Erastos Filos
University of Hamburg, Physics, Alumnus
Research Interests: Engineering, Facility Management, Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, International Cooperation, Market Research, and 11 moreInternet of Things, Information and Communication technology, IT Strategy, Information and Communications Technology, Standardisation, Energy efficient, Embedded Computing, Wireless Sensor Network, Information Technology Construction, Smart object, and Control Architecture
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Using the LENA detector at the DORIS e+e- storage ring we have measured the hadronic cross section and the mu-pair branching ratio of the Y (9.46) resonance. We obtain the electronic width Gammaee = (1.23+/-0.10+/-0.14) keV and the mass M... more
Using the LENA detector at the DORIS e+e- storage ring we have measured the hadronic cross section and the mu-pair branching ratio of the Y (9.46) resonance. We obtain the electronic width Gammaee = (1.23+/-0.10+/-0.14) keV and the mass M = (9 461.3+/-0.7+/-10.0) MeV, the mu-pair branching ratio Bmumu = (3.5+/- 1.5+/-0.4)% and the total width Gammatot = (35-10 -7+25 +9) keV. For the Y' resonance, the mass is found to be (10014.0+/-1.0+/-10.0) MeV, and Gammaee . Gammahad/Gammatot = (0.51+/-0.07+/-0.06) keV.
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With use of the LENA detector at the DORIS e+e- storage ring, the hadronic cross section and the mu-pair decay branching ratio of the Upsilon(9.46) resonance have been measured. Gammaee=1.23+/-0.10 (+/-0.14) keV, Bmumu=[3.5+/-1.4... more
With use of the LENA detector at the DORIS e+e- storage ring, the hadronic cross section and the mu-pair decay branching ratio of the Upsilon(9.46) resonance have been measured. Gammaee=1.23+/-0.10 (+/-0.14) keV, Bmumu=[3.5+/-1.4 (+/-0.4)]%, and Gammatot=35+25-10 (+9-7) keV have been obtained. The first set of errors gives the statistical uncertainty. The numbers in parentheses represent systematic errors arising from the
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In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private... more
In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private partnerships. One of these initiatives, ‘Factories of the Future’, was launched with the aim to improve European manufacturing enterprises’ technological capability in adapting to environmental pressures and in adequately responding to increasing global consumer demand for greener, more customised and higher quality products. Five years on, what are the results of these efforts? The paper tries to put into a historic perspective the efforts of the European Commission to facilitate more networking and innovation within the research community, a stimulation of industrial involvement and investment in research and innovation, as well as to underpin these efforts through targeted policies.
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In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private... more
In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private partnerships. One of these initiatives, ‘Factories of the Future’, was launched with the aim to improve European manufacturing enterprises’ technological capability in adapting to environmental pressures and in adequately responding to increasing global consumer demand for greener, more customised and higher quality products. Five years on, what are the results of these efforts? The paper tries to put into a historic perspective the efforts of the European Commission to facilitate more networking and innovation within the research community, a stimulation of industrial involvement and investment in research and innovation, as well as to underpin these efforts through targeted policies.
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The intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS) initiative is the world's only international multilateral collaborative R&D programme comprising Australia, Canada, the EU and Norway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and the US.... more
The intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS) initiative is the world's only international multilateral collaborative R&D programme comprising Australia, Canada, the EU and Norway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and the US. It provides a global framework for industry and academia to cooperate on manufacturing R&D throughout the full innovation cycle and to identify partners world-wide. The programme's scheme for the protection of intellectual
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In the last thirty years, Europe's research community has grown to be more networked and collaboration-minded. Businesses have started to see European supported research as an opportunity to engage in open innovation. Research,... more
In the last thirty years, Europe's research community has grown to be more networked and collaboration-minded. Businesses have started to see European supported research as an opportunity to engage in open innovation. Research, development and innovation in manufacturing have been a key activity area throughout this entire period. Dedicated collaborative research and innovation partnerships emerged as new paradigms to leverage business investment and increase researchers' orientation towards entrepreneurship and new collaborative business ventures. The paper provides a brief overview of European funded research in manufacturing in the past thirty years and highlights key developments and successes.
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The 7th EU framework programme for research (FP7) aims to provide new impetus to Europe’s growth and competitiveness, in realising that knowledge is Europe’s greatest resource. The programme places greater emphasis than in the past on... more
The 7th EU framework programme for research (FP7) aims to provide new impetus to Europe’s growth and competitiveness, in realising that knowledge is Europe’s greatest resource. The programme places greater emphasis than in the past on research that is relevant to the needs of European industry, to help it compete internationally, and develop its role as a world leader in certain sectors. For the first time the framework programme provides support for the best in European investigator-driven research, with the creation of a European Research Council. The FP7 budget is 50% higher compared with its predecessor. The paper focuses on advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) under FP7 and on how the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and facility management (FM) can benefit through a systematic involvement. The technologies under development, ranging from wireless sensor networks, cooperative smart objects, plug-and-play control architectures, te...
Research Interests: Engineering, Computer Science, Facility Management, Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, International Cooperation, and 11 moreMarket Research, Internet of Things, Information and Communication technology, IT Strategy, Standardisation, Energy efficient, Embedded Computing, Wireless Sensor Network, Information Technology Construction, Smart object, and Control Architecture
The paper is based on an ICIS 2002 panel on the role of four different IS Research communities with regard to • topic choice, • project/study acquisition, • research strategy, • respondents and site access, and • expected,... more
The paper is based on an ICIS 2002 panel on the role of four different IS Research communities with regard to
• topic choice,
• project/study acquisition,
• research strategy,
• respondents and site access, and
• expected, measurable outcome and dissemination channel.
Although differences are clear and although a probably healthy degree of competition among the communities cannot be denied, in the end, all panelists expressed the need for more complementarity and thus cooperation among the different communities.
• topic choice,
• project/study acquisition,
• research strategy,
• respondents and site access, and
• expected, measurable outcome and dissemination channel.
Although differences are clear and although a probably healthy degree of competition among the communities cannot be denied, in the end, all panelists expressed the need for more complementarity and thus cooperation among the different communities.
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This paper aims to provide a concise overview of R&D achievements of Key Action II of the Information Society Technologies (IST) program under the European Commission’s 5th framework program for research, development and innovation and... more
This paper aims to provide a concise overview of R&D achievements of Key Action II of the Information Society Technologies (IST) program under the European Commission’s 5th framework program for research, development and innovation and how these activities relate to the e-economy. Since the beginning of IST in 1999, some 450 projects have been launched in the area of new methods of work and electronic commerce with a funding budget of half a billion euros. The R&D activities were accompanied by policy initiatives such as eEurope and the European Research Area that were launched at the beginning of the new millennium. The paper shows that technology development efforts underpin the policy initiatives and both together offer a coherent approach towards an online Europe.
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SUMMARY: The 7 th EU framework programme for research (FP7) aims to provide new impetus to Europe’s growth and competitiveness, in realising that knowledge is Europe’s greatest resource. The programme places greater emphasis than in the... more
SUMMARY: The 7 th EU framework programme for research (FP7) aims to provide new impetus to Europe’s growth and competitiveness, in realising that knowledge is Europe’s greatest resource. The programme places greater emphasis than in the past on research that is relevant to the needs of European industry, to help it compete internationally, and develop its role as a world leader in certain sectors. For the first time the framework programme provides support for the best in European investigator-driven research, with the creation of a European Research Council. The FP7 budget is 50 % higher compared with its predecessor. The paper focuses on advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) under FP7 and on how the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and facility management (FM) can benefit through a systematic involvement. The technologies under development, ranging from wireless sensor networks, cooperative smart objects, plug-and-play control archit...
This paper aims to present and explain the concept of the smart organization. This concept arose from the need for organizations to respond dynamically to the changing landscape of a digital economy. A smart organization is understood to... more
This paper aims to present and explain the concept of the smart organization. This concept arose from the need for organizations to respond dynamically to the changing landscape of a digital economy. A smart organization is understood to be both, internetworked and knowledge-driven, therefore able to adapt to new organizational challenges rapidly, and sufficiently agile to create and exploit knowledge in response to opportunities of the digital age. The three networking dimensions of smart organizations, ICT-enabled virtuality, organizational teaming and knowledge hyperlinking are elaborated. This networking capability allows smart organizations to cope with complexity and with rapidly changing economic environments. The paper also shows how managing the smart organization requires a more ‘fuzzy’ approach to managing smart resources: people, information, knowledge, creativity. Research is also presented, mainly from the European perspective. It has been key to creating the condition...
The Intelligent Manufacturing Systems(IMS) initiative is the world'sonlyinternational multilateral collaborative R&D programmecomprising Australia, Canada, theEU andNorway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland andtheUS.It provides aglobal... more
The Intelligent Manufacturing Systems(IMS) initiative is the world'sonlyinternational multilateral collaborative R&D programmecomprising Australia, Canada, theEU andNorway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland andtheUS.It provides aglobal framework forindustry andacademia toco- operate onmanufacturing R&D throughout thefull innovation cycle andtoidentify partners world-wide. Theprogramme's schemefortheprotection ofintellectual property hasprovento bebeneficial toindustrial participants, particularly forsmall andmedium-sized companies, forengaging safely inglobal collaborations. Surveys amongparticipants inIMSprojects showthatsuch international collaboration provesbeneficial beyondthemere R&D activity asitincludes knowledge exchanges onbusiness and marketdevelopments as wellas extendedbusiness collaborations andbetter cross-cultural understanding. The European partoftheIMSinitiative between 1995and2005was managed under the EuropeanCommission's research FrameworkProgrammes 4,5and6.Si...
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Έννοιες όπως η γνώση, η αλήθεια, το νόημα και η ηθική είναι, κατά τη μεταμοντέρνα σκέψη, πολιτισμικά κατασκευασμένες και καμμιά απ’ αυτές δεν διαθέτει τα απαραίτητα εργαλεία ή την ικανότητα να θέτει τους όρους για την αξιολόγηση των... more
Έννοιες όπως η γνώση, η αλήθεια, το νόημα και η ηθική είναι, κατά τη μεταμοντέρνα σκέψη, πολιτισμικά κατασκευασμένες και καμμιά απ’ αυτές δεν διαθέτει τα απαραίτητα εργαλεία ή την ικανότητα να θέτει τους όρους για την αξιολόγηση των υπολοίπων. Ο μεταμοντερνισμός αρνείται ότι μέσω της επιστημονικής μεθόδου μπορεί να παραχθεί αντικειμενική γνώση της πραγματικότητας. Η «πραγματικότητα» είναι προϊόν κοινωνικοποίησης και βίωσης εμπειριών, ένα κατασκεύασμα του γλωσσικού συστήματος. Αντικειμενική αλήθεια δεν υπάρχει, μπορεί όμως να την προσεγγίσει κανείς με διαδικασίες όπως ο πειραματισμός, η διάψευση ή η μετατροπή. Κατ’ αυτό τον τρόπο η μεταμοντέρνα προσέγγιση διογκώνει μια μικρή, κοινή αλήθεια – όπως την περιορισμένη μας ικανότητά να γνωρίζουμε και να εκφράζουμε «γνώση» μέσω της γλώσσας, των εννοιών και των κατηγοριών της – διακηρύττοντας ότι όλες οι αξιώσεις μας περί αλήθειας είναι αξίες φορτωμένες και δομές του πολιτισμού στον οποίο ζούμε: ένας πολιτισμικός/κοινωνικός κονστρουκτιβισμός. Στη μεταμοντέρνα σκέψη η επιστημονική μέθοδος δεν είναι τρόπος παραγωγής και νομιμοποίησης της γνώσης, αλλά μια «πολιτισμική προσέγγιση» μεταξύ άλλων, αλλοιωμένη όπως και οι άλλες από μια προκατειλημμένη ανθρώπινη λογική.
Στο βιβλίο τους Cynical Theories η Χέλεν Πλάκροουζ και ο Τζέιμς Λίντσεϊ απεικονίζουν μια ζοφερή εικόνα του αντίκτυπου που έχει ο μεταμοντερνισμός πάνω στη σύγχρονη κοινωνία και προσδιορίζουν τέσσερα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά του: (α΄) θόλωση των ορίων, (β΄) αναγωγή της δύναμης της γλώσσας, (γ΄) τον πολιτιστικό σχετικισμό, και (δ΄) την εννοιολογική απώλεια του ‘μεμονωμένου’ και του ‘γενικού’.
Η σύντομη αυτή μελέτη αποσκοπεί στο να ερευνήσει γιατί ο μεταμοντερνισμός προκαλεί σύγχυση απειλώντας τη συνοχή ορισμένων ομάδων ομοϊδεατών. Ποιες είναι οι επιπτώσεις της μεταμοντέρνας «αποδόμησης» βασικών εννοιών, σε τι συνίστανται οι έννοιες της πραγματικότητας και της αλήθειας, και πώς επέρχεται σύγχυση με την εφαρμογή νέων ακαδημαϊκών εννοιών στη θρησκευτική ζωή και στην κοινωνία γενικά.
Στο βιβλίο τους Cynical Theories η Χέλεν Πλάκροουζ και ο Τζέιμς Λίντσεϊ απεικονίζουν μια ζοφερή εικόνα του αντίκτυπου που έχει ο μεταμοντερνισμός πάνω στη σύγχρονη κοινωνία και προσδιορίζουν τέσσερα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά του: (α΄) θόλωση των ορίων, (β΄) αναγωγή της δύναμης της γλώσσας, (γ΄) τον πολιτιστικό σχετικισμό, και (δ΄) την εννοιολογική απώλεια του ‘μεμονωμένου’ και του ‘γενικού’.
Η σύντομη αυτή μελέτη αποσκοπεί στο να ερευνήσει γιατί ο μεταμοντερνισμός προκαλεί σύγχυση απειλώντας τη συνοχή ορισμένων ομάδων ομοϊδεατών. Ποιες είναι οι επιπτώσεις της μεταμοντέρνας «αποδόμησης» βασικών εννοιών, σε τι συνίστανται οι έννοιες της πραγματικότητας και της αλήθειας, και πώς επέρχεται σύγχυση με την εφαρμογή νέων ακαδημαϊκών εννοιών στη θρησκευτική ζωή και στην κοινωνία γενικά.
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A current trend in crisis-laden Europe is de-industrialisation. The European Union has launched ambitious policies and proposed a new research and innovation framework programme, Horizon 2020, to counter this trend and to foster... more
A current trend in crisis-laden Europe is de-industrialisation. The European Union has launched ambitious policies and proposed a new research and innovation framework programme, Horizon 2020, to counter this trend and to foster innovation in manufacturing. The paper highlights the key issues related to this upcoming programme. R&D and innovation efforts, however, so the paper argues, need to be underpinned by smart policies in particular to link up relevant R&D and innovation strategies at regional, national and European levels and to offer incentives for growth and differentiation as well as to leverage much needed private investment.
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Within the framework of a European Seminar organized in Zürich, Switzerland in November 2007, a session dedicated to “Industrial Integration of ICT” aimed to explore the role of ICT in manufacturing. Participating experts concluded that... more
Within the framework of a European Seminar organized in Zürich, Switzerland in November 2007, a session dedicated to “Industrial Integration of ICT” aimed to explore the role of ICT in manufacturing. Participating experts concluded that the following four ICT-related trends will profoundly impact manufacturing in the future: (1) increased enterprise agility and adaptability; (2) the growth of embedded intelligence in products and processes; (3) the transition from physical products to product/service systems; (4) the reorientation towards a holistic perspective of the product life cycle. The paper attempts to synthesize the contributions made and to further develop the vision for research that could be undertaken under the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) scheme, set up and run across major industrialized countries. The conclusions drawn by the paper refer to one of the major challenges of industry today: to reconcile competitiveness and environmental friendliness of products...
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Virtual teamwork is increasingly becoming a characteristic way of working within and between organisations in the digital economy, bringing both opportunities and drawbacks. This article considers communication in virtual teams and ways... more
Virtual teamwork is increasingly becoming a characteristic way of working within and between organisations in the digital economy, bringing both opportunities and drawbacks. This article considers communication in virtual teams and ways in which information and communication technologies (ICTs) can enhance or impede it. It is recognised that the richness of face-to-face communication cannot be captured fully by the tools on offer, although important steps to create team belonging in virtual presence have already been taken. While the tools go some way to permitting distributed team members to interact informally, they cannot go all the way to building and maintaining the personal side of relationships, nor provide stress-relief in many instances. Information overload is highlighted as an example of this failure, and ways to address the problems inherent in ICT-mediated communication and its usage should be sought via inter-disciplinary approaches. On the other hand, the virtual para...
Research Interests: Human Computer Interaction, Collaboration, Computer Mediated Communication, Virtual Teams, Teamwork, and 11 moreKnowledge Communities, Technology Enhanced Education, Developmental Work Research, Educational Virtual Environments, Instructional Engineering, Innovation & Change Management, Open Distance Learning, VR for Learning, Authoring & Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Virtual Reality Technology, and E Learning
In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private... more
In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private partnerships. One of these initiatives, ‘Factories of the Future’, was launched with the aim to improve European manufacturing enterprises’ technological capability in adapting to environmental pressures and in adequately responding to increasing global consumer demand for greener, more customised and higher quality products. Five years on, what are the results of these efforts? The paper tries to put into a historic perspective the efforts of the European Commission to facilitate more networking and innovation within the research community, a stimulation of industrial involvement and investment in research and innovation, as well as to underpin these efforts through targeted policies.
Research Interests:
Στις σύγχρονες δυτικές κοινωνίες σήμερα παρατηρούμε φαινόμενα όπως εκφράσεις ακραίων θέσεων και συνθημάτων σε κοινωνικά δίκτυα και άλλα μέσα ενημέρωσης, πράξεις και πολιτικές εκ μέρους ιθυνόντων που αποσκοπούν στο διχασμό των πολιτών, την... more
Στις σύγχρονες δυτικές κοινωνίες σήμερα παρατηρούμε φαινόμενα όπως εκφράσεις ακραίων θέσεων και συνθημάτων σε κοινωνικά δίκτυα και άλλα μέσα ενημέρωσης, πράξεις και πολιτικές εκ μέρους ιθυνόντων που αποσκοπούν στο διχασμό των πολιτών, την έλλειψη ειρηνικού διάλογου μεταξύ αντίπαλων ομάδων και γενικά μια ανικανότητα γεφύρωσης της πόλωσης που δείχνει να αυξάνεται.
Το άρθρο αυτό επιχειρεί τη σύγκριση της έννοιας «Δικαιοσύνη ως Αρετή» του MacIntyre με τις σημερινές έννοιες «κοινωνικής δικαιοσύνης», και σε αντιπαράθεση με την έννοια που δίνει η διδασκαλία της Βίβλου. Θεωρώ πως, παρόλο που η προσέγγιση του Μάκινταϊρ προσφέρει μια φαινομενικά ικανοποιητική διάγνωση, η ηθική που προτείνει είναι ανίκανη να επιφέρει λύση στη κοινωνική αδικία σήμερα.
Το άρθρο αυτό επιχειρεί τη σύγκριση της έννοιας «Δικαιοσύνη ως Αρετή» του MacIntyre με τις σημερινές έννοιες «κοινωνικής δικαιοσύνης», και σε αντιπαράθεση με την έννοια που δίνει η διδασκαλία της Βίβλου. Θεωρώ πως, παρόλο που η προσέγγιση του Μάκινταϊρ προσφέρει μια φαινομενικά ικανοποιητική διάγνωση, η ηθική που προτείνει είναι ανίκανη να επιφέρει λύση στη κοινωνική αδικία σήμερα.
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Research Interests:
The new economy is the result of the information revolution, of shrinking and ever more powerful computers, and the emergence of an efficient, ubiquitous and invisible communications infrastructure. It is characterized by three... more
The new economy is the result of the information revolution, of shrinking and ever more powerful computers, and the emergence of an efficient, ubiquitous and invisible communications infrastructure. It is characterized by three distinctive attributes: it is global, it favors intangible things—ideas, information, knowledge, relationships, and it is intensely inter-linked. As more and more organizations prepare to “go digital”, only
Research Interests: Organizational Behavior, Knowledge Management, Social Networking, E Government, ICT, and 15 moreSocial Computing, Intelligent Manufacturing, European Commission, Digital Economy, Technological singularity, Manufacturing Engineering, Dynamic Software Adaptation, Technological Development, Business Process, New Economy, Organizational Innovation, Organizational Behavior x ICT x Virtual Enterprises x Knowledge Management x Management x, Networked Organizations, Organizational Impact of ICTs, and Consensus Building
In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private... more
In November 2008, at the peak of the financial and economic crisis, the European Commission made a bold proposal, namely to support Europe’s competitiveness in key industrial sectors through research and innovation in public–private partnerships. One of these initiatives, ‘Factories of the Future’, was launched with the aim to improve European manufacturing enterprises’ technological capability in adapting to environmental pressures and in adequately responding to increasing global consumer demand for greener, more customised and higher quality products. Five years on, what are the results of these efforts? The paper tries to put into a historic perspective the efforts of the European Commission to facilitate more networking and innovation within the research community, a stimulation of industrial involvement and investment in research and innovation, as well as to underpin these efforts through targeted policies.
Research Interests:
In the last thirty years, Europe's research community has grown to be more networked and collaboration-minded. Businesses have started to see European supported research as an opportunity to engage in open innovation. Research,... more
In the last thirty years, Europe's research community has grown to be more networked and collaboration-minded. Businesses have started to see European supported research as an opportunity to engage in open innovation. Research, development and innovation in manufacturing have been a key activity area throughout this entire period. Dedicated collaborative research and innovation partnerships emerged as new paradigms to leverage business investment and increase researchers' orientation towards entrepreneurship and new collaborative business ventures. The paper provides a brief overview of European funded research in manufacturing in the past thirty years and highlights key developments and successes.
Research Interests:
A current trend in crisis-laden Europe is de-industrialisation. The European Union has launched ambitious policies and proposed a new research and innovation framework programme, Horizon 2020, to counter this trend and to foster... more
A current trend in crisis-laden Europe is de-industrialisation. The European Union has launched ambitious policies and proposed a new research and innovation framework programme, Horizon 2020, to counter this trend and to foster innovation in manufacturing. The paper highlights the key issues related to this upcoming programme. R&D and innovation efforts, however, so the paper argues, need to be underpinned by smart policies in particular to link up relevant R&D and innovation strategies at regional, national and European levels and to offer incentives for growth and differentiation as well as to leverage much needed private investment.
Research Interests:
The challenges associated with environmental sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions are increasingly affecting policy making and global economic activity. Since energy use accounts for eighty percent of all greenhouse gas emissions... more
The challenges associated with environmental sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions are increasingly affecting policy making and global economic activity. Since energy use accounts for eighty percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, the European Union is determined to fight against climate change and reduce emissions by at least twenty percent in 2020. Although information and communication technologies (ICT) account for approximately two percent of global CO2 emissions, they can significantly contribute to reducing the ninety-eight percent of CO2 emissions caused by other activities. This requires the ICT sector to lead developments towards environmental sustainability. The paper provides an overview of the European policy landscape (regulations, incentives) with a particular emphasis on issues pertaining to the role of ICT in reducing the CO2 footprint of manufacturing.
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The 7th EU framework program for research (FP7) aims to provide new impetus to Europe’s growth and competitiveness, in realizing that knowledge is Europe’s greatest resource. The program places greater emphasis than in the past on... more
The 7th EU framework program for research (FP7) aims to provide new impetus to Europe’s growth and competitiveness, in realizing that knowledge is Europe’s greatest resource. The program places greater emphasis than in the past on research that is relevant to the needs of European industry, to help it compete internationally, and develop its role as a world leader in certain sectors. For the first time the framework program provides support for the best in European investigator-driven research, with the creation of a European Research Council. The FP7 budget is 50% higher compared with its predecessor. The paper focuses on advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) under FP7 and on how the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and facility management (FM) can benefit through a systematic involvement. The technologies under development, ranging from wireless sensor networks, cooperative smart objects, plug-and-play control architectures, technologies supporting the "Internet of Things", to ICT services supporting energy efficiency can benefit not only this sector, but the economy as a whole. Significant near-market research will be carried out in the two ICT Joint Technology Initiatives (JTI) which are launched in 2008. They address nanoelectronics and embedded computing systems applications. In international cooperation, the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) initiative is focusing its strategy on building Manufacturing Technology Platforms in areas such as standardization, education, sustainable manufacturing, energy efficiency and key technologies. All these activities aim to link R&D efforts of research groups across sectors, countries and regions.
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Within the framework of a European Seminar organized in Zürich, Switzerland in November 2007, a session dedicated to “Industrial Integration of ICT” aimed to explore the role of ICT in manufacturing. Participating experts concluded that... more
Within the framework of a European Seminar organized in Zürich, Switzerland in November 2007, a session dedicated to “Industrial Integration of ICT” aimed to explore the role of ICT in manufacturing. Participating experts concluded that the following four ICT-related trends will profoundly impact manufacturing in the future: (1) increased enterprise agility and adaptability; (2) the growth of embedded intelligence in products and processes; (3) the transition from physical products to product/service systems; (4) the reorientation towards a holistic perspective of the product life cycle. The paper attempts to synthesize the contributions made and to further develop the vision for research that could be undertaken under the Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) scheme, set up and run across major industrialized countries. The conclusions drawn by the paper refer to one of the major challenges of industry today: to reconcile competitiveness and environmental friendliness of products and processes. To address this challenge in a holistic way, a new generation of ICT-based industrial methods, systems and tools will be needed. The sheer complexity of the task requires enormous research efforts which cannot be realized at national level alone. IMS could prove to be an adequate scheme for addressing this challenge at global level.
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Since the onset of the global economic crisis, manufacturing organizations in developed economies such as Europe, Japan and the United States are in the process of transition.This transition is made even more marked with the economic... more
Since the onset of the global economic crisis, manufacturing organizations in developed economies such as Europe, Japan and the United States are in the process of transition.This transition is made even more marked with the economic downturn taking place across the world. There is a strong movement of cost based manufacturing to offshore and low wage economies. The remaining onshore manufacturing activities now focus on innovative new processes and exceptional customer service. The technology and processes required for onshore manufacturing can be complex and challenges the existing skills of engineers and managers to continuously operate and change such systems. Educational bodies struggle to keep up to date. The pace of change has meant that curricula in universities are frequently out of date and the skills of teachers, researchers and even some professors are out of touch with reality. These and other issues were discussed recently by leading experts from academia and industry from around the world. Their deliberations coupled with a number of related sources of documented research are presented in this paper. The main findings reiterate that high-tech manufacturing will continue to be a major player in the landscape of developed economies but that the research thrusts and skill sets of young engineers and how they receive these skills will need to change.The paper provides a number of suggestions for strategic change to research and education in manufacturing in the future.
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The Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) initiative is the world’s only international multilateral collaborative R&D program comprising Australia, Canada, the EU and Norway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and the US. It provides a global... more
The Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) initiative is the world’s only international multilateral collaborative R&D program comprising Australia, Canada, the EU and Norway, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and the US. It provides a global framework for industry and academia to co-operate on manufacturing R&D throughout the full innovation cycle and to identify partners world-wide. The program’s scheme for the protection of intellectual property has proven to be beneficial to industrial participants, particularly for small and medium-sized companies, for engaging safely in global collaborations. Surveys among participants in IMS projects show that such international collaboration proves beneficial beyond the mere R&D activity as it includes knowledge exchanges on business and market developments as well as extended business collaborations and better cross-cultural understanding. The European part of the IMS initiative between 1995 and 2005 was managed under the European Commission’s research Framework Programs 4, 5 and 6. Since the beginning of IMS, 37 R&D projects have been launched, most of them with European participation. These projects involve more than one thousand companies and research institutions world-wide and represent an international commitment level of around € 400 million (with € 100 million being European by the European Commission’s research Framework Programs).
The paper aims to describe the institutional and managerial mechanisms of this globally unique program and to present a first assessment of its impact in the program’s first phase and to discuss options for improvement, mainly from a European perspective.
The paper aims to describe the institutional and managerial mechanisms of this globally unique program and to present a first assessment of its impact in the program’s first phase and to discuss options for improvement, mainly from a European perspective.
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The chapter aims to present and explain the concept of the smart organization. This concept arose from the need for organizations to respond dynamically to the changing landscape of a digital economy. A smart organization is understood to... more
The chapter aims to present and explain the concept of the smart organization. This concept arose from the need for organizations to respond dynamically to the changing landscape of a digital economy. A smart organization is understood to be both, internet-worked and knowledge-driven, therefore able to adapt to new organizational challenges rapidly, and sufficiently agile to create and exploit knowledge in response to opportunities of the digital age. The three networking dimensions of smart organizations, ICT-enabled virtuality, organizational teaming and knowledge hyper-linking are elaborated. This networking capability allows smart organizations to cope with complexity and with rapidly changing economic environments. The paper also shows how managing the smart organization requires a more ‘fuzzy’ approach to managing smart resources: people, information, knowledge, creativity. Research is also presented, mainly from the European perspective. It has been key to creating the conditions for organizations to become smart.
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This chapter aims at drawing a picture of how organisations are likely to develop in the context of “virtuality”, i.e. following the impact of technologies relevant to the Information Society. Organisations will expand their traditional... more
This chapter aims at drawing a picture of how organisations are likely to develop in the context of “virtuality”, i.e. following the impact of technologies relevant to the Information Society. Organisations will expand their traditional boundaries to form new organisational patterns that will allow them to adapt to the changing environment of the Information Society as well as to exploit the opportunities of a Digital Economy. The chapter therefore shows how research, in particular research that was supported under the European Commission’s R&D programmes, has played a significant role in shaping these developments. The research aimed at developing the underpinning information and
communication technologies as well as at understanding the business processes and the socio-economic impact of virtual organisations. Although still many of the features of this new organisational paradigm are not fully understood, there is hope that organisations in the future will be smart in various respects and will develop in a way that maximises the leveraging of knowledge and innovation.
communication technologies as well as at understanding the business processes and the socio-economic impact of virtual organisations. Although still many of the features of this new organisational paradigm are not fully understood, there is hope that organisations in the future will be smart in various respects and will develop in a way that maximises the leveraging of knowledge and innovation.
This paper aims to provide a concise overview of R&D achievements of Key Action II of the Information Society Technologies (IST) program under the European Commission’s 5th framework program for research, development and innovation and... more
This paper aims to provide a concise overview of R&D achievements of Key Action II of the Information Society Technologies (IST) program under the European Commission’s 5th framework program for research, development and innovation and how these activities relate to the e-economy. Since the beginning of IST in 1999, some 450 projects have been launched in the area of new methods of work and electronic commerce with a funding budget of half a billion euros. The R&D activities were accompanied by policy initiatives such as eEurope and the European Research Area that were launched at the beginning of the new millennium. The paper shows that technology development efforts underpin the policy initiatives and both together offer a coherent approach towards an online Europe.
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Virtual organizations, or "organizations without walls", the collection of geographically distributed, functionally and culturally diverse organisational entities linked through information and communication technologies (ICT) are key... more
Virtual organizations, or "organizations without walls", the collection of geographically distributed, functionally and culturally diverse organisational entities linked through information and communication technologies (ICT) are key signposts of the shift from the industrial to the digital era. The article considers technologies and trends towards inter-operable tools for organisational agility and flexibility based on distributed business operations. The European Commission has been supporting these developments through its various research programs since the early 1980s. Besides the notable research and technological development (R&D) achievements, important progress has also been made in the area of standardization and through consensus building between the research and business communities in Europe. It is further recognized that technology alone will not be able to sustain the creative potential of the digital economy if the socio-economic, the legal and regulatory frameworks are not adequately taken into account. As more and more businesses are entering the digital economy, so the authors argue, more will be required than organizations merely becoming virtual: they must become smart.
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The new economy is the result of the information revolution, of shrinking and ever more powerful computers, and the emergence of an efficient, ubiquitous and invisible communications infrastructure. It is characterized by three... more
The new economy is the result of the information revolution, of shrinking and ever more powerful computers, and the emergence of an efficient, ubiquitous and invisible communications infrastructure. It is characterized by three distinctive attributes: it is global, it favors intangible things, ideas, information, knowledge, relationships, and it is intensely inter-linked. As more and more organizations prepare to "go digital", only few of them really seem to recognize what implications this transition will have on their business processes and on the organization as a whole. The transformation involves much more than setting up a digital infrastructure and requires even more than the ability to enter into a virtual collaboration with other partners. Organizations need to become "smart", i.e. knowledge driven, internetworked, dynamically adaptive to new organizational forms and practices, learning as well as agile in their ability to create and exploit the opportunities offered by the digital economy. The article considers technologies and trends towards inter-operable tools for organizational agility and fexibility based on distributed business operations. The European Commission has been supporting these developments through its various research programs since the early 1980s. Besides the notable research and technological development (RTD) achievements, important progress has also been made in the area of standardization and through consensus building between the research and business communities in Europe. It is further recognized that technology alone will not be able to sustain the creative potential of the digital economy if the socio-economic, the legal and regulatory frameworks are not adequately taken into account.
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The European Commission's ESPRIT (European Strategic Program for Research in Information Technology) Program has been supporting Concurrent Engineering (CE) related projects since the 1980s. The purpose of this paper is to raise... more
The European Commission's ESPRIT (European Strategic Program for Research in Information Technology) Program has
been supporting Concurrent Engineering (CE) related projects since the 1980s. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the substantial research done within this program and to provide pointers for the international CE community to access the research projects. This paper presents the views of a European expert group on the changes in industrial and research context in the CE area and highlight current challenges. A tabulation of ESPRIT R&D projects in CE to January 1999 is presented to provide a quick index of research projects. The projects are analysed with reference to industrial sectors and project foci. The paper finishes with a brief comparison of the relevant activities at the wider international research and industrial application context.
been supporting Concurrent Engineering (CE) related projects since the 1980s. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the substantial research done within this program and to provide pointers for the international CE community to access the research projects. This paper presents the views of a European expert group on the changes in industrial and research context in the CE area and highlight current challenges. A tabulation of ESPRIT R&D projects in CE to January 1999 is presented to provide a quick index of research projects. The projects are analysed with reference to industrial sectors and project foci. The paper finishes with a brief comparison of the relevant activities at the wider international research and industrial application context.
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Virtual teamwork is increasingly becoming a characteristic way of working within and between organisations in the digital economy, bringing both opportunities and drawbacks. This article considers communication in virtual teams and ways... more
Virtual teamwork is increasingly becoming a characteristic way of working within and between organisations in the digital economy, bringing both opportunities and drawbacks. This article considers communication in virtual teams and ways in which information and communication technologies (ICTs) can enhance or impede it. It is recognised that the richness of face-to-face communication cannot be captured fully by the tools on offer, although important steps to create team belonging in virtual presence have already been taken. While the tools go some way to permitting distributed team members to interact informally, they cannot go all the way to building and maintaining the personal side of relationships, nor provide stress-relief in many instances. Information overload is highlighted as an example of this failure, and ways to address the problems inherent in ICT-mediated communication and its usage should be sought via inter-disciplinary approaches. On the other hand, the virtual paradigm leads to new organisational forms and organisational culture that tend to strengthen the individual's role in the organisational grapevine.
Research Interests: Human Computer Interaction, E-learning, Collaboration, Computer-Mediated Communication, ICT4D, and 14 moreVirtual Teams, Teamwork, Knowledge Communities, Technology Enhanced Education, Developmental Work Research, Educational Virtual Environments, Instructional Engineering, Innovation & Change Management, Open Distance Learning, Information & Communication Technologies In Education ICT&E, VR for Learning, Educational Web 3D, Authoring & Intelligent Tutoring Systems, and Virtual Reality Technology
Information is the fuel of the new economy and should be understood in its broadest sense, as knowledge, ideas and brainpower. Intangible goods such as content and software represent an ever-growing share of the economy. The most... more
Information is the fuel of the new economy and should be understood in its broadest sense, as knowledge, ideas and brainpower. Intangible goods such as content and software represent an ever-growing share of the economy. The most successful organisations, not only commercial enterprises but also public administrations, are those, which operate on the basis of collective intelligence. This means co-operating efficiently, sharing information, generating new ideas, and developing the capacity to exploit them. Co-operative competition amongst individuals is at the core, providing a major driver for innovation and creativity.
This article looks at how the traditional concept of organisation is dissolving, one of the distinctive characteristics in the economic landscape of the future. The challenges involved are complex and inter-related and should not be addressed by technological means alone. To sustain the creative potential of the new economy, the social and socio-economic perspectives, legal and regulatory frameworks and organisational development issues must be adequately addressed.
This article looks at how the traditional concept of organisation is dissolving, one of the distinctive characteristics in the economic landscape of the future. The challenges involved are complex and inter-related and should not be addressed by technological means alone. To sustain the creative potential of the new economy, the social and socio-economic perspectives, legal and regulatory frameworks and organisational development issues must be adequately addressed.
Research Interests: Organizational Behavior, Organizational Behavior, Management, Knowledge Management, ICT, and 9 moreICT, Social Computing, E-Government, video games, serious games, MMO, Technological singularity, Virtual Enterprises, Organizational Innovation, Networked Organizations, and Organizational Impact of ICTs
Η Φυσική καταδεικνύει όρια στην ανθρώπινη σκέψη. Το ερώτημα «τί είναι ύλη;» δεν βρίσκει εύκολη απάντηση. Στη προσπάθειά μας να προσεγγίσουμε την εξήγηση, η Αρχή της Αβεβαιότητας μας «απαγορεύει» να προσδιορίσουμε με σαφήνεια την απάντηση,... more
Η Φυσική καταδεικνύει όρια στην ανθρώπινη σκέψη. Το ερώτημα «τί είναι ύλη;» δεν βρίσκει εύκολη απάντηση. Στη προσπάθειά μας να προσεγγίσουμε την εξήγηση, η Αρχή της Αβεβαιότητας μας «απαγορεύει» να προσδιορίσουμε με σαφήνεια την απάντηση, όπως έγραψε χαρακτηριστικά ο συγγραφέας Άρθουρ Κέσλερ: «Η μοντέρνα Φυσική μοιάζει σα να υπακούει στη Δεύτερη Εντολή: Ου ποιήσεις σ’ εαυτώ είδωλον – ουδέ του Θεού ουδέ των πρωτονίων». Είχε δίκιο ο Κέσλερ; Παρόλο που ο σκοπός του ρήματός του αυτού δεν ήταν παρά ειρωνικός, εξέφραζε στην κυριολεξία μια αλήθεια! Η Δεύτερη Εντολή μιλάει για ένα είδος ειδωλολατρίας που βρίσκεται πέρα από τις ειδωλολατρικές παραδόσεις του πρωτόγονου ανθρώπου. Ενώ η Πρώτη Εντολή αποκλείει την τοποθέτηση ειδώλων (άλλων θεών) πλάι στον Κύριο, τον Δημιουργό του Σύμπαντος, η Δεύτερη Εντολή μιλάει για μια εσφαλμένη, άπρεπη λατρεία του ζωντανού Θεού.
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Όσον αφορά την γενική αποκάλυψη, η ύπαρξη, η δύναμη, η σοφία, το μεγαλείο και η δόξα του Θεού βρίσκονται εμφανείς σε όλους τους ανθρώπους, ανά πάσα στιγμή. Εμπεριέχουν δύο διακριτικές μορφές: Μια εξωτερική, δηλαδή την δημιουργική πράξη με... more
Όσον αφορά την γενική αποκάλυψη, η ύπαρξη, η δύναμη, η σοφία, το μεγαλείο και η δόξα του Θεού βρίσκονται εμφανείς σε όλους τους ανθρώπους, ανά πάσα στιγμή. Εμπεριέχουν δύο διακριτικές μορφές: Μια εξωτερική, δηλαδή την δημιουργική πράξη με την οποία ο Θεός φέρνει σε ύπαρξη την κοσμική τάξη την οποία ο Ίδιος φροντίζει και συντηρεί. Όπως και την εσωτερική γενική αποκάλυψη του Θεού, μια έμφυτη στις καρδιές των ανθρώπων αίσθηση για την ύπαρξη του Θεού και του ηθικού νόμου (συνείδηση). Κάποιοι από τους πρώτους προτεστάντες θεολόγους ονόμασαν τη διπλή αυτή αποκάλυψη του Θεού ‘θεωρία των δύο βιβλίων’. Ο Θεός είναι ο συγγραφέας και των δύο, τόσο του παραδειγματικού βιβλίου της Φύσης όσο και του γραπτού Λόγου Του, δηλαδή της Βίβλου.
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Η σύγχρονη επιστήμη και η τεχνολογία άρχισαν να αναπτύσσονται ραγδαία σε μια περιοχή και μια εποχή όπου οι συνθήκες άρχισαν να γίνονται ευνοϊκές γι’ αυτές. Το αριστοτέλειο οικοδόμημα της αρχαιότητας που επικράτησε μέχρι και τον Μεσαίωνα... more
Η σύγχρονη επιστήμη και η τεχνολογία άρχισαν να αναπτύσσονται ραγδαία σε μια περιοχή και μια εποχή όπου οι συνθήκες άρχισαν να γίνονται ευνοϊκές γι’ αυτές. Το αριστοτέλειο οικοδόμημα της αρχαιότητας που επικράτησε μέχρι και τον Μεσαίωνα βρήκε το τέλος του με την επιστημονική μέθοδο. Κάποιες ιδέες και πρακτικές από την ελληνική αρχαιότητα επέζησαν, όπως η λογική, τα μαθηματικά και η παρατήρηση των φαινομένων. Συμπληρώθηκαν όμως από τη βιβλική σκέψη, η οποία αφέθηκε «ελεύθερη» με τη Μεταρρύθμιση εμπνέοντας όλα τα κοινωνικά στρώματα και καλλιεργώντας ένα περιβάλλον όπου η επιστήμη και η τεχνολογία μπορούσαν να εξελιχτούν προς όφελος ολόκληρης της ανθρωπότητας.
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Η καινοτομία συνδέεται άμεσα με την ανθρώπινη ευρηματικότητα και αποτελεί μέρος των ικανοτήτων μας. Χάρη στην ευρεία επίδρασή της, η καινοτομία θεωρείται, ως ο πλέον σημαντικός παράγοντας για την οικονομία, τις επιχειρήσεις, την... more
Η καινοτομία συνδέεται άμεσα με την ανθρώπινη ευρηματικότητα και αποτελεί μέρος των ικανοτήτων μας. Χάρη στην ευρεία επίδρασή της, η καινοτομία θεωρείται, ως ο πλέον σημαντικός παράγοντας για την οικονομία, τις επιχειρήσεις, την επιχειρηματικότητα και γενικά την ευημερία μιας κοινωνίας. Το άρθρο κάνει αναφορά και στην έννοια της ανοικτής καινοτομίας η οποία ως έννοια ήδη έχει εισχωρήσει τον επιχειρησιακό χώρο, οδηγώντας πολλές εταιρείες σε αναθεώρηση του επιχειρησιακού τους μοντέλου ως προς την βιωσιμότητά του και τον κρίσιμο ρόλο που αυτή παίζει για τη δημιουργία αξίας. Το άρθρο επισημαίνει πως επειδή η καινοτομία ξεκινά από τη σκέψη και εξαρτάται για την υλοποίησή της από νοοτροπίες, αντιλήψεις, το κοινωνικό πλαίσιο, την παιδεία και – γενικά – τη κουλτούρα στην οποία εντάσσονται οι άνθρωποι. Για να γίνει πιο καινοτόμος η Ελλάδα θα πρέπει να υπάρξουν αλλαγές και ως προς αυτά. Καινοτομία, έστω και αν η ίδια η λέξη δεν χρησιμοποιείται στις Γραφές, είναι έννοια βιβλική. Ο Χριστός διδάσκει, πως μπαλώματα καινούργιου υφάσματος σε παλιά ρούχα ή νέο κρασί σε παλιούς ασκούς μόνο χειροτερεύουν μια κατάσταση. Τόσο η διδασκαλία του Ιησού όσο και τα υπόλοιπα κείμενα της Καινής Διαθήκης στο σύνολό τους υποστηρίζουν μια ριζοσπαστική λύση: τη δημιουργία του καινούργιου ανθρώπου.
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Η αρχαία ιδέα περί ατομικότητας της ύλης, μολονότι ξεχασμένη από την κλασσική περίοδο και μετά, άρχισε μόλις πριν λίγους αιώνες να απασχολεί σοβαρά την επιστήμη. Το αποκορύφωμα της σταδιοδρομίας της ιδέας αυτής είναι τα νέα πειράματα στο... more
Η αρχαία ιδέα περί ατομικότητας της ύλης, μολονότι ξεχασμένη από την κλασσική περίοδο και μετά, άρχισε μόλις πριν λίγους αιώνες να απασχολεί σοβαρά την επιστήμη. Το αποκορύφωμα της σταδιοδρομίας της ιδέας αυτής είναι τα νέα πειράματα στο Ευρωπαϊκό Ερευνητικό Κέντρο CERN που ξεκίνησαν με επιτυχία στις αρχές Απριλίου 2010. Το άρθρο επιχειρεί να ανασκοπήσει την εξέλιξη της έρευνας του υπο-ατομικού κόσμου για να καταλήξει ότι καθώς η επιστήμη εισχωρεί με δριμύτητα σε νέες δομές, «ανακαλύπτει» αργά και σταθερά τα ίχνη του Δημιουργού.
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To άρθρο προσφέρει μια συνοπτική παρουσίαση του βιβλίου του χριστιανού φιλόσοφου Φράνσις Σέιφερ «Η ρύπανση και ο θάνατος του ανθρώπου - Η χριστιανική άποψη της οικολογίας». Το βιβλίο αυτό αποτελεί μια αξιόλογη συμβολή στη συζήτηση γύρω... more
To άρθρο προσφέρει μια συνοπτική παρουσίαση του βιβλίου του χριστιανού φιλόσοφου Φράνσις Σέιφερ «Η ρύπανση και ο θάνατος του ανθρώπου - Η χριστιανική άποψη της οικολογίας». Το βιβλίο αυτό αποτελεί μια αξιόλογη συμβολή στη συζήτηση γύρω από τα κίνητρα περιβαλλοντικής δράσης. Ο συγγραφέας ασχολείται πρώτα με την πανθεϊστική προσέγγιση, η οποία για πολλούς σήμερα καθορίζει μια ριζοσπαστική περιβαλλοντική ηθική. Στη συνέχεια αναφέρεται στον πλατωνικό δυαδισμό μεταξύ του θείου και του επίγειου, προσέγγιση που υιοθετήθηκε από Βυζάντιο πριν την Αναγέννηση. Και καταλήγει στη ιουδαϊκο-χριστιανική άποψη η οποία εξ αρχής βρισκόταν αντιμέτωπη με τον πολυθεϊσμό, όπου οι θεοί των αρχαίων λαών διακατέχονταν από προσωπικά χαρακτηριστικά, ο Θεός των Ιουδαίων και των Χριστιανών όμως είναι τόσο Θεός άπειρος όσο και Θεός με προσωπικότητα. Το ευαγγέλιο της σωτηρίας μέσω του Χριστού προσφέρει κατά τον συγγραφέα μια σαφέστατα εδραιωμένη προσέγγιση για αληθινή οικολογική δράση. Η αλλαγή που προσφέρει η χριστιανική προσέγγιση δεν αποσκοπεί στο απώτερο μέλλον, αλλά αφορά το σήμερα.
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Η επιστήμη του 20ού αιώνα χαρακτηρίζεται από τρείς κύριες επαναστατικές επιτεύξεις: τη θεωρία της σχετικότητας, την κβαντική μηχανική και τη θεωρία του χάους. Αν η θεωρία της σχετικότητας έδωσε τέλος στην νευτωνική αντίληψη ενός... more
Η επιστήμη του 20ού αιώνα χαρακτηρίζεται από τρείς κύριες επαναστατικές επιτεύξεις: τη θεωρία της σχετικότητας, την κβαντική μηχανική και τη θεωρία του χάους. Αν η θεωρία της σχετικότητας έδωσε τέλος στην νευτωνική αντίληψη ενός απεριόριστου χώρου και χρόνου, και η κβαντική θεωρία έδωσε τέλος στο νευτωνικό όνειρο μιας αντικειμενικής προσέγγισης στη φύση, η θεωρία του χάους δίνει μια για πάντα τέλος στην ουτοπία του Laplace περί αιτιοκρατικής προβλεπτικότητας. Το άρθρο καταλήγει πως ενώ στην αρχαιότητα το χάος αποτελούσε το πρώτο στοιχείο της κοσμογονίας, σήμερα συνδέουμε με αυτό πλήρη σύγχυση και αταξία. Στη φυσική το χάος συνδέεται με μη προβλεπτικότητα και έλλειψη πληροφορίας. Η Αγία Γραφή διδάσκει πως όσο ο Θεός υπερβαίνει τη φύση που δημιούργησε, τόσο ταυτίζεται μ' αυτήν, τόσο και συνυπάρχει μαζί της. Η θεία υπεροχή φανερώνεται ιδιαίτερα σε στιγμές που ο άνθρωπος, το δημιούργημά του, τον αρνείται, τον απομακρύνει από τη σκέψη του και κατόπιν μόνος του αναγνωρίζει την αδυναμία του και την ανικανότητά του απέναντι στο μεγαλείο που συναντάει στη φύση.
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Η νέα οικονομία, αποτέλεσμα της επανάστασης στον κόσμο των πληροφοριών δια μέσου όλο και περισσότερο συρρικνωμένων και ισχυρότερων υπολογιστών, έξυπνου λογισμικού και μιας αποτελεσματικής, πανταχού παρούσας, αόρατης επικοινωνιακής... more
Η νέα οικονομία, αποτέλεσμα της επανάστασης στον κόσμο των πληροφοριών δια μέσου όλο και περισσότερο συρρικνωμένων και ισχυρότερων υπολογιστών, έξυπνου λογισμικού και μιας αποτελεσματικής, πανταχού παρούσας, αόρατης επικοινωνιακής υποδομής περιλαμβάνει τη σύγκλιση πληροφοριών, επικοινωνιών και περιεχομένου και βασίζεται στο άυλο και μη απτό. Η δικτυακή της μορφή ανοίγει σε όλους μας απρόσμενες δυνατότητες για επικοινωνία, ανταλλαγή πληροφοριών και προσφορά νέων υπηρεσιών. Το σημερινό οικονομικό περιβάλλον χαρακτηρίζεται από έντονο δυναμισμό και αβεβαιότητα, πολυπλοκότητα καθώς και προστιθέμενη αξία έξυπνων ή ενισχυμένων προϊόντων που απαιτούν νέα επαγγέλματα, προσφέροντας τη δυνατότητα για δημιουργία νέων θέσεων εργασίας. Το άρθρο ασχολείται με τις επιπτώσεις της δικτυακής οικονομίας στα βιβλιοπωλεία η οποίες υποδεικνύουν μια εξέλιξη από το κλασικό βιβλιοπωλείο στο ηλεκτρονικό, εξέλιξη η οποία δεν αποκλείει την συνύπαρξη και των δύο. Δύο είναι οι καθοριστικοί παράγοντες: Πρώτον, οι πόροι που εξελίσσονται από υλικούς σε άυλους και, δεύτερον, η αξία που εξελίσσεται από το κλασικό παράδειγμα μαζικής παραγωγής σε αξία που προσανατολίζεται στις ανάγκες και προτιμήσεις του πελάτη.
Research Interests:
Als junger Mann studierte ich Mathematik. Ich war ungläubig, ja sogar ein erbitterter Feind Jesu Christi. Ich hielt Christus für den größten Feind der Wissenschaft und des Fortschritts der Menschheit. Ich hatte mir vorgenommen, das... more
Als junger Mann studierte ich Mathematik. Ich war ungläubig, ja sogar ein erbitterter Feind Jesu Christi. Ich hielt Christus für den größten Feind der Wissenschaft und des Fortschritts der Menschheit. Ich hatte mir vorgenommen, das Evangelium als Lug und Trug zu entlarven, die Menschen von ihrem Christusirrtum zu überführen und ihnen den Weg zum Fortschritt freizumachen. Als ich aber über mein Vorhaben näher nachdachte, erschien es mir immer schwieriger. Später sollte mein finsteres Treiben Licht erhalten: 1) durch naturwissenschaftliche Erkenntnis; 2) durch das geschichtliche Zeugnis; 3) durch die persönliche Erfahrung.
Since the end of World War I, working life has been in a steady decline through the extension of the average length of stay in education and training, through early retirement schemes, longer paid and unpaid leave and shorter daily and... more
Since the end of World War I, working life has been in a steady decline through the extension of the average length of stay in education and training, through early retirement schemes, longer paid and unpaid leave and shorter daily and weekly working hours. All in all it has almost halved. Since 1950 alone, it has fallen by about one third. An end to this development is not visible. Are we running out of work? Experts such as Meinhard Miegel think that the amount of undone work is steadily growing. According to him, work is mistakenly understood as a workplace. Work is not considered in the social context as labour, but as employment associated with a salary payment. Real full employment has been recorded only during the war years and in the so-called economic miracle years. In his book "The End of Work" economist Jeremy Rifkin sees today's labour crisis as a fundamental phenomenon, namely as the unprecedented end of the working life. The cause for these changes Rifkin sees in the technological development, i.e. the mechanization in agriculture and mining, the automation of industrial production, the rationalization of the service sector through information technology, and the re-engineering of business and operational work processes. The paper attempts to offer a clarification over these issues and a perspective on the future of employment.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, E-learning, Computer-Mediated Communication, Human Resource Management, ICT4D, and 12 moreWomen and Work, Intersectionality, Qualitative Methodologies, Jobs, Knowledge Communities, Technology Enhanced Education, Developmental Work Research, Instructional Engineering, Innovation & Change Management, Open Distance Learning, Life Histories Methodology, and Employment Equity Policies
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Research Interests:
During the last two centuries science and technology have developed rapidly shaping human life forever. Success is evident, and most of us benefit from it. But this success sometimes leads to a growing unease about the negative effects of... more
During the last two centuries science and technology have developed rapidly shaping human life forever. Success is evident, and most of us benefit from it. But this success sometimes leads to a growing unease about the negative effects of human knowledge gained through intervention in nature. This paper attempts to describe the stress field between freedom and responsibility researchers find themselves in today. The issues of freedom vs responsibility are explored, inferences are derived and possible action paths shown with respect to the Biblical dominion mandate. Problem areas for which responsible action by scientists is particularly needed are: biotechnology, environmental studies and the assessment of the societal impact of technology.
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Research Interests: Religion, History, Philosophy, Ethics, Science, and 3 moreArts, Social Issues, and Science and Faith
The aim of the paper is to show that the effects of the human Fall have had a much wider reach than its purely moral dimension theologically attributed to it. The Fall has affected man’s intellectual life, as well as his inner motivations... more
The aim of the paper is to show that the effects of the human Fall have had a much wider reach than its purely moral dimension theologically attributed to it. The Fall has affected man’s intellectual life, as well as his inner motivations and his aspirations relevant to the Cultural Mandate. It has eventually led to man’s incapability to function adequately as the God-ordained steward of the natural environment, and the resources God had entrusted him with, leading ultimately to a deprivation of knowledge and capabilities that were essential for the thriving of human life on earth and humanity’s survival in the hostile environment outside Eden.
Research Interests:
The aim of the paper is to show that the effects of the human Fall have had a much wider reach than its purely moral dimension theologically attributed to it. The Fall has affected man’s intellectual life, as well as his inner motivations... more
The aim of the paper is to show that the effects of the human Fall have had a much wider reach than its purely moral dimension theologically attributed to it. The Fall has affected man’s intellectual life, as well as his inner motivations and his aspirations related to the Cultural Mandate. It has eventually led to man’s incapability to function adequately as the God-ordained steward of the natural environment, and the resources God had entrusted him with, leading ultimately to a deprivation of knowledge and capabilities that were essential for the thriving of human life on earth and humanity’s survival in the hostile environment outside Eden.