Télécom Ecole de Management
- 17.
- 05.
- 2012
ICT Conference 2012 The KIND research group from Telecom Ecole de Management organizes a conference “Organizations, Institutions and Innovation in the ICT sector” in Paris, 25-26 June 2012. The central theme of this conference is innovation in the ICT sector, one of the few sectors in which technology co-evolves with a profound variety of actors – and involves a broad spectrum of sectors.
Two features reinforce the variety of the ICT in the way actors organize it; on the one hand, the nature of the knowledge which insists on creation and innovation owing to this variety, on the other hand the diffusion of ITCs which raises key societal issues such as property rights, ecological impacts, or privacy. All these elements have probably influenced the nature of innovation in this sector in a more profound way than in other sectors.
How does technology evolve in the ICT sector in the face of these challenges? What are the dynamic forces behind innovation? How does the institutional context shape and is shaped by the evolution of technology and organizations in ICTs? The conference aims to provide answers to these key questions, with a focus on the following themes with regard to ICTs:
There are increasing concerns about whether ICTs might cause negative externalities that could offset their economic, social, and environmental benefits for human societies and natural ecosystems. From an economic and social point of view, digital infrastructures, terminals and software have played a key albeit seldom underlined role in the recent financial and economic crises. From an environmental point of view, the ecological impacts of ICTs are often underestimated when analyzing the environmental performance of these technologies. Could the “grey side of ICTs” offset the social and environmental benefits of (green) ICTs? To use Luc Soete’s expression, how can such ecoinnovations contribute to a substantial decoupling between an increased wellbeing and a worsening of ecological destructions, instead of supporting the current “destructive creation” of technological development? In order to investigate these challenges, this special session welcomes papers relating to current developments in green ICTs (servers, PCs, cell phones, smart grids, Internet, software, e-waste solutions, …), and to their innovation dynamics (including their societal and policy contexts). If it focuses on ecological issues, this session also welcomes papers analyzing the contribution of ICTs to the recent financial crises.
What are the main characteristics and dynamics of green ICTs? To what extent do they differ from non environmental ICT innovations and other ecoinnovations? Which policies and policy instruments can best support the development of radical ecoinnovations in the ICT sector, namely of green ICTs that can contribute to the aforementioned absolute decoupling? Can green ICTs avoid the traps of greenwashing and rebound effects? In order to explore the research frontier of this emerging field, these are some of the questions that this special session will address, thanks to the support of the French environment agency (ADEME). In order to investigate these challenges, this special session welcomes papers relating to current developments in green ICTs (servers, PCs, cell phones, smart grids, Internet, software, e-waste solutions, …), and to their innovation dynamics (including their societal and policy contexts). If it focuses on ecological issues, this session also welcomes papers analyzing the contribution of ICTs to the recent financial crises.
The conference will take place in Paris on 25-26 June 2012 (Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris). Participants who wish to present their research at the conference are invited to submit an abstract (not exceeding 500 words) before 15 March 2012. Decision of acceptance will be given by 15 April 2012. Final papers are expected latest 30 May 2012. You may also register by using the online form below.
The conference is supported by the Telecom Business School and by the French environment agency (ADEME) though the ECOPATENTS project.
The conference fee is 200 Euros, which will cover the conference package, lunches, and conference dinner. Accommodation and travel expenses will be covered by the participants. Limited funding is available for PhD students (interested applicants should contact us).
