European IoT Use in Homes: Opportunity or Threat to Households?

Idiano D’Adamo (), Assunta Di Vaio, Alessandro Formiconi and Antonio Soldano
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Idiano D’Adamo: Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Ariosto 25, 00185 Rome, Italy
Assunta Di Vaio: Department of Law, University of Naples Parthenope, Via G. Parisi 13, 80132 Naples, Italy
Alessandro Formiconi: Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Antonio Soldano: Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-18

Abstract: The residential sector is characterized by new digital challenges. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a key-driver of innovation and operations management. This study aims to measure and assess IoT devices at the level of individuals, which are households, in European countries. For this scope, through the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), we analyse data from Eurostat providing a mix of indicators allowing information to be aggregated at the level of individual Europeans and disaggregated by age group. The results highlight that only four countries (Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Malta) are classified as a high cluster in the examined scenarios. The 16–24 age group is the most involved in the uses of IoT devices, but the previous three northern European countries also show very high values for the 35–44 age group. IoT devices serve as a springboard for achieving a powerful propulsion toward technological innovation in the new business models, identifying opportunities and being a way to make many routine tasks more agile. Training programs and awareness campaigns are policy suggestions for the development of IoT devices favouring a cultural change on their use. However, there is an emerging need for studies that monitor environmental health impacts to prevent possible threats.

Keywords: digital society; Europe; households; Internet of Things; multi-criteria decision analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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