Rapid detection of fast innovation under the pressure of COVID-19

Abstract

Covid-19 has rapidly redefined the agenda of technological research and development both for academics and practitioners. If the medical scientific publication system has promptly reacted to this new situation, other domains, particularly in new technologies, struggle to map what is happening in their contexts. The pandemic has created the need for a rapid detection of technological convergence phenomena, but at the same time it has made clear that this task is impossible on the basis of traditional patent and publication indicators. This paper presents a novel methodology to perform a rapid detection of the fast technological convergence phenomenon that is occurring under the pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic. The fast detection has been performed thanks to the use of a novel source: the online blogging platform Medium. We demonstrate that the hybrid structure of this social journalism platform allows a rapid detection of innovation phenomena, unlike other traditional sources. The technological convergence phenomenon has been modelled through a network-based approach, analysing the differences of networks computed during two time periods (pre and post COVID-19). The results led us to discuss the repurposing of technologies regarding “Remote Control”, “Remote Working”, “Health” and “Remote Learning”.

Managerial Responses to the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Healthcare Organizations Project Management

“…The obtained results also confirmed conclusions concerning rapid technological innovations occurring under the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, which applied mainly to remote control, remote working, telemedicine and remote learning [121]. It was found that, in the studied organizations, the jump was sudden and produced many important effects for project management.…”

Firms’ challenges and social responsibilities during Covid-19: A Twitter analysis

“…They can be used for a number of reasons, which include sharing information about products, decisions, strategies [85], and for accountability on the firms' economic, environmental, and social activities. During the pandemic, the quantity of data being shared online increased, with online social networks strengthening their role as a mean of communication [86]. First, we show that online social media are a tool to capture firms' issues, challenges and concerns, highlighting groups of firms that are facing similar challenges in a timely manner.…”

A Structural Framework for Assessing the Digital Resilience of Enterprises in the Context of the Technological Revolution 4.0

“…However, the use of digital technology can also have some negative effects due to the social distancing requirements imposed during the COVID-19 crisis. For example, human labor has been reduced by partially replacing human labor with machines [35], and cybersecurity issues have increased through remote work and the use of online platforms [36]. The coronavirus pandemic has transposed many businesses online, so the companies located in areas with poor access to digital connectivity have limited capacity to develop resilience in difficult economic times [37].…”