The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation in tourism and there has been a surge in new, innovative digital initiatives to help tourism businesses. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the nature of tourism, events and practices in the digital context. The book looks at how technology has transformed tourism in destination branding, marketing, content marketing, sustainable tourism development and tourism events. It examines the impact of digital transformation on emotions, experiences, information technology tools and marketing techniques. The book will be a useful reference to those researching on tourism, culture, hospitality and marketing and as well as destination planners, managers of tourism destination marketing organizations, regulators, standards and certification bodies, local tourism board authorities and policy makers.

This book explores European security and defense R&D policy, unveiling the strategic, industrial, institutional and ideational sources of the European Commission's military research initiative. Starting from a well-defined empirical epicentre-the rise of non-civilian R&D priorities in the European Union-this book covers interrelated themes and topics such as approaches to arms production and R&D collaboration relationships between European R&D-related institutions technology and research foundations of European security policy past and present European armament collaborations transatlantic R&D collaboration the militarization of border security. Divided into 5 sections, the enclosed chapters explore the EU technology and innovation policy in regards to security, industrial competitiveness and military capabilities. The terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001 provided a window of opportunity for the introduction of security as a distinct European R&D priority. In fact, since 2002, the Preparatory Action for Security Research (PASR) has funded 45 million euros to 39 research consortia to conduct security R&D. While the idea of pooling defense research efforts and programmes in Europe is not new, the establishment of institutions like the European Defense Agency (EDA) are a major step into institutionalizing European agencies involvement in supporting defense technology research. It is against this backdrop of policy developments that this book is positioned, in addition to addressing some of the political, economic, industrial and philosophical questions that arise. Featuring contributions from a variety of academic fields and industries, this book will be of interest to scholars, researchers, students and policy makers in the fields of security policy, international relations, innovation, European studies and military studies.

The book begins with an introductory chapter that sets the parameters of the technology assessment process. Subsequent chapters explore the relationship between technology and science and examine the changes wrought by technological advances. The central chapter gives general principles to assist the reader in identigying key technologies and their applicability to corporate value chain activities. White demonstrates how product development, manufacturing, and sales activities can be evaluated for possible improvement. He also shows how the goals of reducing cost, blocking competition, restructuring one's industry, and improving the idea flow among staff members can be achieved through technological innovations. At the same time, the human element is not ignored. White notes that organizational effectiveness versus efficiency, acceptance of change, political threats created by technology, holistic approaches to problem solving, and learning to learn are key organizational development issues that must accompany technological innovations. Finally, he looks at key technologies in the company of the future, including powerful microprocessors, communications networks, and artificial intelligence systems. The detailed appendix provides an introduction to computers, terminology and systems applications for readers without a technical background.

This book gathers recent research works in emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods for the convergence of communication, caching, control, and computing resources in cloud-based Internet of Vehicles (IoV) infrastructures. In this context, the book's major subjects cover the analysis and the development of AI-powered mechanisms in future IoV applications and architectures. It addresses the major new technological developments in the field and reflects current research trends and industry needs. It comprises a good balance between theoretical and practical issues, covering case studies, experience and evaluation reports, and best practices in utilizing AI applications in IoV networks. It also provides technical/scientific information about various aspects of AI technologies, ranging from basic concepts to research-grade material, including future directions. This book is intended for researchers, practitioners, engineers, and scientists involved in designing and developing protocols and AI applications and services for IoV-related devices.

This book explores the practical implementation of an advanced after-sales management framework devoted to warranty management. The framework is intended for companies producing either standardized or customized products and such a management tool will facilitate organizational improvement and support innovative decision making processes for technical assistance in after-sales services.

After sales Service of Engineering Industrial Assets comprises a proposal for a warranty management framework, with an account of the different methods that can be used to improve decision making in the different stages of the after-sales service management process, and strategies for strengthening the structure and foundations of the framework. A review of the fundamental issues and current research topics in warranty management and after sales services is also provided, which is exemplified by a case study. This book is intended for postgraduates, researchers and engineers who are interested in after sales management, assets engineering and warranty management."

Companies competing on a global scale must endeavor to launch new initiatives, products, and services aimed to set them apart from their competitors. Integrating technology and knowledge management strategies into the product development process is one solution to remaining relevant in a highly competitive marketplace. Product Innovation through Knowledge Management and Social Media Strategies is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on the application of social networking platforms to enhance knowledge sharing and innovative practice within organizations. Highlighting pertinent theories and techniques for improving communication and ensuring successful product development, this book is ideally designed for corporate managers, organizational leaders, researchers, and professionals interested in the value of knowledge sharing and social media tools in modern organizations.

With the ongoing restructuring in Sudan, structural issues such as the need for skill development and interaction with technological change need an in-depth analysis that this book offers. The central themes of this book are- required skill formation, upskilling of the workers, and their interaction with technological change in lieu of a deficient educational system and its implications. An empirical investigation of the causes and consequences of low skill and technology indicators using a primary survey at macro and micro levels is undertaken. This is followed by an examination of the interaction between the low skill and technology indicators, the relationships between skill, upskilling and technology indicators, skills mismatch, the uses and impacts of ICT and differences at firm as well as industry level as well as knowledge transfer effects. A set of recommendations towards the need for implementation of consistent policies, increasing incentives and collaboration between public and private institutions completes the book.

Unlike other books available on the market, this combines rigorous academic theory with practical insights, making it both suitable for students and practitioners at the intersection between digital transformation, marketing and strategy implementation; Provides insights from contributors from GE, Volvo, Adobe, Siemens, DHL, Thales and other companies known for their exceptional abilities to drive profits via digital transformation; Practical steps to drive profits via digital strategy implementation both internally as well as externally (via-a-vis customers).

In the early years of the 21st Century, as a result of many changes, it has become possible for the first time for tens of thousands of companies to offer manufactured products to customers across six continents. For many of these "global products," there are potentially more than a billion customers. In 2007, Wall Street hit new highs as the enormous opportunity for increased sales and profits became clear. However the new environment is not easy to manage and the risks are high.

Meeting the various requirements of customers from a range of countries, choosing the most suitable locations for the different stages of development and manufacturing, deciding what can be global and what must be local, implementing suitable processes and systems, accommodating different national regulations, and efficiently dividing the workload between diverse sites are among the many challenges faced by providers of global products.

Product Lifecycle Management is now used worldwide to manage the innovation, development and support of global products. This key new business activity manages a product anywhere in the world, at any time in its life: from the first idea through to recycling and disposal.

Based on interviews with executives and managers in companies such as ABB, Alcatel-Lucent, Dow Corning and Siemens, Global Product outlines the new environment and driving forces, and the resulting opportunities and challenges. From lessons learned, it draws conclusions about best practices and the ground rules for successful strategies, structures and implementation. In addition, the objectives and components of Product Lifecycle Management are highlighted.

Value-creation in Middle Market Private Equity by John A. Lanier holistically examines the ecosystem relationships between middle market private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Small business is the job creating engine in the US economy, and consequently is a prime target market for private equity investment. Indeed, private equity backs over six of each 100 private sector jobs. Both the small businesses in which private equity firms invest, and the private equity firms making the investments, face inter- and intra-company fiduciary leadership challenges while implementing formulated strategy. The architecture of each private equity firm-portfolio company relationship must be uniquely crafted to capitalize on the projected return on investment that is memorialized in the investment thesis. Given the leveraged capital structure of portfolio companies, the cost of a misstep is problematic. Individual private equity professionals are typically members of multiple investment teams for the firm. Not only may each investment team have its own unique leadership style, but its diverse members have to assimilate styles for each team in which they participate relative to a specific portfolio company. Acquisitions and their subsequent integrations add exponential complexity for both private equity investment and portfolio company leadership teams; indeed, cultural integration ranks among the most chronic acquisition obstacles. Accordingly, the stakeholders of private equity transactions do well to embrace leadership best practices in applying value-creation toolbox best practices. The perspectives of both the private equity investment team and the portfolio company leadership team are within the scope of these chapters.

The media industry is undergoing an accelerated pace of change, driven in large part by the proliferation of digital platforms. In many cases, the speed of adoption has exceeded our ability to process the impact of these changes on individuals and society at large. This book provides a "behind-the-scenes" look at the media industry's transition into the digital era and examines its impact on marketing, advertising, innovation and other economic and social activities. The impact of digital technologies on traditional media sectors, such as advertising, video games, film and television is well-documented. Less understood is its effect on our perceptions, thought processes and inter-personal relationships. Social media, for example, represents a fundamental change in the ways we interact with media, communicate with each other and even present ourselves to the world. This has shaped the way we communicate with institutions and brands. Similar to the first "Transitioned Media" book, Transitioned Media: A Turning Point into the Digital Realm, this book combines media industry leaders and academics to explore various transformative trends and issues. Themes include measuring cross-platform behaviour, artificial intelligence in journalism, the evolution of video games, digital media and physical space, the mobile use trends, social media and the corporate world, the changes in the television and newspaper business and the evolving relationship between advertisers and target audiences. The varied backgrounds of contributors and array of topics make for a unique and insightful point of view.

This book provides a multidisciplinary view of smart infrastructure through a range of diverse introductory and advanced topics. The book features an array of subjects that include: smart cities and infrastructure, e-healthcare, emergency and disaster management, Internet of Vehicles, supply chain management, eGovernance, and high performance computing. The book is divided into five parts: Smart Transportation, Smart Healthcare, Miscellaneous Applications, Big Data and High Performance Computing, and Internet of Things (IoT). Contributions are from academics, researchers, and industry professionals around the world. Features a broad mix of topics related to smart infrastructure and smart applications, particularly high performance computing, big data, and artificial intelligence; Includes a strong emphasis on methodological aspects of infrastructure, technology and application development; Presents a substantial overview of research and development on key economic sectors including healthcare and transportation.

This book aims to bind together latest theories on creation of innovative clusters and operating modalities, empirical analysis, and several new formal models describing cluster formation and dynamics. Another objective of the book is the analysis of the role of the innovative activities on the economic performances of the firm during the crisis, focusing the attention on the complementarities existing among the innovative dimensions, hypothesizing a positive role of integrated innovative strategies in increasing the firm resilience to the challenges brought by the economic crisis. The part of empirical analysis contains a comprehensive survey of different international legislation sources useful for deep studies of influential factors and peculiarities. In this book international statistical reports on economic activity and business cases of successful application of clusters model are described for Western Europe and BRIC. This book also presents authors findings in the domain of mathematical and simulation modeling of the major elements of cluster and innovation management.

This book explores - at the macro, meso and micro levels and in terms of qualitative as well as quantitative studies - theories, policies and practices about the contributions of artistic research and innovations towards defining new forms of knowledge, knowledge production, as well as knowledge diffusion, absorption and use. Artistic research, artistic innovations and arts-based innovations have been major transformers, as well as disruptors, of the ways in which societies, economies, and political systems perform. Ramifications here refer to the epistemic socio-economic, socio-political and socio-technical base and aesthetic considerations on the one hand, as well as to strategies, policies, and practices on the other, including sustainable enterprise excellence, considerations in the context of knowledge economies, societies and democracies. Creativity in general, and the arts in particular, are increasingly recognized as drivers of cultural, economic, political, social, and scientific innovation and development. This book examines how one could derive and develop insights in these areas from the four vantage points of Arts, Research, Innovation and Society. Among the principal questions that are examined include: - Could and should artists be researchers? - How are the systems of the Arts and Sciences connected and/or disconnected? - What is the impact of the arts in societal development? - How are the Arts interrelated with the mechanisms of generating social, scientific and economic innovation? As the inaugural book in the Arts, Research, Innovation and Society series, this book uses a thematically wide spectrum that serves as a general frame of reference for the entire series of books to come.

This book discusses theories of monetary and financial innovation and applies them to key monetary and financial innovations in history - starting with the use of silver bars in Mesopotamia and ending with the emergence of the Eurodollar market in London. The key monetary innovations are coinage (Asia minor, China, India), the payment of interest on loans, the bill of exchange and deposit banking (Venice, Antwerp, Amsterdam, London). The main financial innovation is the emergence of bond markets (also starting in Venice). Episodes of innovation are contrasted with relatively stagnant environments (the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire, the Spanish Empire). The comparisons suggest that small, open and competing jurisdictions have been more innovative than large empires - as has been suggested by David Hume in 1742.

How can we design innovative food experiences that enhance food pleasure and consumer well-being? Through a wide variety of empirical, methodological, and theoretical contributions, which examine the art of designing innovative food experiences, this edited book explores the relationship between design thinking, food experience, and food well-being. While many aspects of food innovation are focused on products' features, in this book, design thinking follows an experiential perspective to create a new food innovation design logic that integrates two aspects: consumer food well-being and the experiential pleasure of food. It integrates a holistic perspective to understand how designing innovative food experiences, instead of food products, can promote healthy and pleasurable eating behaviors among consumers and help them achieve their food well-being. Invaluable for scholars, food industry professionals, design thinkers, students, and amateurs alike, this book will define the field of food innovation for years to come.

This book covers important issues related to managing supply chain risks from various perspectives. Supply chains today are vulnerable to disruptions with a significant impact on firms' business and performance. The aim of supply chain risk management is to identify the potential sources of risks and implement appropriate actions in order to mitigate supply chain disruptions. This book presents a set of models, frameworks, strategies, and analyses that are essential for managing supply chain risks. As a comprehensive collection of the latest research and most recent cutting-edge developments on supply chain risk and its management, the book is structured into three main parts: 1) Supply Chain Risk Management; 2) Supply Chain Vulnerability and Disruptions Management; and 3) Toward a Resilient Supply Chain. Leading academic researchers as well as practitioners have contributed chapters, combining theoretical findings and research results with a practical and contemporary view on how companies can manage the supply chain risks and disruptions, as well as how to create a resilient supply chain. This book can serve as an essential source for students and scholars who are interested in pursuing research or teaching courses in the rapidly growing area of supply chain risk management. It can also provide an interesting and informative read for managers and practitioners who need to deepen their knowledge of effective supply chain risk management.

Robust university-industry partnerships are vital to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create a better world for everyone. Developing the theory and practice of the '5th Generation University', this book shows how cross-sector collaboration and innovation are crucial to maximising the societal benefits of research, education and knowledge exchange, while also driving economic growth and productivity. The authors bring extensive experience in working at the interface between academia, industry and government to demonstrate how universities can effectively combine transdisciplinary programmatic activities and strategic corporate philanthropy. They explain how long-term alliances can be forged to have a transformational impact on the greatest challenges facing our world such as climate change.

This book provides an understanding of innovation models and why they are important in the business context, and considers sources of innovation and how to apply business frameworks using real-world examples of innovation-led businesses. After providing a solid background to the key concepts related to innovation models, the book looks at why innovation takes place and where the sources of innovation lie, from corporate research to crowd-sourced and government-funded initiatives. Innovation models across manufacturing, services and government are explored, as well as measuring innovation, and the impact of design thinking and lean enterprise principles on innovation and sustainability-driven imperatives. Offering a truly comprehensive and global approach, Business Innovation should be core or recommended reading for advanced undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA and Executive Education students studying Innovation Management, Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship.

University-industry interaction combines several layers of actors, states and effects. People make choices, based on their individual characteristics, at different stages of a scientific career, in a highly internationalised profession. Tensions arise when university administrators and managers need to strike a balance among different promotion instruments, or when the university or public research organisation tries to solve the trade-offs between long- and short-term relationships, or among new management practices. Impacts are related to scientific agendas, the economic returns for firms or the societal benefits. This book adopts a people-tension-impact approach to identify key insights, by combining qualitative and quantitative research, established and novel methodologies, and different geographic settings. The chapters in this volume provide new perspectives on university-industry interactions related to gender biases, entrepreneurial involvement of PhD students and the role of international mobility. They also focus on how the positive impacts of university-industry interactions coexist with unresolved tensions linked to policy combinations, long-term contractual relationships, management practices and organisational strategies. Chapters 4 and 6 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Research and development is no longer a headquarters function. More and more companies internationalize their R&D activities. The pros and cons of this approach are discussed in this book. The organizational alternatives for international R&D as well as the consequences that they have for decision making and performing R&D are also of great interest. Furthermore, measuring success of international R&D is a very difficult problem that is not yet fully understood. However, suggestions are made to improve present day practise. They are based on a large body of empirical research and management literature.

With the global demand for energy skyrocketing, over the past twenty years many countries have restructured their electric power industries, typically moving from a regulated monopoly to a competitive market structure. The results of these reforms vary significantly from country to country depending on the market organization model and national conditions. This book examines the restructuring in both developed and developing nations, with particular focus on the United States, Great Britain, China, and Russia, and addresses the problems arising from these transitions. The book also contains a comprehensive analysis of different electricity market models and their compatibility with the properties of electric power systems and country conditions. As the most thorough and up to date analysis of the theory and practical experience of electricity deregulation, this book is a must-read for academics, students and researchers with an interest in electric power industry restructuring. It also has direct relevance for engineers, regulators and other decision makers in companies and governmental agencies concerned with energy issues.

With the implementation of the strategic plan "Made in China 2025" as its guideline and "the study of formulation of executive summary of innovative design in the manufacturing industry" as the main theme, this book provides an in-depth interpretation of innovative design from three perspectives - why, what and how. Chapter One, "The Necessity of Developing Innovative Design," focuses on why innovative design should be developed, and Chapter Two, "Concept And Connotation of Innovative Design," explains what innovative design is, while Chapters Three to Seven systematically and comprehensively discuss how to develop innovative design and how to improve innovative design skills in various contexts, including key industries, business, personnel training, platform building, and supporting measures. Lastly, Chapter Eight "Cases of Innovative Design" explores the value of innovative design and innovative design-driven industrial transformation. By analyzing several design-driven companies, such as China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, Haier Group and GAG Trumpchi, and the role of corporate innovative development as well as typical examples of major innovative design projects, it offers readers insights and inspiration.

Inter-university cooperation across the world has shown several positive outcomes in terms of knowledge exchange as well as R&D benefits. This book portrays best practices of inter-university cooperation between Italian and American universities, while featuring agreements of Sapienza University of Rome. This book presents conceptual and implementation specifics of cooperation, policy perspectives, as well as a selection of framework agreements of current cooperation initiatives. Aimed at university professors, education and R&D policy makers, this book shall prove worthy as a guideline to initiate and implement inter-university cooperation globally.

Technology has created innovative new prospects for manufacturing industries with Industry 4.0 and has helped further the growth of the manufacturing sector. This book focuses on the next stage, which is Industry 5.0, and the steps in taking automation to that next level by increasing processes and operational efficiency, as well as reducing workforce size. Industry 5.0: The Future of the Industrial Economy discusses the integration of product, process, machine, software, and industrial robots in realizing Industry 5.0. It covers the dual integration of human intelligence with machine intelligence and reviews the results of making use of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The creation of a new category of robots named Collaborative Robots (Cobots) specifically designed to speed up the manufacturing process and profitability is explored. This book also explores how to reduce waste in product design through the manufacturing process and offers more personalized and customized products for customers. Manufacturing, design, industrial, and mechanical engineers, as well as practicing professionals, will find this book of interest. Management executives, CIOs, CEOs, IT professionals, and academics will also find something of value in this book that takes Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 and beyond.