Awareness factors, opportunities and challenges of Iot application in Australia

Abstract

The popularity of implementing new digital technologies like IoT (Internet of Things) is influencing every aspect of business and life; nonetheless the environmental impacts of these new technologies are still not fully understood and investigated. Literature indicates that this urge to look at environmental and social factors in practising business, as well as profit and financial gain, started with the concept of sustainability, where the main goals are to decrease energy consumption and preserve natural resources. This led to theoretical and practical implications such as Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). These frameworks try to measure and implement sustainable actions in business practices. Advancement in computer science has resulted in new technologies like IoT that have a widespread applicability in several businesses and industries. With this advancement, and its applications in various fields of the economy, the significance of Green technology implementation is more crucial than ever. On the other hand, Australia`s economy is suffering from low productivity and efficiency and also has one of the worst performances in regard to the environment and climate change compared to other advanced nations; therefore, IoT technology can offer a variety of solutions to tackle those issues and develop a wide range of industries and businesses, from mining to healthcare. IoT application from an Australian perspective was investigated in this study in terms of awareness factors, opportunities and challenges. In order to do so, a comprehensive survey was designed and conducted in Western Australia in 2019 to study citizens’ opinion and knowledge on various topics regarding sustainability and IoT application in Australia. One hundred and five valid questionnaires were returned and based on the outcomes of the survey, which were analysed by SPSS version 25, 2 factors were identified for IoT environmental awareness, 3 factors for opportunities and 3 factors for challenges of IoT application in Australia were also generated. IoT is a relatively new concept and this study aimed to shed light on some important angles of this technology in line with sustainability and Green IT initiatives; however, there are still various aspects of IoT that need more investigation and study and some recommendations for government, businesses and academics for future works are suggested, including an emphasis on education and training. The limitations of this study include the survey method and survey population, limited resources and lack of knowledge and awareness regarding the concept of IoT and the research scope.