The book contributes to a better understanding of the role of knowledge societies in achieving sustainability. It is based on the conference with the same title held in Riga, which brought together experts from Europe and the rest of the world. The book highlights sustainable development in relation to the knowledge society and smart future manufacturing technologies, and it helps provide a better understanding of the interplay between sustainable development and knowledge society issues, and how these could lead to a better future.

Increasingly, we hear of ‘smart’ cities, communities, governance and people as constituting the basis of initiatives by which we might address various social and environmental problems, particularly those connected with sustainability, usually by means of an ‘intelligent’ connection with the ‘network society’. This book addresses the issues raised by the emergence of ‘smart’ dimensions and initiatives in society, critically engaging with questions surrounding the feasibility of what smart initiatives propose and the extent to which they can really offer solutions to the challenges we face. With attention to the notion of ‘smart’ as applied to the individual, the community, politics and the home, the authors consider the interconnections between these various facets of ‘smart living’ and their relationship to the notion of the smart society as a whole. Drawing on a concrete study of an attempt to concretize smart ideas in the design of a smart, solar home as part of an international project, Smart Society offers the first extended sociological engagement with the notion of smart living.

This book focuses on lifelong learning for sustainable development, an aspect that has been rarely explored in great detail. It also discusses methodological approaches and experiences deriving from case studies and projects, which demonstrate how lifelong learning for sustainable development can be implemented in practice. The book provides respecting research institutions, universities, NGOs, and enterprises with an opportunity to display and present their work in this field. It fosters the exchange of information, ideas and experiences acquired in the context of concerning initiatives, especially with regard to successful projects and best practices.

This collection is a multidisciplinary and multicultural contribution to the current sustainability discourse. It is focused on two main dimensions of our world: complexity and diversity. Desirable and urgent transition of socio-technological systems toward a sustainability trajectory of development requires a better understanding of technological trends and social transformations. General advancement of technology does not produce identical changes in various societies, differentiated economically and culturally. Moreover, the abilities to approach sustainable development change over time and space. As a result there is a constant need for continuing research, analyses, and discussions concerning changing contexts and adequacy of strategies and policies. Authors from twelve countries and of different academic and cultural settings present their insights, analyses and recommendations. The collection is focused both on contexts and on activities leading to sustainable trajectories in various domains of economy and social life. Continuing research and discussion is needed to better understand these challenges and to prepare the appropriate strategies and solutions. Development of socio-technological systems is nowadays very complex; moreover, the world we live in is extremely diverse. Therefore, sustainability discourse must be ongoing, introducing new ideas, concepts, theories, evidence and experience by various parties—academics, professionals, and practitioners.

The knowledge society arises from the combination of four interdependent elements: the production of knowledge through research, its transmission through education, its dissemination through information and communication technologies, and its exploitation through innovation. For this reason, higher education institutions (HEIs) are the main component of the formation of intellectual capital because they are the key element of the knowledge society, so it is necessary that they continue to be the main source of the necessary skills that allow the increase of economic competitiveness, sustainability, and citizen welfare within the framework of quality education and equity. The Formation of Intellectual Capital and Its Ability to Transform Higher Education Institutions and the Knowledge Society is an essential research publication that provides systemic research on the formation of intellectual capital in higher education and its impact on the knowledge society. Highlighting topics such as educational programs, management strategy, and educational studies, this book is meant for educators, educational technologists, students, researchers, professionals, and administrators.

Revolutionary information and communication technologies are contributing to dramatic changes in the competitiveness of global and local markets and in the way people conduct their business and everyday lives. The potential benefits and risks these changes present for developing countries and the economies in transition are enormous. This comprehensive, authoritative reference book examines the ways in which these powerful technologies are being harnessed to development goals, helping to reduce the risk of exclusion and create new opportunities for developing countries. The report emphasizes the urgency of developing new social and technological infrastructures to help ensure that new technologies are used effectively. It also also offers guidelines and practical steps that can be taken by stakeholders to shape their future innovative knowledge societies.

Sustainable Real Estate in the Developing World offers a perfect and ideal synthesis of works that examine sustainability within various facets of real estate and urban development in the developing world. A must-read for academics, researchers, policy-makers and students in all the built environment disciplines.