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La programmazione multiobiettivo nella pianificazione su vasta scala delle risorse idriche
No full textEmerging trends on satellite-based applications in health: a synoptic view
Full text linkThis study examines the state of the art of satellite-based applications for human health. It deepens the main drivers and barriers to their diffusion and full-scale development. Living in a more globalised, intertwined, and technologically advanced world has opened the door to a more digital health system able to connect many actors, reach remote locations, and provide coverage at a global level, whose exploitation has become even more urgent due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Space technologies may be a valid asset to tackle future health challenges. Despite the clear linkage of the two domains, the literature lacks a holistic view of the phenomenon of the current adoption of space assets in the health domain. Moreover, the factors that limit or foster the development of satellite-based applications in health management and healthcare delivery are still unclear and require a thorough investigation. The framework on the relationship between space activities and global health applications elaborated by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has been adapted and populated with 86 business-cases gathered from a systematic literature review of the ESA public database. The findings were analysed to provide a comprehensive and in-depth view of the most relevant trends. The joint combination of satellite and digital technologies appears as the enabling factor to provide an effective service to professional end-users and improve the quality of health for patients. The importance of data integration from multiple satellite technologies and additional data is highlighted in many projects as the key success factor for developing effective applications. In addition, the technical, economic, organisational, socio-cultural, and political factors were explored in terms of barriers to or opportunities for the adoption of satellite-based applications for health. To this end, further information was gathered through a systematic literature review of 89 scientific articles and interviews with 8 internationally recognised experts. Results show how multiple factors could hamper the diffusion and success of the emerging applications, and how those factors should inform strategic decisions to foster the development of satellite-based applications in the future. This study may benefit academics, practitioners and public institutions to grasp the benefits and challenges in adopting satellite and geospatial data in health. It provides a systematic overview of the existing practices, highlighting barriers and opportunities to their diffusion. The proposed synoptic might be taken as a point of departure for building a wider analysis on the role of satellite-based solutions to foster a One Health approach
Creating and claiming social value by joining the governance of science-driven capital projects: an investigation in the New Space Economy
Full text linkIn a world facing grand challenges, companies urge to create and claim social value. This paper explains how organisations can achieve this by joining the governance of science-driven capital projects. The research addresses two significant gaps: the limited academic understanding of how science-driven capital projects create social value and the empirical lack of guidelines for companies to harness these projects. The empirical setting is the space sector, specifically the International Space Station (ISS) project. We adopted a two-stage research design. First, based on public documents and reports, we investigated the governance and social value of projects developed on the ISS, finding that social value is created through "In-Space" and "On-Earth” projects. Second, we performed a thematic analysis of 18 semi-structured interviews with senior managers, obtaining a roadmap to create and claim social value by joining the governance of the ISS. The paper contributes to the theory by explaining how science-driven capital projects create social value and their key governance elements. We show that space is becoming accessible to many non-space companies. We contribute to practice by clarifying the main governance elements of science-driven capital projects and providing a roadmap to create and claim social value by joining their governance
What is value in the New Space Economy? The end-users’ perspective on satellite data and solutions
Full text linkNew industrial dynamics are disrupting the space sector. New stakeholders bringing in capital, technologies, and knowledge from other industries are developing next-generation space infrastructures and services. Both commercial and institutional space projects have to be valuable for a wider set of end-users, asking not only for economic returns but also social and environmental benefits. Space organizations urge understanding and fostering value in the New Space Economy ecosystem. Indeed, end-users are still struggling to enact the expected value of satellite data and solutions for their business. This paper aims to investigate the expected value and the level of adoption (enacted value) of satellite data and satellite-based solutions in the New Space Economy ecosystem from end-users’ perspective. We interviewed 21 managers from end-user organizations in different sectors (i.e., Insurance & Finance, Energy & Utility, Transportation & Logistics). Value is deeply discussed in general management literature, and we identify Value Theory as the theoretical lens with the most explanatory power for the phenomenon under examination. From the end-users’ perspective, we frame the expected value and the enacted value in taking strategic and tactical decisions regarding their activities, services and products, laying the foundations for further studies of value mechanisms in the New Space ecosystem. Our research set a theoretical and conceptual foundation on value in the New Space ecosystem. It also delineates the blurred boundaries of the New Space ecosystem, the main stakeholders involved, and their perception of value. Insights and implications for strategic and innovation management are also provided. Practitioners may exploit our research results and leverage the end-users-oriented framework to develop next-generation space projects in the New Space ecosystem. We also discuss the limitations and further developments of this research
End-Users Engagement for Enacting Value of Complex Projects: An Ecological Perspective
Full text linkEngagement is fundamental for organizations in complex projects' ecologies (e.g., space, nuclear, telecommunication) to enact value for their end-users. However, the existing knowledge on this empirical subject has two significant shortcomings. First, while the narrative about project value suffices to explain how a project enacts value for its stakeholders, it falls short of unfolding the enacted value of a complex project for its end-users from a broader economic and societal perspective. Second, while literature effectively explains project stakeholder engagement practices, the role played by other elements of a complex project' ecology in shaping the engagement practices with end-users remains largely underexplored. This paper aims to explain how organizations in complex projects' ecologies engage with their end-users to enact the value of complex projects. Leveraging a qualitative and inductive approach, we conducted 31 open interviews with managers of organizations in the European space project ecology, and their end-users. Drawing on a grounded theory approach, we identified four classes of engagement practices. (1) "Personal for value espoused,"adopted by space managers to espouse the value of complex space projects to end-user managers. (2) "Personal for value expected,"adopted by space managers to be engaged by end-user managers and understand their value expectation. (3) "Personal for value enacted,"reinforcing personal relationships and enacting the value of complex space projects over time. (4) "Nonpersonal"engagement practices, adopted by organizations in the complex project ecology toward their end-users. We contribute to the literature on value and engagement by showing that: (1) value enactment occurs through personal engagement and is not only impersonal; (2) form of value (i.e., espoused, expected, and enacted) shapes the engagement of managers and organizations in the complex project ecologies toward their end-users; and (3) a project ecology perspective enhances the understanding of the value of complex projects for end-users
Yes, construction cost, time and scope are important, but there is more: a new action plan for infrastructure success
Full text linkPurpose: During the planning and delivery, iron triangle criteria, are essential for internal stakeholders (e.g. owner, sponsors and delivery company), mostly ignoring external stakeholders such as local communities (often perceived as inconvenient) or end users. In the medium-long term, infrastructure cost and benefit are far more important for external stakeholders and the environment. Design/methodology/approach: The iron triangle criteria, i.e. delivering on time, budget and quality/scope, is the traditional perspective to assess the success of infrastructure projects. Delivering on cost and time is significant, but particularly for infrastructure, there are more relevant success criteria. The authors argue which criteria are important, and explain why. Findings: The authors challenge the traditional view of judging projects based on respecting time, budget and quality/scope. The authors explain that discussing the social value and contribution to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is extremely relevant. Crucially these metrics keep changing, even after the project is terminated. Originality/value: The authors provide a new seven-step action plan for decision-makers to improve infrastructure provision by reflecting on SDGs and engaging with external stakeholders, particularly minorities and the weaker members of their communities. Such an action plan is focused on the cost and value for different stakeholders on different timeframes and progress toward social value and achieving SDGs
ELICITING THE VALUE OF INNOVATION INTERMEDIARIES IN THE COPERNICUS ECOLOGY: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION
No full textThe Copernicus Programme aims to provide full, free and open access to data and information on our planet and its environment. Copernicus data create value for many end-users (e.g., organisations in the Energy, Insurance, and Health sectors). However, end-users often lack knowledge of the value of Copernicus data for their business, limiting their adoption and hindering the potential value for European citizens. Therefore, the European Commission is promoting the rising of innovation intermediaries to support end-users in adopting the Copernicus Data. Innovation intermediaries are public and private organisations supporting firm-level and system-level innovation. Innovation intermediaries provide links between organisations and share knowledge about technologies and knowledge-intensive products and services. Although the role of innovation intermediaries has been extensively studied in academic literature, end-users' perspective on innovation intermediaries supporting value creation is still under-investigated. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how and why innovation intermediaries enact for intermediated organisations. We investigated four main networks of innovation intermediaries in the Copernicus ecology. The Copernicus Accelerator, the Copernicus Academy, the DIAS platforms, and the Copernicus Relays We conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with managers of end-user organisations who leverage the intermediaries to adopt Copernicus data in their business. We inductively analyse our data, leveraging a knowledge-based view of the well-established VRIO (Value, Rareness, Imitability, and Organisation) framework to sensemake our findings. We found that the Accelerator supports value creation by providing end-users with ecosystem knowledge. The Academy offers technical and ecosystem knowledge, bridging the gap between academia and industry. The DIAS enables end-users to vertically integrate towards the upstream through data accessibility and elaboration infrastructures. The Relays offer ecosystem knowledge and support new partnership development. Besides, taking the end-users' perspective, we discover that innovation intermediaries limit their value enactment when it is difficult to reduce the information asymmetry between the space sector and the end-users, or tend to provide end-users with standardized services rather than tailored ones. Our research contributes to innovation intermediaries and the project ecology body of knowledge. To contribute to practice, we provide the managers of the investigated innovation intermediaries with the VRIO model shaped on their organisations. They can use it to assess their value enactment from the end-users' perspective. Officers in the European Commission may benefit from this study by looking at the value enacted by the intermediaries, checking for their institutional mission alignment, and leveraging the strengths and weaknesses of each intermediary to balance their Copernicus intermediary portfolio
Unfolding program governance models in the transition towards the New Space
No full textThe space sector is transitioning from the “Traditional Space” to the “New Space”. Along with the space sector, space program governance is transitioning as well. The co-existence of traditional and new stakeholders gives rise to collaborative forms of partnerships. The aforementioned transitions result in a spectrum of new governance models. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are becoming a new golden rule, disclosing unprecedented achievements. However, the existing body of knowledge lacks a framing of different models of space program governance, covering both Traditional Space programs and New Space ones. Therefore, our paper aims to investigate how space program governance evolved. We first performed an integrative literature review of space program governance. We explored the main governance characteristics and practices through inductive thematic analysis. Then, we performed a single-case study of NASA-led space exploration programs, with particular attention on Artemis, to investigate the transition of space program governance and its actual state-of-the-art. We co-developed and validated three governance models for space programs through semi-structured interviews with six senior experts. We found and discussed three program governance models corresponding to the evolutionary stages of space exploration programs. 1) The Traditional Space model, where the government owns space infrastructures to demonstrate technological supremacy. In parallel, space agencies commission space modules to prime contractors through Engineering, Production and Construction (EPC) contracts and detailed oversight provision. 2) The Transitional model, where fixed-price contracts start to replace EPC ones. For the first time, risks and costs are shared with commercial actors. Stronger cooperation between space agencies emerges; these own space infrastructures and share resources to balance decreased institutional budgets. 3) The New Space model, with a further development in collaborative efforts. PPPs enable a better alignment between public and private expertise. Space agencies favor insight provision and the private sector retains ownership of space assets. Finally, we examine the factors that promote and impede the evolution of space governance, leading to the emergence of a polycentric governance structure observed in current space programs. The three models enable managers to visualize space programs from a governance perspective, where stakeholders' roles and responsibilities in PPPs are clearly identified. Moreover, managers can leverage and innovate existing practices for transitioning across different models of governance in space programs. We contribute to theory by introducing a transitional governance model that enables the smooth transition between the Traditional Space and the New Space paradigms. We provide justification for the concurrent adoption of multiple governance models within the same space program, as in the Artemis program case
Evolving governance in the space sector: From Legacy Space to New Space models
Full text linkThe space sector is evolving from the “Legacy Space” to the “New Space”. Along with the space sector, space program governance is transitioning to support an environment where legacy and New Space actors co-exist. The aforementioned transitions and the entry of New Space players result in new governance models, as space agencies aim to exploit contributions from non-space sectors, leveraging on collaborative opportunities. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) become a new golden rule, disclosing unprecedented achievements. However, the existing body of knowledge lacks a framing of models of space program governance, covering both Legacy Space programs and New Space ones. It is not clear how the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders change from the Legacy Space to the New Space, alongside the related changes in contract structures and the practices space agencies favour in current space programs and projects. Therefore, our paper aims to investigate how space program governance evolved. We performed a single-case study on NASA-led space exploration programs to investigate the transition of space program governance and its actual state-of-the-art. We co-developed and validated three governance models for space programs through semi-structured interviews with senior experts. Furthermore, we present key drivers and barriers behind the evolution towards New Space governance models. We found and discussed three program governance models corresponding to the evolutionary stages of space exploration programs. In the Legacy Space model, the government owns space infrastructures to demonstrate technological supremacy. In the Transitional model, lumpsum contracts, transitioning between cost-plus and fixed-price, replace the legacy EPC (Engineering, Production, Construction) ones. In the New Space model, collaborative efforts and PPPs enable alignment between public and private expertise. Finally, we examine the factors that promote and impede the evolution of space governance, leading to the emergence of a polycentric governance structure observed in current space programs. The three models enable managers to visualize space programs from a governance perspective, where stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities in PPPs are clearly identified. Moreover, managers can leverage and innovate existing practices for transitioning across different models of governance in space programs and projects. We contribute to research by introducing a transitional governance model that enables the smooth transition between the Legacy Space and the New Space paradigms. We justify the concurrent adoption of multiple governance models within the same space program, as in the current Artemis program
DEVELOPING NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE STATIONS: WHAT IS THE USERS EXPECTED VALUE?
No full textIn 2021, NASA established the Commercial LEO Development Program to encourage established and new private-sector actors to design commercial space stations (CSS) that could replace the ISS. The response has been enthusiastic, and hopes are high that CSS will be powerful platforms for expanding the New Space Economy. But for these hopes to be realized, CSS should not only cover their costs, but generate attractive returns on investment and deliver sufficient value to potential users, such as pharmaceutical, energy, and manufacturing companies. Our research answers, "What value do users expect from leveraging CSS for developing their businesses?” We adopted an explorative research approach and sensemake our results with the Value Theory. We first revised 117 peer-reviewed articles and reports on ISS and CSS. We interviewed 14 senior managers of asset and service providers in the Space Station project ecology. We identified 50 primary value propositions (e.g., molecular biology), and we linked the value propositions with 71 potential user customer bases (e.g., pharmaceutical companies). Second, we performed semantic web scraping of 46, 319 established potential users' websites and public documents to extract further information on their value expected in leveraging CSS for developing their business. For example, pharmaceutical companies may find tactical value in developing vaccines in microgravity to improve their processes on Earth and find strategic value in becoming vaccine service providers on the CSS. In the end, we performed a thematic analysis on 146 websites resulting in the scope of the research. Third, we interviewed 6 user managers to deepen and triangulate secondary data and assess the current degree of alignment between their expected value and CSS providers value espoused. Our research endows CSS providers with established users' perspectives, helping them develop compelling value propositions by highlighting short- and long-term opportunities and challenges. Our findings offer CSS providers a clear and specific picture of the established user needs, who are looking for integrated as-a-service platforms and tight cost control. We highlight the key role of intermediaries, acting as translators and facilitators between CSS providers and established potential users to favor a CSS user market growth. CSS users benefit from this study's insights on potential CSS value propositions and possible future applications of CSS in their business
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