Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Technological Convergence?

PurposeThis paper aims to study the results of open innovation initiatives in Spain under the lockdown during the first stages of the COVID-19 crisis. Based on the most recent literature on open innovation in the public sector, this paper explores the following research questions, namely, what are the key features of collaborative governance processes that guided open innovation initiatives in the Spanish public sector during the COVID-19 crises? How open public innovation cases generated public value to the society during the COVID-19 crises in Spain?Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on two in-depth case studies of open innovation in the public sector: the collaborative platform Frena la Curva and the hackathon Vence al Virus, both launched during the first moments of the COVID-19 crisis. The methodology is based on 13 semi-structured interviews, content observation and documentary analysis. The data were interpreted according to the dimensions described in the analytical framework: descriptive dimensions of both initiatives but also their degree of elaboration, incentives and objectives, characteristics of governance and collaboration between actors and challenges for the accountability processes; and finally, their procedural legitimacy, considering the COVID-19 crisis context.FindingsThe results of the study show that citizens have played a key role during the hardest stage of the crisis, collaborating with governments and advancing their innovative capabilities, mostly in the digital sphere. The analysis also identified different outcomes, including the improvement of citizen’s involvement, deliberation practices or network building. Besides, this paper has identified some limitations and barriers to open innovation and collaborative governance processes in terms of accountability and legitimacy of these initiatives. Here, their contribution was constrained by the emerging stage of implementation and by the unique circumstances of the lockdown under the COVID-19 crisis.Research limitations/implicationsFuture advancements of open innovation initiatives to consolidate collaborative governance processes will need further exploration. Although this paper diversified the contacts and the data collection in the fieldwork to avoid social biases, the results of the interviews might reflect very positive outcomes. Despite the case studies that took place during the COVID-19 crisis and their planned actions to maintain their existence, the post-crisis analysis will be needed to assess the impact of these open innovation cases in collaborative governance structures.Practical implicationsOpen innovation is an emerging narrative and practice in the public sector requiring time and energy from public officials and managers. The study also highlighted the problem of how to legitimate open innovation cases in the public sector and the implications for their institutionalization. Public managers involved in these types of initiatives need to keep the momentum both inside and outside their organizations. Regarding the utilization of information and communications technologies (ICTs), open innovation processes do not need technology to develop their full potential, whereas the COVID-19 crisis and the ongoing digitalization of work settings, accessibility, etc., could transform ICTs into a critical tool for public managers leading innovation initiatives within their organizations.Social implicationsThe social implications of this paper are manifold. This study provides evidence of one of the future avenues of public management: open innovation. New avenues for the involvement and collaboration of citizens with public authorities are another social implication pinpointed by this paper. Democratic legitimacy and procedural accountability are assessed using the open innovation case studies during the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, transforming governments using collaborative platforms deserves social oversight understanding if they really contribute to build trust in political institutions.Originality/valueDespite their differences, both Frena la Curva and Vence al Virus demonstrated the potential and limitations of public innovation and collaborative governance to cope with an unprecedented crisis such as the COVID-19. The special features of this emergency, including the long period of confinement, posed challenges and also opportunities to develop these initiatives: as several interviewees stated, these projects helped to channel the civic energy to co-produce solutions in collaboration with a wide range of actors. Data allow us to identify the key features of collaborative governance that guided open innovation initiatives in the Spanish public sector during the COVID-19 crisis.

Technology convergence indicates that technologies of different application areas are converted into a new and common unity of technology. Its range spans from inter-field, whereby technologies are converged between heterogeneous fields in homogeneous sector, to a wider inter-sector, whereby technologies belong to heterogeneous technology sector are converged. This paper determined the definition of technology convergence from previous literature and classified patents into technology category depending on patent information. Furthermore, we empirically measure technology convergence degree based on co-classification analysis and estimate its diffusion trend at the entire technology domain level by using overall 1,476,967 of patents filed to the KIPO (Korean Intellectual Property Office) from 1998 to 2010. As a result, potential size and growth rate of technology convergence are varied by both technology and type of technology convergence, i.e., inter-field and inter-sector technology convergence. Diffusion pattern of inter-sector technology convergence appears as the more various form than that of inter-field technology convergence. In a relationship between potential size and growth rate of technology convergence, growth rate of technology convergence is in inverse proportion to potential size of technology convergence in general. That is, the faster the growth rate of technology convergence, the smaller the potential size of technology convergence. In addition, this paper found that technology convergence of the instrument and chemistry sector is actively progressing in both inter-field and inter-sector convergence, while the technologies related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in electrical engineering sector have relatively mature progress of technology convergence, especially in inter-sector technology convergence.

Saudi Arabia has been increasingly using the knowledge economy, which employs digital technologies, to boost the country’s prosperity and growth. To measure the impact of the knowledge economy on sustainable development in the Al-Jouf region, in this research, a survey was utilized as the principal tool for gathering data from employees who occupy administrative positions in both public and private organizations in the region. The collected data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology. The results indicate that information and communication technology (ICT) is the most important dimension in both public and private institutions, while the dimension of innovation, research, and development ranks last. Although ICT is significantly applied, there are shortcomings in other aspects of the knowledge economy in both public and private institutions. This study recommends developing the investment environment through economic incentives and institutional systems to make it more attractive to establish entrepreneurial activities. Additionally, it suggests the need to fund applied research and development and leverage the outcomes to develop innovative and entrepreneurial activities. Overall, the knowledge economy has a positive impact on sustainable development in the Al-Jouf region.

Background. Life expectancy is an important health status indicator based on average number of years a person at a given age may be expected to live given current mortality rates. Given this significance, it would be necessary to probe into the factors affecting the life expectancy. Ensuring that information and communication technology (ICT) services are properly used could contribute to development and achievement, as it represents an important issue for the countries moving toward knowledge-based and information-based societies. Therefore, this study explored the impact of the information and communication technology on life expectancy. Methods. This study covers annual data from 2008 to 2018 for a group of countries in the Middle East. Data were retrieved from the Annual Reports such as World Bank and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data sets. The effects of ICT on life expectancy are estimated with the Panel model. We also used the Hausman test to investigate fixed versus random effects. The data were analyzed by Stata 14 software. Results. The core findings of this study confirm the significant impact of ICT on life expectancy in the Middle East. The calculated Coefficient of the regression was 0.551 indicating how much life expectancy changes when ICT variable increases by one unit. Moreover, the rho (intraclass correlation) was found to be 0.975 showing that 97.5% of the variance is due to differences across panels. Conclusion. Considering the effect of ICT on life expectancy, policymakers of the Middle Eastern countries should integrate the use of ICT with the existing programs and systems. Technology is not an end in itself but merely the means to reinforce the existing system and to meet the locally determined goals. It can be used as a tool to attain broader health and development goals. Background Life expectancy is an important health status indicator based on average number of years a person at a given age may be expected to live given current mortality rates. Given this significance, it would be necessary to probe into the factors affecting the life expectancy. Ensuring that information and communication technology (ICT) services are properly used could contribute to development and achievement, as it represents an important issue for the countries moving toward knowledge-based and information-based societies. As ICT affects everyday lives, it also impacts the macroeconomic growth, which in turn further affects everyday lives by allowing improvements in infrastructures and a higher standard of living. ICTs inherently entail the economic development of countries, regions and cities, while also improving social inclusion, well-being and therefore quality of life. Therefore, this study explored the impact of the information and communication technology on life expectancy. Methods This study covers annual data from 2008 to 2018 for a group of countries of in the Middle East. Data were retrieved from the Annual Reports such as World Bank dataset and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data set. The effects of information and communication technology on life expectancy were estimated through the Panel model. First, stationary tests were performed with the Fisher’s generalized unit root test. In the Fisher test for panel data, the null hypothesis of a unit root was rejected at the 5% level of significance. The cross-section correlation test was performed with the Freeze test. The null hypothesis of no correlation was rejected at the 5% level of significance. We also used the Hausman test to investigate fixed versus random effects. The null hypothesis of no fixed effects was accepted so the random effects model was used. The Hausman test detects endogenous regressors in a regression model. Endogenous variables have values that are determined by other variables in the system. The data were analyzed by Stata 14 software. Results The core findings of this study confirm the significant impact of information and communication technology on life expectancy in the Middle East. The Coefficient of the regression was 0.551 indicating how much life expectancy changes when information technology variable increases by one unit. The coefficient of ICT shows that 1% increase in ICT variable causes 0.551 % incline in life expectancy and this result is significant at 5% level of significance. Regarding control variables, we found that all have expected statistically significant effects on life expectancy. The intra-cluster correlation coefficient (rho) is a measure of the relatedness, or similarity, of clustered data. Values of rho range from 0 to 1 in human studies, and as the rho increases, more individuals within the clusters resemble one another. The rho (intraclass correlation) was found to be 0.975 showing that 97.5% of the variance is due to differences across panels. This research recommends that human development programs need to focus on polices which foster digital inclusion. Conclusion Considering the effect of information and communication technology on life expectancy, policymakers of the Middle Eastern countries should integrate the use of information and communication technology with the existing programs and systems. The digital citizen is happier and values living in regions with technological capacity, investing in research & development, and committed to achieving sustainable growth. ICT use leads to improved assessments of the efficiency and management of the public administration by more technological users, underlining the importance of an understanding between users and public services in the virtual sphere. Technology is not an end in itself but merely an instrument to reinforce the existing system and to meet the locally determined goals. It can be used as a tool to attain broader health and development goals. The findings from this study provide key insights that explain how life expectancy may be enhanced through ICTs. Practical Implications of Research According to the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on life expectancy, policymakers should provide ICT infrastructures and adopt strategies integrating ICT policies with human life criteria such as education, health and work to improve life expectancy. Ethical Consideration The paper reflects the author’s own research and analysis in a truthful and complete manner. Conflict of Interests This study was an independent research and the author declares no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Acknowledgement I would like to thank Dr Marzieh Ronaghi for her guidance and assistance throughout this research.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has changed and continues to change almost every aspect of our daily lives. Our personal lives, social interactions, educational systems, business atmosphere, and corporate culture-everything has changed in one way or another due to advances in the field of ICT. The construction industry is no exception. ICT provides an unprecedented opportunity as well as enormous challenges to the construction industry.

This study applies text mining in scientific articles for discovery of interdisciplinary convergence technology between biotechnology (BT) and information and communication technology (ICT). For in-depth interpretation of the technologies without domain experts’ review, a topic modeling method, Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), was used to propose an automatic recommendation system. We also applied prescriptive analytics with an option for users to select appropriate recommendation process of items. Our findings are as follows. First, LDA was efficient to facilitate the analysis of a large collection of documents by decreasing the dimension of the data. Second, the automatic recommendation method with various selectable options that could overcome limitations from that domain experts review the entire set of numerous topics. Finally, as a result of investigation of the final convergence technology candidates, it was proved that the system we propose here is more cost/time-effective compared to a method of reviewing all of the topic associations. Overall, a new methodology to support experts’ final decision by LDAand prescriptive analytics-based automatic recommendation system was successfully developed to discover convergence technologies between BT and ICT, which was also proved by several examples of applications.

Reviewed by: Information and Communication Technology in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges for Development Kwame D. Dakwa Akpan-Obong, Patience Idaresit. 2009. Information and Communication Technology in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges for Development. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. 203 pp. Since the early 1980s, information and communication technology (ICT) has permitted people to participate in a world in which school, work, and other activities have been increasingly enhanced by access to varied and developing technologies. ICT tools have helped people find, explore, analyze, exchange, and present information—most importantly, without discrimination. When efficiently used, ICT can provide quick access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities, and cultures. It is this aspect of modern society that Patience Akpan-Obong's book presents in a useful report on her native country, Nigeria—a book in which she carefully presents Nigeria's efforts to use ICT to drive socioeconomic growth. Readers might wonder how ICT has been integrated into Nigerian life and how it could be used to alleviate poverty. Akpan-Obong covers Aso Rock (the Nigerian White House) and shows how ICT has permeated the seat of government. She mentions how a fringe sector of the Nigerian community has used ICT in criminal activities—what has globally been referred to as "419." To help readers understand the problems in ICT in Nigeria, she analyzes the evolution of Nigerian economic development by addressing the [End Page 95] economic plans of previous colonial governing entities and successive governments since the achievement of independence. Though the book was published in 2009, she does not mention how "Vision 2010," a plan proposed by the Abacha regime in 1996, has been realized; its impact on ICT is not heavily discussed. We are made aware that the colonial government improved communication to "facilitate the administration of the colony," and governments of independent Nigeria improved ICT "to be in line with the modernization zeitgeist." However, a whole chapter is devoted to Nigeria's National Policy on Telecommunications and other matters that have dogged Nigerian telecommunication. It brings to the fore issues pertinent to the question of how ICT is being used in national development. This is broken down into the number of telephones, fax machines, computers, printers, photocopiers, and internet usage (dial up or VSAT). This pattern of usage helps readers grasp how the government and private sectors have applied ICT. With 66 percent of Nigerians reported to be living in poverty, coupled with a literacy rate of 69.1 percent as of 2003, it would have been interesting for Akpan-Obong to have addressed how ICT has been used in Asia, particularly in India, to create job opportunities through outsourcing. Several books addressing the global phenomenon of outsourcing only mention in passing the capabilities of African countries. Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat (2005) does not mention the potential that ICT can have in elevating poverty in Africa. In addition, ICT is present in interesting ways; for example, a small number of Nigerians and other Africans use it for fraudulent purposes. It is hoped that a future edition of the book will emphasize more strongly critical business opportunities in the ICT industry and the educational options for rural education via ICT. In fact, as Bonk (2009) has argued, "It is the opening up of education that ultimately makes a fatter or more robust economic world possible. In the twenty-first century, education trumps economy as key card to participation in the world" (2008:26). Though some chapters of Akpan-Obong's book point out how approaches in ICT do affect the Nigerian economy and serve larger political and educational purposes, there is a wish for more. Of course, there is a limit to what a book can do, especially this book, a foundational publication for anyone interested in the history of ICT in Nigeria. [End Page 96] Kwame D. Dakwa Indiana University, Bloomington Copyright © 2010 Indiana University Press

Information and communication technology (ICT) is flourishing in the Arab world at a rapid pace. However, the ICT implementation is not going smoothly or without major problems that hinder and slow down the progress in many countries in the area. The major problems negatively affecting the flourishing of ICT in most Arab countries can be categorized in two sections: Problems related to basic infrastructure and economy and problems related to governments' policies and regulations. Wireless solutions from multi-access radio to cellular to fixed-wireless have advantages over wired solutions because of lower cost and the speed and ease of deployment. Most of the proposed solutions lie in the hands of governments' officials because of the lack of privatization in most Arab countries. Governments' officials have to make drastic changes and take important measures in regulating the ICT development in the area, and allow more freedom, democracy, and protection of intellectual properties among other things to solve most of the problems facing the flourishing of ICT in their respective countries.

To succeed, SMEs must create legitimacy by mimicking the cues that signal credibility to convince potential stakeholders that something stands behind their promises. This research examines the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in legitimacy-building from the perspective of both SME founders and potential customers. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face more serious challenges to their survival than do larger firms. To succeed, SMEs must establish and maintain credibility in the marketplace to attract the resources required for survival. Most borrow legitimacy by mimicking the cues that signal credibility to convince potential stakeholders that something stands behind their promises. This research examines the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in legitimacy creation from the perspective of both SME founders and customers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in a variety of industries to determine whether the ICT-related legitimacy schema from the customers’ perspective differs substantially from that of firm founders. Results indicate that customers compare the ICT information provided in SME’s sales pitches to pre-existing ICT expectations about the nature of desirable sales transactions. We describe the relationship between violations of ICT expectations, legitimacy, and purchase decisions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the introduction and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the special disciplines of higher education, to teach teachers how to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning through information and communication technologies (ICT). This article discusses the issues of improving the knowledge and skills of students through the use of modern information and communication technologies in the preparation of designers, increasing students' interest in the educational process and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice in the future. The focus is on the need to develop appropriate strategies for a new educational role and, in addition, to enhance the role of learners in integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) into the educational process. The role and perspective of the teachers was very important, highlighting them as key players in the process. The data show that there is a belief that the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the educational process will help increase the effectiveness of education and facilitate the organization of the educational process. In particular, it shows that the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICT) to the improvement of the educational process in educational institutions, where information and communication technologies (ICT) is an innovative factor, is high. Achieving this high level means that the educational institution must not only modernize technological means, but also change the models of teaching.

The aim of this research was to identify the ICT capabilities of public high schools and educators in Division of Rizal. This includes the profile of educators- respondents in terms of age; gender; length of years of teaching ICT; maximum educational degree; trainings attended, or learnings acquired related to ICT; and assessment of level of ICT competencies of the respondents in terms of knowledge and skills in basic computer/ ICT operation; usage of ICT as an instrument for teaching / learning; and use of the Internet and web applications to teaching/ learning. This study used descriptive research that includes 62 teachers and 4 ICT Administrators from the public high schools in the schools from Division of Rizal. This is a male-dominated study, composed of young respondents with a good number of years in service. Based on the findings, teacher- respondents are highly competent on creating a new spreadsheet (enter data), creating a new document and slide show. Furthermore, some respondents believed that they are competent because they can format cells, copy, delete and rename files, change font and layout, and edit an existing slide show. Also, most of the ICT coordinators have a 5-year basic computer training course that helps them integrate the technology with the curriculum. They gauge themselves competent in creating materials for students’ use (e.g., hand-outs, tests) and communicating with student(s) and/or students' parents as well as communicating with colleagues/other professionals. Furthermore, respondents are also competent to access research and best practices (e.g., preparation, tracking, assessment, and reporting) for teaching and curriculum administration. Further, this means schools should support the need of teachers when it comes to employing ICT- based skills. There is a need for continuous training and upgrading of facilities and equipment that will support teachers’ demand regarding it.

The implication of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) convergence toward national legislation in the framework of ICT development requires understanding of basic principles in tec-hnology, industrial, and regulation aspects. The importance of establishing legal convergence con-cept is aimed at anticipating the implication of ICT convergence in regard to support Indonesian development in accordance with the role of technology in modern era especially for human life and its implication to their environment. This understanding will encourage the process of establishing legislation which governs all concerns which is closely relevant to regulated sectors or issues in such legislation particularly in telecommunications sector, in which such legislation becomes a regulation in accordance with the function of law. The legislation approach, regulation approach, and self-regulatory approach might be used to anticipate the ICT convergence implications.\n\n \n\nKeywords: convergence, regulation, telecommunications

An overwhelming majority of experts has been flagging for decades that “Saving the Planet” requires immediate, persistent and drastic action to curb a variety of catastrophic risks over the 21st century. However, despite compelling evidence and a range of suggested solutions, transnational coordination of effective measures to protect our biosphere continues to fall short. To remedy, we propose a novel platform for addressing the central issue of affording trust, transparency and truth while minimizing administrative overheads. This will empower an even loosely organised, global grass-roots community to coordinate a large-scale project on a shared goal (“Commons”) spanning the digital and real world. The Web3 concept is based on the swiftly emerging “Blockchain” and related cryptographic, distributed and permissionless technologies. “Wisdom of the crowds” mechanisms involving competitive parallelisation and prediction markets are enabled by formalised reputation and staking to incentivise high-quality work, fair validation and best management practice. While these mechanisms have been (mostly separately) applied to science, business, governance, web, sensor, information and communication technologies (ICT), our integrative approach around Blockchain-enabled ‘operating principles and protocols’ sets the basis for designing novel forms of potentially crowdfunded Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs).

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in English language learning at the primary school level is becoming increasingly important in line with digital developments and the demands of the Merdeka Curriculum. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in improving English proficiency among primary school students through a directed literature review of three experimental studies. These studies examine the use of visual media, interactive multimedia, and game-based learning as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based learning approaches. Data were analyzed using thematic-comparative techniques to identify patterns across findings. The analysis shows that Information and Communication Technology (ICT)consistently has a positive impact on improving vocabulary, listening skills, speaking skills, and student motivation. Visual media proves effective in supporting basic vocabulary acquisition, interactive multimedia enhances listening and speaking performance, while game-based learning significantly boosts motivation and student interaction. This study concludes that systematic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration has strong potential to improve the quality of English learning at the primary level. The study recommends selecting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) media appropriate to learning objectives and providing teacher training to optimize Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use in classroom settings.

Actuality of the conducted research is practically oriented character. Without the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the field of higher education, it is impossible to carry out qualitative training of specialists in engineering, the results of which are necessary for the implementation of a national strategy for modernizing the economy and forming a progressive state of European type. Formulation of the task - the specificity of the use of ICT in the system of higher education has not been studied sufficiently. ICT form a complex environment, which includes a lot of information objects and the links between them. It can be argued that the structural and functional analysis of the use of ICT in higher education is the basis of the theoretical justification in the formation of technical professionalism of future engineers. ICTs form a complex system, which includes not only technical and software-hardware capabilities, but also psycho-pedagogical, organizational, methodological. Without taking into account all of these components, as well as the needs of the subjects of the educational process, the use of ICT tools (especially centralized) may be accompanied by risks and negatively affect the quality of high education. An analysis of recent research and publications-is actively exploring the experience of using ICT in high school, it is possible to distinguish the work of foreign specialists D. Stevenson, G. Reinhold, E. Wenger, S. Papierta, I. Zakharova, E. Patarakina, A. Khutorskogo, E. Polat The founders of this scientific direction in our country were M. I. Zhaldak, Y. I.Mashbits. The recent significant increase in the number of studies, the subject of which was the use of information and communication technologies in the educational process. Tsitemi in Ukraine is dedicated to the study of such scholars as V. Yu. Bykov, Ya.V. Bulakhova, O.M. Bondarenko, V.F. Zabolotny, G.O. Kozlakova, O. Moiko, O. Naumenko, Yu.Burovitskaya, I. Stavyts'ka, O.P. Pinchuk, O.V. Shestopal and others. Selection of unexplored parts of the general problem. The use of information technologies in the educational process is the foundation of innovative development of the educational system. The rapid development of ICT provides not only significant pace of innovative progress, but also requires the definition (limitation) of information resources that guarantee the quality of learning, the choice of techniques that are in line with the general strategy for the formation of professional competences. Therefore, the problem of choosing an approach to the process of learning with the use of ICTs remains one of the main tasks of education. Research methods. In theory and practice, the study of the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in high school uses empirical methods of collecting and analyzing information based on the results of the survey of 120 students. Presenting main material. The essence of professionalism of future specialists of the technical direction is revealed. The scientific point of view on the professionalism of the engineer is presented. The peculiarities of formation of the basis of technical professionalism of future engineers in the process of studying at a higher school are theoretically grounded. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results of empirical researches of this problem is presented. The practical significance of the research topic is that the innovative approaches to the training of specialists in engineering specialties are differentiated, which differentiate in the educational concepts of teaching in higher educational institutions of European countries