.The book includes twelve chapters arranged chronologically and by region,focusing on the military conflicts of WWI not as a study of “militaryhistory of maneuvers” as such, but as a “study of war” in a fashion that reflectsthe interactions of decision-makers involved in this great conflict (x).The first chapter introduces the reader to the “making of imperial strategy”focusing on “ends and ways” (1). By the early twentieth century, Britain appearedto face numerous threats from other great powers such as Germany, ...

scholarly journals Prehistory, Playhouses and the Public: London's Planning Archaeology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Single ◽  
Louise Davies
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Benefits ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Visitor Attractions

Three recent examples of public benefit following archaeological discoveries in London are presented, alongside an explanation of the policy context that supports them. The examples are provided from the perspective of planning archaeologists, who advise decision makers and developers on managing archaeological sites in compliance with local and national policy. The cases illustrate ad hoc public benefits secured following surprise discoveries at an excavation in Tottenham, as well as long-term benefits resulting from staged investigation and negotiation of two Elizabethan playhouses in Shoreditch and Aldgate. We discuss issues around encouraging and operating permanent visitor attractions and how to best secure the benefits deriving from those places through the UK planning system. We suggest some ways for this young field to develop further.

Research for a sustainable European sugar sector

2010 ◽  
pp. 487-495
Author(s):  
Martin Bruhns ◽  
Peter Glaviè ◽  
Arne Sloth Jensen ◽  
Michael Narodoslawsky ◽  
Giorgio Pezzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Industry ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sustainable Chemistry ◽  
Technology Platforms ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Manufacturing Applications ◽  
European Technology

The paper is based on the results of international project entitled “Towards Sustainable Sugar Industry in Europe (TOSSIE)”. 33 research topics of major importance to the sugar sector are listed and briefly described, and compared with research priorities of the European Technology Platforms: “Food for Life”, “Sustainable Chemistry”, “Biofuels”, and “Plant for the Future”. Most topics are compatible with the research themes included in the COOPERATION part of the 7th Framework Program of the EU (2007-2013). However, some topics may require long-term R&D with the time horizon of up to 15 years. The list of topics is divided into four parts: Sugar manufacturing, Applications of biotechnology and biorefinery processing, Sugarbeet breeding and growing, Horizontal issues. Apart from possible use of the list by policy- and decision makers with an interest in sugarbeet sector, the description of each research topic can be used as a starting point in setting up a research project or other R&D activities.

scholarly journals Integrated Impact Assessment for Sustainable Hydropower Planning in the Vjosa Catchment (Greece, Albania)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1514
Author(s):  
Rebecca Peters ◽  
Jürgen Berlekamp ◽  
Ana Lucía ◽  
Vittoria Stefani ◽  
Klement Tockner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
Hydropower Plants ◽  
Hydropower Planning

Mitigating climate change, while human population and economy are growing globally, requires a bold shift to renewable energy sources. Among renewables, hydropower is currently the most economic and efficient technique. However, due to a lack of impact assessments at the catchment scale in the planning process, the construction of hydropower plants (HPP) may have unexpected ecological, socioeconomic, and political ramifications in the short and in the long term. The Vjosa River, draining parts of Northern Greece and Albania, is one of the few predominantly free-flowing rivers left in Europe; at the same time its catchment is identified an important resource for future hydropower development. While current hydropower plants are located along tributaries, planned HPP would highly impact the free-flowing main stem. Taking the Vjosa catchment as a case study, the aim of this study was to develop a transferable impact assessment that ranks potential hydropower sites according to their projected impacts on a catchment scale. Therefore, we integrated established ecological, social, and economic indicators for all HPP planned in the river catchment, while considering their capacity, and developed a ranking method based on impact categories. For the Vjosa catchment, ten hydropower sites were ranked as very harmful to the environment as well as to society. A sensitivity analysis revealed that this ranking is dependent upon the selection of indicators. Small HPP showed higher cumulative impacts than large HPP, when normalized to capacity. This study empowers decision-makers to compare both the ranked impacts and the generated energy of planned dam projects at the catchment scale.

scholarly journals Corruption, Taxation and the Impact on the Shadow Economy

Economies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Němec ◽  
Eva Kotlánová ◽  
Igor Kotlán ◽  
Zuzana Machová
Keyword(s):  
Tax Evasion ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Shadow Economy ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Destructive Effect ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Initial Assumption ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

While assessing the economic impacts of corruption, the corruption-related transmission channels which influence taxation as such have to be duly considered. Taking the example of the Czech Republic, this article aims to evaluate the impacts corruption has on the size of the shadow economy as well as on the individual sources of long-term economic growth, making use of a transmission channel through which corruption affects the tax burden components. Using the method of an extended DSGE model, it confirms the initial assumption that an increase in perceived corruption supports the shadow economy’s growth, but at the same time, it demonstrates that corruption and especially its perception has a significantly different effect on two key areas—the capital accumulation and the labour force size. It further identifies another sector of the economy representing taxes which are prone to tax evasion while asserting that corruption has a much more destructive effect on this sector of the economy, offering generalized implications for other post-communist EU member states in a similar situation.

scholarly journals Economic Development Based on a Mathematical Model: An Optimal Solution Method for the Fuel Supply of International Road Transport Activity

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2963
Author(s):  
Melinda Timea Fülöp ◽  
Miklós Gubán ◽  
György Kovács ◽  
Mihály Avornicului
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Optimal Decision ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Fuel Cost

Due to globalization and increased market competition, forwarding companies must focus on the optimization of their international transport activities and on cost reduction. The minimization of the amount and cost of fuel results in increased competition and profitability of the companies as well as the reduction of environmental damage. Nowadays, these aspects are particularly important. This research aims to develop a new optimization method for road freight transport costs in order to reduce the fuel costs and determine optimal fueling stations and to calculate the optimal quantity of fuel to refill. The mathematical method developed in this research has two phases. In the first phase the optimal, most cost-effective fuel station is determined based on the potential fuel stations. The specific fuel prices differ per fuel station, and the stations are located at different distances from the main transport way. The method developed in this study supports drivers’ decision-making regarding whether to refuel at a farther but cheaper fuel station or at a nearer but more expensive fuel station based on the more economical choice. Thereafter, it is necessary to determine the optimal fuel volume, i.e., the exact volume required including a safe amount to cover stochastic incidents (e.g., road closures). This aspect of the optimization method supports drivers’ optimal decision-making regarding optimal fuel stations and how much fuel to obtain in order to reduce the fuel cost. Therefore, the application of this new method instead of the recently applied ad-hoc individual decision-making of the drivers results in significant fuel cost savings. A case study confirmed the efficiency of the proposed method.

scholarly journals Assessing the Capacity of Adaptive Policy Pathways to Adapt on Time by Mapping Trigger Values to Their Outcomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Raso ◽  
Jan Kwakkel ◽  
Jos Timmermans
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
Adaptive Policy ◽  
Misclassification Errors ◽  
The Future ◽  
Adaptive Action ◽  
The Face

Climate change raises serious concerns for policymakers that want to ensure the success of long-term policies. To guarantee satisfactory decisions in the face of deep uncertainties, adaptive policy pathways might be used. Adaptive policy pathways are designed to take actions according to how the future will actually unfold. In adaptive pathways, a monitoring system collects the evidence required for activating the next adaptive action. This monitoring system is made of signposts and triggers. Signposts are indicators that track the performance of the pathway. When signposts reach pre-specified trigger values, the next action on the pathway is implemented. The effectiveness of the monitoring system is pivotal to the success of adaptive policy pathways, therefore the decision-makers would like to have sufficient confidence about the future capacity to adapt on time. “On time” means activating the next action on a pathway neither so early that it incurs unnecessary costs, nor so late that it incurs avoidable damages. In this paper, we show how mapping the relations between triggers and the probability of misclassification errors inform the level of confidence that a monitoring system for adaptive policy pathways can provide. Specifically, we present the “trigger-probability” mapping and the “trigger-consequences” mappings. The former mapping displays the interplay between trigger values for a given signpost and the level of confidence regarding whether change occurs and adaptation is needed. The latter mapping displays the interplay between trigger values for a given signpost and the consequences of misclassification errors for both adapting the policy or not. In a case study, we illustrate how these mappings can be used to test the effectiveness of a monitoring system, and how they can be integrated into the process of designing an adaptive policy.

ROBUST INTERVAL-BASED MINIMAX-REGRET ANALYSIS METHOD FOR FILTER MANAGEMENT OF FLUID POWER SYSTEM

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (06) ◽  
pp. 1350021
Author(s):  
SONGLIN NIE ◽  
HUI JI ◽  
YEQING HUANG ◽  
ZHEN HU ◽  
YONGPING LI
Keyword(s):  
Power System ◽  
Optimal Strategies ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Fluid Power ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Minimax Regret ◽  
Fluid Power System ◽  
System Maintenance ◽  
Management Alternatives

Fluid contamination is one of the main reasons for the wear failure and the related downtime in a hydraulic power system. Filters play an important role in controlling the contamination effectively, increasing the reliability of the system, and maintaining the system economically. Due to the uncertainties of system parameters, the complicated relationship among components, as well as the lack of effective approach, managing filters is becoming one of the biggest challenges for engineers and decision makers. In this study, a robust interval-based minimax-regret analysis (RIMA) method is developed for the filter management in a fluid power system (FPS) under uncertainty. The RIMA method can handle the uncertainties existed in contaminant ingressions of the system and contaminant holding capacity of filters without making assumption on probabilistic distributions for random variables. Through analyzing the system cost of all possible filter management alternatives, an interval element regret matrix can be obtained, which enables decision makers to identify the optimal filter management strategy under uncertainty. The results of a case study indicate that the reasonable solutions generated can help decision makers understand the consequence of short-term and long-term decisions, identify optimal strategies for filter allocation and selection with minimized system-maintenance cost and system-failure risk.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document