FCT: IET - Enterprise and Work Innovation Studies
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- Non-technological innovation activities mediate the impacts of the intra- and extra-organizational contexts on technological innovation outputsPublication . Ferreira, Ana; Teixeira, Ana Lúcia; Roque Dantas, AnaThe increasing interest on innovation studies and, particularly, on technological innovation has been attributed to innovation’s social and economic relevance. Still, organizational and marketing innovation activities, which are critical for firms’ economic performance, have been far less studied. This paper will specifically characterize these non-technological innovation processes, their firm and environmental underpinnings, as well as their impacts on technological innovation outputs (i.e., goods and services). For this purpose, it focuses on the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services sector in Portugal between 2010 and 2012. This period is characterized by a socio-economic crisis context that is concomitant to decreases in firms’ innovation activities and economic performance. Under this challenging scenario, our data shows that organizational and/or marketing innovation activities mediate the impacts of firms’ 1) assets; 2) research activities and empowerment strategies; and 3) structure and climate of decision-making processes, on technological innovation outputs. This study reveals that decreases in innovative performance during the socio-economic crisis could be attributed not only to unfavourable firm and environmental contexts, but also to the absence of non-technological innovation activities. As such, it is suggested that support of non-technological innovation by firms’ managers and, at a broader level, by public policies is critical for launching of new products and services to the markets.
- Responsible research and innovation: a global perspectivePublication . Hahn, Julia; Ladikas, MiltosResponsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a normative concept that has captured considerable attention on the Science and Technology (S&T) policy level, but also in academic discourses. It represents a new approach to how science, innovation and research can be shaped in accordance with societal values that builds directly on the concepts and methodologies of Technology Assessment (TA). The definition and operationalization aspects of RRI remain still unclear although key ingredients such as ethical acceptability are well established in S&T debates and embrace a spectrum of standard methodological approaches. In this paper we review the conceptual debate on RRI with a focus on its constituent parts. We then present a functional comparison between RRI and TA that proves the considerable conceptual overlap in the two approaches. We argue that TA methodologies and precepts should be employed as key operationalisational features in RRI. Finally we argue for a global perspective on RRI by describing a case study on global ethics in S&T that introduces an analytical framework for ethics debates.
- Responsible research and innovation: a global perspectivePublication . Hahn, Julia; Ladikas, MiltosResponsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a normative concept that has captured considerable attention on the Science and Technology (S&T) policy level, but also in academic discourses. It represents a new approach to how science, innovation and research can be shaped in accordance with societal values that builds directly on the concepts and methodologies of Technology Assessment (TA). The definition and operationalization aspects of RRI remain still unclear although key ingredients such as ethical acceptability are well-established in S&T debates and embrace a spectrum of standard methodological approaches. In this paper we review the conceptual debate on RRI with a focus on its constituent parts. We then present a functional comparison between RRI and TA that proves the considerable conceptual overlap in the two approaches. We argue that TA methodologies and precepts should be employed as key operationalisational features in RRI. Finally we argue for a global perspective on RRI by describing a case study on global ethics in S&T that introduces an analytical framework for ethics debates.
- Public perspective towards social impact of chang e lunar probe programPublication . Haijie, Yin; Bowen, HouDuring the past decades, assessing the impact of technological project and related engineering has long been paid attention. The objective of this research is to investigate technological project and related engineering’s social impact through public perspective. The present article investigated the social impact of China’s Chang E Lunar Probe project by using Social Impact Assessment (SIA) methods, resulting from a research study conducted in 2012. SIA is a collective of the systematic methods used to investigate the influence of engineering, project or policy and to present their potential social impacts. A survey from public respondents indicated that public spoke highly of Chang E Probe on the whole. Furthermore, a factor analysis of the perspective of public perspective towards Chang E Lunar Probe project has discovered such impact were mainly assessed in four dimensions by public, these impacts were military impact, political impact, public support and educational impact. From the results obtained so far, it revealed that public perspective towards the political impact of the Chang E Probe varies from each other but unified when they assess Chang E’s military impact, meanwhile student’s perspective towards the educational impact of Chang E Probe was largely different from other publics.
- Prospective system analysis of stationary battery systems under the frame of Constructive Technology AssessmentPublication . Baumann, ManuelThe ongoing German energy transition causes a higher demand for reliable energy storage in the future. This increasing demand for sustainable, cheap, safe and efficient energy storage systems has caused a stronger public debate about the potential benefits of grid battery storage according to sustainability. This circumstance led to the preposition that there is a need for the development of a proper ex-ante assessment strategy to support technology uptake. The developed approach represents a framework for prospective system analysis (PSA) using the heuristics of constructive technology assessment to identify consequences, application possibilities or threats in the technological trajectory of grid battery storage. Within this framework PSA is used to quantitatively assess economic, environmental and social aspects along the entire life cycle of electrochemical energy storage technologies in order to identify hotspots according to sustainability. The Analytic Hierarchic Process (AHP) supports multiple methods in data collection and enables the analyst to combine results from PSA with qualitative actor notions about technology according to the “world” where it is embodied. In this sense AHP enables to achieve an optimum construct of technology from a stakeholder view point. The developed approach represents an efficient research strategy to shape technology in a sustainable way in frame of „Responsible Research and Innovation“.
- Foresight exercises as a tool for decision-making: the example of two case studies in healthPublication . Maia, Maria JoãoHealthcare systems are characterized by a rapid technology push and demand. Most decisions taken in this field usually are accompanied by risk and uncertainties. Due to financial constrains (common in every healthcare system), all decision must be made based on evidences of reliable studies. It may be not possible to know the future needs of healthcare systems in general, but it should be possible to foreseen them. This paper aims to shed some light on how prospective analysis can be an adding tool for the decision-making process, by enhancing exploratory and strategic dimension of planning and managing in a sensitive field such as healthcare. In order to provide for a simple overview on foresight exercises applied to health, this paper presents two study-cases that applied different methods. Since different foresight methods were applied, a comparative case-study analysis was applied, taking into consideration the following aspects of the exercise: aim, methodology, stakeholders and outputs. The specific objectives of this report are: to explore the usage of foresight methods applied to healthcare level in two different countries and therefore to understand if there are any similarities in the approach; and based on the analysis results, to develop recommendations for healthcare level decision-making in general. The results of this report can be useful for a better understanding on how foresight methods can be applied in healthcare and their importance. This article can help healthcare professionals, providing them a glimpse of some steps on the use of these foresight methods, so they can be more alert for foresight methodological framework and their practical applications. The knowledge on how to apply foresight methodology can be a differential and potential asset of a well-organized and informed institution, as well as an asset for a shared and participative strategic planning.
- Evaluation of the effect of hearing aids using electroencephalographic analysisPublication . Rosa, Isabel MarquesWe wonder how it is possible to use the Electroencephalogram (EEG) as a TA instrument, rather than a diagnosis procedure, to evaluate how children hear the sounds. The first concern was related to the definition of concepts, namely the primary and secondary objectives, the importance of the study, the materials and equipment, the procedures, the criteria for inclusion and exclusion and the expected outcomes. We present the main research questions, the proposed methodology and report the first steps of the practical work, some results and a few considerations about the thesis next development.
- Renewable energy systems the theme for the PACITA summer school on TA, Liège, Belgium, 25 28 June 2012Publication . Baumann, Manuel; Boavida, Nuno; Maia, Maria João; Lichtner, Patrick; Moniz, António B.The summer school “Renewable Energy Systems: Role and Use of Parliamentary Technology Assessment” was the first European Summer School with a pure focus on technology assessment. The aim of the three-day long summer school of the European project Parliaments and Civil Society in Technology Assessment (PACITA) was to create awareness of the potential of technology groups in Europe. Therefore, the summer school involved keynotes, practical exercises, mutual reflection, cutting edge training and networking to deal with the theme of renewable energy systems out of the perspective of Technology Assessment (TA), to meet transition objectives or to critically assess energy technologies.
- Brain-computer interface (BCI): a methodological proposal to assess the impacts of medical applications in 2022Publication . Velloso, Gabriel T.Technology assessment is essentially an approach, a collective of the systematic methods used to scientifically investigate the conditions for and the consequences of technology and technicising and to denote their societal evaluation. It is an investigation about the technological developments as well as an evaluation of its potential impacts on society. The assessment of emerging technologies, however, requires special attention. Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is an emerging technology which allows for the direct communication between the brain and an external device. It is a truly direct connection, with no use of the normal output pathways of peripheral nerves and muscles, allowing for the brain to have control over objects and software without intermediates. To address these kinds of technologies at early stages of development, Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA), a member of Technology Assessment approaches, has been considered as one of the most fitting approaches. As an emerging technology, BCI is at its early stages of research and thus many challenges are still ahead. Mainstream adoption is not expected in least 10 years many challenges are yet to be overcome. Therefore, the objective of this article is to discuss and present a methodological approach to assess brain-computer interface technology considering constructive technology assessment and future oriented technology analysis as the main processes to undertake the assessment. The assessment will focus only on the non-invasive type of BCI and for medical applications in three defined areas: Communication & Control, Motor Substitution and Motor Recovery for a time horizon of 10 years, 2022. These areas were chosen based on the capability of BCI to serve as a replacement of normal neuromuscular pathways. That makes it one of the best technologies to help people in activating and controlling assistive technologies which enable communication and control of the environment. However, the real impacts of BCI will depend directly on the development of competing technologies, and also on the improvement in BCI research. Only then, the potential applications and end users could grow dramatically.
- The new mobility paradigm: transformation of value chain and business modelsPublication . Fournier, Guy; Hinderer, Henning; Schmid, Daniel; Seign, René; Baumann, ManuelFour categories of innovations have been identified by Freeman and Perez: incremental innovations, radical innovations, new technological systems (systemic innovations), and technological revolutions or new techno-economic paradigms. New techno-economic paradigms represent changes in technological systems that are so far-reaching in their effects that they have a major influence on the behaviour of the entire economy. Scarcity of oil and external costs like global warming are the key arguments and the main drivers of the change of the current paradigm. They will affect especially the mobility of individuals and the interlinked business models. Novel business models within newly created markets will raise e.g. extended mobility services, activities aiming at the infrastructure, new opportunities in the field of energy transmission and supply and even new strategies of recycling, reusing or reducing the use of resources in order to address global scarcity issues. Especially for the established players of the automotive industry like original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or 1st and 2nd tier suppliers this implicates opportunities and risks at the same time. But also new players will get the chance to create and enter new markets with new or extended products or services and lead the new value chain. This paper compiles and evaluates current approaches and business models of selected OEMs together with upcoming players. Additionally their positions within the existing value chain are being analyzed and classified. Bringing together the identified drivers of changes with current trends within the automotive industry the authors also show new concepts of extended business models, e.g. the idea of an ecosystem, that have the potential to cause an additional shift of power within the global mobility value chain.