Digital Ecosystems

Digital Ecosystems are the next generation of Internet application. Unlike our current use of cyberspace, which is largely based on pre-existing technologies such as client-sever networks, this technology is enabled by distributed and peer-to-peer operation in a common global public environment. Digital Ecosystems promises a whole new world of possibilities that we could previously only dream about, but which are now within our grasp.

In the same way that current Internet applications have made an impact on our lives and our economies, so Digital Ecosystems will have major repercussions on the way that individuals and businesses are able to interact. This is not just about science and technology, it is also about radical economic and social change. Managing that change is as important as the technology itself.

Digital Ecosystems are still in their infant stage. Many issues remain to be resolved, both about scientific and technical functionalities, but also about issues such as trust and legal processes. Knowledge and expertise on a wide range of issues is an important asset in preparing for and taking advantage of Digital Ecosystems.

In Europe, the Digital Ecosystems cluster of projects, part-financed by the European Union, aims to develop both the theory and application of Digital Ecosystems, and in the process to build its knowledge.

How do they work?

Digital Ecosystems describes a genre of applications that can have many functions. They are characterised by being distributed and open systems. Just like the Internet itself, they cannot be owned by anyone, and are equally available to all. They are created at a high level using model-driven architecture, which ensures that systems are compatible and inter-operable since the underlying technologies no longer determine system design.

Applications are typically envisaged in marketplaces where needs and availabilities are constantly changing and matching one to the other is a complex task, especially difficult in a more formal, prescribed system. Digital Ecosystems can be studied and ways found to optimise them as a whole by mathematically simulating processes found in science and the natural world, including the ability to interact, self-organise, evolve, and adapt.

Digital Ecosystems and regions

Regional economic development actors are interested in Digital Ecosystems as a powerful force in stimulating SME growth. By participating in Digital Ecosystem projects and by sensitising their ICT players and their economies to this emerging technology, they are linking Digital Ecosystems into their regional needs and providing pilot applications.