Intelligence and co-creation in Smart Specialisation Strategies: Towards the next stage of RIS3

Posted at 3 September 2018 in Innovation Strategies, Platforms, Apps, Solutions, Smart Growth

The white paper on “Intelligence and Co-creation in Smart Specialisation Strategies” outlines some key conclusions from the Online S3 project, funded under the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Commission. The Online S3 project has produced an online platform composed of software applications and roadmaps that facilitate the design and implementation of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3).

Online S3 mechanism for knowledge-based policy advice

Posted at 30 July 2018 in Smart Growth

Taking into consideration the 28 applications that have been developed throughout the Online S3 project and are related to the 6 phases of the RIS3 design-process, this report tries to reveal the existing information flows between them. The overall Online S3 Platform mechanism indicates that there is a complex underlying network that links these applications to each other, which is essential to better understand the overall added value of the Online S3 Platform. Given the fact that the abovementioned applications have been developed as standalone apps, further potentials of this platform include the development of an interoperability mode. This could provide the final missing links between the 28 applications, facilitating the information flows between them, giving the opportunity to policy-makers to design even more comprehensive RIS3 strategies. Analytical capabilities and public participation should be further enriched and expanded in that case, promoting the effectiveness of the implemented RIS3 strategies.

Smart City Planning from an Evolutionary Perspective

Posted at 27 July 2018 in Intelligent Cities / Smart Cities

The article  “Smart City Planning from an Evolutionary Perspective ” by N. Komninos, C. Kakderi, A. Panori and P. Tsarchopoulos was published in the Journal of Urban Technology and focuses on the parallel efforts and initiatives that have been made in the case of Thessaloniki to promote its vision to transform the city into a smart and sustainable place, including ICT solutions fostered by civic communities and individual developers. The study clearly shows that the strategy and actions guided by the vision for an open, global, smart, and resilient city, have been largely shaped by a series of opportunities that appeared gradually over the last few years, both at global and local levels.

Blockchains Unchained

Posted at 10 July 2018 in Platforms, Apps, Solutions

The working paper Blockchains unchained blockchain technology and its use in the public sector, produced by OECD, tries to work as a guide to equip public servants with the necessary knowledge to understand what the Blockchain architecture is, the implications it could have on government services, and the opportunities and challenges governments may face as a result. Moreover, it also tries to clear what the Blockchain architecture is not to help policy makers look past the hype and determine whether Blockchain technology is something that may help them advance their missions.

Blockchain and distributed ledgers

Posted at 9 July 2018 in Platforms, Apps, Solutions

The white paper Blockchain and distributed ledgers, produced by ILNAS and ANEC, tries to shed light in a variety of aspects related to blockchain technology and its impacts on economics and businesses. The main questions arising in this report refer to: existing features, differences and similarities in major blockchain platforms; the ways in which will blockchain affect different economic sectors; emerging benefits of adopting blockchain within a given business; recent developments in blockchain technical standardization; and, existing sets of standards that are relevant to this technology.

Blockchain in Cities

Posted at 8 July 2018 in Intelligent / Smart Cities Solutions

The white paper Blockchain in Cities: Restoring trust and Transparency in digital Transactions has been produced by National League of Cities (NLC). The main scope of the document is to provide an overview regarding the opportunities arising for smart cities and governance, as well as existing challenges and barriers. Some key insights for city leaders are also provided at the end of this report.

Agile Governance Reimagining Policy-making in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Posted at 30 April 2018 in Collective Intelligence, Innovation ecosystems

The Agile Governance: Reimagining Policy-making in the Fourth Industrial Revolution white paper, published by the World Economic forum, tries to investigate the ways in which forth industrial revolution affect policy-making cycles. Given that emerging technologies scale up much quicker than in previous industrial revolutions, irrespective of whether we develop new governance systems to manage them, it is essential to act towards shaping the impact of technologically driven systems for a shared vision.