MCC Centre for Next Technological Futures Studies on Innovation, Technologies and Regions, Volume 1 As cyberpunk writer William Gibson famously said, “The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.” This ironic statement is particularly relevant when we look at the map of innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe, where we can easily see deep regional imbalances. But while the future of technology is nearly impossible to predict, it could be discovered by those companies—the startups whose basic working method is trial and error. In addition, the current deafening hype around artificial intelligence is also reigniting the debate about robots and their impact on our economy and society. And these are the main reasons this book is about startups and robots. The studies conducted at the Centre for Next Technological Futures, Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Budapest, raise questions such as: How does geographic proximity to venture capital affect startups at different stages of development? While startups in Europe are concentrated in a handful of large cities, what opportunities do smaller cities have that specialise in Industry 4.0? What factors influence the use of industrial robots in different European countries, and how does the story of industrial robots differ from the emerging new story of robots in the service sector? Incubators and accelerators can increase the chances of survival of startups, but are those institutions that only chase a quick return on investment really the most successful? CONTRIBUTORS: Borbála Brosig Zoltán Cséfalvay Csaba Kristóf Johanyák Viktor Lázár Csikó Bálint Pálfai Orsolya Székely Zoltán Szombathy Máté Ujvárosi

'...an essential and fascinating manual for every woman who wants to understand equality within an ever-changing, modern world.' Scarlett Curtis '...[this book] taught me more than any book has ever taught me about AI.' Chris Evans, Virgin Radio How To Talk To Robots, is your girls guide to Artificial Intelligence. Entrepreneur Tabitha Goldstaub welcomes you into the AI world with a warm embrace. She brilliantly breaks down the tech-bro barriers offering a straightforward introduction and makes clear the enormous benefits of understanding AI.. If your social feed defines your spending habits or you've downloaded the latest filter to see what you'll look like when you are old or now connect with your doctor using an app, have applied for a job online or used your phone to arrive at work in record time, AI is playing a part in how you live, work and play. We live in an era where machines are taught to learn and act without human intervention and there are infinite possibilities to their applications. The risk of these technologies biasing against you is real, and this book will give you tools to navigate the current and future developments consciously. As well as explaining the risks Tabitha lays out the awesome benefits AI can offer. From spotting disease to tailoring education and tackling climate change the potential rewards are life-changing. Starting with a potted history, Tabitha shines a light on the many unsung heroines since the rise of AI in the 1960s. In conversation with Karen Hao she simply demonstrates how the technology works (and sometimes doesn't work!) and interviews a cross-section of women who use AI in their work today including Jeanette Winterson, Sharmadean Reid, Martha Lane Fox and Hannah Fry. This book doesn't just present the challenge; Tabitha offers supportive practical advice and shares an extensive list of books, films, courses and more for further exploration. However it is that you identify with womanhood, wherever you are in life, and whatever you do, this technology is inescapable and now is your time to make sure AI works for you - and not you for it!

The next generation of robots will be truly social, but can we make sure that they play well in the sandbox? Most robots are just tools. They do limited sets of tasks subject to constant human control. But a new type of robot is coming. These machines will operate on their own in busy, unpredictable public spaces. They'll ferry deliveries, manage emergency rooms, even grocery shop. Such systems could be truly collaborative, accomplishing tasks we don't do well without our having to stop and direct them. This makes them social entities, so, as robot designers Laura Major and Julie Shah argue, whether they make our lives better or worse is a matter of whether they know how to behave. What to Expect When You're Expecting Robots offers a vision for how robots can survive in the real world and how they will change our relationship to technology. From teaching them manners, to robot-proofing public spaces, to planning for their mistakes, this book answers every question you didn't know you needed to ask about the robots on the way.

“[An] essential book… it is required reading as we seriously engage one of the most important debates of our time.”—Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age From drones to Mars rovers—an exploration of the most innovative use of robots today and a provocative argument for the crucial role of humans in our increasingly technological future. In Our Robots, Ourselves, David Mindell offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the cutting edge of robotics today, debunking commonly held myths and exploring the rapidly changing relationships between humans and machines. Drawing on firsthand experience, extensive interviews, and the latest research from MIT and elsewhere, Mindell takes us to extreme environments—high atmosphere, deep ocean, and outer space—to reveal where the most advanced robotics already exist. In these environments, scientists use robots to discover new information about ancient civilizations, to map some of the world’s largest geological features, and even to “commute” to Mars to conduct daily experiments. But these tools of air, sea, and space also forecast the dangers, ethical quandaries, and unintended consequences of a future in which robotics and automation suffuse our everyday lives. Mindell argues that the stark lines we’ve drawn between human and not human, manual and automated, aren’t helpful for understanding our relationship with robotics. Brilliantly researched and accessibly written, Our Robots, Ourselves clarifies misconceptions about the autonomous robot, offering instead a hopeful message about what he calls “rich human presence” at the center of the technological landscape we are now creating.

Thanks to the decreasing cost of prototyping, it's more feasible for professional makers and first-time entrepreneurs to launch a hardware startup. But exactly how do you go about it? This book provides the roadmap and best practices you need for turning a product idea into a full-fledged business. Written by three experts from the field, The Hardware Startup takes you from idea validation to launch, complete with practical strategies for funding, market research, branding, prototyping, manufacturing, and distribution. Two dozen case studies of real-world startups illustrate possible successes and failures at every stage of the process. Validate your idea by learning the needs of potential users Develop branding, marketing, and sales strategies early on Form relationships with the right investment partners Prototype early and often to ensure you're on the right path Understand processes and pitfalls of manufacturing at scale Jumpstart your business with the help of an accelerator Learn strategies for pricing, marketing, and distribution Be aware of the legal issues your new company may face

Concerted efforts are being pursued by governments and economic institutions to promote the generation of startups, and copious documentation has been produced as guides for these emerging companies. However, little has been written on, e.g., the Operations and Supply Chain needs for Hardware Startups, and the development strategy of the required skills to build flexibility during the initial phases of startup development. This work proposes an initial road guide framework for hardware startups, resulting from the experiences of successful companies within the Robotics Cluster present in Massachusetts (either new ventures or spinoffs from existing companies). System Dynamics methodology is then used to capture causal loops, and to characterize the policies which would enable New Venture growth, so as to analyze the Supply Chain/Operations conditions for Hardware Startup Success. The work is presented in four main sections. The first section contains a bibliographic research to characterize the present conditions of Hardware Startups with special emphasis on the Massachusetts Robotics Cluster, providing an overview of the available resources for startups in terms of their skills development and especially with regard to their Operations/Supply Chain Skills development. A second section considered the directed interview of executives at existing robotics startups (Artaic LLC, Kiva Systems, Rethink Robotics and Boston Engineering) to obtain information regarding their strategic decisions in specific aspects of their Supply Chain and Operations. These interviews are reflected as case studies of these companies. The third phase is reflected as a proposal for a System Dynamics model, based on previous work in the area and complemented by aspects identified as relevant from the interviews. Lastly, the conclusions of this work will attempt to gather the main learnings from the analyzed cases, in terms of Operations/Supply Chain Skills development, laying down some directing guidelines for future Hardware Startup ventures.

This book questions business standards that we read about and repeat, just because someone else applied them. Of course, caution and good examples are essential and important principles to apply to any business, but we have to keep in mind that conclusions aren’t one size fits all. Each of them occurred at a specific time, within a certain context, with specific constraints, and all that changes fast, especially in the startup environment. Planning and thinking need to be limited and time framed. Planning is important, but getting things done is even more so. For startups this principle is crucial: if you don’t start doing it, someone else will. What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way. You'll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counterintuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you. There’s plenty of advice about raising funds, finding a great team and how to handle growth.