J.UCS Special Issue
I-KNOW '01 - International Conference on Knowledge
Management, Part 2
Klaus Tochtermann (Know-Center, Graz, Austria)
ktochter@know-center.at
Hermann Maurer (Graz University of Technology and Know-Center,
Graz, Austria)
hmaurer@iicm.edu
Abstract: Knowledge management has become an organizational imperative for all types of corporate and governmental organizations. A key objective is to apply knowledge which resides within an organization to achieve the organization's goals most efficiently and cost-effectively. To implement knowledge management in organizations, different aspects from different disciplines have to be taken into account. Organizational aspects are required to define which knowledge should be captured and the way it is captured. A new knowledge-friendly culture has to be developed to support knowledge sharing and creation and to overcome the employees' fear that sharing of knowledge means loosing power. Finally, information technologies play a key role as enabling technology for knowledge management.
Successful knowledge management requires one
critical ingredient: collective positive action to shape it, so that
it properly contributes to the larger goal of achieving an added-value
for organizations. Taking advantage of the potentially huge benefits
of knowledge management will require significant changes in attitudes
and practises among organizations and individuals. Fully exploiting
the enormous potential benefits of successful knowledge management
methodologies and tools requires a far more coordinated effort and a
much wider overview than can possibly be achieved by individuals or
single organizations acting alone. What is required is a platform
which brings together an interdisciplinary group of
organizations. Ideally, a group which does not only consist of
organizations with a scientific background in information
technologies, organization management and human resource management
but also of companies which operate in knowledge-intensive market
segments.
The Competence Center for knowledge-based Applications and Systems
(Know-Center, www.know-center.at) is
such a platform which strives to improve the cooperation between
science and industry. The objective of the Know-Center is to stimulate
pre-competitive research and development and to develop leading edge
technologies in various fields of knowledge management together with
and for its partner companies and scientific partners. The Know-Center
is funded within the Austrian competence center program K plus (www.kplus.at) under the auspices of the
Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology. Up
to 60% of the budget is financed out of public funds. The
participating companies contribute at least 40% of the budget. The
Know-Center started operation on January 1, 2001.
The opening event of the Know-Center was organized as an international
conference on knowledge management (I-KNOW '01) under the auspices of
the Austrian Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology,
Dr. M. Forstinger, the Governor of Styria, W. Klasnic, and the Major
of the City of Graz, A. Stingl. I-KNOW '01 was also the kick-off of a
series of an international conference on knowledge management which
will take place every year in Graz, Austria. At the I-KNOW '01,
invited high-level speakers from research, industry and politics
address knowledge management from various perspectives: Leading
scientists present latest research results, key players from industry
report on best practices with knowledge management, and policy makers
address the need of knowledge management of an emerging information
society.
Revised versions of the major contributions appear as issues 6 and 7
of volume 7 (2001) of J.UCS. The high number of about 200 conference
attendees indicates that there are more questions than answers in
knowledge management. Many thanks to all who came to Graz to celebrate
with us the opening of the Know-Center. We would like to thank the
City of Graz for the sponsoring of our social event at the evening of
the first conference day. Without the support of the Graz University
of Technology it would not have been possible to hold the conference
in such technically well-equipped premises. The Wirtschaftskammer
Steiermark (Economic Chamber of Styria) provided us with further
technical equipment - thanks for this support. And finally many thanks
to the staff at the Know-Center for their perfect organization of the
I-KNOW '01 and the editorial team of J.UCS for their tireless efforts
to get both the conference proceedings in printed form and the issues
of J.UCS ready in time.
Klaus Tochtermann and Hermann Maurer
Graz, July 2001
|
