Introduction
The Kractal Project is a non-partisan, informal and experimental conceptual systems design and prototyping activity, examining the productivity and future operation of the socio-economic system as we enter the digital age of human development.
This project is being carried out by Christopher Sampson, experienced Chief Information Officer, honorary adjunct professor in the University of Tasmania, founder of Digital Society Foundation and associate of the Institute of Sustainable Futures in the University of Technology Sydney.
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As the world enters the digital age of human development, each field of human endeavour is becoming both more global (in that domain-specific knowledge can be shared instantly and globally…and products/services can be traded globally) and more local (in that domain knowledge and products/services can be contextualised and implemented for local community conditions). Facilitating this local contextualisation and organising for optimal socio-environmental balance both locally and globally is currently beyond the collective ability of humans.
Understanding this dilemma in specific domain/community instances will help us to plan, design and experiment with new knowledge-sharing and collaborative systems and instrumentation needed in human society.
The aim of the Kractal project is to establish a systemic, adaptive mechanism for gradual, adaptive change to a higher functioning, radically more productive and sustainable socio-economic system which continuously optimises toward socio-environmental balance at each scale, enabling an experimental pathway to a sustainable future for all communities.
My research is taking a step back to look at how this overall macro issue could be managed into the future, through improved harnessing of modern digital technologies and advances in our understanding of systems thinking, complexity and human behaviour across all aspects of society.
A key part of this research is the re-imagination of the public service and private industry apparatus from an existing, industrial-age-designed, siloed approach, to a new collaborative and systemic ‘team of teams’ model facilitated through a public digital platform, enabling the orchestration and knowledge-sharing needed to effectively and efficiently manage socio-economic activity in an environment of growing complexity and constant change.
The research project is structured into three main themes:
- Understanding the problem – the slow-burning platform of industrial-age socio-economics and government
- Future Vision – how advances in technology and our understanding of systems thinking might power a brighter future
- The Kractal Framework – a proposed approach to digital age socio-economic transformation
This blog summarises my research to date.
I hope to stimulate discussion and collaboration across social sciences, information sciences and other fields to create a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future for all communities.
I will be adding more content to this blog over time and establishing an interactive discussion forum. For more information please contact me here.
Thanks for your interest.
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