European Information Technology Research Articles

Personal networks and IT innovation within the Esprit Programme: Some evidence from the UK

SummaryThe European Strategic Programme for Research in Information Technologies (Esprit) was created back in 1983 as a defensive response to the US and Japanese lead in information technologies (IT). Esprit was driven by the belief that intra-EU collaboration is an effective means of enhancing the competitiveness of the European IT industry. Esprit endured in various forms for almost two decades, always focusing on European collaboration for European innovation and competitiveness in IT This paper investigates the personal networks of UK main contractors in Esprit. The empirical evidence is based on the comparative evaluation of 10 successful Esprit projects with UK main contractors. The findings show that the world of IT innovation is borderless and that UK firms accommodated a broad range of informal external linkages valuable for IT innovation with counterparts in the US, despite the Euro-centric policy of Brussels.

Compilation of a European forest map from Portugal to the Ural mountains based on earth observation data and forest statistics

This article focuses on the approach of combining the information from both remote sensing and forest inventory statistics in order to produce a European forest proportion map covering the area from Portugal to the Ural mountains. For this purpose, a calibration method was developed, tested and applied to the pan-European area. The resulting forest map was analysed on a pixel-by-pixel basis and given to inventory and remote sensing experts for consultation. When comparing both the result of the calibrated forest map with that of the original AVHRR mosaic of the area it was found that the satellite-derived estimates of forest area closely matched the ground inventory statistics indicating the high accuracy obtained from the AVHRR mosaic alone. Most visible discrepancies were found in northern Europe where the inventory data showed less forest than the image data. In southern Europe, the inventory data displayed more forest than the AVHRR image. This project was carried out for the European Commission, Joint Research Centre in 1999/2000 (contract no. 17223-2000-12 F1SC ISP FI) mainly by the European Forest Institute and VTT Information Technology.

Scoring- und beidseitige Due-Diligence-Prozesse im Rahmen der Lieferantenauswahl beim Infrastrukturoutsourcing

Scoring and double-sided due diligence processes employed with vendor selection for IT infrastructure outsourcing Outsourcing opens the procurement of semi-finished products from business partners that are able to provide the respective processes in the required quality but at lower prices, e. g. because of bundling effects and specialization advantages. In particular, services that are not based on core-processes of an enterprise are well-suited for outsourcing. The evaluation of IT service outsourcing is difficult, because of its strategic position in enterprises. Against this background, this article describes a method to select a suitable vendor for IT infrastructure outsourcing employing scoring and double-sided due diligence processes. Our findings are based on experiences when selecting the vendor for outsourcing the European Information Technology Infrastructure (IT/I) area of the Deutsche Bank AG.

European public administration, information technology and management: implications for Italian public administration

This work starts from research concerning European Public Administration (EPA) and the implications of competition for Italian Public Administration. For this reason, the data is from 16 countries, focused mainly on the analysis of the degree of evolution of information and communication technology. In this research, we take into account the role of Public Administration in Italy and the relations between information and communication technology (IC b) the ability to face uncertainty; c) the modalities of management and control.

The significance of European small country regions in the geographical division of labour of European Information and Communications Technology (ICT) corporations

In spite of the development of information and communications technology (ICT), MNCs seem to be highly sensitive to untraded externalities and localised knowledge spillovers in their location strategy. Therefore, in an age in which space and time constraints have been reduced (or even eliminated) by the fast pace of technological change, proximity still matters. Within the global-local nexus debate, the role played in the development of ICT by regions from European small countries has been neglected. Using regionalised patent data granted in the USA to large electronic firms for their European-located research, the aim of this paper is twofold. First of all, the significance of a region- over a nation-state-based analysis is argued. Second, the interaction between local and foreign corporate technological development in small country regions is investigated in order to evaluate the role of these locations in the geographical division of labour in European-owned ICT multinationals.

In bed with a stranger: finding partners for collaboration in the European information technology programme

This paper examines collaboration in Esprit (the European Strategic Programme for Research and Development in Information Technologies). Collaboration has long been a requirement for participation in the Programme. Our empirical data show that some collaborations are formed by including 'instant' partners, veritable strangers discovered on a notice-board. Such findings question the role of trust and mutual understanding among collaborators. We argue that, in the desperate search for appropriate partners, the requirement that collaboration facilitate innovation gives way to the requirement that collaboration serve political and pragmatic purposes. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Corporate strategic technological partnerships in the European information and communications technology industry

In the era of “alliance capitalism”, the increasing number of strategic technological partnerships (STPs) has been mainly recorded in the science-based fields, of which information and communications technology (ICT) is a leading sector. The establishment of STPs has also characterised the European ICT industry. The growing technological interrelatedness and the need to acquire capabilities in related fields have been identified in the literature as major explanations for the increase in corporate technological co-operation. This paper investigates the role of corporate technological specialisation factors in the conclusion of STPs in the European ICT industry by carrying out a dynamic analysis. Accordingly, the patterns followed by corporate technological partnerships in the industry in question are investigated since the late 1970s. Based on US patent data granted to the world's largest firms as well as STPs data, the results of the econometric analysis are consistent with the view that the more similar partners' technological portfolios are with one another, the easier it is to absorb each other's capabilities.

Corporate Technological Specialisation in the European Information and Communications Technology Industry

This paper aims to test whether the same technological characteristics specific to the European ICT industry emerged over time in terms of large firms' profiles of specialisation. Against the background of an ongoing European integration process, the analysis takes into account the role played by country-specific factors. The increasing overlap between the ICT technological specialisation profiles of European multi-nationals seems to be the major finding of this paper. European technology policy might be identified as one of the factors explaining this pattern without, however, disregarding the broad impact of European integration, which has increased the extent of market-based and technology-based interaction between firms.

Building Structural Capital: A New Key to Generating Business Value

Many companies are recognizing the importance of knowledge as a vital business asset. ICL, a leading European information technology company, is one of them. As ICL has shifted away from being a product company to being a systems and services company, knowledge management has been recognized as a crucial business process. A full-time role was created in early 1996 to focus exclusively on enhancing this capability across the organization. This article shares some of the lessons learned from the first year of implementation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Cornwallis Emmanuel Ltd.

In search of Europe's information technology leaders: review of methods and empirical evidence

Abstract. Information technology (IT) leaders — companies that successfully exploit IT to achieve business results — generate immense interest among practitioners and academics. From a practitioner's perspective, IT leaders provide benchmarks of leading IT management practices which others may emulate to achieve success. From an academic perspective, IT leaders provide the ‘data’ for the creation of frameworks and theories of IT management. While US IT leaders are regularly assessed by academics, trade magazines, consultants and benchmarking firms, there has been no Europe‐wide assessment of IT leadership. This neglect is detrimental to European IT practitioners and academics who may discover that American IT management practices are not transferrable in the European context. In this article, we analyse the construct, context and statistical validity of six methods for identifying European IT leaders. Based on this analysis, two methods (expert ratings and citation counts) were used to generate a preliminary list of European IT leaders and laggards. While individual experts were reticent about volunteering their ratings, their collective view appears to generate a worthwhile list with high construct validity. Citation counts represent a more accessible process for list generation, with high statistical validity. However, an attempt to correlate expert ratings with a list based on citation counts confirms that the latter has questionable construct validity.

EITC '95: European Information Technology Conference and Exhibition

EITC '95: European Information Technology Conference and Exhibition

Sociotechnical constituencies as processes of alignment: The rise of a large-scale European information technology initiative

The author discusses the recent emergence of The Open Microprocessor Initiative (OMI), a large-scale European information technology project and draws general lessons from the experience. The target of the initiative, in which many different organizations and nationalities participated, was the development of an autonomous European microprocessor capability. Using the sociotechnical constituencies approach of Organizational Behavior theory, the author describes how initially misaligned players generate the programmatic alignment of a capability-building initiative. He highlights the elements of a process of alignment that gradually and programmatically integrates the attitudes of different organizations, and shapes technology. He uses the concept of diamond of alignment to account for the several directions of social and technical alignments required in the formation of large-scale technological initiatives.

A Comparison of Private and Subsidized R&D Partnerships in the European Information Technology Industry

A Comparison of Private and Subsidized R&D Partnerships in the European Information Technology Industry

An evaluation of HP-UX (UNIX) for database protection using the European ITSEC

This paper describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of two versions of Hewlett Packard's UNIX operating system, HP-UX, to protect a sensitive database set up under the ORACLE Data Base Management System, using Version 1.0 of the European Information Technology Security Evaluation Criteria (ITSEC) as the basis for the evaluation. An outline of these criteria is given, along with mention of the US Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) for comparison purposes. The research project reported in this paper was aimed at determining the level of effort required to perform such an evaluation and also the relevance of the ITSEC to commercial environments where information systems security, incorporating authenticity, integrity and privacy, are of paramount concern. Two successive releases of the HP-UX operating system were found to be markedly different when evaluated from the ITSEC point of view, with the latter version being quite effective in maintaining security parameters. It was also concluded that evaluations are time consuming but can have positive implications for commercial systems developers.

News from CEC information technology and telecommunications: The European Electronics and Information Technology Industry State of Play, Issues at Stake and Proposals for Action

European Transactions on TelecommunicationsVolume 2, Issue 3 p. 359-361 Article News from CEC information technology and telecommunications: The European Electronics and Information Technology Industry State of Play, Issues at Stake and Proposals for Action First published: May/June 1991 https://doi.org/10.1002/ett.4460020314AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume2, Issue3May/June 1991Pages 359-361 RelatedInformation

European Information Technology Policy

My subject today is European Information Technology policy. I shall first look at the legal basis for Community action in IT. I shall then enquire why the Community needs to take action specifically in this sector; why IT is unique. I will then describe the specific Community policies in IT concentrating on the largest programme, ESPRIT. I shall conclude by giving my views on the future of European Community Policy on IT.

1992 and European integration: Opportunities and difficulties in high technology collaboration

This article examines the development of the European single market in the light of European information and communications technologies (ICT) industries. A case is developed for a technology policy which promotes European collaboration as a major element in the development of Europe's ICT sector. A case study of a European ESPRIT programme in parallel computing provides evidence of the need for stimulating both collaboration and competition in future strategic policies for European ICT development.

The European community and information technology

La communaute europeenne se dirige vers un marche commun gouverne par des regles qui peuvent amener a un protocole industriel influant sur l'industrie mondiale de l'information

Michel Carpentier on a strategy for European community electronics

The European Community was born at the start of the micro-electronic age. The first transistor radio appeared in 1954, the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957 and the first silicon chip made its debut in 1959. Now the electronics sector, broadly defined, is scheduled to be the biggest business in the world by the end of the century. At a time when Community leaders still thrash out the details of agricultural cooperation, as at their last Summit in Brussels in February, this article outlines the issues and strategies that underlie the mobilisation of the European information technology and telecommunications sectors to meet the international challenge of electronics in the 1990s.

Open systems interconnection (OSI): Status, trends and european information technology manufacturers' activities

The process of OSI standardization in ISO and CCITT has now reached a considerable degree of stability and maturity. The paper reviews the current status of OSI standardization and identifies areas where additional work needs to be done. The review shows that the phase of developing OSI standards is now partly in transition to the phase of applying standards. This gives rise to new problems: 1. 1. Beyond the OSI standards elaborated by ISO and CCITT additional specification work is needed to lead to interoperable products. 2. 2. Conformity to OSI standards has to be assured by appropriate tests. Leading European information technology manufacturers organized in the Standards Promotion and Application Group (SPAG) recognized these problems early and have taken appropriate actions: SPAG developed the concept of profiles/functional standards and published a series of those in the Guide to the Use of Standards (GUS). In 1986, some of the SPAG members founded a company, SPAG Services S.A., to provide interoperability test services. Both, SPAG and SPAG Services, are committed to cooperation with other similar organizations in order to promote common world-wide functional standards and test environments.