Territorial Ecology and Socio-ecological Transition


Book Description

In the same realm as social ecology, industrial ecology and the circular economy, a new interdisciplinary field is growing: territorial ecology. Based on the analysis of the metabolism of human societies at a local level, it helps us diagnose a socioecosystem. This diagnostic is not only based on what is circulating, but also on how it is organized and why. Who is at the origin of a flow? What are their motivations? Who has the power to make decisions about it? This methodology, taking into account both the material description of human societies and the analysis of decisionmaking processes, might also be relevant for territorial diagnostics. It leads us to a systemic view of the consequences of individual and collective actions on the sustainability of local socio ecosystems. Socio-ecological transition implies a substantial evolution of human societies. Innovation, be it technological, organizational or social, is intrinsically involved in this evolution. However, if transition calls for disruptive rather than incremental innovations, we must also assess these innovations with a systemic view of their consequences.




Territorial Ecology and Socio-ecological Transition


Book Description

In the same realm as social ecology, industrial ecology and the circular economy, a new interdisciplinary field is growing: territorial ecology. Based on the analysis of the metabolism of human societies at a local level, it helps us diagnose a socioecosystem. This diagnostic is not only based on what is circulating, but also on how it is organized and why. Who is at the origin of a flow? What are their motivations? Who has the power to make decisions about it? This methodology, taking into account both the material description of human societies and the analysis of decisionmaking processes, might also be relevant for territorial diagnostics. It leads us to a systemic view of the consequences of individual and collective actions on the sustainability of local socio ecosystems. Socio-ecological transition implies a substantial evolution of human societies. Innovation, be it technological, organizational or social, is intrinsically involved in this evolution. However, if transition calls for disruptive rather than incremental innovations, we must also assess these innovations with a systemic view of their consequences.




The Social Metabolism


Book Description

Over this last decade, the concept of Social Metabolism has gained prestige as a theoretical instrument for the required analysis, to such an extent that there are now dozens of researchers, hundreds of articles and several books that have adopted and use this concept. However, there is a great deal of variety in terms of definitions and interpretations, as well as different methodologies around this concept, which prevents the consolidation of a unified field of new knowledge. The fundamental aim of the book is to conduct a review of the past and present usage of the concept of social metabolism, its origins and history, as well as the main currents or schools that exist around this concept. At the same time, the reviews and discussions included are used by the authors as starting points to draw conclusions and propose a theory of socio-ecological transformations. The theoretical and methodological innovations of this book include a distinction of two types of metabolic processes: tangible and intangible; the analysis of the social metabolism at different scales (in space and time) and a theory of socio-ecological change overcoming the merely “systemic” or “cybernetic” nature of conventional approaches, giving special protagonism to collective action.




The Contributory Revolution


Book Description

This book sheds light on a crucial debate on the possible role of the technosciences in meeting the challenges of the future. It shows that the current contributory revolution is global and profound, and that it concerns the whole epistemological field - from the sciences to social organizations. By delving into the epistemological dimension of the lightning transition we are currently experiencing, The Contributory Revolution identifies the levers of the salutary acceleration of collective learning, now essential, but not before the debate on a possible future has been settled via the headlong rush of the technoscientist. However, after this call to move from exo-distributive technoscience, carried by deterministic and Newtonian models, to more biological and endocontributory models - or even from the arrogance of mastery to the humility of influence and alliance - it will be necessary to set its limits to avoid entering into an eco-philosophical radicalism. Only extreme humility, carried by strong spirituality, can protect us from it.




Asia-Europe Industrial Connectivity in Times of Crisis


Book Description

The main objective of this book is to offer an overview and a critical assessment of current connectivity issues in Asia and Europe, seen from an industrial perspective. Critical insights into the contemporary debate on connectivity during times of crisis, which has led to significant economic and social disruptions, are offered throughout the book. European and Asian countries seek to “bounce forward” and not “bounce back” as they navigate the complex economic recovery process. Innovation and investment emerge as critical players to help an economic recovery that shifts towards a more resilient and environmentally friendly approach, to ensure that the world economies stay connected. The global health crisis has revealed that, more than ever before, ubiquitous connectivity, underpinned by pioneering innovation, is a must. As such, governments worldwide need to ensure that businesses and societies emerge stronger and more resilient from existing and emerging crises by laying solid foundations that help to circumnavigate future disruptions of a global magnitude.




Futures


Book Description

In the same way as there are many futures, not just one, there are many ways to conceive and practice foresight. The challenge of the great turning point of our civilization is to free ourselves from our prejudices in order to imagine and build desirable futures. The process is, by nature, ethical and prospective. In a complex, uncertain and geopolitically transforming world, we must be open to the diversity of cultures and the different perceptions of the future. This requires us to reflect on the purpose and means of our societies. Futures proposes different cultural and ethical views on civilizational transformation by offering a rare, transnational panorama of the visions of the future in a European, American and Chinese context. Through numerous examples, this book illustrates how foresight is practiced and what this can achieve in strategic terms.




Innovation in Clusters


Book Description

Forged at the heart of international political bodies by expert researchers, the innovation cluster concept has been incorporated into most public policies in industrialized countries. Based largely on the ideas behind the success of Silicon Valley, several imitative attempts have been made to geographically group laboratories, companies and training in particular fields in order to generate “synergies” between science and industry. In its first part, Innovation in Clusters analyzes the infatuation with the system of clusters that is integral to innovative policies by analyzing its socio historical context, its revival in management and its worldwide expansion, looking at a French example at a local level. In its second part, the book explores a specialized biotechnology cluster dating back to the end of the 1990s. The sociological survey conducted twenty years later sheds a different light on the dynamics and relationships between laboratories and companies, contradicting the commonly held belief that innovation is made possible by geographical proximity.




Data Analysis and Related Applications, Volume 1


Book Description

The scientific field of data analysis is constantly expanding due to the rapid growth of the computer industry and the wide applicability of computational and algorithmic techniques, in conjunction with new advances in statistical, stochastic and analytic tools. There is a constant need for new, high-quality publications to cover the recent advances in all fields of science and engineering. This book is a collective work by a number of leading scientists, computer experts, analysts, engineers, mathematicians, probabilists and statisticians who have been working at the forefront of data analysis and related applications. The chapters of this collaborative work represent a cross-section of current concerns, developments and research interests in the above scientific areas. The collected material has been divided into appropriate sections to provide the reader with both theoretical and applied information on data analysis methods, models and techniques, along with related applications.




Digitalization of Work


Book Description

Digitalization of Work brings together researchers and international experts whose work and practices are based on a variety of disciplines such as work and organizational psychology, social psychology, ergonomics, communication and information sciences, and management sciences. This book closely examines the challenges associated with recent or emerging ways of working related to the digitalization of work. It acts as a directory of contributions that enrich recent thought and approaches to the deployment and accompaniment of the ways in which work is organized, including practices and environments likely to gain relevance in coming years (remote working and management, coworking for salaried employees, flexible office spaces, working from home and nomadism).




Open Innovation Strategies


Book Description

The main aim of opening up innovation is to optimize the process of creating innovations, while pooling human, financial and material resources. Various profiles of actors are thus brought together in order to collaborate to achieve common objectives and share their particular interests. This book describes the challenges of collaboration in the development of innovations in a context where the sustainability of value chains is central. The diversity of collaborative forms, shared spaces (FabLab, LivingLab, co-working spaces), the intrinsic characteristics of innovation, and the actors actively involved in its emergence are all addressed in this book. The structuring of partners collaborating in innovative projects in specific environments is also discussed. Furthermore, it questions the social responsibility of companies and their innovative role in generating sustainable solutions for stakeholders.