CGA: Location factors and ecosystem embedding of sustainability engaged blockchain companies in the US

Date: 

Wednesday, January 25, 2023, 12:00pm

Location: 

Virtual via Zoom

Presentation by Dr. Jan Kinne, ISTARI.AI

Talk abstract

Green IT and digital technologies provide opportunities for creating more sustainable business models. Yet some technologies, especially blockchain applications, are often criticized for harming the environment because of high energy demand or the use of rare materials in the production of hardware. The degree to which information technology contributes to sustainability likely depends on the application. In this study, we explore the degree of sustainability of blockchain companies by using web mining to identify blockchain companies in the United States. We further measure their commitment to sustainability and study the role of the local ecosystem as an enabler of the sustainable use of blockchain technology. The results show that being embedded in a local network of sustainable companies active in other sectors is associated with a higher sustainability degree in companies offering or using blockchain applications. While general location factors such as transport infrastructure or economic performance cannot explain sustainable blockchain use, the sustainability degree of firms in the network of blockchain companies predict the sustainability intensity of blockchain companies.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Jan Kinne studied geoinformatics at the University of Heidelberg and received his PhD from the University of Salzburg on the topic of "web-based innovation indicators for microgeographic analyses". He is the founder and CEO of ISTARI.AI, a company  that specializes in AI-based analysis of enterprise web data. Dr. Kinne also continues to conduct methodological research around the use of (text-based) web data for innovation research.

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Map of blockchain firms in Boston