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INNOVATIONSFORSOCIALLYCREATINGASUSTAINABLEFUTURE
tiations,andadesireforconsensusandcooperativesolutions.Thepublicisoftenneglected
bypoliticalstructuresandbusinessdecision-makers.Itseems,however,thatinthetimes
ofincreasingcomplexity,diversity,anduncertaintythesocialinclusioninvisioning,policy
elaboration,andbusinessfunctioningcanbeadvantageousinassuringlegitimationand
acceptance.Intheareasofinnovations,research,science,andtechnologytherearegrow-
ingparticipatorydemandsandmoreandmoreexperimentsandpracticesperformed(see
e.g.Zacher,2011).Policiesofknowledgeproductionandusearecrucialforsustainability,
especiallyinthefutureperspective.
Sothenewrisks,dangers,challenges,andopportunitiesrequireprofoundchanges
inourmindsetsandWeltanschauung(termpopularizedbyMannheim)-itcanbecalled
“epistemicmodernization”(termcoinedbyD.Hess:inHarding,2011).Oldtypescientific
paradigms(e.g.ineconomicsorsociology)areinefectiveinthefaceofnewchallenges
connectedwithsustainabilitygoals.
Changeofapproaches,theories,andparadigmsisneedednowbecauseofthereality
weliveinhasevolvedintoarathervirtualreality.Cyberspaceanditsrichcontentshave
becomeanadditionalsocialspace.Itisafullytechnologicalinnovationandtechnological
“object”(orsystem).Forsomeitisjustasubsequentproductofresearchandtechnol-
ogy.Forothersitisamilestoneinnovationtransformingalmosteverything-societies,
individuals,economies,wars,humancommunications,etc.Moreover,itradicallydivides
humanlivingspaceintotwoparts-therealandthevirtual.Thisisanothercaseofworld
hybridization.Therearemanynewquestions:howtofunctioninthesetwoworlds?Does
cyberspacehave(orshouldhaveorcanhave)itsownnetworklogic?Whatdodifusions
betweenthesetwoworldsmean?Howwillhumanactivitiesinthishybriditybeseparated
ornetworked?
Cyberspaceisaninformationalvirtualworld“inhabited”byinternauts(already
billions)mostlyrepresentingtheyoungergenerations;however,theNethasalmost
everything,goodandbad,andwhatwasinventedintherealexistsinthevirtual.Theold
world-material,“heavy”,hard,andtraditional-wantstocontrolits“baby”,butthebaby
-accordingtowhatiswrittenintheCyberspaceManifesto(byJ.P.Barlow)-demands
autonomy,separation,independence,andfreedom.Soaretheyparallelworlds?Ordoes
theoldworld(alsoitspower?)dominateandregulatethenewone(byforce?,economi-
cally?)?Howmanyactivitiesintherealworldaretransferredtothenewspace(tomake
business,touseit,toconquerit,oferingmutualadvantages)?Doesitfunctionbyvarious
relationsorunity,integrationorsystemicfunctioning?Perhapsa“border”betweenthetwo
worldswillnotbesosharp-moreandmoretraditionalactivitiesarebeinginformatized
anddigitized,andnewgenerationswillsoonconsistmostlyof“digitalnatives”.Willold
worldbranches(e.g.industrial)andactivitiesbeconductedandoperatedbysuchnatives?
Wherewillthepowerbe?
Anywaythatinnovationscanmakesomebetterorder,includingsustainabilitygoals,
isimpatientlyexpected.Untilnowthetwoworldsweretreatedseparatelyinwhatcanbe
illustratedbyexemplarytitlesofrespectedbooksandarticles:informationvsindustrial
economy/society;digitalvspredigitaleconomy/society;virtualvstraditionaleconomy/
society,etc.Perhapsinthelongrunsomeself-evolutionofthehybridworldwillbeasolu-
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