Digital Ecosystems

This volume gathers the proceedings of the third OPAALS conference, a gathering that brought researchers together to examine digital ecosystems, including open questions in the field and the directions it may take. The Instituto de Pesquisas em Tecnologia e Inovação (IPTI) organized the event. IPTI belongs to the OPAALS network of excellence within the Seventh Framework Programme, a multidisciplinary research network led by the London School of Economics and Political Science that develops the science and technology behind digital ecosystems.

The conference took place as part of a wider EU-Brazil bilateral workshop. IPTI hosted it together with the Brazilian government and the European Commission, aiming to build European support for information and communications technology and socio-economic development in Brazil. The meetings were held on March 22 and 23, 2010, in Aracajú, the capital of Sergipe on Brazil's northeastern coast. The city sits in a tropical setting of lush vegetation, rivers and mangroves, and its economy rests on fisheries and tourism, alongside the challenge of encouraging local development where ICT use remains limited.

The proceedings present digital ecosystems as a likely next stage of ICT and Internet use. Because they can be applied in many settings, they may matter most for small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them compete in the global market.