ICT, the Business Sector and Smart Cities

This book examines smart cities through the lens of the information and communication technology (ICT)-driven transformation of the economy and economic systems and the resulting changes influencing organizations (public, private, and voluntary) and citizens in the smart city. In this context, the chapters included in this book address very specific questions pertaining to modes and models of economic collaboration, interest aggregation, and determinants of sustainable growth and development in the smart city. To this end, the circular economy, the sharing economy, the platform economy, and open innovation in the smart city are discussed. The notions of economic performance, competition, and business model innovation (BMI) are elaborated in detail. Finally, the question of the fragility of labor markets, including the availability of talent, is explored. By applying conceptually sound, inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches, frequently including case studies, this book provides a thorough insight into the complex question of how tools specific to the fields of economics, business management, innovation management, strategic management, entrepreneurship, and human resource management can be useful in view of understanding and harnessing the intrusion of ICT in the city space.

Anna Visvizi, Ph.D. (dr hab.), is an economist and political scientist, Professor at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, and Visiting Professor at Effat University. Seasoned editor, researcher, recognized author, and accomplished project manager, Professor Visvizi has extensive experience in academia, think-tank, and government sectors in Europe and the United States, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Professor Visvizi’s expertise covers issues pertinent to the intersection of politics, economics, and ICT, which translates into her research and publications on applied aspects of ICT, in such domains as smart cities, knowledge and innovation management, technology transfer, and governance. Professor Visvizi is the Editor-in-Chief of Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy and Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance.

Orlando Troisi, Ph.D., is Full Professor in Business Management at the University of Salerno, serving also as the Academic Director of the Observatory of Digital Transition. Researcher, lecturer, and author, Professor Troisi served in several government-curated committees and advisory groups. His research interests include topics located at the intersection of management and business economics, which results in his publications on technology emergence, co-creation, technology transfer, management, and others. Professor Troisi has been invited to serve as Guest Editor in prestigious journals such as Socio-Economic Planning Sciences (SEPS), European Journal of Innovation Management (EJIM), and others.

Mara Grimaldi, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow at the University of Salerno, Department of Political and Communication Sciences. Her main areas of interest are services marketing and management, information and knowledge management, and strategic innovation management. She participated in several national and international conferences as a chair (Research and Innovation Forum, Naples Forum on Service, etc.). Dr Grimaldi served as Guest Editor in several high-impact journals, including Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy and European Journal of Innovation Management. Dr Grimaldi is the co-editor of several books published by Routledge and others. Currently, Dr Grimaldi is engaged in a number of research projects that aim at exploring the opportunities and the criticalities of big data analysis and data-driven decision-making in business and innovation management.