Internet of Things: Entrepreneurship & eGovernment

From the Internet of Computers to the Internet of Things

The internet of things refers to a vision of independent systems that collect and process data with the support of computers, communicate with each other and make decisions. Unlike in the “internet of computers”, in the internet of things, computers are integrated into their environment and not dependent on human inputs. These systems can therefore independently gather information about their environment through sensors, share this information in networks and act based on that information.

Thus, in the smart home, for example, your heating and lighting system can automatically respond to the time of the day and weather conditions, while in the smart city, the street lighting responds to detected light conditions. Under the heading Industry 4.0, new applications are being integrated into industrial production, which could lead to a new industrial revolution.

Opportunities & risks

The internet of things promises efficiency and a lot of convenient applications for people in their everyday and professional lives. Emergency call systems in automobiles could, for example, sense accidents autonomously. An emergency SMS is automatically sent to the nearest emergency control centre – even if the driver is unconscious. The internet of things facilitates the gathering and evaluation of information to an unprecedented extent and without human intervention. Startups can enter new markets and offer innovative solutions. Industry has to develop new standards for new products and propose new combinations with other innovations, such as 3D printing. At the same time, the security of individuals, their property and their data needs to be ensured. The questions of whether and how the systems that constitute the internet of things perceive and act remain to be resolved.

Research approaches and research questions

Our research project is divided into two areas. First, we examine the issue from the perspective of technology adaptation and commercialisation – both by startups and established companies. Secondly, we examine how governments can use these applications themselves and what role regulation plays in the internet of things. Specifically, this means:

• • We investigate the first fields of applications, such as the Japanese initiative bGeige, which has set up a sensor network to measure radioactivity. The bGeige project explicitly aims to provide added value for the local population and at the same time actively integrates local people in production processes. But the economic benefits of intelligent manufacturing plants – especially ways of converting existing plants to use digitalised processes – are also a subject of our research.
  • Does the internet of things have the potential to revolutionise public administration by generating a new wave of eGovernment? What legal grounds and limits do systems that are used by public administrations have? And how should the internet of things otherwise be managed publicly? We want to examine these questions from a legal perspective, with a particular emphasis on administrative and regulatory scholarship, and to go beyond legal issues that merely pertain to data protection and IT security.