This volume explores how industries organize their global operations, through case studies of seven manufacturing industries. The chapters provide a nuanced understanding of the complex matrix of factor costs, access to inimitable capabilities, and time-based pressures that influence where firms decide to locate particular segments of the value chain.

World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolu­tion, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wear­able sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manu­facturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individu­als. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frame­works that advance progress.

Companies from various sectors of the economy are confronted with the new phenomenon of digital transformation and are faced with the challenge of formulating and implementing a company-wide strategy to incorporate what are often viewed as “disruptive” technologies. These technologies are sometimes associated with significant and extremely rapid change, in some cases with even the replacement of established business models. Many of these technologies have been deployed in unison by leading-edge companies acting as the catalyst for significant process change and people skills enhancement. The Handbook of Research on Digital Transformation, Industry Use Cases, and the Impact of Disruptive Technologies examines the phenomenon of digital transformation and the impact of disruptive technologies through the lens of industry case studies where different combinations of these new technologies have been deployed and incorporated into enterprise IT and business strategies. Covering topics including chatbot implementation, multinational companies, cloud computing, internet of things, artificial intelligence, big data and analytics, immersive technologies, and social media, this book is essential for senior management, IT managers, technologists, computer scientists, cybersecurity analysts, academicians, researchers, IT consultancies, professors, and students.

Interactions between firms and universities are key building blocks of innovation systems. This book focuses on those interactions in developing countries, presenting studies based on fresh empirical material prepared by research teams in 12 countries

In the digital economy, a new type of business activity, digital entrepreneurship, has developed rapidly and required breakthrough technologies such as blockchain, big data, cloud technologies, and more. There is a need for a comprehensive resource that provides all-encompassing insight into the essence, special aspects, models, and international best practices of e-business based on various digital technologies in various high-tech markets. Digital Technologies for Entrepreneurship in Industry 4.0 provides theoretical frameworks and recent results of research in this sphere. It substantiates digital entrepreneurship, discusses the practical experience of its implementation, and develops the scientific and methodological recommendations for the development of its infrastructural provision and regulation of provision of its competitiveness. Covering topics such as investment attractiveness, corporate reporting modernization, and public-private partnership mechanisms, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for entrepreneurs, business executives and managers, investors, IT managers, students and faculty of higher education, researchers, and academicians.

Competitive strategies and higher education-industry collaboration policies are playing a vital role in fostering the reputation and international rankings of higher education institutions. The positive impact of these policies may best be observed in the economic and social outputs of many countries such as the USA, Singapore, South Korea, and European Union (EU) countries such as Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. However, the number of academic publications that specifically concentrate on the impact of these policies on higher education institutions and authorities remains relatively limited. University-Industry Collaboration Strategies in the Digital Era is an essential research publication that provides comprehensive research on competitive strategies for higher education institutions that will allow them to forge beneficial partnerships with industries that will have a significant impact on their success. Highlighting a wide range of topics such as human resource management, network planning, and institutional structure, this book is ideal for administrators, education professionals, academicians, researchers, policymakers, and students.

Advances in machine learning techniques and ever-increasing computing power has helped create a new generation of hardware and software technologies with practical applications for nearly every industry. As the progress has, in turn, excited the interest of venture investors, technology firms, and a growing number of clients, implementing intelligent automation in both physical and information systems has become a must in business. Handbook of Research on Smart Technology Models for Business and Industry is an essential reference source that discusses relevant abstract frameworks and the latest experimental research findings in theory, mathematical models, software applications, and prototypes in the area of smart technologies. Featuring research on topics such as digital security, renewable energy, and intelligence management, this book is ideally designed for machine learning specialists, industrial experts, data scientists, researchers, academicians, students, and business professionals seeking coverage on current smart technology models.