The Global Innovation Index ranks the innovation performance of 142 countries and economies around the world, based on 84 indicators. This edition explores the impact of innovation-oriented policies on economic growth and development. High-income and developing countries alike are seeking innovation-driven growth through different strategies. Some countries are successfully improving their innovation capacity, while others still struggle.

International experts provide a comprehensive picture of the principles, concepts and methods that are applicable to problems originating from the interaction between the living/non-living environment and mankind. Both the analysis of such problems and the way solutions to environmental problems may work in specific societal contexts are addressed. Disciplinary approaches are discussed but there is a focus on multi- and interdisciplinary methods. A large number of practical examples and case studies are presented. There is special emphasis on modelling and integrated assessment. This book is different because it stresses the societal, cultural and historical dimensions of environmental problems. The main objective is to improve the ability to analyse and conceptualise environmental problems in context and to make readers aware of the value and scope of different methods. Ideal as a course text for students, this book will also be of interest to researchers and consultants in the environmental sciences.

This book comprehensively describes an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) architecture that is comprised of devices, network, compute, storage, platform, applications along with management and security components. It is organized into five main parts, comprising of a total of 11 chapters. Part I presents a generic IoT reference model to establish a common vocabulary for IoT solutions. This includes a detailed description of the Internet protocol layers and the Things (sensors and actuators) as well as the key business drivers to realize the IoT vision. Part II focuses on the IoT requirements that impact networking protocols and provides a layer-by-layer walkthrough of the protocol stack with emphasis on industry progress and key gaps. Part III introduces the concept of Fog computing and describes the drivers for the technology, its constituent elements, and how it relates and differs from Cloud computing. Part IV discusses the IoT services platform, the cornerstone of the solution followed by the Security functions and requirements. Finally, Part V provides a treatment of the topic of connected ecosystems in IoT along with practical applications. It then surveys the latest IoT standards and discusses the pivotal role of open source in IoT. “Faculty will find well-crafted questions and answers at the end of each chapter, suitable for review and in classroom discussion topics. In addition, the material in the book can be used by engineers and technical leaders looking to gain a deep technical understanding of IoT, as well as by managers and business leaders looking to gain a competitive edge and understand innovation opportunities for the future.” Dr. Jim Spohrer, IBM “This text provides a very compelling study of the IoT space and achieves a very good balance between engineering/technology focus and business context. As such, it is highly-recommended for anyone interested in this rapidly-expanding field and will have broad appeal to a wide cross-section of readers, i.e., including engineering professionals, business analysts, university students, and professors.” Professor Nasir Ghani, University of South Florida