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"The information age is reshaping current socio-economic structures and processes and this book touches upon the nature of clusters in the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0; I4.0). It focuses on the spatial perspective of digital business transformation and explores in natural context the interrelations between cluster and I4.0. It investigates the role of knowledge, business relations and policy in making cluster relevant for Industry 4.0 and uses the case study method and literature review to develop a conceptual framework outlining the functioning of Industry 4.0 cluster. This book argues that locally embedded knowledge accompanied by strong presence of industry and assisted by proper governance management facilitate the implementation of I4.0. The idiosyncrasies of Industry 4.0 impact also the functioning of cluster as they require more interdisciplinary integrative approach with the provision of industrial commons and development of related varieties. Natural processes of stretching of the cluster cannot be prevented, but should be harnessed for upgrading the core competences of cluster. This book can enrich existing literature on economic geography and regional studies by discussing the spatial aspects of digital transformation. It shows the cluster transformation as induced by the digital transformation, and will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students who explore the regional and local development, competitiveness, or managerial aspects of fourth industrial revolution."

"With the rapid expansion of the internet market and the booming of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), China has, over the past decade, seen explosive growth of the so-called internet Finance, a joint product of internet and the financial sector, which is more commonly referred to as Fintech in other jurisdictions. The term Fintech, a portmanteau word made of 'finance' and 'technology', is often used to describe the intersection of finance and technology. As the technology is mainly related to the internet, it has come to be known as Internet Finance in China. In fact, there is no precise and widely accepted definition of Internet Finance or Fintech. While Fintech is basically understood as technologies which are used to change and improve the existing business mode of finance, Internet Finance is defined as 'a new type of financial mode that integrates the functions of financing, payment and information media via internet and mobile communications technology'."

"This book explains how True Cost Accounting is an effective tool we can use to address the pervasive imbalance in our food system. Calls are coming from all quarters that the food system is broken and needs a radical transformation. A system that feeds many yet continues to create both extreme hunger and diet-related diseases, and one which has significant environmental impacts, is not serving the world adequately. This volume argues that True Cost Accounting in our food system can create a framework for a systemic shift. What sounds on the surface like a practice relegated to accountants is ultimately a call for a new lens on the valuation of food and a new relationship with the food we eat, starting with the reform of a system out of balance. From the true cost of corn, rice and water, to incentives for soil health, the chapters economically compare conventional and regenerative, more equitable farming practices in and food system structures, including taking an unflinching look at the true cost of cheap labour. Overall, this volume points towards the potential for our food system to be more human-centred than profit-centred and one that has a more respectful relationship to the planet. It sets forth a path forward based on True Cost Accounting for food. This path seeks to fix our current food metrics, in policy and in practice, by applying a holistic lens that evaluates the actual costs and benefits of different food systems, and the impacts and dependencies between natural systems, human systems, agriculture and food systems. This volume is essential reading for professionals and policymakers involved in developing and reforming the food system, as well as students and scholars working on food policy, food systems and sustainability"--

"Population aging is one of the most pressing issues facing governments and society today. With implications for health care, the economy, and an assortment of other policy areas, confronting this complex reality is increasingly urgent and never more so in the age of COVID-19. In The Four Lenses of Population Aging, Patrik Marier looks at how Canada's ten provinces are preparing for an aging society. Focusing on a wide range of administrative and policy challenges, this analysis explores multiple actions from the development of strategic plans to the expansion of long-term care capacity. To enhance this analysis, Marier adopts four lenses: the intergenerational, the medical, the social gerontological, and the organizational. By comparing the unique insights and contributions of each lens, Marier draws attention to the vital lessons and possible solutions to the challenges of an aging society. Drawing on over a hundred interviews with senior civil servants and thousands of policy documents, The Four Lenses of Population Aging is a significant contribution to the public administration, provincial politics, and comparative public policy literatures, and a timely resource for policymakers and general readers seeking an informed perspective on a timely and important issue."--

"Agriculture has been among the toughest political battlegrounds in post-war Japan and represents an ideal case study in institutional stability and change. Inefficient land use and a rapidly aging work force have long been undermining the economic viability of the agricultural sector. Yet, vested interests in the small-scale, part-time agricultural production structure have obstructed major structural reforms. Change has instead occurred in more subtle ways. Since the mid-1990s, a gradual reform process has dismantled some of the core pillars of the post-war agricultural support and protection regime. Harvesting State Support analyses this process by shifting the analytical focus to the local level. Based on extensive qualitative field research, Hanno Jentzsch investigates how local actors, including farmers, local governments, and local agricultural cooperatives, have translated abstract policies into local practice. Using the example of farmland redistribution, Jentzsch reveals how effective the national reform process has been implemented, and in whose interests the reforms have been interpreted. Showing how these local variants are constructed through recombining national reforms with the local informal institutional environment, Harvesting State Support reveals new links between agricultural reform and other shifts in Japan's political economy."--