Open Access

Bounding the range of a sum of rational functions is an important task if, e.g., the global polynomial sum of ratios problem is solved by a branch and bound algorithm. In this paper, bounding methods are discussed which rely on the expansion of a multivariate polynomial into Bernstein polynomials.

This paper aims to apply the basics of the Service-Dominant Logic, especially the concept of creating benefits through serving, to the stationary retail industry. In the industrial context, the shift from a product-driven point of view to a service-driven perspective has been discussed widely. However, there are only few connections to how this can be applied to the retail sector on a B2C-level and how retailers can use smart services in order to enable customer engagement, loyalty and retention. The expectations of customers towards future stationary retail develop significantly as consumers got used to the comfort of online shopping. Especially the younger generation—the Generation Z—seems to have changed their priorities from the bare purchase of products to an experience- and service-driven approach when shopping over-the-counter. To stay successful long-term, companies from this sector need to adapt to the expectations of their future main customer group. Therefore, this paper will analyse the specific needs of Generation Z, explain how smart services contribute to creating benefit for this customer group and how this affects the economic sustainability of these firms.

Motion estimation is an essential element for autonomous vessels. It is used e.g. for lidar motion compensation as well as mapping and detection tasks in a maritime environment. Because the use of gyroscopes is not reliable and a high performance inertial measurement unit is quite expensive, we present an approach for visual pitch and roll estimation that utilizes a convolutional neural network for water segmentation, a stereo system for reconstruction and simple geometry to estimate pitch and roll. The algorithm is validated on a novel, publicly available dataset recorded at Lake Constance. Our experiments show that the pitch and roll estimator provides accurate results in comparison to an Xsens IMU sensor. We can further improve the pitch and roll estimation by sensor fusion with a gyroscope. The algorithm is available in its implementation as a ROS node.

Network effects, economies of scale, and lock-in-effects increasingly lead to a concentration of digital resources and capabilities, hindering the free and equitable development of digital entrepreneurship, new skills, and jobs, especially in small communities and their small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”). To ensure the affordability and accessibility of technologies, promote digital entrepreneurship and community well-being, and protect digital rights, we propose data cooperatives as a vehicle for secure, trusted, and sovereign data exchange. In post-pandemic times, community/SME-led cooperatives can play a vital role by ensuring that supply chains to support digital commons are uninterrupted, resilient, and decentralized. Digital commons and data sovereignty provide communities with affordable and easy access to information and the ability to collectively negotiate data-related decisions. Moreover, cooperative commons (a) provide access to the infrastructure that underpins the modern economy, (b) preserve property rights, and (c) ensure that privatization and monopolization do not further erode self-determination, especially in a world increasingly mediated by AI. Thus, governance plays a significant role in accelerating communities’/SMEs’ digital transformation and addressing their challenges. Cooperatives thrive on digital governance and standards such as open trusted application programming interfaces (“APIs”) that increase the efficiency, technological capabilities, and capacities of participants and, most importantly, integrate, enable, and accelerate the digital transformation of SMEs in the overall process. This review article analyses an array of transformative use cases that underline the potential of cooperative data governance. These case studies exemplify how data and platform cooperatives, through their innovative value creation mechanisms, can elevate digital commons and value chains to a new dimension of collaboration, thereby addressing pressing societal issues. Guided by our research aim, we propose a policy framework that supports the practical implementation of digital federation platforms and data cooperatives. This policy blueprint intends to facilitate sustainable development in both the Global South and North, fostering equitable and inclusive data governance strategies.