Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PRODIGEES (Promoting Research on Digitalisation in Emerging Powers and Europe towards Sustainable Development)
Période du rapport: 2020-01-01 au 2023-06-30
Investments in digitalisation affect personal, political, societal, environmental and economic processes across the globe and have enormous potential to radically change almost all sectors in the coming decades. Digitalisation also influences the success of the transformation towards sustainable development, as endorsed by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Understanding and shaping the interdependencies between digitalisation and sustainability belongs to the key challenges of the digital era.
Through the exchange of research and innovation (R&I) staff and network-wide activities, PRODIGEES (Promoting Research on Digitalisation in Emerging Powers and Europe towards Sustainable Development) strengthens long-term research partnerships between Europe and emerging powers for transnational knowledge sharing on the interconnection of digitalisation and sustainability. By complementary and comparative research in different world regions, PRODIGEES aims to generate a better understanding on the conditions how positive effects of digitalisation can be achieved, while at the same time potential negative effects are mitigated. On this basis, PRODIGEES engages in innovative transnational training and a multi-stakeholder dialogue with the aim to help shape technological trajectories and identify and promote policy paths that are more likely to maximise benefits for the achievement of the SDGs.
Key Objectives:
1) To create a deeper, comprehensive understanding of the impact of digitalisation across the social, economic and environmental dimension of sustainable development and its governance with global key actors in different world regions;
2) To identify and promote policy paths that are more likely to maximise direct and indirect benefits of digitalisation. Advice to policy-makers and technology developers in Europe and emerging powers will show how to shape technological trajectories towards an alignment with the global sustainability agenda;
3) To boost the development of research-related and transferable skills and career prospects of staff members for a knowledge-based economy and society. Key elements therefore are know-how transfer, exchange of good practice among both early and experienced researchers, and supervision and mentoring, for increased transnational employability in academia, digital economy, public sector and civil society organisations;
4) To foster capacity-development through innovative concepts and development of Transnational Open Access Trainings and Digital Knowledge Products. These aim to raise awareness for the multiple opportunities, challenges and risks of digitalisation and the implications of individual behaviour and responsibilities in the digital era;
5) To establish a long-term transnational platform of research institutions in Europe and emerging powers with increased capacities, improved partnerships and a shared culture of R&I;
6) To increase Europe's attractiveness as a leading destination for internationally-oriented sustainability studies and digital transformation research in support of global welfare. This will contribute to the strengthening of Europe’s position as a global point of orientation for the governance of the digital era.
Through the exchange of research and innovation (R&I) staff and network-wide activities, PRODIGEES (Promoting Research on Digitalisation in Emerging Powers and Europe towards Sustainable Development) strengthens long-term research partnerships between Europe and emerging powers for transnational knowledge sharing on the interconnection of digitalisation and sustainability. By complementary and comparative research in different world regions, PRODIGEES aims to generate a better understanding on the conditions how positive effects of digitalisation can be achieved, while at the same time potential negative effects are mitigated. On this basis, PRODIGEES engages in innovative transnational training and a multi-stakeholder dialogue with the aim to help shape technological trajectories and identify and promote policy paths that are more likely to maximise benefits for the achievement of the SDGs.
Key Objectives:
1) To create a deeper, comprehensive understanding of the impact of digitalisation across the social, economic and environmental dimension of sustainable development and its governance with global key actors in different world regions;
2) To identify and promote policy paths that are more likely to maximise direct and indirect benefits of digitalisation. Advice to policy-makers and technology developers in Europe and emerging powers will show how to shape technological trajectories towards an alignment with the global sustainability agenda;
3) To boost the development of research-related and transferable skills and career prospects of staff members for a knowledge-based economy and society. Key elements therefore are know-how transfer, exchange of good practice among both early and experienced researchers, and supervision and mentoring, for increased transnational employability in academia, digital economy, public sector and civil society organisations;
4) To foster capacity-development through innovative concepts and development of Transnational Open Access Trainings and Digital Knowledge Products. These aim to raise awareness for the multiple opportunities, challenges and risks of digitalisation and the implications of individual behaviour and responsibilities in the digital era;
5) To establish a long-term transnational platform of research institutions in Europe and emerging powers with increased capacities, improved partnerships and a shared culture of R&I;
6) To increase Europe's attractiveness as a leading destination for internationally-oriented sustainability studies and digital transformation research in support of global welfare. This will contribute to the strengthening of Europe’s position as a global point of orientation for the governance of the digital era.
PRODIGEES has performed work in five work packages.
Main results in the field of project coordination and management (WP1) were a data management plan, the participation in the Open Research Data Pilot, the preparation of all reports in due time and two mid-term review meetings with the REA. In total, the consortium hosted 7 Steering Committee Meetings, which facilitated the completion of all necessary governance structures as an important mileston, and a successful COVID-19 mitigation strategy.
In the field of R&I staff exchange, research and network development, PRODIGEES implemented 37 secondments totaling 80 person-months (PM). Out of the 34 researchers seconded, 14 are experienced, 20 are early stage; 18 males, 16 females. These secondments could be implemented despite the difficulties in planning and travelling following from the COVID-19 pandemic, which overshadowed the first two years (2020 and 2021) of the project. The investigation of digitalisation for sustainability can be structured in the fields of "Governance and Society (WP2) and "Economy and Environment" (WP3). Research outputs are extensive, with topics covering AI impacts, EU digitalization strategies, Open Science, digital currencies and climate resilience. These outputs include 15 publications and 32 digital knowledge products, such as presentations and science communication videos. A three-day authors workshop in 2022 stimulated joint publication projects.
In the field of exploitation, dissemination, and network sustainability (WP4), key deliverables achieved include the setup and continuous update of the project website (www.prodigees.info) the maintainance of an international communication and dissemination database, as well as the integration of an open access online repository (https://zenodo.org/communities/prodigees). A highlight is the Transnational Open Access Trainings; three editions have been implemented to translate research findings into training for young professionals.
To ensure quality and carry out continuous evaluation (WP5), PRODIGEES adopted a comprehensive Quality Assurance Concept and regularly synchronised Steering Committee meetings with input from the External Scientific Adivsory Board.
Main results in the field of project coordination and management (WP1) were a data management plan, the participation in the Open Research Data Pilot, the preparation of all reports in due time and two mid-term review meetings with the REA. In total, the consortium hosted 7 Steering Committee Meetings, which facilitated the completion of all necessary governance structures as an important mileston, and a successful COVID-19 mitigation strategy.
In the field of R&I staff exchange, research and network development, PRODIGEES implemented 37 secondments totaling 80 person-months (PM). Out of the 34 researchers seconded, 14 are experienced, 20 are early stage; 18 males, 16 females. These secondments could be implemented despite the difficulties in planning and travelling following from the COVID-19 pandemic, which overshadowed the first two years (2020 and 2021) of the project. The investigation of digitalisation for sustainability can be structured in the fields of "Governance and Society (WP2) and "Economy and Environment" (WP3). Research outputs are extensive, with topics covering AI impacts, EU digitalization strategies, Open Science, digital currencies and climate resilience. These outputs include 15 publications and 32 digital knowledge products, such as presentations and science communication videos. A three-day authors workshop in 2022 stimulated joint publication projects.
In the field of exploitation, dissemination, and network sustainability (WP4), key deliverables achieved include the setup and continuous update of the project website (www.prodigees.info) the maintainance of an international communication and dissemination database, as well as the integration of an open access online repository (https://zenodo.org/communities/prodigees). A highlight is the Transnational Open Access Trainings; three editions have been implemented to translate research findings into training for young professionals.
To ensure quality and carry out continuous evaluation (WP5), PRODIGEES adopted a comprehensive Quality Assurance Concept and regularly synchronised Steering Committee meetings with input from the External Scientific Adivsory Board.
PRODIGEES combines so far insufficiently connected study fields: digitalisation in view of the governance, society, economy, and environment dimension of sustainability. Enhancing the potential of the participating staff by facilitating original research contributions to the new ‘sustainability-digitalisation nexus’, by establishing a long-term collaboration framework, and by developing skills and knowledge are at the heart of the project. Publications and evaluations of R&I staff have shown that activities have led to a broadening of research perspectives across countries and disciplines. For instance, research output revealed cultural and infrastructural success factors influencing the implementation of digitalisation strategies in Brazil and India; these factors are also relevant for the accelleration of developments in the EU. The staff exchange allows for an unprecedented integration of perspectives from the EU and emerging powers in view of comparative analysis. To illustrate, this new combination could show how digitalisation empowers women working on the ocean and along the Amazon River, or offer a comparison of data protection regimes and platform regulation in Mexico, Brazil, India, and the EU; the EU's approach constitutes a key reference for discussions in other countries, but resepective legislation does not necessarily meet EU standards.
The project continues with secondments across all research areas until 2025. It will implement one more transnational open access training in 2023, as well as policy labs in 2024 to translate research findings into policy advice. PRODIGEES partners will convene for a final conference in 2025 to discuss publication projects and the future research agenda. In this way, participating R&I staff will continue contributing to the global agenda of digitalization towwards sustainability in connection to global governance, economic progress, environmental protection, and social welfare.
The project continues with secondments across all research areas until 2025. It will implement one more transnational open access training in 2023, as well as policy labs in 2024 to translate research findings into policy advice. PRODIGEES partners will convene for a final conference in 2025 to discuss publication projects and the future research agenda. In this way, participating R&I staff will continue contributing to the global agenda of digitalization towwards sustainability in connection to global governance, economic progress, environmental protection, and social welfare.