Sustainable-Smart-Knowledge-System: from Information Capitalism to Intelligent Socialism
Tamer Z. Fouad*; Chang Chia-Hua; Chang Yu-Yu
PhD program in Business and Management, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan
A B S T R A C T
This paper outlines the concept of Knowledge Based Development (KBD) in which knowledge societies empowered by technological innovations and knowledge can foster sustainable and smart knowledge economies and societies. Literature review segmented key approaches for sustainable KBD to facilitate further academic research in its interdisciplinary areas. Contribution for practitioners and policy makers include guidelines for developed and developing countries in dealing with the escalating global issues based on sustainable KBD. The paper tried to distinguish between ineffective knowledge societies and economies which tend to follow the narrow interests of neoliberal information capitalism compared to sustainable knowledge societies and economies concerned with the deteriorating global situation by helping less developed countries in bridging the technology gap towards a sustainable and intelligent globe. The concluding remarks emphasize the importance of fostering knowledge and innovation diffusion worldwide to achieve smart and sustainable KBD in social, economic and environmental aspects.
Keywords: Smart Urbanization; Sustainability; Knowledge-Based Development; Innovation System; Smart Knowledge Eco-system; Semantic Web; Social Innovation; Geospatial
1. Sustainable KBD: an introduction
The UN explains sustainability or sustainable development according to 3 main dimensions: (1) Social sustainability aims at improving working conditions, social welfare, peace, justice and equality by working on eradicating poverty. (2) Economic sustainability aims at achieving social welfare and competitive economic growth with efficient and effective resource management while considering environmental preservation by reforming unsustainable production and consumption patterns. (3) Environmental sustainability focus on protecting natural and human resources from the risks of industrial societies and economies via environment risk reduction and mitigation. [1].Moreover, the institutional aspects is at the core of sustainability dimensions to harnesses knowledge assets, technological infrastructure, measures, policies and regulations for sustainable KBD. [2] Sustainable development dimensions should also be consistent and integrated with social, economic and environmental security aspects. [3]. Hence, sustainability is the process and science which relies on the management and diffusion of knowledge and innovation to handle the issues and needs of current and future generations, while considering the integrity and security of nature, economy and social systems.[4], [5].
Sustainable development is a complicated and difficult task which needs all possible resources and support from national and international government and non-government entities to be achieved successfully. However, the dynamic conditions of globalization created more opportunities and threats for development, especially in the age of information, communications and technologies (ICTs). Toughest threats to sustainability and development such as security, environmental and socio-economic crises can also be minimized by ICTs, if government and non-government efforts systematically pooled to empower and foster knowledge economies and societies in the right direction. On the other direction, ignorant and poor societies are no doubt heading towards self-destruction and would also increase regional and global threats. Hence, technology is a double edged weapon that can create and solve sustainability issues in the modern catastrophic world order. [6]–[13].
2. Literature review: an overview of KBD approaches
KBD refers to strategic and systematic sustainable development that insures transition towards knowledge societies and economies by developing and diffusing knowledge and innovation in the social system. Sustainable KBD extend beyond the national boundaries in which people worldwide share the concerns and consequences of sustainability issues, especially with the globalized diffusion of ICTs and internet. Hence, sustainable knowledge societies constitute the basis for economic, social and environmental development [14]. KBD is the recent approach inspiring local and global economic development in which economies and societies need to be transferred from information utilization to the era of knowledge empowerment. New urbanism and knowledge cities are at the core of KBD and its sustainability aspects. Economic aspects include codifying and utilizing technical, financial and human knowledge for developing innovative processes, products and services as well as developing sustainable competitive advantage by fostering urban society with continuous learning, innovation and development. Social aspects are consequently enablers for urban KBD which need to be nurtured and fostered through continuous human and social development as well as increasing the quality of life and welfare. Sustainable and secure environment is also important for sustainable urban KBD [15], [16].
Fig.1 the integration of sustainability dimensions and approaches
The literature of KBD is wide and intense, even in the context of smart and sustainable urbanization but there is no comprehensive clarification on its interdisciplinary links. Initial keyword search in Google Scholar highlighted over 350 results when typing “knowledge based development” coupled with “sustainability”, “smart” and “innovation”. While most of topics overlap in environmental, economic and social sustainability aspects, they usually share the common institutional subjects such as policy and technological innovation. Figure1 shows the integration of sustainability KBD approaches with a breakdown on its interdisciplinary key topics which required extra rounds of keyword search in both Google scholar and Google search to find more key and useful references.
2.1. The social approach
The social approach focuses on fostering, nurturing and advancing scientific and sustainability oriented education, awareness and capacity building to empower societies for smart and sustainable KBD[17]–[24]; harnessing local, indigenous or traditional knowledge towards urban and sustainability transformation[25]–[30]; issues of digital divide, technology inequality, social exclusion vs. inclusion or cohesion and knowledge governance (i.e. A2K) [31]–[38]; or diffusing ICTs for smart urbanization and sustainability so that societies can quickly learn, adopt, adapt and benefit from such transformation (i.e. E-Development) [39]–[44].
2.2. The environmental approach
Topics include the role of government and international organizations in fostering knowledge and innovation diffusion in dealing with global environmental issues on a high policy level and the transfer of sustainability technologies to developing countries [45]–[54]; or improving society resilience via ICT and knowledge-based disaster risk reduction in the context of smart and sustainable urbanization[55]–[61]; or in relation to sustainable innovation and management of environmental resource, energy, tourism, agricultural and rural development. [62]–[68].
2.3. The economic approach
It tackles the transformation towards sustainable and smart KBD with regard to the industry and corporate role in utilizing technological innovations for their efficient sustainable operations and green growth (i.e. eco-innovation& green computing) while considering environmental and social sustainability [69]–[73]. Upstream aspects include local and regional urban development [74]–[77]; the governance, cooperation and management of sustainable innovation systems (i.e. helix model and smart specialization)[78]–[87]; in addition to the development of indicators and indexes that guide smart and sustainable KBD[2], [88], [89].
3. Sustainable innovation: The problem and solution
3.1. The problem for practitioners
This paper highlights a strategic problem of sustainable problem in which governments and industry people face at their social and environmental responsibility. The last 2 decades witnessed intensive and serious discussions to face the deteriorating global situations due to environmental disasters (i.e. global warming) or the unstable socio-economic turblences worldwide due to (poverty, ignorance, corruption and inequalities). However, the root cause of all evils according to the vast literature is due to the global neoliberal capitalist system since the coldwar and imperialist era. Such neoliberal capitalist policy is imposed as a global governance system by the western governments to extend their economic, political and cultural hegemony over other nations, at the expense of social, economic and environmental sustainability worldwide. Neoliberal capitalism serves the interests of rich corporations and their unjust alliences with national and forign governments which offer the legal cover for their commercial expansion through international organizations and agreements. Eventually, those governments and corporations are gaining the negative impacts of their outragous unjustice towards people and nature. Environmental, economic and social unstability bacame now unbearable threat to the interests of governments and corporations worldwide putting them under the pressure of sustainability transition.
3.2. The problem for academia
This subject is a top priority for academic societies, not only those concerned with innovation management but in almost all diciplines concerned with sustainabilityinvolving not only social sciences but also physical, biological, environmental and engineering sciences. Academic societies are trying to innovate better solutions to sustainability issues. Some of those efforts are drived by technology push under corporate and government fund or non profit initiatives aiming at sustainability transition. Sustainability transition should similtinously be supported by knoledge economies and societies which in turn generate technology pull. However, academia societies still find many difficulties and barriers for knowledge and innovtion diffusion to support sustainability transition, especially due to the remaining resistance from neoliberal capitalists.
3.3. Research gaps and directions
As highlighted in the literature review, sustainable and smart KBD was tackled from different disciplines and approaches. Although this research tries to breakdown interdisciplinary subjects to facilitate further research in sustainability sciences; there is still a literature gap that hinders sustainability efforts and requires more attention from researchers especially at downstream level. In the area of social sustainability, more research is required in the area of empowering downstream communities with the required knowledge and tools to guide them in establishing social innovation and voluntary projects especially in the fields of sustainable and technical education and training as alternative and complementary efforts in response to the deteriorating government education. Research should focus on pooling and networking local knowledge and resources supported by the internet and external support from donors and civil society for information, knowledge and innovation diffusion.
Economic sustainability approach requires more research to highlight the role of sustainable computing and green IT as well as administrative practices in improving corporate efficiency and sustainability. Promoting for sustainability and voluntary projects such as recycling or clean energy is also crucial not only for big enterprises but also as for SME investors. Hence, business communities and investors at the downstream level need to learn about networking and partnerships as in social innovation projects or fundraising and activism with civil society. Research efforts should also provide guidelines for governments in developing countries for transition towards new urbanism and the renovations of local and regional infrastructure and systems to support knowledge economy and smart urbanism. The transition to knowledge economies requires more research on sustainable business models and the role of both business communities and civil societies in renovating legal and economic regulations related to intellectual capital development or the diffusion of innovations in consistence with social and environmental sustainability such as reforming and facilitating ICT investment regulations which can lead to more internet and ICT diffusion. Another track is to produce more case studies, empirical and action research to prove the influence of sustainable corporate practices such as social and environmental responsibility in relation to economic and reputation growth.
On the other hand, the environmental sustainability approach requires further research to fill the gap in the literature addressing downstream communities and their role in reforming environmental policies and regulations for sustainability. Environmental sustainability initiatives from upstream governments and organizations were ineffective for long time, while the activism of civil society is more powerful and requires widespread knowledge diffusion, especially for developing nations towards sustainability and environmental development. Therefore, research on environmental activism and networking is crucial to involve societies in the planning and management of natural resources while considering social, economic and environmental sustainability. Moreover, the public and private communities in developing countries need to learn more on how to build effective partnerships and foster collaboration with developed countries and international organizations on acquiring and diffusing sustainable innovations and knowledge to extend sustainable development to a global level. More research can also be useful in linking local knowledge with ICT for sustainable development, especially the environmental aspects as in disaster risk reduction.
Last but not least, the institutional dimension can also give more emphasis on the tools and mechanisms of involving the general public in decision making weather through open innovation or policy formation and reform. E-governance could be one of such mechanisms that require more political openness and wisdom. Therefore, research can also raise awareness for policymakers in developing countries to provide the guidelines of the updated innovation system mechanisms and approaches regarding knowledge societies and economies so that they can achieve smooth democratic transition, reform and sustainable urban development. M2M trend should be tackled with cautious, especially the Ami version.
3.4. The solution and contribution
Because societies are the most afflicted and endangered by neoliberal capitalism and its socio-economic and environmental breakdown; societies are gradually pushing for solutions through sustainable social innovation. Social innovation became a modern trend supported by the diffusion of internet innovations such as semantic web which empowers people over governments and corporations through knowledge and innovation diffusion to take effective role in decision making and policy reforms for a genuine knowledge based development worldwide. Societies are more active and organized based on semantic web and social innovation diffusion, but still requires more engagement in smart urbanization to be consistent with KBD and sustainability transition. Hence, environmental innovations such as geospatial technologies need to be diffused to support socio-economic innovations for smart and sustainable transition. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is beyond the attempt to highlight the literature gap for academia but extends to outline guidelines and implications for practitioners as well. The following section explains the Smart and Sustainable Innovation System of Systems (SSISS) as an aspired solution towards this transition.
4. Smart and sustainable innovation system of systems
Transition towards sustainable innovation system for KBD relies on the long term interplay among multi actors (i.e. firms, consumers, NGOs, research institutes and governments); multi factors (i.e. technical, regulatory, societal) and on multi levels (local, national and multinational). Building and coordinating networks from various actors and bodies as well as the locus of resources are important in responding to the dynamic pressures in the system. Such transition requires a culture of change which initially encounters resistance from the social system. However, developing and managing innovative knowledge and capacities can help drive socio-technical transition, adaption and adoption. Monitoring, analyzing and handling the dynamic changes in factors, actors and levels are important in managing the innovation transition and requires collaborative decision-making and vision-building regarding strategic innovation plans and technological innovation programs [90].