Digital Society Challenges in Developing Countries

A special issue of Future Internet (ISSN 1999-5903). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart System Infrastructure and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2021) | Viewed by 8750

Special Issue Editors

Department of Informatics, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Interests: embedded systems; cybersecurity; hardware; digital identity; cryptography; digital forensics; malware analysis; reverse engineering; processor internals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
Interests: cybersecurity; risk management; business process management; model-driven engineering; variability; software procuct lines

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Technology, in general terms, is developed, implemented, and applied differently depending on the country in which it is developed. One factor that also affects the evolution of technology and its acceptance is the set of policies and the (digital) society on which they are applied. Of particular interest is the development and application context when involving technology that breaks isolation and promotes interconnectivity.

New communication technologies are opening up new challenges, such as cyber security in developing countries, where there are different levels of protection, risks and response capacities than in developed countries. Therefore, the implementation of technologies and their application cannot be carried out under the same conditions.

Topics of interest include how to apply the technology in developing countries and assume what the new challenges are, for example, when it comes to managing water (Internet of Water), integrating new technologies in schools, caring for the elderly with devices in the home, what challenges society faces, and what infrastructure it would need, or how to develop government policies to protect the country and not depend on other countries (National Security Scheme), cyberterrorism, protection of critical infrastructures, crime detection in the, for example, Latin network, challenges in the deployment of 5G, etc.

This Special Issue aims to identify the challenges for these countries to be considered safe and enjoy IOT, integration of society with ICT, etc. (in the classroom, at work, and at home). We would like to gather researchers from different disciplines and methodological backgrounds to discuss new ideas, research questions, recent results, and future challenges in this emerging area of research and public interest. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • Advanced communications network infrastructures
  • Evolution of internet basic services
  • Internet of Things
  • Netted peripheral sensors
  • Industrial internet
  • Big data, open data and analytical tools
  • Cyberphysical systems
  • Artificial and augmented intelligence
  • Augmented reality
  • Smart mission-critical system architectures
  • Smart terminals and applications
  • Cyber security compliance
  • Privacy compliance
  • Trust compliance
  • Technical quality of basic services
  • Smart mobility and transportation systems
  • Smart energy systems
  • Smart living places
  • Smart healthcare systems
  • Smart systems for public security and safety
  • Smart social assistance systems
  • Smart geo-information and environmental monitoring systems
  • Smart information–communications–knowledge delivery social systems
  • Smart learning systems
  • Smart manufacturing lines
  • Smart financial, payments, and insurance systems
  • Smart leisure systems
  • Smart systems for cultural heritage conservation and fruition
  • Smart city
  • Application of new socioeconomic systemic models for net-living
  • Subjective human and social factors for well-being through net-living
  • Social inclusion and cohesion enabling approaches
  • Quality of experience

Prof. Dr. José Antonio Álvarez Bermejo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Future Internet is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Network infraestructures
  • Digital society
  • Security issues in developing countries
  • Agrofood
  • Social implications
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberphysical systems
  • National policies
  • Cultural heritage and technology
  • Interconnected industries

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 1769 KiB  
Article
Critical Factors of Industry 4.0 Implementation in an Emerging Country: Empirical Study
by Dinara Dikhanbayeva, Akmaral Tokbergenova, Yevgeniy Lukhmanov, Essam Shehab, Zbigniew Pastuszak and Ali Turkyilmaz
Future Internet 2021, 13(6), 137; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fi13060137 - 21 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3076
Abstract
The concept of Industry 4.0 is becoming more and more popular all over the world. The implementation of its assumptions in business practice changes the way companies operate. The enormous innovative potential of the Industry 4.0 concept and the intensive use of processes [...] Read more.
The concept of Industry 4.0 is becoming more and more popular all over the world. The implementation of its assumptions in business practice changes the way companies operate. The enormous innovative potential of the Industry 4.0 concept and the intensive use of processes based on the implementation of advanced technologies in its assumptions have an impact on various industries in each country. The article attempts to analyze the critical factors for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in Kazakhstan. Primary and secondary data sources were used for this purpose. The majority of existing government initiatives and reports do not reflect the actual situation. Additionally, these materials do not always represent the experiences or positions of all the parties involved. Opinions of companies and organizations implementing Industry 4.0 solutions remain unexplored. The primary goal of the paper is to fill the cognitive gap by analyzing stakeholder responses and identifying the actual level of their awareness of the development of Industry 4.0. An additional intention of the authors was to empirically establish barriers that companies face while implementing the most desirable technologies, as well as to establish other critical factors, taking into account the specificity of the country under study. The results of the research can be used by policymakers, scientists and other stakeholders to develop forecasts and strategic plans, as well as to develop and conduct further research on the implementation processes of Industry 4.0 in Kazakhstan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Society Challenges in Developing Countries)
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28 pages, 846 KiB  
Article
Digital Regulation of Intellectual Capital for Open Innovation: Industries’ Expert Assessments of Tacit Knowledge for Controlling and Networking Outcome
by Nadezhda N. Pokrovskaia, Olga N. Korableva, Lucio Cappelli and Denis A. Fedorov
Future Internet 2021, 13(2), 44; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fi13020044 - 10 Feb 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2809
Abstract
Digital regulation implies the quantified measuring and the network infrastructure allowing managers to control the processes of value creation. Digital regulation needs to take into account tacit elements of the value creation process, including unconscious competency, creativity, and intuitive anticipation, to assure the [...] Read more.
Digital regulation implies the quantified measuring and the network infrastructure allowing managers to control the processes of value creation. Digital regulation needs to take into account tacit elements of the value creation process, including unconscious competency, creativity, and intuitive anticipation, to assure the resulting network’s innovation growth. Digital society in developing countries is built on the ground of fact change of the economy and social relations, of transition towards an emerging market within the global offline network of interactions and online activities through Internet; the innovative growth imposes the evolution of managerial behavior and attitudes. The main objective of the paper is to obtain indications on the perception of intellectual capital by corporate managers. The exploratory study was carried out in Russian companies operating in different sectors, with the use of the open-ended approach, including focused interviews and group discussion among experts, middle and senior managers from marketing or corporate governance background. The data were complemented by documentary analysis of descriptions of internal processes of the implementation of digital tools of accounting, which includes the human resources control applied for the remote work during the pandemic. Networking helps to coordinate functions between team members at remote work and between teams and administrators. The interviews demonstrated the administrative tendency to under-estimate the non-formalized factors of innovation activity, such as awareness of corporate strategy, creativity, motivation, and affective and behavioral components of communication of the persons involved in the enrichment of intellectual capital. The results show fuzzy boundaries between the intellectual capital components that are difficult to control. This difficulty provokes the preference for the use of “traditional” quantitative indicators that had been implemented at the stage of the financial digitalization, instead of developing new parameters or measuring approaches. The networking emerges synergetic effect if the administrators refuse their monopoly on the uncertainty zones and are oriented to construct the trustful atmosphere of personal responsibility within the network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Society Challenges in Developing Countries)
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17 pages, 2205 KiB  
Article
A Survey of Defensive Measures for Digital Persecution in the Global South
by Louis Edward Papa and Thaier Hayajneh
Future Internet 2020, 12(10), 166; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fi12100166 - 29 Sep 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2016
Abstract
This paper examines the phenomenon of digital persecution in the Global South and evaluates tools that defend against it. First, the paper explains the nature of persecution and its digital incarnation. It then provides a contextual overview of real-world instances of digital persecution [...] Read more.
This paper examines the phenomenon of digital persecution in the Global South and evaluates tools that defend against it. First, the paper explains the nature of persecution and its digital incarnation. It then provides a contextual overview of real-world instances of digital persecution in seven Global South countries. The possible defensive technologies against censorship and surveillance are discussed. The article goes on to discuss barriers to technology adoption in the Global South, explains the security implication of these difficulties, and examines the role that human computer interaction (HCI) metrics could play in overcoming these challenges. Finally, the paper surveys the viability of sixteen security tools in a Global South context. The survey results were mixed, with 37.5% of the reviewed tools being deemed to be inviable for use in the Global South to defend against persecution. Prescriptive recommendations are provided for creating security tools that are universal, simple, and effective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Society Challenges in Developing Countries)
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