This course aims to inform about the opportunities
that the most important modern digital technologies offer to a start-up
business. Through this module stakeholders will: i) get acquainted with the key
principles governing four key digital technologies, ii) learn about the reasons
why their business can benefit from them, and iii) be informed of the ways
necessary to incorporate these technologies into their business plans. As a
result, stakeholders will be able to critically recognize the technological
needs of their business, choose the technological aspects that fit their
business and can grow along and formulate a firm plan for their business activities.
As businesses operate in a growing digital
environment, their activities are increasingly characterized by
interconnection. Whether their actions involve customers, partners, or various
organizations (e.g. audit authorities) their "digital footprint" is
recorded by blockchain technologies, an open infrastructure for storing all
kinds of digital and physical assets, even personal data. The high degree of
networking of new ventures has led to blockchain technologybeing a key element
in doing business.
As mentioned above, modern businesses are able to
collect a significant amount of data for analysis. A major step towards
exploiting digital technologies for businesses is taking place by combining
data analysis with the application of machine learning technologies. This is a
pioneering aspect of digital technologies, while at the same time it enhances
entrepreneurship by enabling it to exploit 'smart' software and applications.
The term “smart” derives from the ability of machine learning to provide automated
processes in running a business by analyzing data generated through the
company's own activity.
The incorporation of more and more digital features
into businesses’ activities has brought about significant changes in the
way that they can evaluate their performance and design. As businesses are able
to gather data on their profitability, customer base, and even competition
information, data analysis is strategically positioned. Thus, the so-called Business Analytics and Big
Data is a
technological aspect necessary for the organization of a new business.
The use of cloud services is an increasingly
important feature of a business organization. Cloud computing, known as “the
cloud”, has evolved into basic digital technology that supports the organization and operation of businesses
as it enables them to safely leverage digital technology to save resources and
time for their management. The use of cloud services tends to be incorporated
into more and more structures regardless of the size and/or the type of
business. Therefore, this digital technology gives a company the ability to
operate under modern conditions in its field, while it affords new ventures as
it constitutes a business field of its own.
