Aligning innovation ecosystem strategies with internal R&D

Innovation based on external cooperation is becoming more and more relevant for many firms. We focus primarily on the innovation ecosystem in which firms live in a symbiotic relationship for co-evolvement around a particular technological platform. Literature in this field often focuses on the external strategy, but neglects aligning the ecosystem with the internal R&D strategy. We define three ecosystem types with different engagement models. With help of four case studies we study four different innovation ecosystem strategies. In addition we use an analysis framework ESAO (ecosystem, strategy, architecture, organizing) to discuss alignment between the internal and external perspectives of the firm

Abstracting object interactions using composition filters

It is generally claimed that object-based models are very suitable for building distributed system architectures since object interactions follow the client-server model. To cope with the complexity of today's distributed systems, however, we think that high-level linguistic mechanisms are needed to effectively structure, abstract and reuse object interactions. For example, the conventional object-oriented model does not provide high-level language mechanisms to model layered system architectures. Moreover, we consider the message passing model of the conventional object-oriented model as being too low-level because it can only specify object interactions that involve two partner objects at a time and its semantics cannot be extended easily. This paper introduces Abstract Communication Types (ACTs), which are objects that abstract interactions among objects. ACTs make it easier to model layered communication architectures, to enforce the invariant behavior among objects, to reduce the complexity of programs by hiding the interaction details in separate modules and to improve reusability through the application of object-oriented principles to ACT classes. We illustrate the concept of ACTs using the composition filters model

Constructing a proton titration curve from ion-step measurements, applied to a membrane with adsorbed protein

A new measuring method is described for obtaining a proton titration curve. The curve is obtained from a microporous composite membrane, consisting of polystyrene beads in an agarose matrix, with lysozyme molecules adsorbed to the bead surface. The membrane is incorporated into a sensor system by deposition on a silicon chip with a pH-sensitive ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) located in the middle of a Ag/AgCl electrode. The actual measurement is performed by creating a stepwise change in the salt concentration of the bathing electrolyte (the ion step) and measuring the ISFET potential versus the Ag/AgCl electrode. This potential shows a transient change in the ion step, which indicates a transient pH change in the membrane. This procedure is repeated at a series of pH values. Equations are presented to calculate the proton titration curve of the membrane from the amplitude and duration of the measured transients. Measurements show qualitative agreement between the curves obtained and equilibrium titration experiments on the same system

Reproducibility of electrical caries measurements: A technical problem?

The currently available instrument for electrical detection of occlusal caries lesions {[}Electronic Caries Monitor (ECM)] uses a site-specific measurement with co-axial air drying. The reproducibility of this method has been reported to be fair to good. It was noticed that the measurement variation of this technique appeared to be non-random. It was the aim of this study to analyse how such a non-random reproducibility pattern arises and whether it could be observed for other operators and ECM models. Analysis of hypothetical measurement pairs showed that the pattern was related to measurements at the high and low end of the measurement range for the instrument. Data sets supplied by other researchers to a varying degree showed signs of a similar non-random pattern. These data sets were acquired at different locations, by different operators and using 3 different ECM models. The frequency distribution of measurements in all cases showed a single or double end-peaked distribution shape. It was concluded that the pattern was a general feature of the measurement method. It was tentatively attributed to several characteristics such as a high value censoring, insufficient probe contact and unpredictable probe contact. A different measurement technique, with an improved probe contact, appears to be advisable. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Deepening, Broadening and Scaling up: a Framework for Steering Transition Experiments.

This essay presents a conceptual framework for analyzing and influencing the contribution of small-scale experiments to transitions towards a more sustainable society. This framework is aimed at providing academics and practitioners with a theoretical and practice oriented perspective to both understand and ‘steer’ the contribution of experiments to transitions. The central instrument in this framework are ‘transition experiments’, which provide an alternative approach to classical innovation projects that are aimed at realizing short-term solutions. A transition experiment is an innovation project with a societal challenge as a starting point for learning aimed at contributing to a transition

The activity of supported vanadium oxide catalysts for the selective reduction of NO with ammonia

The activities of monolayer V2O5 catalysts for the selective reduction of NO with NH3 are compared with those of commercial available catalysts containing V and/or W. From steady state and pulse experiments it can be concluded that the reduction of surface sites proceeds either by NH3 + NO or by NH3 alone. The reoxidation of the reduced sites occurs by gaseous oxygen or NO. The experimental reaction stoichiometry can be explained in terms of suitable combinations of these four reactions

Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia by transurethral ultrasound- guided laser-induced prostatectomy (TULIP): Effects on urodynamic parameters and symptoms

Objectives This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the effects oftransurethral ultrasound-guided laser-induced prostatectomy (TULIP) on urodynamic, symptomatic, and prostate volume parameters as well as serum prostate-specific antigen. Methods The TULIP procedure was performed in 33 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia with a mean age of 66 years. Patients were evaluated by pressure—flow studies, prostate volume measurement by transrectal ultrasound, and the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom score. Results At 3-month follow-up, laser prostatectomy has resulted in an increased maximum flow rate from 6.6±0.5 to 11.2±0.6 mL/s and in an objectively proven relief of the urodynamic obstruction, as is evident by a decrease of the average value of the urethral resistance parameter URA and the detrusor pressure at maximum flow rate from 38.3 ± 2.7 to 21.3 ± 1.3 cm water and from 62.7 ±4 to 38.9 ± 2.1 cm water, respectively. Symptomatic improvement is evident from a decrease in the AUA symptom score from 20.4 at baseline to 8.8 at 6-month follow-up. Although the total symptom score did not change significantly between 6 months and 1 year follow-up, the score of the symptom “weak stream” was significantly higher again at 12 months follow-up. Conclusions The TULIP procedure is a urodynamically and symptomatically effectivetreatment. Conclusions about the durability of this treatment modality should be made with reser

Structure and reactivity of titania-supported oxides. Part 1: vanadium oxide on titania in the sub- and super-monolayer regions

Vanadium oxide has been deposited on TiO2 (washed anatase, 10 m2g−1; Degussa P-25, 55 ±3 m2g−1; Eurotitania, 46 m2g−1) by aqueous impregnation of (NH4)2[VO(C2O4)2] and by reaction with VOCl3, VO(OR)3 (R=iBu) and VO(acac)2 in organic solvents. Single applications of the last tree reagents form not more than a monolayer of vanadium oxide VOx, a monolayer being defined as 0.10 wt.% V2O5 per m2 of surface. When less than about four monolayers of VOx are present, there is in most cases only a single TPR peak: Tmax values, which increase with V2O5 content, are almost independent of the method used but vary slightly with the support (P-25 < Eurotitania < washed anatase). The 995 cm−1 band, characteristic of V&z.dbnd;O in V2O5, only appears when more than a monolayer of VOx is present.\ud \ud In the sub-monolayer region, VOx is best formulated as an oxohydroxy species bonded to two surface oxygens. As the V2O5 content is increased, layers of disordered V2O5 are formed on limited areas of the surface, but crystalline V2O5 only occurs, probably on top of the disordered V2O5, when the V2O5 content exceeds about four monolayers, and takes the form of acicular crystals exposing only planes perpendicular to the a and b axes