Digital technologies play an important transformative role in the modern world. The hectic diffusion of pervasive digital technologies has tremendous implications to society. Big data, artificial intelligence, social media and smart devices are prime examples of a ‘paradox technologies’, which has the potential to simultaneously create amazing good as well as terrible harm to the public.
Digital Innovations are rapidly disrupting a variety of industries across the globe is challenging institutions, organizational structures as well as the skill-set needed for a successful workforce. The augmentation-automation paradox inherent to intelligent systems is major societal challenge to be tacked as these technologies become more pervasive in value creation processes. In the coming decades, the effects of digitalization in different sectors of the economy and society as a whole will play a fundamental part in achieving socio-economic development in the region. Understanding and addressing the changes in the economic landscape brought by the digital age is an essential element to create a smart, inclusive and sustainable future.
The Center for Digital Communications, Commerce and Culture (CD3C) at the University of Baltimore is an interdisciplinary unit created to answer one question: How do we thrive in a period of profound digital disruption?
The center acts as an interdisciplinary catalyst for impactful research, education and outreach activities that foster the development of digital competences and leadership as well as the responsible diffusion and advancement of digital innovations in our community. The center has a high regard to the interdisciplinary areas of The University of Baltimore, such as:
- digital innovation and entrepreneurship
- cyber security management and organizational resilience
- digital strategy and leadership
- digital literacy and awareness
- digital ethics
- digital marketing intelligence
- digital policy
- digital citizenship
- digital ecosystems
- digital government
Find out more about our current activities.
Digital Entrepreneurs Mentored by Two UBalt Centers
Matthew Jung, a member of the 2018 cohort of the Entrepreneurship Fellows program in the Merrick School of Business, gets familiar with the 3D printer in the Digital Design and Fabrication Corner in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. CEI and the Center for Digital Communication, Commerce and Culture are partnering to provide new opportunities for UBalt's many digital entrepreneurs. Pictured with Jung is Marco Savastano, a Research Fellow in the CD3C.
Matthew Jung is envisioning the future. His start-up, Synaesthetic Solutions, creates holographic 3D displays for businesses with a variety of needs, mixing his passion for technology with his experience in art and 3D design.
"It started when I saw this 3D performance of Tupac at Coachella," Jung said. "I was just really curious about the technology."
Jung joined the Entrepreneurial Fellows program at UBalt to further develop his business plan to apply holographic technology and design in a way that is practical for business. The program's mentorship opportunities with experienced entrepreneurs, he said, helped to solidify his ideas.
"Just having someone who knows the process already was really helpful,” he said. Jung also cited the tight-knit community of entrepreneurs in the program as a great source of support.
When asked about the challenges he's faced while enrolled as a Fellow, Jung admitted that pitching his business to new faces was never his strong suit.
"At first, I didn't like having to do mandatory pitch competitions," he said. "But they've grown on me."
Jung now believes that the competitions have helped him develop as an entrepreneur.
The unique name for his company, Jung said, comes from the word synaesthesia.
"It's mixing the senses of touch, sound, and sight," Jung explained, borrowing concepts from the psychological term. And the next step for Synaesthetic Solutions? Jung says it's opening an online content store for custom 3D art. From there, the world is his hologram.