Problems of Decision-Making in Implementation of Technological Innovations in Transport Industry

The article considers the features of transport as an object of technological innovation, due, on the one hand, to the service nature of the main activity and the specifics of innovative processes during provision of transport and logistics services, and, on the other hand, to the high capital intensity and technological complexity of the infrastructure transport complex, which is the focus point of technological innovation.The objective of the article is to substantiate the initial prerequisites for developing an alternative approach to making strategic decisions on development of transport organisations based on technological innovations, which, besides the traditional justification of economic efficiency, considers several non-economic factors. The method of substantiation is a systemic strategic analysis, which allows to study the features of the transport complex in the context of the factors of external environment and their dynamics.Regarding the Russian Federation, the scale of the national territory, natural and climatic diversity and uneven territorial distribution of the resource and production base determine the special role and place of transport in the national economy, which quite often leads to the need to make decisions on development of the transport complex based on predominantly non-economic factors (such as security, reliability, environmental friendliness, etc.) and on scientific, technical, political and socio-economic forecasts. At the same time, private enterprises (with or without participation of the state) dominate currently almost all transport sectors where they operate on the principles of profitability, investment attractiveness and competitiveness, which leads to inconsistency of internal decision-making criteria in the field of technological strategies.The ongoing change in the technological paradigm is an additional and significant factor determining trends in transport developments. It is based on the processes of digitalisation and digital transformation of the transport and logistics business. The problems of decision-making in implementation of technological innovations in transport industry, arising from its peculiarities, necessitate a revision of approaches since economic assessments of efficiency are not always able to reflect the real needs and feasibility of choosing mainstream trends in technological development of the transport system.The analysis of the features of the transport and logistics industry based on universal experience and cases in Russian practices in the context of formation of a new technological paradigm makes it possible to substantiate the methodology for making strategic decisions on implementation of technological innovations.

The Shift in the Childbirth Paradigm in Latin America and its Socio-Political Implications

The article tackles the issue of the shift in the model of childbirth taking place in Latin American countries. Based on the analysis of 2012 documentary film Nacer by Jorge Caballero, audiovisual material from organizations dedicated to maternity care, and selected documents and legislation it focuses on values, significances, normative principles and power relations in technological and natural childbirth models. I argue that a shift from the technological paradigm to the natural paradigm of childbirth may contribute to the abolition of patriarchal structures perpetuating violence, the women’s empowerment and the construction of a society supported by the values of respect and love for living beings.

THE CONCEPT OF MULTI-LEVEL MODIFICATION IN THE TECHNOLOGY OF HIGHLY FILLED FLUOROCOMPOSITES

The structural and technological aspects of obtaining composite materials based on polytetrafluoroethylene are considered. It is shown that due to the existence of inert components in the process of interfacial interaction with the degree of filling in the traditional technological paradigm implemented, structural paradox manifests itself in proportion to the reduction of the parameter of tensile strength with increasing degree of filling. According to the concept of multi-level modification, the technological principles are proposed to eliminate the negative impact of the structural paradox fluorine composites by controlling the structure of the organization at various levels – molecular, supramolecular, and interfacial phase. Efficient methods of manufacture of products from highly filled fluorine composites containing 25–35 wt. % carbon fiber with parameters of deformation and strength characteristics higher than the corresponding parameters of analogs.

Transformation of Management of the Timber Industry Complex of the Baikal Region During the Transition to a New Technological Paradigm

In the context of economic downturn, increasing competition and uncertainties in the global market, in connection with the transition to a new technological paradigm, Russia should move from an ultra-liberal model of economic management to a planned market model focused on the results of economic growth and modernization of production. This requires increasing state control in the reproduction processes in the timber industry (LPC) (taking into account the principles of the «green economy»), which requires deep theoretical understanding, including management transformation at the federal and regional levels. In this article, we employed general scientific methods to show the urgent need for transforming the management of the Baikal region LPC, restructuring the system of institutions, in order to ensure the formation and implementation of large-scale modernization projects in this area on a scientific basis, achieve stable economic growth, and increase the competitiveness of the Russian LPC on the global market. We proposed that the foundation of this system should be a federal subject of management - the Ministry of Forestry of the Russian Federation, which performs the functions of planning, organizing, and motivating the transition of LPC enterprises to a new technological paradigm.

SUGGESTIONS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR PROCESSING COAL ON THE BASIS OF USING UNIVERSAL MODULES OF INDUSTRIAL DISINTEGRATORS/ACTIVATORS

The UMID/A developed by the authors of the present paper represent the devices, which are fully compliant with the nano energetics of the Sixth Technological Paradigm and possess unique technical characteristics (extremely high density of the magnetic induction, which is close to the hundred percent of the performance factor, low consumption of materials etc.) that provides for the possibility of grinding in those modules of various materials up to nano dimensions with the purpose of using the ground materials in various sectors of industrial manufacturing, chemistry and medicine. Unique characteristics of the UMID/A determined the possibility of using such disintegrators in the principally new, developed by us technologies for obtaining inexpensive alkaline nano-cements/concretes without additional annealing of the waste of mining and metallurgy productions, inexpensive and environmentally friendly pure arbolite made of alkaline cements, boiler furnace fuel, diesel fuel, lubricating preparations made of coal inexpensive carbon nanotubes and binders of brittle and not very demanded by the construction industry inexpensive materials.

Research of China-Us K-wave based decision making

Most prominent works on the subject, including k-wave theory-based research, do not elaborate on the topic of interconnectivity between economy and research on a microeconomic scale, instead of focusing on general innovation theory and macroeconomic stimuli. Present paper aims to discover k-wave theory-based decision making and potential explanation in R&D standoff between the United States, leader of fifth technological paradigm, and China – emerging leader of sixth technological paradigm. Overall conducted research shows fundamental divergence and a variety of interpretations within the framework of the k-wave theory itself, the proposed change in recourse flow stands true which in turn signifies the importance of k-wave theory in the modern decision-making process.

From the tool to the spatial metaphor: Graphical user interface and audiovisual creation in new media

This article is set within a technological paradigm shift that denotes a transition from hardware to software and that, by means of applications and operating systems, plays a central role in the sociocultural sphere, intervening in the creation, classification and distribution of cultural objects. The aim of this research is to delve into how the graphical user interface (GUI) integrates into contemporary audiovisual discourse, focusing on its potential as a spatial metaphor. To that end, a theoretical framework is built on the concept of space as a tool and its instrumentalization in the GUI throughout the years, with a view to design a taxonomy in relation to the different ways in which the GUI integrates into digital image composition. The article concludes that the ability to operate in the virtual and physical space, moving between the logic of the tool and its potential as spatial metaphor, provides the GUI with the necessary specificity to be considered a key cultural element for analysing new media’s visual identity.