Some innovative programmes in Astronomy education

Science.gov (United States)

Babu, G. S. D.; Sujatha, S.

In order to inculcate a systematic scientific awareness of the subject of Astronomy among the students and to motivate them to pursue careers in Astronomy and Astrophysics, various innovative educational programmes have been designed at MPBIFR. Among them, the main programme is termed as the ``100-hour Certificate Course in Astronomy and Astrophysics'' which has been designed basically for the students of the undergraduate level of B.Sc. and B.E. streams. The time duration of the 100 hours in this course is partitioned as 36 hours of classroom lectures, 34 hours of practicals and field trips and the remaining 30 hours being dedicated to dissertation writing and seminar presentations by the students. In addition, after the 100-hour course, the students have the option to take up specialized advance courses in the topics of Astrobiology, Astrochemistry, Radio Astronomy, Solar Astronomy and Cosmology as week-end classes. These courses are at the post graduate level and are covered in a span of 18 to 20 hours spread over a period of 9 to 10 weeks. As a preparatory programme, short-term introductory courses in the same subject are conducted for the high school students during the summer vacation period. Along with this, a three-week programme in basic Astronomy is also designed as an educational package for the general public. The students of these courses have the opportunity of being taken on field trips to various astronomical centers as well as the Radio, Solar and the Optical Observatories as part of their curriculum. The guided trips to the ISRO’s Satellite Centre at Bangalore and the Satellite Launching Station at SHAR provide high degree of motivation apart from giving thrilling experiences to the students. Further, the motivated students are encouraged to involve themselves in regular research programmes in Astronomy at MPBIFR for publishing research papers in national and international journals. The teaching and mentoring faculty for all these programmes

How Programme Teams Progress Agricultural Innovation in the Australian Dairy Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Nettle, Ruth; Brightling, Pauline; Hope, Anne

2013-01-01

Purpose: This article outlines the emergence of programme teams in the Australian dairy farm sector as a response to counter weaknesses in the institutional environment for agricultural innovation which favours technology adoption/diffusion approaches. Design/methodology/approach: The strengths, weaknesses and risks of different approaches to…

Applying the Innov8 approach for reviewing national health programmes to leave no one behind: lessons learnt from Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Saint, Victoria; Floranita, Rustini; Koemara Sakti, Gita Maya; Pambudi, Imran; Hermawan, Lukas; Villar, Eugenio; Magar, Veronica

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT The World Health Organization’s Innov8 Approach for Reviewing National Health Programmes to Leave No One Behind is an eight-step process that supports the operationalization of the Sustainable Development Goals’ commitment to ‘leave no one behind’. In 2014–2015, Innov8 was adapted and applied in Indonesia to review how the national neonatal and maternal health action plans could become more equity-oriented, rights-based and gender-responsive, and better address critical social determinants of health. The process was led by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, with the support of WHO. It involved a wide range of actors and aligned with/fed into the drafting of the maternal newborn health action plan and the implementation planning of the newborn action plan. Key activities included a sensitization meeting, diagnostic checklist, review workshop and in-country work by the review teams. This ‘methods forum’ article describes this adaptation and application process, the outcomes and lessons learnt. In conjunction with other sources, Innov8 findings and recommendations informed national and sub-national maternal and neonatal action plans and programming to strengthen a ‘leave no one behind’ approach. As follow-up during 2015–2017, components of the Innov8 methodology were integrated into district-level planning processes for maternal and newborn health, and Innov8 helped generate demand for health inequality monitoring and its use in planning. In Indonesia, Innov8 enhanced national capacity for equity-oriented, rights-based and gender-responsive approaches and addressing critical social determinants of health. Adaptation for the national planning context (e.g. decentralized structure) and linking with health inequality monitoring capacity building were important lessons learnt. The pilot of Innov8 in Indonesia suggests that this approach can help operationalize the SDGs’ commitment to leave no one behind, in particular in relation to

Obama Emphasizes Science and Innovation in State of the Union Address

Science.gov (United States)

Tretkoff, Ernie

2011-02-01

U.S. president Barack Obama emphasized innovation and competitiveness in his State of the Union address on 25 January. He also raised science and technology early in the hour-long speech, noting that nations like China and India are focusing on math and science education and investing in research and technology. To be competitive with those countries, “we need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world,” Obama said. “The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation.”

International conference on innovative technologies for nuclear fuel cycles and nuclear power. Book of extended synopses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

A wide range of issues relevant to the innovative technologies for nuclear power cycle and nuclear power were addressed. The 7 sessions of the conference were entitled: (1) no title; (2) needs, prospects and challenges for innovation; (3) evolution of technical, social, economic and political conditions; (4) panel on challenges for the deployment of innovative technologies; (5) international programmes on innovative nuclear systems; (6) innovative nuclear systems and related R and D programmes; (7) concluding panel.

Innovative financing for health: what is truly innovative?

Science.gov (United States)

Atun, Rifat; Knaul, Felicia Marie; Akachi, Yoko; Frenk, Julio

2012-12-08

Development assistance for health has increased every year between 2000 and 2010, particularly for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, to reach US$26·66 billion in 2010. The continued global economic crisis means that increased external financing from traditional donors is unlikely in the near term. Hence, new funding has to be sought from innovative financing sources to sustain the gains made in global health, to achieve the health Millennium Development Goals, and to address the emerging burden from non-communicable diseases. We use the value chain approach to conceptualise innovative financing. With this framework, we identify three integrated innovative financing mechanisms-GAVI, Global Fund, and UNITAID-that have reached a global scale. These three financing mechanisms have innovated along each step of the innovative finance value chain-namely resource mobilisation, pooling, channelling, resource allocation, and implementation-and integrated these steps to channel large amounts of funding rapidly to low-income and middle-income countries to address HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and vaccine-preventable diseases. However, resources mobilised from international innovative financing sources are relatively modest compared with donor assistance from traditional sources. Instead, the real innovation has been establishment of new organisational forms as integrated financing mechanisms that link elements of the financing value chain to more effectively and efficiently mobilise, pool, allocate, and channel financial resources to low-income and middle-income countries and to create incentives to improve implementation and performance of national programmes. These mechanisms provide platforms for health funding in the future, especially as efforts to grow innovative financing have faltered. The lessons learnt from these mechanisms can be used to develop and expand innovative financing from international sources to address health needs in low-income and middle

An Innovative Supply Chain Management Programme Structure: Broadening the SCM Skill Set

Science.gov (United States)

Okongwu, Uche

2007-01-01

This paper proposes a matrix structure for training Supply Chain Management (SCM) professionals. It is an innovative programme structure that combines two approaches: cross-border and inter-organisational. It enables the students to comprehend complex and specific business environments and to understand the diverse nature of SCM systems in both…

Addressing safety issues through a joint industry programme; Traiter des problemes de securite a travers un programme industriel commun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pool, G.; Williams, T.P. [BG Technology (United Kingdom); Jones, A.M. [Health and Safety Executive (United Kingdom)

2000-07-01

In an increasingly fragmented gas market, the focus for national gas safety may not rest with one major utility or gas supplier but may be spread across many companies. There will also be many new organisations in a liberalized gas industry with varying views on the needs and benefits of safety related technology development but all agree there is a need to ensure that the good safety record of gas as a domestic fuel is maintained. The number of carbon monoxide (CO) incidents is not decreasing significantly despite an increased awareness of the problem. As a consequence, a two-year joint industry programme addressing issues related to carbon monoxide has been established, co-ordinated by BG Technology and supported by gas organisations, government agencies, manufacturers and suppliers across Europe and the World. The 2-year 2 pound million programme has been constructed as twelve separate projects addressing issues such as the reporting and analysis of domestic incidents, improved service or installation practice, CO alarm reliability and information dissemination. The paper gives results and achievements of the programme, through new techniques, standards, procedures or equipment and demonstrates how the gas industry can work together to meet common safety objectives. (authors)

The CEA/DRN innovative R and D programme: significant studies on passive systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiorini, G.L.; Magistris, F. de; Dumaz, P.; Gautier, G.M.; Pignatel, J.F.; Richard, P.

1999-01-01

The work on passive systems is an essential item of the R and D programme for future reactors; it is structured following four main guidelines: Research, and validation of innovative solutions for the safety functions achievement; An enlarged assessment of the performances of passive systems; Extension of the data base and of the tools qualification range; Assessment of new plant operation modes. After a recalling on the general framework, the paper describes, following these guidelines, the status of the art of the main corresponding programmes within CEA/DRN. (author)

Cooperation networks and innovation: A complex system perspective to the analysis and evaluation of a EU regional innovation policy programme

OpenAIRE

Russo, Margherita; Rossi, Federica

2008-01-01

Recent developments in innovation theory and policy have led policymakers to assign particular importance to supporting networks of cooperation among heterogeneous economic actors, especially in production systems composed of small and medium enterprises. Such innovative policies call for parallel innovations in policy analysis, monitoring and assessment. Our analysis of a policy experiment aimed at supporting innovation networks in the Italian region of Tuscany intends to address some issues...

Social innovation education: towards a framework for learning design

OpenAIRE

Alden Rivers, Bethany; Armellini, Alejandro; Maxwell, Rachel; Allen, Sue; Durkin, Chris

2015-01-01

Purpose—This paper proposes a theoretical framework to support the embedding of social innovation education in existing academic programmes.\\ud Design/methodology/approach—By adopting Conole et al.’s (2004) methodological approach to reviewing, mapping and modelling learning theory, this study addresses four research questions: 1) How can social innovation education be defined? 2) Which learning theories best support social innovation education? 3) How do such learning theories relate to exis...

Can Education Innovations Be Sustained after the End of Donor Funding? The Case of a Reading Intervention Programme in Zambia

Science.gov (United States)

Kombe, Charity Lengwe Meki Kombe; Herman, Chaya

2017-01-01

This article explores the sustainability of donor-supported innovations in the education sector. Accordingly, a case study was conducted of a programme (Primary Reading Programme) implemented in Zambian primary schools which was intended to improve literacy levels. The programme was initially supported by the Department for International…

The Effect of Entrepreneurship Education Programmes on Satisfaction with Innovation Behaviour and Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Natalia Martin; Escudero, Ana Isabel Rodriguez; Barahona, Juan Hernangomez; Leitao, Fernando Saboia

2009-01-01

Purpose: This paper attempts to shed light on the effect of educational programmes aimed at entrepreneurs on innovation and business success. Design/methodology/approach: We use as theoretical framework the theory of planned behaviour. We use a sample of 354 entrepreneurs from Castile and Leon, Spain. To estimate the model we use a path analysis…

Innovative approaches for addressing old challenges in component importance measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocco S, Claudio M.; Ramirez-Marquez, Jose Emmanuel

2012-01-01

Importance measures (IM) are component related indices that allow assessing how a component in a system affects one or more system level performance functions. While several IM have been presented in the literature, challenges still remain with respect to the following: (1) multiple ranking—multiple perspective, (2) multi-component importance and, (3) multi-function importance. To address these challenges, this paper proposes set of innovative solutions based on several available techniques: Hasse diagram, Copeland score and Multi-objective optimization. As such, the purpose of this research is twofold: first propose solutions and second foster new research to address these challenges. Each of the proposed solutions is exemplified with a working example.

Evaluating the co-benefits of low-income energy-efficiency programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heffner, Grayson; Campbell, Nina

2011-06-15

The International Energy Agency's Energy Efficiency Unit (EEU) has begun a new programme of work on innovative energy-efficiency policies for mitigating fuel poverty. The IEA's current research focuses on the potential for low-income weatherisation programmes to address poor housing quality -- the main driver of fuel poverty -- as well as innovative methods for financing and evaluating such programmes. A common problem is that the energy-saving benefits accruing to fuel-poor households barely offset the investment required, suggesting a weak return on government spending. However, these investments have additional co-benefits for participants as well as for energy providers, property owners, local communities and society as a whole. This first IEA workshop focused on methods for incorporating the range of co-benefits into evaluation of low-income weatherisation programmes. The presentations given by top experts in the fuel poverty field are summarised in this report, along with conclusions and proposals for further research.

Evaluating the co-benefits of low-income energy-efficiency programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heffner, Grayson; Campbell, Nina

2011-06-15

The International Energy Agency's Energy Efficiency Unit (EEU) has begun a new programme of work on innovative energy-efficiency policies for mitigating fuel poverty. The IEA's current research focuses on the potential for low-income weatherisation programmes to address poor housing quality -- the main driver of fuel poverty -- as well as innovative methods for financing and evaluating such programmes. A common problem is that the energy-saving benefits accruing to fuel-poor households barely offset the investment required, suggesting a weak return on government spending. However, these investments have additional co-benefits for participants as well as for energy providers, property owners, local communities and society as a whole. This first IEA workshop focused on methods for incorporating the range of co-benefits into evaluation of low-income weatherisation programmes. The presentations given by top experts in the fuel poverty field are summarised in this report, along with conclusions and proposals for further research.

The Innovative Medicines Initiative's New Drugs for Bad Bugs programme: European public-private partnerships for the development of new strategies to tackle antibiotic resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kostyanev, T; Bonten, M J M; O'Brien, S; Steel, H; Ross, S; François, B; Tacconelli, E; Winterhalter, M; Stavenger, R A; Karlén, A; Harbarth, S; Hackett, J; Jafri, H S; Vuong, C; MacGowan, A; Witschi, A; Angyalosi, G; Elborn, J S; deWinter, R; Goossens, H

2016-02-01

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a global public health threat. Despite the emergence of highly resistant organisms and the huge medical need for new drugs, the development of antibacterials has slowed to an unacceptable level worldwide. Numerous government and non-government agencies have called for public-private partnerships and innovative funding mechanisms to address this problem. To respond to this public health crisis, the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking programme has invested more than €660 million, with a goal of matched contributions from the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, in the development of new antibacterial strategies. The New Drugs for Bad Bugs (ND4BB) programme, an Innovative Medicines Initiative, has the ultimate goal to boost the fight against ABR at every level from basic science and drug discovery, through clinical development to new business models and responsible use of antibiotics. Seven projects have been launched within the ND4BB programme to achieve this goal. Four of them will include clinical trials of new anti-infective compounds, as well as epidemiological studies on an unprecedented scale, which will increase our knowledge of ABR and specific pathogens, and improve the designs of the clinical trials with new investigational drugs. The need for rapid concerted action has driven the funding of seven topics, each of which should add significantly to progress in the fight against ABR. ND4BB unites expertise and provides a platform where the commitment and resources required by all parties are streamlined into a joint public-private partnership initiative of unprecedented scale. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

OUTSOURCING NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FOSTERED BY DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

CANTONE, LUIGI; TESTA, PIERPAOLO; HOLLENSEN, SVEND

2018-01-01

is that of aircraft industry. Therefore, this article discusses the findings of an empirical research that explores an embedded and in-depth longitudinal case study, namely, the Boeing 787-8 programme (the first model of the B787 Dreamliner programme). This new aircraft is a disruptive technology product innovation...... outsourcing strategies related to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner programme. The research question that we aim to answer is: which strategic dimensions in a decision-making model are able to extensively and thoroughly address the outsourcing decisions relating to NPD activities given the hypothesis...

STRENGTHEN AND UPGRADE REGIONAL CAPABILITIES (REGIONAL UNIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE CENTRE PROGRAMME IN HUNGARY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annamária INZELT

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The emerging vision of the modern, innovative Hungarian economy, which can compete successfully in the global arena, made it absolutely necessary to encourage business firms to be innovation-oriented and to encourage universities to develop, beyond their traditional teaching mission, also their research performance and their capabilities to transfer research results and new knowledge to convert them into commercially relevant innovations. The role of government was to create a suitable legal environment and proper incentives to stimulate and support change and to enable collaborations between Public and Private Sector actors. Despite all efforts in launching relevant programmes, the competency and attractiveness of universities for strategic research partnerships with the private sector remained heterogeneous and partially unsatisfactory because of shortcomings in their knowledge base and their capability to act as well-performing research partners in collaborative projects. In 2004 Hungary established a new complementary programme which addressed particularly these shortcomings, the Pázmány Péter – Regional University Knowledge Centre programme. This paper describes shortly the programme and then investigates the experiences of two initial calls. This Public-Private-Partnership model, where the state is not the single supporter of the programme, the participating Private Sector actors provide complementary funding. In addition, the centres can also attract external funding from various other sources. In addition, Private Sector enterprises make advanced technical equipment available for use by members and non-members. By the first experiences this programme is a good frame to support overcoming on one of the failure of the system, weak knowledge distribution capability. This initiative, the Pázmány Péter programme provides a potentially transferable example for other countries with shortcomings similar to those of Hungary’s National

Exploring factors influencing farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for a planned adaptation programme to address climatic issues in agricultural sectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Adeel; Masud, Muhammad Mehedi; Al-Amin, Abul Quasem; Yahaya, Siti Rohani Binti; Rahman, Mahfuzur; Akhtar, Rulia

2015-06-01

This study empirically estimates farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for a planned adaptation programme for addressing climate issues in Pakistan's agricultural sectors. The contingent valuation method (CVM) was employed to determine a monetary valuation of farmers' preferences for a planned adaptation programme by ascertaining the value attached to address climatic issues. The survey was conducted by distributing structured questionnaires among Pakistani farmers. The study found that 67 % of respondents were willing to pay for a planned adaptation programme. However, several socioeconomic and motivational factors exert greater influence on their willingness to pay (WTP). This paper specifies the steps needed for all institutional bodies to better address issues in climate change. The outcomes of this paper will support attempts by policy makers to design an efficient adaptation framework for mitigating and adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Innovation in nuclear technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertel, E.

2007-01-01

Innovation has been a driving force for the success of nuclear energy and remains essential for its future. For the continued safe and economically effective operation and maintenance of existing nuclear systems, and to meet the goals set out by projects aiming at designing and implementing advanced systems for the future, efficient innovation systems are needed. Consequently, analysing innovation systems is essential to understand their characteristics and enhance their performance in the nuclear sector. Lessons learnt from innovation programmes that have already been completed can help enhance the effectiveness of future programmes. The analysis of past experience provides a means for identifying causes of failure as well as best practices. Although national and local conditions are important factors, the main drivers for the success of innovative endeavors are common to all countries. Cooperation and coordination among the various actors are major elements promoting success. All interested stakeholders, including research organisations, industrial actors, regulators and civil society, have a role to play in supporting the success of innovation, but governments are an essential trigger, especially for projects with long durations and very ambitious objectives. Governments have a major role to play in promoting innovation because they are responsible for the overall national energy policy which sets the stage for the eventual deployment of innovative products and processes. Moreover, only governments can create the stable legal and regulatory framework favourable to the undertaking and successful completion of innovation programmes. International organisations such as the NEA may help enhance the effectiveness of national policies and innovation programmes by providing a forum for exchanging information, facilitating multilateral collaboration and joint endeavors, and offering technical support for the management of innovative programmes

Governance of Public Benefit Funds to Promote Innovation in Energy by Addressing Early Adopter Risks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paterson, Andrew; Oppenheim, Jerrold; Dubravka Pineda, Maria

2010-09-15

Building a better energy future will be expensive, in part, because it will require modernizing energy infrastructure and bringing more innovative technologies to deliver energy more efficiently to consumers with less environmental impact. With the extended recession and turmoil in credit markets in 2008, some states have turned to public benefit funds to address critical risks in adopting innovative energy technologies and systems. This paper updates valuable observations for governing PBFs to promote wider adoption of innovative energy technologies enabling a better balance of risk and return in concert with other policy tools by negotiating mitigation of early adopter risks.

The future of the ''intelligent Energy for Europe'' programme stakeholders consultation on the framework programme for competitiveness and innovation (CIP) Energie-Cites Opinion; L'Avenir du Programme ''Energie Intelligente Europe'' consultation des acteurs sur le programme pour la competitivite et l nnovation Avis d nergie-Cites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-11-01

The European Commission has launched a Consultation relative to the integration of support programmes to energy efficiency (EIE Programme) in the Competitiveness and Innovative Programme (CIP), this one being integrated in the Lisbon process. This consultation offers the opportunity to Energie-Cites to define its opinion on the relationships between Sustainable energy, Competitiveness and Innovation. - If Europe is to become the most competitive and innovative region in the world, it must consider this objective from the angle of sustainable growth, that is, by promoting the efficient use of fossil resources and by controlling the effluents and waste that are generated by the transformation of energy. What is at stake for Europe is its capacity to propose an energy model (consumption and production) that can be reproducible in the rest of the world. In other hands, the integration of energy efficiency and renewable energy support programmes into a broader scheme (CIP) covering very different areas, with no links between them and with no clear information regarding both the financial amounts and sources involved, entails a major risk, that of reducing, or even suppressing support at a time when we need it most. From the current understanding of the situation, Energie-Cites is not favourable to such integration. (A.L.B.)

Marketing University Programmes in China: Innovative Experience in Executive and Professional Education

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ning Rong; Crossley, Michael

2010-01-01

This article addresses the limited amount of research in the realm of programme marketing in the Chinese higher education sector. Original field research examines the emergence of marketing principles and strategies with specific reference to the experience of three higher education institutions in China. The development and promotion of executive…

Design & Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boelskifte, Per; Jørgensen, Ulrik

2005-01-01

The new design and innovation programme at DTU is challenging some of the standard concepts dominating most engineering educations. The programme, its background, context and basic educational ideas are presented and discussed in this paper. To build competences that match the need for innovative...... and design oriented engineers in industry and society has turned out to challenge a number of the standard – and often taken for granted – concepts in engineering education still dominated world wide by rather strict norms and concepts of learning that do not challenge the students creativity and innovative...

Innovation in Australian technology 1979-1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1981-04-01

Innovations arising from Australian research and development are reported. Two categories of submission are defined: those which are in production or use and those which have reached prototype design or pilot plant stage and appear to be of value. Innovations in the field of nuclear science are: a radon analyser, uranium tails management, technetium-99m generator, enrichment of uranium by gas ultracentrifuge, programmable radiometric assay monitor, a borehole core analyser, intrinsic germanium detector for uranium borehole logging, underground operations at a uranium mine, neutron moisture meter and apparatus for the determination of deuterium in water at natural levels. Names to whom requests for further information should be addressed are included.

Cross-cutting european thermal-hydraulics research for innovative nuclear systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roelofs, F.; Class, A.; Cheng, X.; Meloni, P.; Van Tichelen, K.; Boudier, P.; Prasser, M.

2010-01-01

Thermal-hydraulics is recognized as a key scientific subject in the development of different innovative nuclear reactor systems. From the thermal-hydraulic point of view, different innovative reactors are mainly characterized by their coolants (gas, water, liquid metals and molten salt). This results in different micro- and macroscopic behavior of flow and heat transfer and requires specific models and advanced analysis tools. However, many common thermal-hydraulic issues are identified among various innovative nuclear systems. In Europe, such cross-cutting thermal-hydraulic issues are the subject of the 7. framework programme THINS (Thermal-Hydraulics of Innovative Nuclear Systems) project which runs from 2010 until 2014. This paper will describe the activities in this project which address the main identified thermal hydraulics issues for innovative nuclear systems. (authors)

Cooperation between Russia and the EU in the field of innovative development of tourism: the case of the Lithuania — Poland — Russia cross-border cooperation programme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kropinova Elena

2013-12-01

Full Text Available To study the key instruments of international cooperation between Russia and the European Union aimed at stimulating innovative development of tourism co-financed by the EU and Russia. The author describes specific projects implemented in the framework of the Lithuania-Poland-Russia cross-border cooperation programme for 2009—2013 in the field of tourism. Special attention is paid to analysing tourism innovations that have emerged as a result of the projects aimed at cooperation and tourism development in the border regions of Russia and the EU countries. A number of projects have been implemented under the supervision and with the participation of the author. The article focuses on the role of innovative types of tourism in the regional development of territories in the case of the Kaliningrad region. The current approaches to defining tourism innovations in Russian and international studies are not comprehensive and do not reflect the essence of innovative processes. Innovative development is often reduced to the introduction of new information technologies, i. e. informatization replaces innovative development. However, it is important to take into account other innovative tools: for instance, interactive network museums in developing innovative tourist attraction objects, e-marketing in introducing innovations in tourist product promotion, programmes of private- public partnership in the field of public regulation and tourism stimulation, etc. These technologies contribute to the transition fr om a certain economic agent, the industry as a whole, or a tourist destination to a fundamentally new level in terms of tourist product presentation and increase of competitiveness. The sources for innovations in tourism are both the providers and consumers of tourist services. In those regions wh ere tourism is considered an economic priority, local authorities and even super-governmental organisations, such as the European Commission (through

Cooperation between Russia and the EU in the field of innovative development of tourism: the case of the Lithuania — Poland — Russia cross-border cooperation programme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kropinova Elena

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To study the key instruments of international cooperation between Russia and the European Union aimed at stimulating innovative development of tourism co-financed by the EU and Russia. The author describes specific projects implemented in the framework of the Lithuania-Poland-Russia cross-border cooperation programme for 2009—2013 in the field of tourism. Special attention is paid to analysing tourism innovations that have emerged as a result of the projects aimed at cooperation and tourism development in the border regions of Russia and the EU countries. A number of projects have been implemented under the supervision and with the participation of the author. The article focuses on the role of innovative types of tourism in the regional development of territories in the case of the Kaliningrad region. The current approaches to defining tourism innovations in Russian and international studies are not comprehensive and do not reflect the essence of innovative processes. Innovative development is often reduced to the introduction of new information technologies, i. e. informatization replaces innovative development. However, it is important to take into account other innovative tools: for instance, interactive network museums in developing innovative tourist attraction objects, e-marketing in introducing innovations in tourist product promotion, programmes of private- public partnership in the field of public regulation and tourism stimulation, etc. These technologies contribute to the transition fr om a certain economic agent, the industry as a whole, or a tourist destination to a fundamentally new level in terms of tourist product presentation and increase of competitiveness. The sources for innovations in tourism are both the providers and consumers of tourist services. In those regions wh ere tourism is considered an economic priority, local authorities and even super-governmental organisations, such as the European Commission (through

Overview of EU research activities in transmutation and innovative reactor systems within the Euratom framework programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatnagar, V.

2009-01-01

European Community (EC) (currently 27 Member States) shared-cost research has been organised in Framework Programmes (FP) of durations of 4 - 5 years since 1984. The 6th European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) Framework Programme (2002 - 06) and the current 7th FP (2007 - 11) have been allocated a fission research budget respectively of 209 and 287 Million Euro from the EC. There are 10 projects (total budget 70 M Euro, EC contribution 38 M Euro) in all aspects of transmutation ranging from road-mapping exercise to large integrated projects on accelerator driven systems, lead-cooled fast critical systems for waste transmutation, technology, fuel, accelerator facilities for nuclear data etc. In Innovative Reactor concepts, there are about half-a-dozen projects (total budget 30 M Euro, EC contribution 16 M Euro) including High Temperature Reactors, Gas-cooled Fast reactors, road-mapping exercise on sodium fast reactors etc. The main research and training activities in FP7 are: management of radioactive waste, reactor systems, radiation protection, infrastructures, human resources and mobility and training. In the two call for proposals (2007 and 2008) in FP7, 8 projects have been accepted in transmutation and innovative reactor concepts (total budget 53 M Euro, EC contribution 32 M Euro). These research projects cover activities ranging from materials, fuels, treatment of irradiated graphite waste, European sodium fast reactor to the establishment of a Central Design Team of a fast-spectrum transmutation device in Europe. The third call for proposals is underway requesting proposals on nuclear data, thermal hydraulics, gas and lead-cooled fast reactor systems with a total EC budget of 20 M Euro. International collaboration is an important element of the EU research policy. This overview paper will present elements of the strategy of EURATOM research and training in waste management including accelerator driven transmutation systems and Innovative reactor concepts

Innovation and Alliances in International Management Programmes; Redefining and Extending the Model. The "Transcontinental Tracks" at Grenoble EM

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Mark; O'Sullivan, Patrick; Zahner, Martin; Silvestre, Joelle

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe an innovative international management programme that has been developed across four countries for Master-level students. It first analyses the advantages and disadvantages of two of the most common forms of internationalisation in higher education; the student exchange and full-scale offshore…

How the question of innovation is addressed by the social sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Corneloup

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Although innovation has today become a topical notion, given its fundamental importance in understanding the economy and the way our society adapts to its development goals, its characteristics and principles nevertheless need to be defined. While the 20th century was marked by important technological, political, economic and cultural changes, the current era seems to be increasingly bent on imposing innovation as a motor for the development of society. It is therefore important to understand how the question of innovation is currently being addressed, and in turn this involves looking at the different ways in which the innovative process is interpreted. Between the notional approach, which often remains vague and somewhat basic, and the theoretical approaches that attempt to present different perspectives for ways of understanding the innovation process, the path of knowledge is very often compartmentalized by the different scientific disciplines. In this paper, we will attempt to show the tensions and combinations that exist between the different approaches adopted by the management sciences, sociology, economics and geography in attempting to understand the innovative process. To do so, we will focus our study on the firm and the territory (as the spatial dimension of innovation, elements that have already been the subject of numerous studies to understand the forces participating in the production of novelty.Si l’innovation est devenue aujourd’hui une notion d’actualité tant elle apparaît comme fondamentale pour penser l’économie et l’adaptation de notre société à son projet de développement, reste à en définir les caractéristiques et les principes. Si le XX° siècle a été marqué par des changements importants sur un plan technologique, politique, économique ou encore culturel, l’époque actuelle semble redoubler d’efforts pour imposer l’innovation comme moteur du développement de la société. Reste alors �

How professionals perceive types of risk in public service innovation: Reports from Copenhagen municipality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Timeus, Krista; Ricard, Lykke Margot

The paper addresses two questions; what do professionals working in the public administration understand by ‘risk’ in relation to their work on innovation?; and how do these professionals understand their own role in managing risks of innovation? The paper takes an inductive approach and focuses....... In the last five years, Copenhagen municipality has implemented programmes and partnerships for innovation, especially in social services, such as a new ‘innovation house’ to coordinate the municipality’s innovation strategy across all administrative departments. This context makes it a suitable case to study...... on individuals, namely, professionals in Copenhagen municipality working on public services innovation. Such innovation includes new services or new methods of service delivery. Although all types of innovation include some risk, in public services, risks are exacerbated by the vulnerability of many users...

Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) Mental Health Programme for providing innovative mental health care in rural communities in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Maulik, P K; Devarapalli, S; Kallakuri, S; Praveen, D; Jha, V; Patel, A

2015-01-01

India has few mental health professionals to treat the large number of people suffering from mental disorders. Rural areas are particularly disadvantaged due to lack of trained health workers. Ways to improve care could be by training village health workers in basic mental health care, and by using innovative methods of service delivery. The ongoing Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment Mental Health Programme will assess the acceptability, feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a task-shifting mobile-based intervention using mixed methods, in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. The key components of the study are an anti-stigma campaign followed by a mobile-based mental health services intervention. The study will be done across two sites in rural areas, with intervention periods of 1 year and 3 months, respectively. The programme uses a mobile-based clinical decision support tool to be used by non-physician health workers and primary care physicians to screen, diagnose and manage individuals suffering from depression, suicidal risk and emotional stress. The key aim of the study will be to assess any changes in mental health services use among those screened positive following the intervention. A number of other outcomes will also be assessed using mixed methods, specifically focussed on reduction of stigma, increase in mental health awareness and other process indicators. This project addresses a number of objectives as outlined in the Mental Health Action Plan of World Health Organization and India's National Mental Health Programme and Policy. If successful, the next phase will involve design and conduct of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

The VIDA programme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Bente; Iannone, Rosa Lisa

and Innovation’ within the project ‘Curriculum Quality Analysis and Impact Review of European Education and Care’ (CARE). The programme at the centre of this case builds on theory drawn from research on child development, social disadvantage related to issues of social inequality, and research on organisational...... of innovation as “the development of new concepts, strategies and tools that support groups in achieving the objective of improved well-being”. Three research questions are explored: 1) How is the innovative approach to ECEC professional development conceptualised and translated into practice in the VIDA...... (mechanisms/aspects) affect the implementation of the innovative programme for practice change within ECEC? Methods used include a combination of qualitative data collected through interviews with ECEC educators, managers, consultants, a university college teachers, municipal directors and existing...

Addressing Responsible Research and Innovation to Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yaghmaei, Emad

2015-01-01

Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is taking a role to assist all types of stakeholders including industry to move research and innovation initiatives to responsible manner for tackling grand challenges. The literature on RRI focuses little on how industry can implement RRI principles...... models of corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature. Drawing on these models, this study develops stages and dimensions of RRI for discussing why industry should become engaged in RRI, how industry can embed RRI principles into research and innovation processes, how companies progress from one RRI....... In solving such gap in the literature, this article constructs a solid framework that provides a conceptual starting point for future research on levels of RRI. It draws a fundamental path to align industrial activities with environmental and societal needs. The framework develops a normatively grounded...

Innovation for the future of Irish MedTech industry: retrospective qualitative review of impact of BioInnovate Ireland's clinical fellows.

Science.gov (United States)

McGloughlin, Elizabeth Kate; Anglim, Paul; Keogh, Ivan; Sharif, Faisal

2018-01-01

Clinicians have historically been integral in innovating and developing technology in medicine and surgery. In recent years, however, in an increasingly complex healthcare system, a doctor with innovative ideas is often left behind. Transition from idea to bedside now entails significant hurdles, which often go unrecognised at the outset, particularly for first-time innovators. The BioInnnovate Ireland process, based on the Stanford Biodesign Programme (Identify, Invent and Implement), aims to streamline the process of innovation within the MedTech sector. These programmes focus on needs-based innovation and enable multidisciplinary teams to innovate and collaborate more succinctly. In this preliminary study, the authors aimed to examine the impact of BioInnovate Ireland has had on the clinicians involved and validate the collaborative process. To date, 13 fellows with backgrounds in clinical medicine have participated in the BioInnovate programme. Ten of these clinicians remain involved in clinical innovation projects with four of these working on Enterprise Ireland funded commercialisation grants and one working as chief executive officer of a service-led start-up, Strive. Of these, five also remain engaged in clinical practice on a full or part-time basis. The clinicians who have returned to full-time clinical practice have used the process and learning of the programme to influence their individual clinical areas and actively seek innovative solutions to meet clinical challenges. Clinicians, in particular, describe gaining value from the BioInnovate programme in areas of 'Understanding Entrepreneurship' and 'Business Strategy'. Further study is needed into the quantitative impact on the ecosystem and impact to other stakeholders.

Addressing barriers to eco-innovation: Exploring the finance mobilisation functions of institutional innovation intermediaries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polzin, Friedemann; Flotow, von Paschen; Klerkx, L.W.A.

2016-01-01

This research article explores the role of institutional innovation intermediaries in accelerating the commercialisation of (clean) technologies. Drawing on the finance and innovation intermediaries literatures, we show that financial barriers to eco-innovation can be partly overcome by particular

Inducing entrepreneurial creativity, innovation and opportunity-finding skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AJ Antonites

2014-08-01

Full Text Available A generally accepted definition of an entrepreneur is an individual with the ability to realise a specific vision from virtually anything, a definite human creative action. A differentiating factor defining the true entrepreneur is represented by the entrepreneurial skills creativity and innovation. The fundamental skill to "create", therefore generating an idea and transforming it into a viable growth-oriented business, forms an unconditional and integrated necessity in entrepreneurship training programmes. Many researchers in this field emphasise the need for and the lack of training models regarding this intervention.Courses offered by training institutions focus on training the traditional manager and not the entrepreneur. A lack of skills training for growth-oriented business is also evident. A critical deficiency in models directly addressing the Creativity, Innovation and Opportunity-finding issues, as part of entrepreneurship training, creates a situation of minuscule differentiation between a business idea and an opportunity in a training context. It is furthermore apparent that a lack of tools, textbooks and approaches to cultivate creativity exists in the field. The latter generates stifling pedagogical paradigms in teaching business and entrepreneurship.This study demonstrates a new action-learning approach and model, developed to increase creative and innovative behaviour and actions of the entrepreneurship learner. Three purposive samples were used, on the basis of an experimental design. Ratio data were obtained by means of a reliable measuring instrument (Chronbach's alpha on an acceptable levell. ANOVA as well as a discriminant  analysis indicated statistically significant differences between the various groups.This study illustrates that the proposed training methodology that was used enhances the level of creativity and innovation skills of the entrepreneurship learner on this programme. Recommendations regarding future

The EU THERMIE energy support programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sampaio Nunes, P. de

1994-01-01

THERMIE is a five-year (1990-1994) European Union programme to encourage the development of innovative energy technologies. The financial support of projects is aimed in particular at promoting and disseminating advanced and innovative technologies which might not easily be put into effect otherwise, owing to financial (rather than technological) risks. A THERMIE programme covering the period 1995-1998 is being prepared. (author). 1 fig., 2 tabs

Innovation in nuclear energy technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dujardin, Th.; Bertel, E.; Kwang Seok, Lee; Foskolos, K.

2007-01-01

Innovation has been a driving force for the success of nuclear energy and remains essential for its sustainable future. Many research and development programmes focus on enhancing the performance of power plants in operation, current fuel design and characteristics, and fuel cycle processes used in existing facilities. Generally performed under the leadership of the industry. Some innovation programmes focus on evolutionary reactors and fuel cycles, derived from systems of the current generation. Such programmes aim at achieving significant improvements, in the field of economics or resource management for example, in the medium term. Often, they are undertaken by the industry with some governmental support as they require basic research together with technological development and adaptation. Finally, large programmes, often undertaken in an international, intergovernmental framework are devoted to design and development of a new generation of systems meeting the goals of sustainable development in the long term. Driving forces for nuclear innovation vary depending on the target technology, the national framework and the international context surrounding the research programme. However, all driving factors can be grouped in three categories: market drivers, political drivers and technology drivers. Globally, innovation in the nuclear energy sector is a success story but is a lengthy process that requires careful planning and adequate funding to produce successful outcomes

[PRIER II. The Emilia-Romagna Research and Innovation Programme].

Science.gov (United States)

Addis, Antonio; Papini, Donato; Bassi, Maria Chiara; Grilli, Roberto

2015-09-01

The Emilia-Romagna Programme for Research and Innovation "PRIER" was born in 2005 with the aim of increasing cultural and operational conditions for the development of clinical research, useful both to the Regional Health Service (SSR) and to the private sectors of pharmaceutical and biomedical areas. In this context, the PRIER had from the beginning a double connotation: a space where the SSR can explore issues related to the development of its own research capacity; and a context where new possible ways of relating and comparison with the pharmaceutical and biomedical industry are tested. Over the years the activities of PRIER were defined by: initiatives to strengthen the system of research in SSR; development of tools to monitor activities of the research; production of clinical-organizational recommendations for the governance of innovation. In 2013 a new area of discussion and a common interest have been identified on the subject of clinical registries. In particular, it wanted to build a path of work able to identify all the possible critical and relevant points (points to consider), indispensable, necessary or useful to the construction and use of clinical registries, taking into account the points of view of all actors involved. The course began with defining the rules of the game and continued with workshops that allowed to analyse together the matter. At the end of the second workshop it was decided to make the work carried out visible: first, not to miss the opportunity offered by the past but recent discussion; secondly, to facilitate the discussion both on the issue of registers and to the adopted methodology, which sees the different actors (public and private ones) to reason together in a context for once not influenced by necessities of negotiation and government resources.

China's indigenous innovation approach: the emergence of Chinese innovation theory?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vinig, T.; Bossink, B.A.G.

2015-01-01

Theory-driven and theory-based studies on innovation in China are relatively scarce. Most innovation studies about Chinese business are based on Chinese policy and government programmes and their results. This special issue of Technology Analysis and Strategic Management explores China's indigenous

Innovation for the future of Irish MedTech industry: retrospective qualitative review of impact of BioInnovate Ireland’s clinical fellows

Science.gov (United States)

McGloughlin, Elizabeth Kate; Anglim, Paul; Keogh, Ivan; Sharif, Faisal

2018-01-01

Clinicians have historically been integral in innovating and developing technology in medicine and surgery. In recent years, however, in an increasingly complex healthcare system, a doctor with innovative ideas is often left behind. Transition from idea to bedside now entails significant hurdles, which often go unrecognised at the outset, particularly for first-time innovators. The BioInnnovate Ireland process, based on the Stanford Biodesign Programme (Identify, Invent and Implement), aims to streamline the process of innovation within the MedTech sector. These programmes focus on needs-based innovation and enable multidisciplinary teams to innovate and collaborate more succinctly. In this preliminary study, the authors aimed to examine the impact of BioInnovate Ireland has had on the clinicians involved and validate the collaborative process. To date, 13 fellows with backgrounds in clinical medicine have participated in the BioInnovate programme. Ten of these clinicians remain involved in clinical innovation projects with four of these working on Enterprise Ireland funded commercialisation grants and one working as chief executive officer of a service-led start-up, Strive. Of these, five also remain engaged in clinical practice on a full or part-time basis. The clinicians who have returned to full-time clinical practice have used the process and learning of the programme to influence their individual clinical areas and actively seek innovative solutions to meet clinical challenges. Clinicians, in particular, describe gaining value from the BioInnovate programme in areas of ‘Understanding Entrepreneurship’ and ‘Business Strategy’. Further study is needed into the quantitative impact on the ecosystem and impact to other stakeholders. PMID:29599999

Innovations in non-communicable diseases management in ASEAN: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Jeremy; Chan, Melissa M H; Alsagoff, Fatimah Z; Ha, Duc

2014-01-01

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are reaching epidemic proportions worldwide and present an unprecedented challenge to economic and social development globally. In Southeast Asia, the challenges are exacerbated by vastly differing levels of health systems development and funding availability. In addressing the burden of NCDs, ASEAN nations need to fundamentally re-examine how health care services are structured and delivered and discover new models as undiscerning application of models from other geographies with different cultures and resources will be problematic. We sought to examine cases of innovation and identify critical success factors in NCD management in ASEAN. A qualitative design, focusing on in-depth interviews and site visits to explore the meanings and perceptions of participants regarding innovations in NCD against the backdrop of the overall context of delivering health care within the country's context was adopted. In total 12 case studies in six ASEAN countries were analysed. Primary interventions accounted for five of the total cases, whereas secondary interventions comprised four, and tertiary interventions three. Five core themes contributing to successful innovation for NCD management were identified. They include: 1) encourage better outcomes through leadership and support, 2) strengthen inter-disciplinary partnership, 3) community ownership is key, 4) recognise the needs of the people and what appeals to them, and 5) raise awareness through capacity building and increasing health literacy. Innovation is vital in enabling ASEAN nations to successfully address the growing crisis of NCDs. More of the same or wholesale transfers of developed world models will be ineffective and lead to financially unsustainable programmes or programmes lacking appropriate human capital. The case studies have demonstrated the transformative impact of innovation and identified key factors in successful implementation. Beyond pilot success, the bigger challenge is

EURATOMM RDDD in innovative reactor systems and fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Goethem, G.

2008-01-01

In this introductory overview paper, the following questions are addressed: 1) What are the innovation challenges in energy technologies, in particular, in nuclear fission, that the European industry and research organisations are faced with? In the short (today), medium (2015) and long term (2040)? 2) What kind of response do the EURATOM research, development, demonstration and deployment (RDDD) programmes offer as solution to the above challenges? And what has been achieved so far, using the Community instruments? (author)

Research, Education and Innovation Bundling Forces towards a Sustainable European Energy Future

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2013-01-01

New technologies and applied innovation in the field of sustainable energy are needed in order to achieve a competitive and climate neutral Europe. As one of the first three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), KIC InnoEnergy invests in innovation projects and new educational programmes and provides business creation service with the purpose of delivering the disruptive technologies and innovations that Europe requires to meet this ambitious goal. Its stakeholders are top European players in the industry, research institutes, universities and business schools. Six regionally bundled European hubs – Barcelona/Lisbon, Grenoble, Eindhoven, Karlsruhe, Stockholm and Krakow - lead one thematic field each in sustainable energy. The thematic fields addressed range from Intelligent “Energy-efficient Residential Buildings and Cities” over “Energy from Chemical Fuels”, “Renewable Energies”, “Clean Coal Technologies” to “European Smar...

Field-programmable gate array based controller for multi spot light-addressable potentiometric sensors with integrated signal correction mode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Werner, Carl Frederik; Schusser, Sebastian; Spelthahn, Heiko [Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Juelich Campus, Institute of Nano- and Biotechnologies, Heinrich-Mussmann-Strasse 1, 52428 Juelich (Germany); Institute of Bio- and Nanosystems (IBN-2), Research Centre Juelich GmbH, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Wagner, Torsten; Yoshinobu, Tatsuo [Tohoku University, Department of Electronic Engineering, 6-6-05 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579 (Japan); Schoening, Michael J., E-mail: schoening@fh-aachen.de [Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Juelich Campus, Institute of Nano- and Biotechnologies, Heinrich-Mussmann-Strasse 1, 52428 Juelich (Germany); Institute of Bio- and Nanosystems (IBN-2), Research Centre Juelich GmbH, 52425 Juelich (Germany)

2011-11-01

Highlights: > Flexible up-scalable design of a light-addressable potentiometric sensor set-up. > Utilisation of a field-programmable gate array to address LAPS measurement spots. > Measurements in amplitude-mode and phase-mode for different pH solutions. > Amplitude, phase and frequency behaviour of LAPS for single and multiple light stimulus. > Signal calibration method by brightness control to compensated systematic errors. - Abstract: A light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) can measure the concentration of one or several analytes at the sensor surface simultaneously in a spatially resolved manner. A modulated light pointer stimulates the semiconductor structure at the area of interest and a responding photocurrent can be read out. By simultaneous stimulation of several areas with light pointers of different modulation frequencies, the read out can be performed at the same time. With the new proposed controller electronic based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), it is possible to control the modulation frequencies, phase shifts, and light brightness of multiple light pointers independently and simultaneously. Thus, it is possible to investigate the frequency response of the sensor, and to examine the analyte concentration by the determination of the surface potential with the help of current/voltage curves and phase/voltage curves. Additionally, the ability to individually change the light intensities of each light pointer is used to perform signal correction.

Unpacking policy processes for addressing systemic problems in technological innovation systems : The case of offshore wind in Germany

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reichardt, Kristin; Rogge, Karoline S.; Negro, Simona O.

2017-01-01

While empirical studies on technological innovation systems (TIS) usually focus on policy instruments and their suitability for curing identified weaknesses of such emerging systems, the underlying policy processes and their effects have been largely disregarded. We address this gap by exploring the

Conditions for Employee Learning and Innovation--Interweaving Competence Development Activities Provided by a Workplace Development Programme with Everyday Work Activities in SMEs

Science.gov (United States)

Halvarsson Lundkvist, Agneta; Gustavsson, Maria

2018-01-01

The aim of this article is to investigate how the formal competence development activities provided by the Production Leap, a workplace development programme (WPDP), were interwoven with everyday work activities and to identify the conditions that enabled learning and employee-driven innovation that contributed to production improvement, in small…

Organizational Culture and Corporate Innovation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Toshiba

An International Multidisciplinary Journal, Ethiopia. Vol. 7 (4), Serial ... It provides pattered ways of thinking, feelings and reacting that guide decision .... of innovation and creativity was the Minnesota Innovation Research. Programme led by ...

Programmes for change: Addressing sexual and intimate partner ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South Africa has a number of locally evaluated interventions that have been designed to prevent sexual and intimate partner violence before it occurs. This article describes such programmes that have been evaluated and found to be promising or effective. Seven locally evaluated primary prevention interventions are ...

Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy: Maximizing Investments in Radiation Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enwerem-Bromson, N.; Nitzsche-Bell, A.

2015-01-01

In the presentation, Ms Nelly Enwerem-Bromson will present her work as Director of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) and the crucial role of nuclear techniques in cancer control. She will review the key drivers for increasing demand for technical support on cancer control from low and middle income (LMI) Member States to the UN system in general, and the IAEA in particular. She will further elaborate on IAEA’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) main products and services and how they are having a positive impact on assessing national capacities and needs, supporting Member States in identifying key priority interventions and translating them into action through the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme. Ms Enwerem-Bromson will also address innovative approaches on distance learning and international collaboration to increase the quantity and quality of oncology related human resources as well as in the establishment of sustainable radiation medicines services in LMI countries. (author)

Training programme for the dissemination of climatological and meteorological applications using GIS technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. De Filippis

2006-01-01

Full Text Available IBIMET-CNR is involved in making different research projects and in managing operational programmes on national and international level and has acquired a relevant training competence to sustain partner countries and improve their methodological and operational skills by using innovative tools, such as Geographical Information Systems focused on the development of meteorological and climatological applications. Training activities are mainly addressed to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of Partner-Countries and/or to other Specialized Centers in the frame of Cooperation Programmes promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mainly in favour of the Less Developing Countries (LDC of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO Regional Association I (Africa. The Institute, as a branch of the WMO-Regional Meteorological Training Centre for Region VI (Europe, organizes also international training courses of high-level in Meteorology, Climatology and Remote Sensing applied to environment and agriculture fields. Moreover, considering the increasing evolution of the GIS functions for meteorological information users, IBIMET has promoted in 2005 the EU COST Action 719 Summer School on "GIS applications in meteorology and climatology''. The paper offers an overview of the main institute training programmes organised to share the results of research activities and operational projects, through the exploitation of innovative technologies and tools like GIS.

Social Innovation Europe: Country Summary: Poland. Social Innovation in Poland

OpenAIRE

Klimczuk, Andrzej

2015-01-01

The history of social innovation in country, challenges being addressed by social innovation. the key actors, who is promoting social innovation. A few of the key projects that illustrate social innovation.

Supporting the attainment of professional attributes in a work based learning programme

OpenAIRE

Perera, Noel; Penlington, Roger

2012-01-01

With the impending change in the higher education landscape within the UK there is a greater need for flexibility and innovation in the delivery of degree programmes. One flexible and innovative form of programme delivery is the work based learning platform. Additional academic guidance is imperative for students undertaking a work based learning programme due to the flexible nature of the programme. However in providing this academic guidance and support it places additional demands upon bot...

National and regional asthma programmes in Europe

OpenAIRE

Olof Selroos; Maciej Kupczyk; Piotr Kuna; Piotr Łacwik; Jean Bousquet; David Brennan; Susanna Palkonen; Javier Contreras; Mark FitzGerald; Gunilla Hedlin; Sebastian L. Johnston; Renaud Louis; Leanne Metcalf; Samantha Walker; Antonio Moreno-Galdó

2015-01-01

This review presents seven national asthma programmes to support the European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership in developing strategies to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity across Europe. From published data it appears that in order to influence asthma care, national/regional asthma programmes are more effective than conventional treatment guidelines. An asthma programme should start with the universal commitments of stakeholders at all levels and the programme has to be endorse...

Innovations in non-communicable diseases management in ASEAN: a case series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy Lim

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs are reaching epidemic proportions worldwide and present an unprecedented challenge to economic and social development globally. In Southeast Asia, the challenges are exacerbated by vastly differing levels of health systems development and funding availability. In addressing the burden of NCDs, ASEAN nations need to fundamentally re-examine how health care services are structured and delivered and discover new models as undiscerning application of models from other geographies with different cultures and resources will be problematic. Objective: We sought to examine cases of innovation and identify critical success factors in NCD management in ASEAN. Design: A qualitative design, focusing on in-depth interviews and site visits to explore the meanings and perceptions of participants regarding innovations in NCD against the backdrop of the overall context of delivering health care within the country's context was adopted. Results: In total 12 case studies in six ASEAN countries were analysed. Primary interventions accounted for five of the total cases, whereas secondary interventions comprised four, and tertiary interventions three. Five core themes contributing to successful innovation for NCD management were identified. They include: 1 encourage better outcomes through leadership and support, 2 strengthen inter-disciplinary partnership, 3 community ownership is key, 4 recognise the needs of the people and what appeals to them, and 5 raise awareness through capacity building and increasing health literacy. Conclusions: Innovation is vital in enabling ASEAN nations to successfully address the growing crisis of NCDs. More of the same or wholesale transfers of developed world models will be ineffective and lead to financially unsustainable programmes or programmes lacking appropriate human capital. The case studies have demonstrated the transformative impact of innovation and identified key factors in

E-health in low- and middle-income countries: findings from the Center for Health Market Innovations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Trevor; Synowiec, Christina; Lagomarsino, Gina; Schweitzer, Julian

2012-05-01

To describe how information communication technology (ICT) is being used by programmes that seek to improve private sector health financing and delivery in low- and middle-income countries, including the main uses of the technology and the types of technologies being used. In-country partners in 16 countries directly searched systematically for innovative health programmes and compiled profiles in the Center for Health Market Innovations' database. These data were supplemented through literature reviews and with self-reported data supplied by the programmes themselves. In many low- and middle-income countries, ICT is being increasingly employed for different purposes in various health-related areas. Of ICT-enabled health programmes, 42% use it to extend geographic access to health care, 38% to improve data management and 31% to facilitate communication between patients and physicians outside the physician's office. Other purposes include improving diagnosis and treatment (17%), mitigating fraud and abuse (8%) and streamlining financial transactions (4%). The most common devices used in technology-enabled programmes are phones and computers; 71% and 39% of programmes use them, respectively, and the most common applications are voice (34%), software (32%) and text messages (31%). Donors are the primary funders of 47% of ICT-based health programmes. Various types of ICT are being employed by private organizations to address key health system challenges. For successful implementation, however, more sustainable sources of funding, greater support for the adoption of new technologies and better ways of evaluating impact are required.

European Master in Innovation in Nuclear Energy (EMINE). Developed in the frame work of the European Institut of Innovation and Technology, KIC InnoEnergy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrié, E.; Carreira, M.; Gudowski, W.; Garrido, F.; Reynier, B.; Dies, J.; Batet, Ll.; Otic, I.; Patte, C.; Darrigues, I.; Fernandez-Olano, P.; Leon, P.T.; Coste-Leconte, S.; Fanjas, Y.; Henriksson, H.

2014-01-01

KIC InnoEnergy SE is a European company fostering the integration of education, technology, business and entrepreneurship and strengthening the culture of innovation. The strategic objective is to become the leading engine of innovation in the field of sustainable energy. It has been designated as a one of the first three Knowledge and Innovation Communities by the EIT's Governing Board on 16 December 2009 in Budapest. KIC InnoEnergy addresses sustainable energy as its priority area. KIC InnoEnergy is a world class alliance of top European players with a proven track record. The Consortium consists of 30+ shareholders and additional 50+ partners - companies, research institutes, universities and business schools covering the whole energy mix. They are organised around six regional units, the Co-Location Centres (CC): France, Benelux, Germany, Iberia, Poland Plus and Sweden. On completion of the EMINE programme, a Master of Science degree will be awarded from the universities where studies were performed during year one and year two, i.e. a double-degree. A diploma from KIC InnoEnergy related to innovation and entrepreneurship will also be presented

Fusion technology programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finken, D.

1984-04-01

KfK participates to the Fusion Technology Programme of the European Community. Most of the work in progress addresses the Next European Torus (NET) and the long term technology aspects as defined in the 82/86 programme. A minor part serves to preparation of future contributions and to design studies on fusion concepts in a wider perspective. The Fusion Technology Programme of Euratom covers mainly aspects of nuclear engineering. Plasma engineering, heating, refueling and vacuum technology are at present part of the Physics Programme. In view of NET, integration of the different areas of work will be mandatory. KfK is therefore prepared to address technical aspects beyond the actual scope of the physics experiments. The technology tasks are reported project wise under title and code of the Euratom programme. Most of the projects described here are shared with other European fusion laboratories as indicated in the table annexed to this report. (orig./GG)

Innovation and the English National Health Service: a qualitative study of the independent sector treatment centre programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Simon; Allen, Pauline; Bartlett, Will; Pérotin, Virginie

2011-08-01

Over the past two decades, an international trend of exposing public health services to different forms of economic organisation has emerged. In the English National Health Service (NHS), care is currently provided through a quasi-market including 'diverse' providers from the private and third sector. The predominant scheme through which private sector companies have been awarded NHS contracts is the Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) programme. ISTCs were designed to produce innovative models of service delivery for elective care and stimulate innovation among incumbent NHS providers. This paper investigates these claims using qualitative data on the impact of an ISTC upon a local health economy (LHE) composed of NHS organisations in England. Using the case of elective orthopaedic surgery, we conducted semi-structured interviews with senior managers from incumbent NHS providers and an ISTC in 2009. We show that ISTCs exhibit a different relationship with frontline clinicians because they counteract the power of professional communities associated with the NHS. This has positive and negative consequences for innovation. ISTCs have introduced new routines unencumbered by the extant norms of professional communities, but they appear to represent weaker learning environments and do not reproduce cooperation across organisational boundaries to the same extent as incumbent NHS providers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Training Programmes in Sustainable Forest Management in Austria, Croatia and Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvija Krajter Ostoić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: During the Erasmus+ project “Cooperation for Innovative Approach in Sustainable Forest Management Training (CIA2SFM” a study of the existing vocational education and training (VET and lifelong learning (LLL programmes in the field of sustainable forest management (SFM was conducted in Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. The aim of this paper is to get an overview of and analyse SFM-related VET and LLL programmes in the study area, with an emphasis on the identification of good practice examples and providing recommendations for improvement. Materials and Methods: A combined approach of literature review, Internet search and consultations with training providers was applied in order to collect data on training programmes conducted in the period 2006-2015 in Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. The programmes were analysed based on topics, types of methods used, existence of specified learning outcomes, programme evaluation by participants and how the programme was advertised. The analysis employed basic descriptive statistics. Topics were grouped into broader themes. Only training programmes targeting private forest owners, forestry professionals, and forestry entrepreneurs were analysed. Three examples of good practice in each country were selected based on collaboratively developed criteria. Results: In Austria, Croatia and Slovenia numerous training courses related to SFM were conducted in the analysed period, predominantly addressing target groups in forestry sector and covering a variety of topics. The relative importance of themes varied among countries. In order to facilitate the knowledge uptake by participants various methods were applied. Although indoor ex-cathedra approaches prevailed, it could be recognized that there is a growth in interest for foster demonstrations in the field, organizing field trips, emphasize on practical work and combining methods and approaches in most countries. Conclusions: Even if national

Working methodologically on system innovations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogelezang, J.V.M.; Wijnands, F.G.

2011-01-01

Dutch agriculture is facing the challenge to develop into a sustainable sector. To achieve this goal, innovations are needed which force breaks with past trends and speed up the tempo of sustainable development. The System Innovation Programmes developed by Wageningen UR contribute with new,

The Development of Innovative Capacity of the Scientific Organization of Ukraine as a Result of Participation in the Project of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikitin, Yu.A.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article consider the successful experience of the V.M. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials of NAS of Ukraine in the project «Start» (contract number 295003 within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, which had a positive impact on the increasing the research innovation potential and implementation of the Institute’s innovations to the economy of Ukraine and Europe.

Innovation As a Tool for Local Development. Introducing New Technologies for the Interpretation of Cultural Heritage: the Case of the RI-SE Programme in Sterea Ellada.

OpenAIRE

Dora Konsola; Zoe Fotiadi; Aliki Marinou

2006-01-01

The introduction and pilot application of innovative methods in the field of cultural heritage can have a significant effect on local development by boosting tourism and the related economic activities, increasing familiarity with new technologies and creating a sense of local pride. The five Centres for Heritage Interpretation that were developed in the Region of Sterea Ellada within the framework of the RI-SE Innovative Actions Programme offer a good example of this process, illustrating th...

Innovation in learning and development in multilingual and multicultural contexts: Principles learned from a higher educational study programme in Luxembourg

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, Gudrun

2011-12-01

Multilingualism in education is a conceptual as well as a pedagogical challenge of the 21st century. Luxembourg, with its three statutory official languages (Luxembourgish, French and German), is an especially complex setting. The gap between traditional principles of language education on the one hand and the challenging impacts of today's multilingualisms on the other led the University of Luxembourg (founded in 2003) to set up a developmentally-driven Master's programme in 2007, entitled "Learning and Development in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts". After a presentation of the general multilingual settings in Luxembourg, this paper discusses the constellation of the multilingual University's staff and students and provides an analysis of the concept of the course by outlining its innovative approach, its principles and lessons learned with regard to running a trilingual higher education programme.

Healthcare study programmes in innovation

OpenAIRE

Mandysová, Petra; Hlaváčová, Klára; Kovářová, Veronika; Kylarová, Denisa

2014-01-01

The aim of the three-year project (registration number CZ.1.07/2.2.00/15.0357) was to innovate three out of the existing five study programs of the Faculty of Health Studies, University of Pardubice (FHS UPa) and to enhance the professional competence of the academic staff, which would lead to the modernization of teaching methods and incorporation of new, scientific knowledge in the educational activities. The project responded to the societal demand for highly qualified healthcare personnel...

Innovative features and fuel design approach in the iris reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrovic, B.; Carelli, M.; Greenspan, E.; Matsumoto, H.; Padovani, E.; Ganda, F.

2002-01-01

The International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS) is being developed by an international consortium of industry, laboratory, university and utility establishments, led by Westinghouse. The IRIS design addresses key requirements associated with advanced reactors, including improved safety, enhanced proliferation resistance, competitive electricity production cost, and improved waste management. IRIS is a modular, small/medium size (335 MWe) PWR with an integral vessel configuration. The objective has been to base its design on proven LWR technology, so that no new technology development is needed and near-term deployment is possible, yet at the same time to introduce innovative features making it attractive when compared to present PWRs. These opposing requirements resulted in an evolutionary approach to fuel and core design, balancing new features against the need to avoid extensive testing and demonstration programmes. (author)

Disruptive technology for vector control: the Innovative Vector Control Consortium and the US Military join forces to explore transformative insecticide application technology for mosquito control programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Knapp, Jennifer; Macdonald, Michael; Malone, David; Hamon, Nicholas; Richardson, Jason H

2015-09-26

Malaria vector control technology has remained largely static for decades and there is a pressing need for innovative control tools and methodology to radically improve the quality and efficiency of current vector control practices. This report summarizes a workshop jointly organized by the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC) and the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB) focused on public health pesticide application technology. Three main topics were discussed: the limitations with current tools and techniques used for indoor residual spraying (IRS), technology innovation to improve efficacy of IRS programmes, and truly disruptive application technology beyond IRS. The group identified several opportunities to improve application technology to include: insuring all IRS programmes are using constant flow valves and erosion resistant tips; introducing compression sprayer improvements that help minimize pesticide waste and human error; and moving beyond IRS by embracing the potential for new larval source management techniques and next generation technology such as unmanned "smart" spray systems. The meeting served to lay the foundation for broader collaboration between the IVCC and AFPMB and partners in industry, the World Health Organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others.

The Digital Heart Manual: A pilot study of an innovative cardiac rehabilitation programme developed for and with users.

Science.gov (United States)

Deighan, C; Michalova, L; Pagliari, C; Elliott, J; Taylor, L; Ranaldi, H

2017-08-01

Patients are seeking greater choice and flexibility in how they engage with self-management programmes. While digital innovations offer opportunities to deliver supportive interventions to patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation little is known about how accessible, useful and acceptable they are for this group. This project developed a digital version of a leading evidenced cardiac rehabilitation programme, the Heart Manual (HM). The prototype was developed and evaluated iteratively in collaboration with end users. Using a mixed methods design 28 participants provided feedback using semi-structured questionnaires and telephone interviews. Rich data revealed the perceived user-friendliness of the HM digital format and its effectiveness at communicating the programme's key messages. It flagged areas requiring development, such as more flexible and intuitive navigation pathways. These suggestions informed the refinement of the resource. This evaluation offers support for the new Digital Heart Manual and confirms the value of employing a user-centred approach when developing and improving online interventions. The system is now in use and recommendations from the evaluation are being translated into quality improvements. The Digital Heart Manual is user friendly and accessible to patients and health professionals, regardless of age, presenting a suitable alternative to the paper version. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Addressing health inequalities in the delivery of the human papillomavirus vaccination programme: examining the role of the school nurse.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tammy Boyce

Full Text Available HPV immunisation of adolescent girls is expected to have a significant impact in the reduction of cervical cancer. UK The HPV immunisation programme is primarily delivered by school nurses. We examine the role of school nurses in delivering the HPV immunisation programme and their impact on minimising health inequalities in vaccine uptake.A rapid evidence assessment (REA and semi-structured interviews with health professionals were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. 80 health professionals from across the UK are interviewed, primarily school nurses and HPV immunisation programme coordinators. The REA identified 2,795 articles and after analysis and hand searches, 34 relevant articles were identified and analysed. Interviews revealed that health inequalities in HPV vaccination uptake were mainly related to income and other social factors in contrast to published research which emphasises potential inequalities related to ethnicity and/or religion. Most school nurses interviewed understood local health inequalities and made particular efforts to target girls who did not attend or missed doses. Interviews also revealed maintaining accurate and consistent records influenced both school nurses' understanding and efforts to target inequalities in HPV vaccination uptake.Despite high uptake in the UK, some girls remain at risk of not being vaccinated with all three doses. School nurses played a key role in reducing health inequalities in the delivery of the HPV programme. Other studies identified religious beliefs and ethnicity as potentially influencing HPV vaccination uptake but interviews for this research found this appeared not to have occurred. Instead school nurses stated girls who were more likely to be missed were those not in education. Improving understanding of the delivery processes of immunisation programmes and this impact on health inequalities can help to inform solutions to increase uptake and address health inequalities

Embracing the complexity of educational programmes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elly Govers

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Systems of monitoring and control have left many educators and organisations in the field of post-compulsory education struggling to find ways to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse society. Education is complex. Many educators would agree that it is influenced by many, often contradictory, voices and power structures. Based on the findings of a case study involving multiple programmes in a post-compulsory education institution in Aotearoa/New Zealand, this paper aims to unravel this complexity for the case of educational programmes. It describes how programmes can be seen as complex systems, created by people and directed by discourses in society, some of which are more influential than others. If programmes are seen as complex systems, the experience of struggle as referred to above can be understood as a consequence of the attempt to control the complexity rather than work with it. This control limits the possibilities for development and innovation. Alternatively, as this paper will explain, acknowledging and embracing the complexity of programmes helps open up spaces for innovation that would otherwise remain hidden. It is argued that the ultimate space for change is educators’ personal and collective responsibility for the discourses in society they choose to follow.

Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) Mental Health Programme for providing innovative mental health care in rural communities in India

OpenAIRE

Maulik, P. K.; Devarapalli, S.; Kallakuri, S.; Praveen, D.; Jha, V.; Patel, A.

2015-01-01

Background. India has few mental health professionals to treat the large number of people suffering from mental disorders. Rural areas are particularly disadvantaged due to lack of trained health workers. Ways to improve care could be by training village health workers in basic mental health care, and by using innovative methods of service delivery. The ongoing Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment Mental Health Programme will assess the acceptability, feasibility and prelimina...

Addressing unmet needs in understanding asthma mechanisms: From the European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership (EARIP) Work Package (WP)2 collaborators.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Michael R; Saglani, Sejal; Schwarze, Jurgen; Skevaki, Chrysanthi; Smith, Jaclyn A; Ainsworth, Ben; Almond, Mark; Andreakos, Evangelos; Belvisi, Maria G; Chung, Kian Fan; Cookson, William; Cullinan, Paul; Hawrylowicz, Catherine; Lommatzsch, Marek; Jackson, David; Lutter, Rene; Marsland, Benjamin; Moffatt, Miriam; Thomas, Mike; Virchow, J Christian; Xanthou, Georgina; Edwards, Jessica; Walker, Samantha; Johnston, Sebastian L

2017-05-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous, complex disease with clinical phenotypes that incorporate persistent symptoms and acute exacerbations. It affects many millions of Europeans throughout their education and working lives and puts a heavy cost on European productivity. There is a wide spectrum of disease severity and control. Therapeutic advances have been slow despite greater understanding of basic mechanisms and the lack of satisfactory preventative and disease modifying management for asthma constitutes a significant unmet clinical need. Preventing, treating and ultimately curing asthma requires co-ordinated research and innovation across Europe. The European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership (EARIP) is an FP7-funded programme which has taken a co-ordinated and integrated approach to analysing the future of asthma research and development. This report aims to identify the mechanistic areas in which investment is required to bring about significant improvements in asthma outcomes. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Janni; Yaganeh, Suzanne; Bloch Rasmussen, Leif

2013-01-01

This paper contributes to a theoretical discussion of creation of innovation with participants in, or outside, organisations. We address the creation of innovation with a complex theoretical understanding drawing on the Scandinavian and the Participatory Design tradition introducing two approaches...... to the processes of innovation. We ask if innovation can be initiated and enhanced looking at two collaborative approaches; participatory innovation (PIN) and cooperative innovation (COIN). We invite to dialogue and reflections on PIN’s conflict and creative frictions on one side and COIN’s complexity......, complementarity in diversity and the didactic scaffolding of the innovation process on the other side. Our contribution focuses on the methods and practices for facilitation of co-creating activities between different groups leading to cooperation, and innovation in thinking....

Balancing Absorptive Capacity and Inbound Open Innovation for Sustained Innovative Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bongsun, Kim; Kim, Eonsoo; Foss, Nicolai Juul

2016-01-01

How can a firm develop new ideas and turn them into profitable innovations on a sustained basis? We address this fundamental issue in a novel way by developing an integrative framework of absorptive capacity (AC) and inbound open innovation that is rooted in the attention-based view of the firm. We...... specifically address why a balance between open and closed innovation is important from the perspective of absorptive capacity, and show how it may be brought about. Pursuing either open or closed inbound innovation alone may result in an imbalance between potential AC and realized AC as well as inward......-looking AC and outward-looking AC, which will hinder innovative performance.We argue that practicing open and closed inbound innovation repeatedly and alternately by switching organizational attentions, and thus developing the associated AC, can facilitate balancing absorptive capacity and lead to innovative...

Addressing curricular innovation in a multi-stakeholder environment: Planning to change

OpenAIRE

Enslen, Todd

2001-01-01

As language innovations move outside the boundaries of autonomous departmental units, the process of change through the planning, design and implementation phases become more complex. Therefore, there is a greater need for awareness of the steps in the innovation process. This is especially true for the planning process since the adoption decision is divided amongst potentially numerous potential adopters. This paper will present a case study of curricular innovation, a move from an EAP to an...

The Evolution of an Innovative Community-Engaged Health Navigator Program to Address Social Determinants of Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Page-Reeves, Janet; Moffett, Maurice L; Steimel, Leah; Smith, Daryl T

Health navigators and other types of community health workers (CHWs) have become recognized as essential components of quality care, and key for addressing health disparities owing to the complex health care services landscape presents almost insurmountable challenges for vulnerable individuals. Bernalillo County, New Mexico, has high rates of uninsurance, poverty, and food insecurity. The design of the Pathways to a Healthy Bernalillo County Program (BP) has evolved innovations that are unique in terms of program stability and security, expansive reach, and community capacity across six domains: sustainable public mechanism for program funding, involvement of community organizations in designing the program, expanded focus to address the broader social determinants of health with targeted outreach, an integrated, community-based implementation structure, an outcomes-based payment structure, and using an adaptive program design that actively incorporates navigators in the process. In 2008, the Pathways to a Healthy Bernalillo County Program (BP), located in the Albuquerque metropolitan area in central New Mexico, was established to provide navigation and support for the most vulnerable county residents. BP is funded through a 1% carve out of county mill levy funds. The pathways model is an outcome-based approach for health and social services coordination that uses culturally competent CHW as "navigators" trained to connect at-risk individuals to needed health and social services. One of the important innovations of the pathways approach is a shift in focus from merely providing discrete services to confirming healthy outcomes for the individual patient.

Innovators.

Science.gov (United States)

NEA Today, 2001

2001-01-01

Describes various innovations that have been developed to enhance education. These innovations include: helping educators help at-risk students succeed; promoting high school journalism; ensuring quality online learning experiences; developing a student performing group that uses theater to address social issues; and having students design their…

Environmental Assessment of R&D Programmes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyhne, Ivar; Byriel, Inger Pihl

2013-01-01

cause severe negative environmental impacts. This paper presents an innovative environmental assessment practice on R&D programmes in Denmark. It reports on the challenges and experiences of assessing the Danish R&D programme ForskEL, which promotes R&D projects within the electricity sector......Despite their important role in shaping the technologies of the future, public research and development (R&D) programmes are rarely based on systematic assessments of the environmental effects. R&D programmes thus allocate a huge amount of financial resources to projects, which potentially may....... The programme is characterised by uncertainty about impacts and incomparable project types and technologies. A methodology for dealing with these challenges is presented, and experiences from a testing of the methodology on the 2012 programme are reflected upon. Finally the assessment is discussed in terms...

PHIRE (Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe): methods, structures and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhoorn, Floris; McCarthy, Mark; Devillé, Walter; Alexanderson, Kristina; Voss, Margaretha; Conceição, Claudia

2013-11-01

Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe (PHIRE), building on previous European collaborative projects, was developed to assess national uptake and impacts of European public health innovations, to describe national public health research programmes, strategies and structures and to develop participation of researchers through the organizational structures of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA). This article describes the methods used. PHIRE was led by EUPHA with seven partner organisations over 30 months. It was conceived to engage the organisation of EUPHA--working through its thematic Sections, and through its national public health associations--and assess innovation and research across 30 European countries. Public health research was defined broadly as health research at population and organisational level. There were seven Work Packages (three covering coordination and four for technical aspects) led by partners and coordinated through management meetings. Seven EUPHA Sections identified eight innovations within the projects funded by the Public Health Programme of the European Commission Directorate for Health and Consumers. Country informants, identified through EUPHA thematic Sections, reported on national uptake of the innovations in eight public health projects supported by the European Union Public Health Programme. Four PHIRE partners, each taking a regional sector of Europe, worked with the public health associations and other informants to describe public health research programmes, calls and systems. A classification was created for the national public health research programmes and calls in 2010. The internal and external evaluations were supportive. PHIRE described public health innovations and research across Europe through national experts. More work is needed to conceptualize and define public health 'innovations' and to develop theories and methods for the assessment of their uptake and impacts at country and cross

Africa–Europe Collaborations for Climate Change Research and Innovation: What Difference Have They Made?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haselip, James; Hughes, Mike

2018-01-01

This chapter critically assesses Africa–Europe collaborations on climate change research and innovation. Its authors argue that the complexity of research and innovation challenges on this topic calls for subtler collaborative and evaluation programmes. More importantly, they emphasise the need...... change research and innovation programmes run the risk of being reduced to mere rhetorical statements....

Conditions for Employee Learning and Innovation : Interweaving Competence Development Activities Provided by a Workplace Development Programme with Everyday Work Activities in SMEs

OpenAIRE

Halvarsson Lundkvist, Agneta; Maria, Gustavsson

2018-01-01

The aim of this article is to investigate how the formal competence development activities provided by the Production Leap, a workplace development programme (WPDP), were interwoven with everyday work activities and to identify the conditions that enabled learning and employee-driven innovation that contributed to production improvement, in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sweden. The study adopts a qualitative case approach and draws on evidence from research conducted in four ma...

An assessment of EU-funded research projects: innovators and their innovative potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nepelski, D.; Pesole, A.; Van Roy, V.; O’Neill, E.

2016-07-01

The European Commission's Framework Programme constitutes an important share in R&D expenditures in Europe. A number of FP7 projects certainly produce cutting-edge technologies and a significant percentage of these technologies could be commercialized. However, there is a general feeling that not all these technologies and innovations with commercial potential reach the market. The question is why? The Innovation Radar (IR) is a support initiative that focuses on the identification of high-potential innovations in the ICT FP7 projects and the key organization in delivering these innovations to the market. The current paper documents the details of the IR methodology and the results of its first application. (Author)

Innovation in Systems of Care in Acute Phase of Ischemic Stroke. The Experience of the Catalan Stroke Programme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa M. Vivanco-Hidalgo

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Stroke, and mainly ischemic stroke, is the second cause of death and disability. To confront the huge burden of this disease, innovative stroke systems of care are mandatory. This requires the development of national stroke plans to offer the best treatment to all patients eligible for reperfusion therapies. Key elements for success include a high level of organization, close cooperation with emergency medical services for prehospital assessment, an understanding of stroke singularity, the development of preassessment tools, a high level of commitment of all stroke teams at Stroke Centres, the availability of a disease-specific registry, and local government involvement to establish stroke care as a priority. In this mini review, we discuss recent evidence concerning different aspects of stroke systems of care and describe the success of the Catalan Stroke Programme as an example of innovation. In Catalonia, reperfusion treatment rates have increased in recent years and currently are among the highest in Europe (17.3% overall, 14.3% for IVT, and 6% for EVT in 2016.

R&D networks and regional knowledge production: an agent-based simulation of the Austrian competence centres programme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Korber

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Publicly funded competence centres have gained high recognition for improving science-industry collaboration. With the requirement for long-term and geographically concentrated R&D, competence centres provide an environment for joint learning and transfer of “sticky” knowledge. The objective of this paper is to investigate how a competence centres programme affects knowledge production in the regional innovation system. In order to address this issue, we draw on a simulation approach and develop an agent-based model of the Vienna Life Sciences innovation system. Companies, research organisations and universities are heterogeneous agents that create scientific publications, patents, as well as high-tech jobs. Simulation runs refer to long-term scenarios regarding the level and duration of public funding. By addressing the complexities of knowledge interaction in the context of the “local buzz” versus “global pipelines” discussion, the results show the potential of empirically calibrated simulation models for ex-ante impact assessment in R&D policy.

Developing Partnerships to Promote Local Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Waters-Bayer, Ann; van Veldhuizen, Laurens; Wettasinha, Chesha; Wongtschowski, Mariana

2004-01-01

Local innovation in agriculture and natural resource management is the process through which individuals or groups discover or develop new and better ways of managing resources, building on and expanding the boundaries of their existing knowledge. Prolinnova (Promoting Local Innovation) is a NGO-led global partnership programme that is being built…

Case study of evaluations that go beyond clinical outcomes to assess quality improvement diabetes programmes using the Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE).

Science.gov (United States)

Paquette-Warren, Jann; Harris, Stewart B; Naqshbandi Hayward, Mariam; Tompkins, Jordan W

2016-10-01

Investments in efforts to reduce the burden of diabetes on patients and health care are critical; however, more evaluation is needed to provide evidence that informs and supports future policies and programmes. The newly developed Diabetes Evaluation Framework for Innovative National Evaluations (DEFINE) incorporates the theoretical concepts needed to facilitate the capture of critical information to guide investments, policy and programmatic decision making. The aim of the study is to assess the applicability and value of DEFINE in comprehensive real-world evaluation. Using a critical and positivist approach, this intrinsic and collective case study retrospectively examines two naturalistic evaluations to demonstrate how DEFINE could be used when conducting real-world comprehensive evaluations in health care settings. The variability between the cases and the evaluation designs are described and aligned to the DEFINE goals, steps and sub-steps. The majority of the theoretical steps of DEFINE were exemplified in both cases, although limited for knowledge translation efforts. Application of DEFINE to evaluate diverse programmes that target various chronic diseases is needed to further test the inclusivity and built-in flexibility of DEFINE and its role in encouraging more comprehensive knowledge translation. This case study shows how DEFINE could be used to structure or guide comprehensive evaluations of programmes and initiatives implemented in health care settings and support scale-up of successful innovations. Future use of the framework will continue to strengthen its value in guiding programme evaluation and informing health policy to reduce the burden of diabetes and other chronic diseases. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Telemedicine in the acute health setting: A disruptive innovation for specialists (an example from stroke).

Science.gov (United States)

Bagot, Kathleen L; Cadilhac, Dominique A; Vu, Michelle; Moss, Karen; Bladin, Christopher F

2015-12-01

Telemedicine is a disruptive innovation within health care settings as consultations take place via audio-visual technology rather than traditional face-to-face. Specialist perceptions and experiences of providing audio-visual consultations in emergency situations, however, are not well understood. The aim of this exploratory study was to describe the experience of medical specialists providing acute stroke decision-making support via telemedicine. Data from the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) programme were used. The experiences of specialists providing an acute clinical telemedicine service to rural emergency departments were explored, drawing on disruptive innovation theory. Document analysis of programme consultation records, meeting minutes and in-depth individual interviews with three neurologists were analysed using triangulation. Since February 2014, 269 stroke telemedicine consultations with 12 neurologists have occurred. Retention on the roster has varied between 1 and >4 years. Overall, neurologists reported benefits of participation, as they were addressing health equity gaps for rural patients. Negative effects were the unpredictability of consultations impacting on their personal life, the mixed level of experience of colleagues initiating the consult and not knowing patient outcomes since follow-up communication was not routine. Insights into workforce experience and satisfaction were identified to inform strategies to support specialists to adapt to the disruptive innovation of telemedicine. © The Author(s) 2015.

USE Efficiency: an innovative educational programme for energy efficiency in buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Papadopoulos, Theofilos A.; Christoforidis, Georgios C.; Papagiannis, Grigoris K.

2017-10-01

Power engineers are expected to play a pivotal role in transforming buildings into smart and energy-efficient structures, which is necessary since buildings are responsible for a considerable amount of the total energy consumption. To fulfil this role, a holistic approach in education is required, tackling subjects traditionally related to other engineering disciplines. In this context, USE Efficiency is an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary educational programme implemented in nine European Universities targeting energy efficiency in buildings. The educational programme effectively links professors, students, engineers and industry experts, creating a unique learning environment. The scope of the paper is to present the methodology and the general framework followed in the USE Efficiency programme. The proposed methodology can be adopted for the design and implementation of educational programmes on energy efficiency and sustainable development in higher education. End-of-course survey results showed positive feedback from the participating students, indicating the success of the programme.

Photovoltaic conference on research and innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moisan, Francois; Huennekes, Christoph; Malbranche, Philippe; Neuhaus, Holger; Lincot, Daniel; Dimroth, Frank; Signamarcheix, Thomas; Baudrit, Mathieu; Wasselin, Jocelyne; Franz, Oliver; Lippert, Michael; Bena, Michel

2013-01-01

The French-German office for Renewable energies (OFAEnR) organised a conference on photovoltaic research and innovation. In the framework of this French-German exchange of experience, about 80 participants exchanged views on PV research priorities and on the possible cooperation paths capable to meet the challenges of an increasing worldwide competition. Beside the analysis of national and European support programmes, the presentations addressed also the technological advances in the domain of energy efficiency and fabrication of PV systems, but also the energy storage solutions and the problems of integration to grids. This document brings together the available presentations (slides) made during this event: 1 - Photovoltaic R and D financing in France (Francois Moisan); 2 - Research consortia: research promotion in Germany (Christoph Huennekes); 3 - EeRA Joint research Programme Photovoltaic Solar energy: cooperation support to PV research at the European level (Philippe Malbranche); 4 - The Research Project 'SONNe' - A shining example within the German Funding Scheme 'Innovation Alliance' (Holger Neuhaus); 5 - The 'Ile de France Photovoltaic Institute': a huge cooperation between academic and industrial partners for the improvement of photovoltaic energy efficiency and competitiveness (Daniel Lincot); 6 - SOLARBOND the basis for a successful French-German collaboration (Frank Dimroth); 7 - Smart Country model project: Successful integration of distributed generation in rural areas - Smart integration of PV power generation thanks to the combination with a modified biogas storage system (Oliver Franz); 8 - Sol-ion Conversion, storage and management of residential PV energy (Michael Lippert); 9 - Improving Tools to massively integrate Renewables in the European electric System (Michel Bena)

Norwegian High-School Students Internship Programme

CERN Multimedia

2017-01-01

The High-School Students Internship Programme (HSSIP is a programme developed by the ECO group’s Teacher and Student Programmes section to engage students from a young age with scientific research and innovation. Norway was selected as one out of five countries for the pilot programmes run in 2017. Out of some 150 applications, 10 boys and 14 girls, from Longyearbyen (Svalbard) in the North to Flekkefjord in the South, were invited to participate in the Norwegian programme that took place from 15 October - 28 October. The youngsters were offered an intense two-week internship at CERN, during which they took part in many diverse activities. Accompanied by mentors, the students got a deeper insight into how CERN supports particle physics by working on their own projects and through a variety of visits.

Strategizing on innovation systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jofre, Sergio

developments enabling proper policy actions. The concept of innovation systems assumes that flows of technology and information among people, companies and institutions are crucial to the innovative process. At national level, innovation and technical development are the result of a complex set of interactions......This paper explores the strategic context of the implementation of the European Institute of Technology (EIT) from the perspective of National Innovation Systems (NIS) and the Triple Helix of University-Government-Industry relationship. The analytical framework is given by a comparative study...... implemented several action plans and programmes aiming at improving its technological and non-technological innovation capability, its performance in the global context is yet week, particularly if compared to rival economies such as Japan and the US (EC, 2008a). A recent initiative to foster Europe...

Political innovations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Eva

2017-01-01

are mainly interested in assessing and promoting innovations in public service delivery, but have paid little or no attention to the need for innovations in polity, politics and policy. This article develops a research agenda for studying innovations in political institutions, in the political process...... and in policy outputs. It proposes a number of research themes related to political innovations that call for scholarly attention, and identifies push and pull factors influencing the likelihood that these themes will be addressed in future research....

National Plan for Research - Development and Innovation, CERES Programme. Annual Scientific Session

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ionescu-Bujor, Theodor; Dobrescu, Serban

2002-01-01

The CERES Programme is a research program organized in the frame of Institut of Atomic Physics, Bucharest, Romania. The annual scientific session held in Bucharest on December 2-3, 2002 covered the following 9 sections (projects): Mathematics (2); Physics (85); Chemistry (14); Engineering (2); Earth Sciences (13); Life Sciences (8); Economics and Social Studies (4); Culture (4); Works received after the deadline. The most numerous contributions within the INIS scope addressed subjects from the fields: theoretical and experimental nuclear physics, seismic survey and prognoses, high energy physics and quantum field theory, physical properties of materials, nuclear spectroscopic instrumentation, nuclear methods in isotopic analysis. The contributors presented their results obtained under research contracts supported by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research in the period October 15, 2001 - October 15, 2002. Many of the reported research works were done in collaborations with international organizations or institutes from abroad

Addressing poverty through disease control programmes: examples from Tuberculosis control in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamineni, Vishnu Vardhan; Wilson, Nevin; Das, Anand; Satyanarayana, Srinath; Chadha, Sarabjit; Sachdeva, Kuldeep Singh; Chauhan, Lakbir Singh

2012-03-26

Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in India with the country accounting for one-fifth or 21% of all tuberculosis cases reported globally. The purpose of the study was to obtain an understanding on pro-poor initiatives within the framework of tuberculosis control programme in India and to identify mechanisms to improve the uptake and access to TB services among the poor. A national level workshop was held with participation from all relevant stakeholder groups. This study conducted during the stakeholder workshop adopted participatory research methods. The data was elicited through consultative and collegiate processes. The research study also factored information from primary and secondary sources that included literature review examining poverty headcount ratios and below poverty line population in the country; and quasi-profiling assessments to identify poor, backward and tribal districts as defined by the TB programme in India. Results revealed that current pro-poor initiatives in TB control included collaboration with private providers and engaging community to improve access among the poor to TB diagnostic and treatment services. The participants identified gaps in existing pro-poor strategies that related to implementation of advocacy, communication and social mobilisation; decentralisation of DOT; and incentives for the poor through the available schemes for public-private partnerships and provided key recommendations for action. Synergies between TB control programme and centrally sponsored social welfare schemes and state specific social welfare programmes aimed at benefitting the poor were unclear. Further in-depth analysis and systems/policy/operations research exploring pro-poor initiatives, in particular examining service delivery synergies between existing poverty alleviation schemes and TB control programme is essential. The understanding, reflection and knowledge of the key stakeholders during this participatory workshop provides

How does Innovative Potential and Collaborative Capacity Contribute to a Firms Innovativeness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rai, Sudhanshu

In this paper I ask the basic question highlighted in the title, how does innovative potential and collaborative capacity contribute to a firm’s innovativeness? To address this central question I draw on innovative potential and collaborative capacity as a dynamic notion evaluates the data from...... India. This paper tries to create a framework creating a sustainable environment for ICT Innovation. To do that I argue that innovative potential and collaborative capacity provide a constellation of inputs to the firm to address both internal and external challenges. For instance while innovative...... potential works at a project or an individual level while collaborative capacity is seen to work at a firm or perhaps at the inter firm level. This does not mean IP acts only at the locus stated. I conjecture that IP/CC interact with each other at defferent levels, where each takes turn in driving...

Practical ways of bringing innovations and creativity into the school ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article describes the practical ways of bringing innovations and creativity into the school library media programme in Nigeria. Discussion focused on areas on creativity and innovations such as environmental design, staffing, outreach activities, library cooperation, and introduction of ICT system. Keywords: Innovations ...

Social innovation in Western Europe: networks and programmes as drivers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oeij, P.R.A.; Dhondt, S.; Solley, S.; Hill-Dixon, A.

2018-01-01

Networks and cooperation are vital for social innovation (SI). Policy which stimulates the development of SI ecosystems is likely to encourage the sustainability of social innovations. This chapter focuses on Western Europe, detailing how networks, individuals and groups are the main drivers in

Proposing a health promotion framework to address gambling problems in Australian Indigenous communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogarty, Marisa; Coalter, Nicola; Gordon, Ashley; Breen, Helen

2018-02-01

Gambling impacts affect Australian Indigenous families and communities in diverse and complex ways. Indigenous people throughout Australia engage in a broad range of regulated and unregulated gambling activities. Challenges in this area include the complexities that come with delivering services and programmes between the most remote regions, to highly populated towns and cities of Australia. There is little knowledge transfer between states and territories in Australia and no conceptual understanding or analysis of what constitutes 'best practice' in gambling service delivery for Indigenous people, families and communities. This article reviews health promotion approaches used in Australia, with a particular focus on Indigenous and gambling-based initiatives. Contributing to this review is an examination of health promotion strategies used in Indigenous gambling service delivery in the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia, demonstrating diversity and innovation in approaches. The article concludes by emphasizing the potential value of adopting health promotion strategies to underpin programme and service delivery for addressing gambling problems in Australian Indigenous communities. However, success is contingent on robust, evidence-based programme design, implementation and evaluation that adhere to health promotion principles. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Open innovations, innovation communities and firm's innovative activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Getejanc Vesna

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The open innovation paradigm emphasizes the fact that firms can improve their performance by opening their business models and reduce their R&D costs by effective incorporation of external knowledge. In other words, companies are able to capture value through knowledge that exists outside the boundaries of their organization. The shift from closed to open model of innovation has imposed the necessity to adopt more open approach to innovation within traditional academic view of business strategy. The adoption of this innovative approach is emphasized even more, by the necessity for stronger connection and cooperation among the participants of the innovation process. Free will and collaboration are the main characteristics of open source software, which is recognized in literature as the role model of open innovation and is a rapidly growing method of technology development. Furthermore, innovative communities represent a great opportunity for improvement of the companies' innovation activities, since they have become an important source for identifying the needs and problems of the users. Their development has been fostered by information technologies and recent social changes in user behavior. Recognizing and better understanding the motivation of the members of the innovation communities that guide them to participate in the process of idea generation, can have significant influence on their incorporation within the innovation process. Equally important is to define the incentives that are suited for stimulating and fostering innovative user activities. Taking this topic in consideration, the purpose of this article is to address the following questions: In what way does the collaboration in open source software projects have positive effect on companies' innovation performance? What are the innovation communities and how can companies establish successful interaction with them? Why does the interaction with innovation communities lead to

Social Innovation and Collaborative Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Linda Lundgaard; Hulgård, Lars

2014-01-01

In this chapter we explore the roots and inspirations as well as the innovative pedagogy, learning and study programmes in social innovation and social entrepreneurship at Roskilde University in Denmark. We further outline the contribution of academic capacity building nationally...... and internationally in the area of social entrepreneurship and social innovation. We sketch out six inspirational traditions that influence learning and teaching in social innovation and social entrepreneurship: 1/ features and concepts of classic entrepreneurship teaching, 2/ critical pedagogy of the oppressed...... and critical experiential learning, 3/ reform pedagogy as critical societal and subjective learning formats, 4/ creativity, scenarios and future workshops, 5/ collaborative and action learning trends and 6/ social entrepreneurship innovation labs, incubators and hubs. Consequently, we conclude...

ERDF R and D and innovation programme for 2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

After a brief presentation of the ERDF's R and D programme, this document proposes presentations of its different main themes and associated orientations: to improve the efficiency of distribution professions (to optimise asset management and to develop grid automation, to improve operation and customer relationship efficiency, to support counting evolution), to prepare the evolution of distribution professions (to design a management of local systems which eases the integration of renewable energies and the development of new flexibilities, to prepare solutions of data management for the benefit of external actors, to ease the introduction of electric vehicles and the emergence of smart grids), and the programme of smart grid demonstrators

Addressing the paradox of the team innovation process: A review and practical considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Thayer, Amanda L; Petruzzelli, Alexandra; McClurg, Caitlin E

2018-01-01

Facilitating team innovation is paramount to promoting progress in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields, as well as advancing national health, safety, prosperity, and welfare. However, innovation teams face a unique set of challenges due to the novelty and uncertainty that is core to the definition of innovation, as well as the paradoxical nature of idea generation and idea implementation processes. These and other challenges must be overcome for innovation teams to realize their full potential for producing change. The purpose of this review is, thus, to provide insight into the unique context that these teams function within and provide an integrative, evidence-based, and practically useful, organizing heuristic that focuses on the most important considerations for facilitating team innovation. Finally, we provide practical guidance for psychologists, organizations, practitioners, scientists, educators, policymakers, and others who employ teams to produce novel, innovative solutions to today's problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluating community-based medical education programmes in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-05-02

May 2, 2015 ... regionally relevant research through locally led innovative ... inputs, activities, outputs, and expected outcomes of their programmes, and used these models to inform development of evaluation .... It was highly interactive, with.

Innovation in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

MacDonald, Greg; Yow, Yit-Seng; Li, Xing

China's economy is growing quickly, and is innovation-led.  Europe can relate to China through joint R&D, programmes which offer an alternative vehicle of engagement to the traditional political and economic approaches. Innovation in China: The Dawning of the Asian Century promotes an awareness...... of the dynamics of innovation in China. It examines Chinese and European approaches to science and technology and contends that the ‘rules for survival' in R&D and education are changing in favour of China, in terms of base R&D parameters such as research expenditure, scientists trained, papers published...... and patents awarded. The authors recommend options for Europe and China to connect through longitudinal R&D  projects and ‘carrousel-training exchanges' in environmental and health related fields....

Application of a theoretical framework to foster a cardiac-diabetes self-management programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, C-J Jo; Chang, A M

2014-09-01

This paper analyses and illustrates the application of Bandura's self-efficacy construct to an innovative self-management programme for patients with both type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Using theory as a framework for any health intervention provides a solid and valid foundation for aspects of planning and delivering such an intervention; however, it is reported that many health behaviour intervention programmes are not based upon theory and are consequently limited in their applicability to different populations. The cardiac-diabetes self-management programme has been specifically developed for patients with dual conditions with the strategies for delivering the programme based upon Bandura's self-efficacy theory. This patient group is at greater risk of negative health outcomes than that with a single chronic condition and therefore requires appropriate intervention programmes with solid theoretical foundations that can address the complexity of care required. The cardiac-diabetes self-management programme has been developed incorporating theory, evidence and practical strategies. This paper provides explicit knowledge of the theoretical basis and components of a cardiac-diabetes self-management programme. Such detail enhances the ability to replicate or adopt the intervention in similar or differing populations and/or cultural contexts as it provides in-depth understanding of each element within the intervention. Knowledge of the concepts alone is not sufficient to deliver a successful health programme. Supporting patients to master skills of self-care is essential in order for patients to successfully manage two complex, chronic illnesses. Valuable information has been provided to close the theory-practice gap for more consistent health outcomes, engaging with patients for promoting holistic care within organizational and cultural contexts. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Addressing challenges of training a new generation of clinician-innovators through an interdisciplinary medical technology design program: Bench-to-Bedside.

Science.gov (United States)

Loftus, Patrick D; Elder, Craig T; D'Ambrosio, Troy; Langell, John T

2015-01-01

Graduate medical education has traditionally focused on training future physicians to be outstanding clinicians with basic and clinical science research skills. This focus has resulted in substantial knowledge gains, but a modest return on investment based on direct improvements in clinical care. In today's shifting healthcare landscape, a number of important challenges must be overcome to not only improve the delivery of healthcare, but to prepare future physicians to think outside the box, focus on and create healthcare innovations, and navigate the complex legal, business and regulatory hurdles of bringing innovation to the bedside. We created an interdisciplinary and experiential medical technology design competition to address these challenges and train medical students interested in moving new and innovative clinical solutions to the forefront of medicine. Medical students were partnered with business, law, design and engineering students to form interdisciplinary teams focused on developing solutions to unmet clinical needs. Over the course of six months teams were provided access to clinical and industry mentors, $500 prototyping funds, development facilities, and non-mandatory didactic lectures in ideation, design, intellectual property, FDA regulatory requirements, prototyping, market analysis, business plan development and capital acquisition. After four years of implementation, the program has supported 396 participants, seen the development of 91 novel medical devices, and launched the formation of 24 new companies. From our perspective, medical education programs that develop innovation training programs and shift incentives from purely traditional basic and clinical science research to also include high-risk innovation will see increased student engagement in improving healthcare delivery and an increase in the quality and quantity of innovative solutions to medical problems being brought to market.

Barriers and facilitators for implementing programmes and services to address hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in low and middle income countries: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kragelund Nielsen, Karoline; Damm, Peter; Bygbjerg, Ib C; Kapur, Anil

2018-04-21

An estimated 87.6% of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy cases are in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study is to review the evidence on barriers and facilitators to programmes and services addressing hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in LMICs. A systematic review and narrative synthesis was conducted based on searches in PubMed. A total of 23 qualitative and quantitative studies were included. Barriers and facilitators exist at the health system level, individual level and social and societal levels and are often interacting. At the health system level they relate to capacity in terms of human and material resources; availability of feasible and appropriate guidelines; organisational management and referral pathways. Individual level barriers and facilitators include knowledge; risk perception; illness beliefs; financial condition; work obligations; concerns for the baby and hardship associated with services. At the social and societal level important factors are: perceptions and norms related to women's roles, mobility and health; the knowledge and support of women's social network; and structural aspects. Numerous factors influence programmes and services addressing hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in LMICs. Thus, several components are needed to ensure detection, treatment and follow-up of women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EPA Leadership on Science, Innovation, and Decision Support Tools for Addressing Current and Future Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Hecht, Alan D; Ferster, Aaron; Summers, Kevin

2017-10-16

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established nearly 50 years ago, the nation faced serious threats to its air, land, and water, which in turn impacted human health. These threats were effectively addressed by the creation of EPA (in 1970) and many subsequent landmark environmental legislations which in turn significantly reduced threats to the Nation's environment and public health. A key element of historic legislation is research aimed at dealing with current and future problems. Today we face national and global challenges that go beyond classic media-specific (air, land, water) environmental legislation and require an integrated paradigm of action and engagement based on (1) innovation based on science and technology, (2) stakeholder engagement and collaboration, and (3) public education and support. This three-pronged approach recognizes that current environmental problems, include social as well as physical and environmental factors, are best addressed through collaborative problem solving, the application of innovation in science and technology, and multiple stakeholder engagement. To achieve that goal, EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) is working directly with states and local communities to develop and apply a suite of accessible decision support tools (DST) that aim to improve environmental conditions, protect human health, enhance economic opportunity, and advance a resilient and sustainability society. This paper showcases joint EPA and state actions to develop tools and approaches that not only meet current environmental and public health challenges, but do so in a way that advances sustainable, healthy, and resilient communities well into the future. EPA's future plans should build on current work but aim to effectively respond to growing external pressures. Growing pressures from megatrends are a major challenge for the new Administration and for cities and states across the country. The recent hurricanes hitting

Innovation - Vol 44 (2012)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Digital innovation for food security: a case study of the TEEAL programme and its contribution to agricultural research output in African institutions · EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. Michael Chimalizeni, Gracian Chimwaza, Blessing Chataira, Baseema B KrKoska ...

Innovation Happens in Systems: Implications for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy

OpenAIRE

Holbrook, J.A.

2005-01-01

This report addresses the regional systems of innovation in Canada, and looks at the ways that policy instruments play a role in the process. Recommendations are made to encourage the development of policies that foster the development of innovation clusters in Canada.

Exploring the dynamics of water innovation: Foundations for water innovation studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wehn, U.; Montalvo, C.

2018-01-01

The urgent need for innovation to address multifaceted and intertwined water-related challenges is becoming increasingly clear, acknowledged and responded to with cumulating sources and amounts of funding. Nevertheless, the water sector has been claimed to be less innovative than other sectors. This

Biotechnology 2000: a new German R&D programme

OpenAIRE

Ekkehard Warmuth

1991-01-01

Biotechnology 2000 is a German programme to continue the development of biotechnology started in 1982. It includes two new scientific fields for industrial innovation — genome research and neurobiology. Together with industry and the science community, the biotechnology programme will create a basis for future generations of biologically derived products and processes, including the development of safety precautions for the contained use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and of univers...

Innovation in a complex environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

René Pellissier

2012-11-01

Objectives: The study objectives were, firstly, to establish the determinants for complexity and how these can be addressed from a design point of view in order to ensure innovation success and, secondly, to determine how this changes innovation forms and applications. Method: Two approaches were offered to deal with a complex environment – one allowing for complexity for organisational innovation and the other introducing reductionism to minimise complexity. These approaches were examined in a qualitative study involving case studies, open-ended interviews and content analysis between seven developing economy (South African organisations and seven developed economy (US organisations. Results: This study presented a proposed framework for (organisational innovation in a complex environment versus a framework that minimises complexity. The comparative organisational analysis demonstrated the importance of initiating organisational innovation to address internal and external complexity, with the focus being on the leadership actions, their selected operating models and resultant organisational innovations designs, rather than on technological innovations. Conclusion: This study cautioned the preference for technological innovation within organisations and suggested alternative innovation forms (such as organisational and management innovation be used to remain competitive in a complex environment.

Technological innovations in implants used for pain therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Andrew; Sharma, Mayur; Deogaonkar, Milind; Rezai, Ali

2014-10-01

The field of pain management has experienced tremendous growth in implantable therapies secondary to the innovations of bioengineers, implanters, and industry. Every aspect of neuromodulation is amenable to innovation from implanting devices to anchors, electrodes, programming, and even patient programmers. Patients with previously refractory neuropathic pain syndromes have new and effective pain management strategies that are a direct result of innovations in implantable devices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can workers with chronic back pain shift from pain elimination to function restore at work? Qualitative evaluation of an innovative work related multidisciplinary programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Buijs, Peter C; Lambeek, Ludeke C; Koppenrade, Vera; Hooftman, Wendela E; Anema, Johannes R

2009-01-01

Workers with chronic low back pain (LBP) mean a heavy human and social-economic burden. Their medical histories often include different treatments without attention to work-relatedness or communication with occupational health providers, leaving them passive and medicalized in (outpatient) health care. So we developed and implemented an innovative, patient-activating alternative: the multidisciplinary outpatient care (MOC) programme, including work(place) intervention and graded activity. It aims at function restore (instead of pain elimination), return to work (RTW) and coordinated communication. To qualitatively explore how patients and health care providers perceive the programme effectiveness and which factors influence its implementation. In-depth, semi structured interview with patients and focus groups of health care providers are used, all recorded, transformed into verbatim transcript and analysed. This qualitative study shows that although patients' expectations were low at the start of the program, and despite long LBP histories, including many different therapies, (primarily) directed at pain reduction, the MOC programme was successful in changing patients' goal setting from pain oriented towards function restore and RTW. The programme was therefore perceived as applicable and effective. Patient compliance was influenced by barriers - despair, supervisory and subordinate resistance at work, waiting period, medicalisation in health care - and facilitators: disciplinary motivation, protocolled communication, information supply, tailor-made exercises. For some patients the barriers were too high. Several improvement suggestions were given. This qualitative study shows that generally, patients and professionals perceived the multidisciplinary outpatient care programme as applicable and effective. After incorporating improvement suggestions this program seems promising for further, broader application and hypothesis testing. For those, negatively evaluating

Participatory Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buur, Jacob; Matthews, Ben

In this paper we discuss the potential for Participatory Design (PD) to make a fundamental contribution to the business-oriented field of user-driven innovation, taking note of where we find PD can best benefit from interaction with this other field. We examine some of the challenges that must...... be addressed if PD is to contribute to innovation processes in companies. We conclude by presenting a research agenda comprising of six promising topics to shape a new discipline of Participatory Innovation....

Enseigner dans un programme universitaire innovant : de nouveaux rôles à apprivoiser, des actes pédagogiques à diversifier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathalie Lefebvre

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Cette recherche vise à décrire, à partir d’observations empiriques, les rôles exercés et les actes pédagogiques effectués par les enseignantes et les enseignants engagés dans quatre programmes universitaires canadiens jugés innovants. L’observation directe en classe a permis de recueillir leurs propos qui ont été analysés à l’aide de deux grilles construites progressivement au cours de l’étude: la liste des dimensions théoriques et la grille des niveaux de centration sur l’apprentissage. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que les rôles et les actes pédagogiques observés apparaissent moins diversifiés et moins centrés sur l’apprentissage que ce qui est attendu dans un contexte novateur de formation.This research, based on empirical observations, describes the roles and teaching acts carried out by professors engaged in four innovative university programs in Canada. Classrooms observations were used to collect data, which were then analyzed using two grids built progressively during the study: a list of theoretical dimensions and a grid showing degrees of focus on learning. In terms of results, the roles and actions of the four university professors were found to be less diversified and less centered on student learning than was expected from their innovative instructional context.

Detecting Social Innovation agency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pel, Bonno; Dorland, Jens; Wittmayer, Julia

2017-01-01

Considering that it is important for the social innovation research field to confront its methodological challenges, this contribution addresses the challenge of choosing appropriate units of analysis. In processes of transformative social innovation, the agency is distributed and therefore...

A flexible analog memory address list manager for PHENIX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ericson, M.N.; Musrock, M.S.; Britton, C.L. Jr.; Walker, J.W.; Wintenberg, A.L.; Young, G.R.; Allen, M.D.

1996-01-01

A programmable analog memory address list manager has been developed for use with all analog memory-based detector subsystems of PHENIX. The unit provides simultaneous read/write control, cell write-over protection for both a Level-1 trigger decision delay and digitization latency, and re-ordering of AMU addresses following conversion, at a beam crossing rate of 105 ns. Addresses are handled such that up to 5 Level-1 (LVL-1) events can be maintained in the AMU without write-over. Data tagging is implemented for handling overlapping and shared beam-event data packets. Full usage in all PHENIX analog memory-based detector subsystems is accomplished by the use of detector-specific programmable parameters--the number of data samples per valid LVL-1 trigger and the sample spacing. Architectural candidates for the system are discussed with emphasis on implementation implications. Details of the design are presented including application specifics, timing information, and test results from a full implementation using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)

Innovation networking between stability and political dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian

2004-01-01

of the contribution is to challenge and transcend these notions and develop an understanding of innovation networks as an interplay between stable and dynamic elements, where political processes in innovation are much more than a disruptive and even a counterproductive feature. It reviews the growing number...... of studies that highlight the political aspect of innovation. The paper reports on a study of innovation processes conducted within the EU—TSER-programme and a study made under the banner of management of technology. Intensive field studies in two constellations of enterprises were carried out. One......This contribution views innovation as a social activity of building networks, using software product development in multicompany alliances and networks as example. Innovation networks are frequently understood as quite stable arrangements characterised by high trust among the participants. The aim...

The Nordic programme for nuclear safety 1990-1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soerensen, H.C.

1993-04-01

The supplement contains a name-and-address list relevant to the Nordic Nuclear Safety Programme 1990-1993 and covering consortiums, reference groups, programme coordinators, project leaders and project participants. (AB)

The Nordic programme for nuclear safety 1990-1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soerensen, H.C.

1992-03-01

The supplement contains a name-and-address list relevant to the Nordic Nuclear Safety Programme 1990-1993 and covering consortiums, reference groups, programme coordinators, project leaders and project participants. (AB)

STREAMS - Technology Programme. Yearbook 2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The STREAMS Technology Programme addresses municipal waste. Municipal waste is composed of waste from households and small businesses. The programme focuses on five areas Waste prevention, Collection, transportation, and management of waste streams, Waste treatment technologies, Waste recycling into raw materials and new products, Landfill technologies. The development projects of the STREAMS Programme utilize a number of different technologies, such as biotechnology, information technology, materials technology, measurement and analysis, and automation technology. Finnish expertise in materials recycling technologies and related electronics and information technology is extremely high on a worldwide scale even though the companies represent SMEs. Started in 2001, the STREAMS programme has a total volume of 27 million euros, half of which is funded by Tekes. The programme runs through the end of 2004. (author)

Scenarios of technology and innovation policies in Europe : Investigating future governance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuhlmann, Stefan; Edler, Jakob

2003-01-01

In Europe, public research, technology and innovation policies are no longer exclusively in the hands of national authorities: increasingly, national initiatives are supplemented by, or even competing with, regional innovation policies or transnational programmes, in particular the activities of the

Do non-profit sport organisations innovate? Types and preferences of service innovation within regional sport federations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Winand, M.; Scheerder, J.; Vos, S.B.; Zint, T.

2016-01-01

Little is known about innovation in the non-profit sport sector. The current research addresses this gap by questioning whether and to what extent sport federations innovate. It aims to identify types of innovation implemented by sport federations and their attitude and preferences towards

Innovative uses of communication technology for HIV programming for men who have sex with men and transgender persons.

Science.gov (United States)

Allison, Susannah M; Adams, Darrin; Klindera, Kent C; Poteat, Tonia; Wolf, R Cameron

2014-01-01

Globally, overall rates of HIV are on the decline; however, rates among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons are increasing. Meanwhile, there has been exponential growth in access to communication technology over the last decade. More innovative prevention and care technology-based programmes are needed to help address the growing numbers of MSM and transgender persons living with HIV and those at risk for infection. To address this need, a meeting was hosted by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and co-sponsored by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The meeting brought together researchers, community implementers, advocates and federal partners to discuss the current landscape of technology-based interventions for MSM and transgender persons and to discuss key considerations. Presentations and discussions focused on the research gaps, facilitators and barriers to programme implementation and public-private partnerships. This article summarizes the meeting proceedings and outlines key considerations for future work in this area.

Swiss Biomass Programme - Overview report on the 2007 research programme; Programm Biomasse: Ueberblicksbericht zum Forschungsprogramm 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Binggeli, D; Guggisberg, B

2008-07-01

This illustrated report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents an overview of the results obtained in 2007 within the framework of the Swiss Biomass research programme. The potential for biomass use in Switzerland is reviewed and the emphases of the national programme are discussed. The results obtained are noted for the following areas: process optimisation, including - amongst others - particle emissions and control aspects as well as combined wood-pellets and solar heating systems. Projects involving non-wood biomass are reported on, including biomass digesters and various biogas systems. Further reports deal with the analysis and optimisation of material flows, organic pollutants and methane losses. New conversion technologies are reported on. Further reports deal with basic strategies and concepts in the area of biomass usage. National and international co-operation is also discussed. A selection of innovative pilot and demonstration projects is also presented and research and development projects are listed.

Strategies for a professional development programme: empowering teachers for context-based chemistry education.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stolk, M.; Bulte, A.M.W.; de Jong, O.; Pilot, A.

2009-01-01

The aim of this study is to understand the design of professional development programmes in teacher-based and context-based chemistry curriculum innovations. Firstly, the goals of these programmes are discussed and related to the concept of empowerment. Next, in a selection of empirical studies,

The NRPB future scientific programme (2002-2007)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This paper provides a detailed summary of the work planned for the lifetime of the Corporate Plan (2002-2007). Some of the work relates to new technologies, other work arises from challenges to accepted standards or because of new information from research. The Scientific Programme is set in the context of NRPB effort in the international arena to develop and address radiation issues and standards. This work pervades and influences aspects of the work programme in all of the scientific areas. The globally recognised expertise of NRPB can influence developments to ensure UK concerns are addressed and the UK research programmes meshes with international and collaborative research. The Scientific Programme is in line with the role of NRPB, our stated methods of working and the priorities identified by the 1999-2000 Strategic Review, Government Departments, Devolved Administrations and Agencies and the views of Board members. The future Scientific Programme spans the three principal functions of advice, research and the provision of technical services and draws on expertise from across the organisation. The Department of Health is responsible for ministerial approval of the Corporate Plan and Scientific Programme. (author)

Sustainable Brand-Based Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nedergaard, Nicky; Gyrd-Jones, Richard

2013-01-01

The role of the corporate brand as a strategic resource in orienting innovation projects has only been cursorily addressed in the literature. As innovation is a key driver of brand growth, this article discusses how corporate brands can contribute to both guiding and driving such innovation....... On the basis of this framework, a conceptual model is elaborated integrating the three key management imperatives of: (i) orienting innovation and investments around the brand (brand orientation); (ii) thinking on a human scale to generate unique customer insights (intuitive customer orientation); and (iii....... Implications for brand leadership in innovation management and avenues for further research into the brand–innovation interface are discussed....

Innovation in education, ICT and pioneer teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Bocconi

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Reflections on the role of "pioneer teachers" as a potential key figure in the innovation process of the school, with particular reference to the European Framework Programme project Ulearn eLearning.

Orchestrating innovation networks: The case of innovation brokers in the agri-food sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Batterink, M.H.; Wubben, E.F.M.; Klerkx, L.W.A.; Omta, S.W.F.

2010-01-01

This explorative study of network orchestration processes conducted by innovation brokers addresses new issues in bridging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research institutes in innovation networks. The study includes four in-depth case studies in the agri-food sector from different

Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe: introduction to the supplement.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Mark; Zeegers Paget, Dineke

2013-11-01

PHIRE (Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe) was developed for the national member associations and individual researchers of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) to engage collectively with the health research agenda in Europe. It was co-funded by the European Commission's Directorate for Health and Consumers within the EU Health Programme. It was coordinated by EUPHA in a partnership of eight organizations. This article introduces the Supplement in the European Journal of Public Health presenting the results of PHIRE. PHIRE used mixed methods to collect data across 30 European countries (European Union 27 plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). Seven thematic Sections of EUPHA identified eight cross-national public health innovation projects, and Country Informants to report on national uptake and impact of these innovations. Public health was considered broadly--health determinants and interventions, health services and practice. Through EUPHA's member national public health associations, and by direct country contacts, PHIRE described country public health research strategies and structures, reviewed calls and programmes for research in 1 year and organized stakeholder workshops. PHIRE was reported to the European Commission, and the component reports placed on the EUPHA web page. A draft of the Final Summary Report was sent by email for commentary by selected experts. PHIRE data from the work packages were organized into eight themes for the Supplement. Through the EUPHA thematic Sections, experts described the uptake and impact of eight innovation projects from the EU Health Programme. National reports indicated a positive impact of the innovations in public health 'markets'. Through national public health associations, 75 programmes and calls for public health research were found for 2010, but systems are not comparable and nor is information exchanged or coordinated. Only a few countries have public health research strategies. Having

The Multiple Facets of Regional Innovation

OpenAIRE

Matthias Siller; Christoph Hauser; Janette Walde; Gottfried Tappeiner

2014-01-01

Measuring innovation activities involves critical decisions in selecting appropriate indicators and levels of observation. The present article contributes to the literature on this subject by addressing innovation measurement on the regional level. The dimensionality of regional innovation is examined by applying a principal component analysis on seven innovation output indicators in European regions from the Community Innovation Survey and two traditional indicators, i.e. patent applications...

Metaphors of Open Innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marien van den Boom

2010-01-01

In this paper we turn to the field of innovation management and the use of metaphors to address the question: what kind of alternative metaphors and narratives have some open-innovation organizations introduced highlighting and fostering knowledge-intensive organizational change? First we draw a

Policy options to stimulate social innovation initiatives addressing food waste prevention and reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vittuari, Matteo; Gaiani, Silvia; Politano, Alessandro; Timmermans, A.J.M.; Bos-Brouwers, H.E.J.

2016-01-01

The report builds on the knowledge created by the FUSIONS position paper “Stimulating social innovation through policy measures” that uses as key inputs the range of existing social innovation initiatives catalogued by FUSIONS WP4 in the inventory and draws on the outcomes of the WP3 Social Camp

Standardization Versus Innovation In Management Consultancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciumara Tudor

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper is supported by the Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development (SOP HRD, financed from the European Social Fund and by the Romanian Government under the contract number SOP HRD/89/1.5/S/62988. In this paper we propose some perspectives on the relationship between standardization and innovation in the management consulting business. Most of the consulting services are situated somewhere between absolute standardization and absolute innovation. Approaching any of these poles brings some advantages and disadvantages, both to the service providers and to their customers. It is important to find a balance between innovation and standardization to maximize the results of all agents involved.

Everyday-Oriented Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munnecke, Max

The exploration of radical innovation has long been regarded as fundamental to business growth. In the 21st century, modern organisations increasingly seek to combine business innovation with the broader goal to confront social and environmental challenges. Vision projects are related phenomena...... which explore and map radical innovation opportunities within everyday activities. The aim of a vision project is to produce an innovation map that can empower an organisation to navigate between potential innovation opportunities and pro‐actively confront modern challenges for the benefit of people......, business, and society. The study addresses the concern that vision projects do not produce sufficient navigational innovation maps, and seeks to improve their quality by modelling a new methodological framework. The study was conducted as a series of four research cycles which modelled and experimented...

A system-evolutionary approach for innovation policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits, Ruud E.H.M.; Kuhlmann, Stefan; Teubal, Morris

2010-01-01

A leading question addressed in this book is how to improve public policy, using insights from innovation studies and theory as well as from innovation practice and innovation policy. Innovation in this book is seen as a dynamic interactive process taking place in heterogeneous, more or less

Uptake of Space Technologies - An Educational Programme

Science.gov (United States)

Bacai, Hina; Zolotikova, Svetlana; Young, Mandy; Cowsill, Rhys; Wells, Alan; Monks, Paul; Archibald, Alexandra; Smith, Teresa

2013-04-01

Earth Observation data and remote sensing technologies have been maturing into useful tools that can be utilised by local authorities and businesses to aid in activates such as monitoring climate change trends and managing agricultural land and water uses. The European Earth observation programme Copernicus, previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security), provides the means to collect and process multi-source EO and environmental data that supports policy developments at the European level. At the regional and local level, the Copernicus programme has been initiated through Regional Contact Office (RCO), which provide knowledge, training, and access to expertise both locally and at a European level through the network of RCOs established across Europe in the DORIS_Net (Downstream Observatory organised by Regions active In Space - Network) project (Grant Agreement No. 262789 Coordination and support action (Coordinating) FP7 SPA.2010.1.1-07 "Fostering downstream activities and links with regions"). In the East Midlands UK RCO, educational and training workshops and modules have been organised to highlight the wider range of tools and application available to businesses and local authorities in the region. Engagement with businesses and LRA highlighted the need to have a tiered system of training to build awareness prior to investigating innovative solutions and space technology uses for societal benefits. In this paper we outline education and training programmes which have been developed at G-STEP (GMES - Science and Technology Education Partnership), University of Leicester, UK to open up the Copernicus programme through the Regional Contact Office to downstream users such as local businesses and LRAs. Innovative methods to introduce the operational uses of Space technologies in real cases through e-learning modules and web-based tools will be described and examples of good practice for educational training in these sectors will be

Women and IFAD Programme Illo et al.

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. K.J. Umar

2014-05-07

May 7, 2014 ... Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Science (June, 2015), 23(1): 23-30 ... especially on the assistance provided, and the management of the ... rural poor through sustainable improvement in ... since 1985 financed different programmes and project .... adopt any new innovation provided to them by the.

Barriers and Facilitators for implementing programmes and services to address hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in low and middle income countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Karoline Kragelund; Damm, Peter; Bygbjerg, Ib C

2018-01-01

AIMS: An estimated 87.6% of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy cases is in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study is to review the evidence on barriers and facilitators to programmes and services addressing hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in LMICs. METHODS: A systematic review...... they relate to capacity in terms of human and material resources; availability of feasible and appropriate guidelines; organizational management and referral pathways. Individual level barriers and facilitators include knowledge; risk perception; illness beliefs; financial condition; work obligations......; concerns for the baby and hardship associated with services. At the social and societal level, perceptions and norms related to women's roles, mobility and health; the knowledge and support of the women's social network; and structural aspects are important influencing factors. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous...

The CERN & Society programme launches its newsletter

CERN Multimedia

Matteo Castoldi

2016-01-01

The newsletter will be issued quarterly. Sign up to remain informed about the latest initiatives of the CERN & Society programme!    The CERN & Society programme encompasses projects in the areas of education and outreach, innovation and knowledge exchange, and culture and creativity that spread the CERN spirit of scientific curiosity for the inspiration and benefit of society. The programme is funded primarily by the CERN & Society Foundation, a charitable foundation established by CERN and supported by individuals, trusts, organisations and commercial companies. The projects are inspired or enabled by CERN but lie outside of the Laboratory’s specific research mandate. We especially want to help young talent from around the world to flourish in the future. The programme is now launching its newsletter, which will be issued quarterly. Everybody who wants to be informed about CERN & Society’s activities, stay up-to-date with its latest in...

An innovative program to address learning barriers in small schools: Washington State School Nurse Corps.

Science.gov (United States)

Fast, Gail Ann; Gray, Lorali; Miles-Koehler, Mona

2013-01-01

While all schools in Washington State have had to deal with shrinking financial resources, small, rural school districts, with fewer than 2,000 students, face unique circumstances that further challenge their ability to meet rising student health needs. This article will explore how small districts utilize the services of the Washington State School Nurse Corps (SNC), an innovative program that supports student health and safety while reducing barriers to learning. Through direct registered nursing services and regional nurse administrative consultation and technical assistance, the SNC strengthens rural school districts' capacity to provide a safe and healthy learning environment. In addition, we will examine current research that links health and learning to discover how the SNC model is successful in addressing health risks as barriers to learning. Lastly, as resources continue to dwindle, partnerships between schools, the SNC, and state and local health and education organizations will be critical in maintaining health services and learning support to small, rural schools.

Modernize the Public Sector through Innovation?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansson, Finn; Norn, Maria Theresa; Vad, Torben Bundgaard

2014-01-01

The New Public Management drive to innovate in the public sector has become less influential and new initiatives to drive innovation are now sought. There are well-known challenges when using social science research to inform innovation in the public sector. In order to address these challenges, ...

A flexible analog memory address list manager/controller for PHENIX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ericson, M.N.; Walker, J.W.; Britton, C.L.; Wintenberg, A.L.; Young, G.R.

1995-01-01

A programmable analog memory address list manager/controller has been developed for use with all analog memory-based detector subsystems of PHENIX. The unit provides simultaneous read/write control, cell write-over protection for both a Level-1 trigger decision delay and digitization latency, and re-ordering of AMU addresses following conversion, at a beam crossing rate of 112 ns. Addresses are handled such that up to 5 Level-1 events can be maintained in the AMU without write-over. Data tagging is implemented for handling overlapping and shared beam event data packets. Full usage in all PHENIX analog memory-based detector sub-systems is accomplished by the use of detector-specific programmable parameters -- the number of data samples per Level-1 trigger valid and the swnple spacing. Architectural candidates for the system are discussed with emphasis on implementation implications. Details of the design are presented including design simulations, timing information, and test results from a full implementation using programmable logic devices

Dissemination of solar photovoltaics: a study on the government programme to promote solar lantern in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velayudhan, S.K.

2003-01-01

The study examines the reasons for the limited dissemination of solar lanterns in India. It uses 'diffusion of innovation' framework to examine the dissemination process. The impact of the characteristics of solar lantern on dissemination and also the communication within the community about the product are examined. To understand the influence of the characteristics of solar lantern on dissemination and the information source used by adopters, a survey of 188 users across 15 locations is carried out. The study shows that the benefits promoted by the government programme for disseminating solar lantern are not the reasons for purchase in most cases. The results suggest that the emphasis on subsidy by the support programme shifts the focus to the cost of the solar lantern than its benefits. Contrary to expectation there is no significant difference in the profile of early and late adopters. The subsidy for solar lanterns and the targets set for government officials are the possible influence on the observed profile for adopter categories. The early majority who can afford the solar lantern and take up the innovation on its merits are expected to disseminate the innovation. The programme on the contrary not only fails to identify and promote to the early adopters, but focus on the disadvantaged groups. There are therefore no champions for the innovation and an absence of word-of-mouth communication. The information source is restricted to government agencies, while the potential user looks for evaluative information on the product from existing users. The application of 'diffusion of innovation' framework to understand the dissemination process of solar lantern suggests reworking the support programmes designed to promote solar lanterns. The lessons can be extended to programmes designed for dissemination of other solar photovoltaic products

Dissemination of solar photovoltaics: a study on the government programme to promote solar lantern in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velayudhan, S.K. [Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad (India)

2003-11-01

The study examines the reasons for the limited dissemination of solar lanterns in India. It uses ''diffusion of innovation'' framework to examine the dissemination process. The impact of the characteristics of solar lantern on dissemination and also the communication within the community about the product are examined. To understand the influence of the characteristics of solar lantern on dissemination and the information source used by adopters, a survey of 188 users across 15 locations is carried out. The study shows that the benefits promoted by the government programme for disseminating solar lantern are not the reasons for purchase in most cases. The results suggest that the emphasis on subsidy by the support programme shifts the focus to the cost of the solar lantern than its benefits. Contrary to expectation there is no significant difference in the profile of early and late adopters. The subsidy for solar lanterns and the targets set for government officials are the possible influence on the observed profile for adopter categories. The early majority who can afford the solar lantern and take up the innovation on its merits are expected to disseminate the innovation. The programme on the contrary not only fails to identify and promote to the early adopters, but focus on the disadvantaged groups. There are therefore no champions for the innovation and an absence of word-of-mouth communication. The information source is restricted to government agencies, while the potential user looks for evaluative information on the product from existing users. The application of ''diffusion of innovation'' framework to understand the dissemination process of solar lantern suggests reworking the support programmes designed to promote solar lanterns. The lessons can be extended to programmes designed for dissemination of other solar photovoltaic products. (author)

UKAEA underlying research programme annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, D.P.

1990-01-01

Investment in fundamental research is essential to the success of an organisation such as Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) Technology whose business is the selling of Research and Development (R and D) and the services relating to it. Such research supplies the scientific understanding that underpins the technical expertise of the organisation, develops new skills and techniques, and stimulates technical innovation. The resulting scientific and technical excellence is the hall-mark of a major contract R and D organisation. Fundamental research in the AEA is co-ordinated through the Underlying Research Programme. This Report describes progress made during the financial year 1988/89 within all Technical Areas of the Programme, and additionally summarises the AEA's Underlying Research on the Safe Integral Reactor design and on 'Cold Fusion'. Highlights of recent technical achievements within the Programme are described in a separate brochure. (author)

Nature-Based Solutions in the EU: Innovating with nature to address social, economic and environmental challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Faivre, Nicolas; Fritz, Marco; Freitas, Tiago; de Boissezon, Birgit; Vandewoestijne, Sofie

2017-11-01

Contemporary societies are facing a broad range of challenges, from pressures on human health and well-being to natural capital depletion, and the security of food, water and energy. These challenges are deeply intertwined with global processes, such as climate change and with local events such as natural disasters. The EU's research & innovation (R&I) policy is now seeking to address these challenges from a new perspective, with Nature-Based Solutions, and turn them into innovation opportunities that optimise the synergies between nature, society and the economy. Nature-Based Solutions can be an opportunity for innovation, and are here promoted by both policymakers and practitioners as a cost-effective way of creating a greener, more sustainable, and more competitive economy. Since 2013, the European Commission has devoted particular attention to Nature-Based Solutions through consultations and dialogues that sought to make the concept of these solutions more concrete and to define the concept's place within the spectrum of ecosystem-based approaches. In 2014, the Commission launched an expert group, which conducted further analysis, and made recommendations to help increase the use of Nature-Based Solutions and bring nature back into cities. In 2015, a survey was conducted on citizens' views and perceptions of 'Nature in Cities' to provide further insight for future work. Based on these elements and on results from running EU projects, the Commission has developed an R&I agenda for Nature-Based Solutions and has published targeted calls for proposals for large-scale demonstration projects in this field in 2016 and 2017. Additional R&I actions at EU level that promote systemic Nature-Based Solutions and their benefits to cities and territories are planned with the aim to improve the implementation capacity and evidence base for deploying Nature-Based Solutions and developing corresponding future markets. They are also expected to foster an interdisciplinary R

Strategies for a Professional Development Programme: Empowering Teachers for Context-Based Chemistry Education

Science.gov (United States)

Stolk, Machiel J.; Bulte, Astrid M. W.; de Jong, Onno; Pilot, Albert

2009-01-01

The aim of this study is to understand the design of professional development programmes in teacher-based and context-based chemistry curriculum innovations. Firstly, the goals of these programmes are discussed and related to the concept of empowerment. Next, in a selection of empirical studies, four general strategies for professional development…

The future of the Brazilian resettlement programme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thais Silva Menezes

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Brazil’s resettlement programmes have been praised for demonstrating the country’s commitment to refugee protection but the number resettled remains small compared with international need. Brazil needs to address the financing of such programmes if it is to ensure their sustainability and growth. 

Quality assurance programme for the LVR-15 nuclear research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-03-01

The document specifies all aspects of the quality assurance programme for the LVR-15 nuclear research reactor. The programme addresses the organization and responsibilities, basic quality assurance activities, and identification of management, planning, and working documents necessary to implement the programme. (P.A.)

Innovation in a complex environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

René Pellissier

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Background: As our world becomes more global and competitive yet less predictable, the focus seems to be increasingly on looking to innovation activities to remain competitive. Although there is little doubt that a nation’s competitiveness is embedded in its innovativeness, the complex environment should not be ignored. Complexity is not accounted for in balance sheets or reported in reports; it becomes entrenched in every activity in the organisation. Innovation takes many forms and comes in different shapes.Objectives: The study objectives were, firstly, to establish the determinants for complexity and how these can be addressed from a design point of view in order to ensure innovation success and, secondly, to determine how this changes innovation forms and applications.Method: Two approaches were offered to deal with a complex environment – one allowing for complexity for organisational innovation and the other introducing reductionism to minimise complexity. These approaches were examined in a qualitative study involving case studies, open-ended interviews and content analysis between seven developing economy (South African organisations and seven developed economy (US organisations.Results: This study presented a proposed framework for (organisational innovation in a complex environment versus a framework that minimises complexity. The comparative organisational analysis demonstrated the importance of initiating organisational innovation to address internal and external complexity, with the focus being on the leadership actions, their selected operating models and resultant organisational innovations designs, rather than on technological innovations.Conclusion: This study cautioned the preference for technological innovation within organisations and suggested alternative innovation forms (such as organisational and management innovation be used to remain competitive in a complex environment. 

Progress and status of the international project on innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles (INPRO) - 5182

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponomarev, A.; Fesenko, G.; Grigoriev, F.G.; Korinny, A.; Phillips, J.R.; Rho, K.

2015-01-01

The IAEA's International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) was established in 2000 through IAEA General Conference resolution. INPRO cooperates with Member States to ensure that sustainable nuclear energy is available to help meet the energy needs of the 21. century. INPRO membership has grown to 41 members and 16 observers. The paper presents the current prospectus of the INPRO programme and details the most recent achievements in the following 7 projects: 1) the GAINS project (Global Architecture of Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems with thermal and fast reactors and a closed nuclear fuel cycle); 2) the SYNERGIES project applies and amends the analytical framework developed in GAINS project to examine more specifically the various forms of regional collaboration among nuclear energy suppliers and users; 3) the KIND project (Key Indicators for Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems) has the objective of developing guidance on the evaluation on innovative nuclear technologies; 4) the ROADMAPS project addresses several possible stages toward nuclear energy sustainability; 5) the RISC project aims at demonstrating that the evolution of safety requirements and technical innovations provide continual progress towards the avoidance of evacuation measures outside NPP sites in case of severe accidents; 6) the FANES project has the objective of carrying out feasibility analyses of advanced and innovative fuels for different reactor systems; and 7) the WIRAF project aims at identifying problematic waste from innovative reactor designs and corresponding nuclear fuel cycles

Innovation strategies and competitive advantage

OpenAIRE

Gërguri, Shqipe; Rexhepi, Gadaf; Ramadani, Veland

2013-01-01

Companies today operate in a very dynamic, uncertain and competitive environment. They compete in "nicety" that are so small but so important. Companies are trying to achieve competitive advantage in order to help them obtain a better and a stable position in the marketplace. The best way for companies to achieve a competitive advantage is through innovation. This paper addresses the meaning of innovation what does innovation present, types of innovation specifically discussing the right way ...

Triple P business development in the Dutch agro-food sector : 9 cases of strategic innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Someren, van T.C.R.; Nijhof, A.H.J.

2010-01-01

The 21st Century will be dominated by innovations in order to realize sustainable development. Innovative entrepreneurs will search for and create Triple P business cases and thereby transform industries. The Dutch agro-food sector innovation programme TransForum has stimulated and supported a wide

Effectiveness of Training Programme on Mushroom Cultivation

OpenAIRE

Rahman, Md. Sazzadur; Hossain, Kh. Zulfikar; Ali, Md. Sekender; Afroz, Fauzia

2017-01-01

Effectiveness is one of the key parameters to assess success of any programs. However, the effectiveness of training programme on mushroom cultivation was not well addressed. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effectiveness of training programme on mushroom cultivation and to explore the relationships of each of the selected characteristics of the trained mushroom farmers with their effectiveness of training programme. Data were collected from the trained mushroom farmers of s...

National and regional asthma programmes in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Selroos, Olof; Kupczyk, Maciej; Kuna, Piotr; Łacwik, Piotr; Bousquet, Jean; Brennan, David; Palkonen, Susanna; Contreras, Javier; FitzGerald, Mark; Hedlin, Gunilla; Johnston, Sebastian L; Louis, Renaud; Metcalf, Leanne; Walker, Samantha; Moreno-Galdó, Antonio; Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G; Rosado-Pinto, José; Powell, Pippa; Haahtela, Tari

2015-09-01

This review presents seven national asthma programmes to support the European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership in developing strategies to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity across Europe. From published data it appears that in order to influence asthma care, national/regional asthma programmes are more effective than conventional treatment guidelines. An asthma programme should start with the universal commitments of stakeholders at all levels and the programme has to be endorsed by political and governmental bodies. When the national problems have been identified, the goals of the programme have to be clearly defined with measures to evaluate progress. An action plan has to be developed, including defined re-allocation of patients and existing resources, if necessary, between primary care and specialised healthcare units or hospital centres. Patients should be involved in guided self-management education and structured follow-up in relation to disease severity. The three evaluated programmes show that, thanks to rigorous efforts, it is possible to improve patients' quality of life and reduce hospitalisation, asthma mortality, sick leave and disability pensions. The direct and indirect costs, both for the individual patient and for society, can be significantly reduced. The results can form the basis for development of further programme activities in Europe. Copyright ©ERS 2015.

National and regional asthma programmes in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olof Selroos

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This review presents seven national asthma programmes to support the European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership in developing strategies to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity across Europe. From published data it appears that in order to influence asthma care, national/regional asthma programmes are more effective than conventional treatment guidelines. An asthma programme should start with the universal commitments of stakeholders at all levels and the programme has to be endorsed by political and governmental bodies. When the national problems have been identified, the goals of the programme have to be clearly defined with measures to evaluate progress. An action plan has to be developed, including defined re-allocation of patients and existing resources, if necessary, between primary care and specialised healthcare units or hospital centres. Patients should be involved in guided self-management education and structured follow-up in relation to disease severity. The three evaluated programmes show that, thanks to rigorous efforts, it is possible to improve patients' quality of life and reduce hospitalisation, asthma mortality, sick leave and disability pensions. The direct and indirect costs, both for the individual patient and for society, can be significantly reduced. The results can form the basis for development of further programme activities in Europe.

Technology and Innovation Management in Higher Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morales, Antonio Adrián Arciénaga; Nielsen, Janni; Bacarini, Hernán Alberto

2018-01-01

different ways to obtain a panoply of competencies to identify technology and innovation management issues at individual business and regional level, particularly for small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The model addresses innovation challenges related to new innovative relationships and product...

Social Innovation : Driving Forces of Social Innovation in MNC

OpenAIRE

Tam, Hoising; Osadcha, Liudmyla

2017-01-01

Multinational Corporations (MNCs) currently face not only a dynamic business environment and challenging profit target, but also increased expectations from the public to take responsibility for addressing social, economic, and environmental issues. There is a tendency that the leading companies in the global market, especially MNCs, put more effort to the Social Innovation (SI). This study is to investigate what drives the MNCs to be involved in social innovation. In order to find out the re...

A Scandinavian Model of Innovative Product Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAloone, Timothy Charles; Andreasen, Mogens Myrup; Boelskifte, Per

2007-01-01

The educational systems in the small Scandinavian countries are open to experiments and new education programmes. This paper presents such an initiative from Denmark, showing new interpretations of industrial needs, research insights, educational ideas and identification of core innovative compet...

Innovative Didactics in an International Internship - inspiration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lembcke, Steen; Skibsted, Else Bengaard; Mølgaard, Niels

An inspiration handbook for the international team from the teacher education programme in VIA. Aimed to assist internship supervisors and students during international internships in regards to innovation, social entrepreneurship and development of the international teacher. Introduces why and how...

Programming chemistry in DNA-addressable bioreactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fellermann, H.; Cardelli, L.

2014-01-01

. These markers serve as compartment addresses and allow for their targeted transport and fusion, thereby enabling reactions of previously separated chemicals. The overall system organization allows for the set-up of programmable chemistry in microfluidic or other automated environments. We introduce a simple...

The value of social networks in the diffusion of energy-efficiency innovations in UK households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMichael, Megan; Shipworth, David

2013-01-01

The UK Government has policy goals for increasing energy efficiency in existing homes. However, there are doubts that standard technology and behavioural innovations will be adopted widely enough in time to achieve the targets. Diffusion of innovation theory states that the communication of information on innovations through a social system encourages adoption. Social capital theory states that interpersonal communication is a key means of gaining resources, such as information on energy-efficiency innovations, for attaining certain goals. Case study research of three British communities was conducted in 2009 in order to understand the influence of social capital on information diffusion regarding the adoption of household energy-efficiency measures. The findings show that while standard campaigns may account for two-thirds of information-seeking behaviour, they may not be addressing up to one-third of information-seekers who would prefer to speak to people they know. Findings also indicate that seeking information amongst personal contacts is often associated with adoption of energy-efficiency innovations, increasing the likelihood of adoption by up to four times, but that there are important differences between types of innovations and communities. Tailoring campaigns to communities' communication channels is therefore imperative. These findings have important implications for informing community-based energy-efficiency programmes. - Highlights: ► Case study research suggests social capital is important for home energy innovations. ► One-third of respondents indicated a preference for speaking to people they know. ► Those who sought information were up to four times more likely to adopt innovations. ► Results varied by innovation and by each community case study. ► Tailoring campaigns to communities' communication channels is imperative.

Fusion technology programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finken, D.

1985-10-01

KfK is involved in the European Fusion Programme predominantly in the NET and Fusion Technology part. The following fields of activity are covered: Studies for NET, alternative confinement concepts, and needs and issues of integral testing. Research on structural materials. Development of superconducting magnets. Gyrotron development (part of the Physics Programme). Nuclear technology (breeding materials, blanket design, tritium technology, safety and environmental aspects of fusion, remote maintenance). Reported here are status and results of work under contracts with the CEC within the NET and Technology Programme. The aim of the major part of this R and D work is the support of NET, some areas (e.g. materials, safety and environmental impact, blanket design) have a wider scope and address problems of a demonstration reactor. In the current working period, several new proposals have been elaborated to be implemented into the 85/89 Euratom Fusion Programme. New KfK contributions relate to materials research (dual beam and fast reactor irradiations, ferritic steels), to blanket engineering (MHD-effects) and to safety studies (e.g. magnet safety). (orig./GG)

The innovation value chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Morten T; Birkinshaw, Julian

2007-06-01

The challenges of coming up with fresh ideas and realizing profits from them are different for every company. One firm may excel at finding good ideas but may have weak systems for bringing them to market. Another organization may have a terrific process for funding and rolling out new products and services but a shortage of concepts to develop. In this article, Hansen and Birkinshaw caution executives against using the latest and greatest innovation approaches and tools without understanding the unique deficiencies in their companies' innovation systems. They offer a framework for evaluating innovation performance: the innovation value chain. It comprises the three main phases of innovation (idea generation, conversion, and diffusion) as well as the critical activities performed during those phases (looking for ideas inside your unit; looking for them in other units; looking for them externally; selecting ideas; funding them; and promoting and spreading ideas companywide). Using this framework, managers get an end-to-end view of their innovation efforts. They can pinpoint their weakest links and tailor innovation best practices appropriately to strengthen those links. Companies typically succumb to one of three broad "weakest-link" scenarios. They are idea poor, conversion poor, or diffusion poor. The article looks at the ways smart companies - including Intuit, P&G, Sara Lee, Shell, and Siemens- modify the best innovation practices and apply them to address those organizations' individual needs and flaws. The authors warn that adopting the chain-based view of innovation requires new measures of what can be delivered by each link in the chain. The approach also entails new roles for employees "external scouts" and "internal evangelists," for example. Indeed, in their search for new hires, companies should seek out those candidates who can help address particular weaknesses in the innovation value chain.

Separations innovative concepts: Project summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, V.E. (ed.)

1988-05-01

This project summary includes the results of 10 innovations that were funded under the US Department's Innovative Concept Programs. The concepts address innovations that can substantially reduce the energy used in industrial separations. Each paper describes the proposed concept, and discusses the concept's potential energy savings, market applications, technical feasibility, prior work and state of the art, and future development needs.

Innovative Use of the Law to Address Complex Global Health Problems Comment on "The Legal Strength of International Health Instruments - What It Brings toGlobal Health Governance?"

Science.gov (United States)

Walls, Helen L; Ooms, Gorik

2017-05-20

Addressing the increasingly globalised determinants of many important problems affecting human health is a complex task requiring collective action. We suggest that part of the solution to addressing intractable global health issues indeed lies with the role of new legal instruments in the form of globally binding treaties, as described in the recent article of Nikogosian and Kickbusch. However, in addition to the use of international law to develop new treaties, another part of the solution may lie in innovative use of existing legal instruments. A 2015 court ruling in The Hague, which ordered the Dutch government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% within five years, complements this perspective, suggesting a way forward for addressing global health problems that critically involves civil society and innovative use of existing domestic legal instruments. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Innovations in plant health services in Nicaragua

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danielsen, Solveig; Centeno, Julio; López, Julio

2013-01-01

to the creation of a ‘National Plant Health System’ offering regular advice to farmers. The innovations were driven by a momentum for change, committed individuals, joint learning and flexibility in programme management. External facilitation encouraged experimentation and bolstered growth of new alliances....... The development of the national plant health system was constrained by existing work cultures that limit the scope of individual and institutional innovations.......Establishing a few community-based plant clinics in Nicaragua led to a series of innovations in plant health service delivery. A grassroots experiment became a nationwide initiative involving local service providers, universities, research institutions and diagnostic laboratories. This led...

Managing innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanston, J.H.

1988-01-01

The author addresses the skepticism about high Tc applications. According to the analysis presented, superconductivity research is following a standard model for technological break throughs. This model, which describe the innovation process from theory through widespread adoption, is presented and superconductivity's place therein is discussed. Business opportunities in superconductivity are described and the competition between the U.S. and Japan in the development of the high T c applications is addressed

Conceptualizing Innovation in Born Global Firms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zijdemans, Erik; Tanev, Stoyan

2014-01-01

This research provides insights from recent literature on innovativeness in the environment of born globals. This article will be relevant to researchers interested in born globals and their business environments and, more specifically, the role that innovation plays in their foundation and devel...... of knowledge acquisition, networking capabilities and the lean startup approach in born global innovation. Finally, the article addresses the issue of quantifying and measuring innovativeness....

Logistic innovations in transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirosław Antonowicz

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The article discusses the issue of logistic innovations in transport. The essentials of logistic innovations in transport together with some examples of specific innovations are presented. The role of the client's needs in transport innovations is indicated. The most vital postulates affecting the innovativeness of shipping companies and derived from the author's experience as well as scholarly publications, are time, safety, reliability as well as comprehensiveness of service offer. Following the analysis of the issue, and on the grounds of Kaizen's and Lean's method, the concept of continuous innovations is suggested as very useful for the development of transport. The potential of clusters as the source of logistic innovations in transport is emphasised. Methods: The discussion of the issue was preceded by the author's analysis of written sources on innovativeness, the evaluation of ratings of innovativeness as well as the analysis of rewarded innovative solutions in transport subsequent to the businesses participation in the programme of innovative solutions in transport. The role of innovation practical business operations is argued following the analysis of some strategic documents such as: 2011 White Paper and the Strategy for the Development of Transport by 2020 adopted by the Polish government in 2013. Aim: The aim of the article is to present the role and significance of the issue of logistic innovations in transport and to cite instances of practical solutions implemented by shipping companies, the solutions which resulted in measurable effects. Following the author's observation of the instances of innovative solutions as well as his analysis of the ratings of innovativeness, the article aims to present the conclusions as for the specific kinds of activities which are indispensable to foster innovativeness in transport. Conclusions: The conclusions derived from the author's analyses and observations show that logistic

The Use of National Systems of Innovation Models to Develop Indicators of Innovation and Technological Capacity

OpenAIRE

Holbrook, J. A.

1997-01-01

This paper addresses various models that can be used to assess indicators of innovation and technical capacity. It stresses the importance of looking at the national system of innovation (NSI) to gain a complete understanding of industry capacity.

Climate change and radical energy innovation: the policy issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Keith

2009-01-15

How can we sustain global economic performance while reducing and perhaps eliminating climate impacts? This dual objective ultimately requires the innovation of radically new low- or zero-emitting energy technologies. But what is involved in such innovation, and why and how should governments support it? What are the implications for innovation policy makers? The paper discusses the nature of the innovation challenge of climate change, develops a framework for analyzing modes of innovation, applies the framework to energy technologies and analyses policies for energy innovation. The overall argument is that we are 'locked in' to an unsustainable but large-scale hydrocarbon energy system. The innovation problem is to develop alternatives to this system as a whole. Yet despite widespread environmental innovation efforts and incentives, these are not yet addressing the innovation challenge on an adequate scale. The analytical framework sees technologies not as single techniques but as multi-faceted technological 'regimes'. Technological regimes comprise production systems and methods, scientific and engineering knowledge organization, infrastructures, and social patterns of technology use. We live not with individual energy technologies but with a complex hydrocarbon regime. Against this background we can identify three modes of innovation, with very different characteristics. They are; Incremental innovations - upgrades to existing technologies, producing innovation within existing technological regimes, such as increases in the capabilities and speeds of microprocessors; Disruptive innovations - new methods of performing existing technical functions, changing how things are done, but not changing the overall regime, such as the shift from film to digital imaging; Radical innovations - technological regime shifts, involving wholly new technical functions, new knowledge bases, and new organizational forms, such as the transition from steam power

Mass Producing Innovation: A Case Investigation on Why Accelerators Might Not Be a Paradox

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Barnes

2016-12-01

Full Text Available There are a growing number of accelerator programmes designed to start and support innovative startup businesses. Many accelerators are increasing the size of their intakes, with some programmes now launching over 200 new companies per year. On first inspection the large numbers and consistent approach taken to accelerating the participating companies appears to be in conflict with producing innovative and disruptive companies. This paper uses Y Combinator as a single case study to investigate whether increasing the number of companies within a batch has resulted in longer or shorter timeframes for companies to achieve an exit (through acquisition or initial public offering. The paper finds that the timeframe for achieving an exit for Y Combinator companies is reducing, even while batch size has sharply increased. There is no statistically significant correlation between the cohort size and the initial money raised during the programme.    Keyword : Accelerators, Startups, Innovation

Spatial scaling of regional strategic programmes in Finland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Makkonen, Teemu; Inkinen, Tommi

2014-01-01

framework. Spatial scales proved to be a black box for regional strategies in Finland. Regional strategic programmes use a similar language that ignores the spatial variations of their locations. Clusters and regional innovation systems should be considered as parts of vertical and horizontal interlinkages...... within the economy and not as individual islands of organizational proximities in isolated contexts. It is argued here that an imprecise understanding of the innovation systems and cluster approaches, both conceptually and practically, has led to some ambiguity, resulting in the use of these terms...

THE ADAPTIVE NATURE OF MANAGING SOFTWARE INNOVATION

OpenAIRE

Mihai Liviu Despa

2013-01-01

The focus of this article is pointed at adaptive management in the context of innovative software projects. Software development is presented through the filter of innovation. The aspects that differentiate software innovation from any other kind of innovation are highlighted. Adaptive management is addressed from a general point of view. The circumstances that require adaptive management are emphasized. Methods of implementing adaptive management in innovation oriented software projects are ...

Innovative strategies for a successful SLMTA country programme: The Rwanda story

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Innocent Nzabahimana

2014-11-01

Objectives: This study describes the achievements of Rwandan laboratories four years after the introduction of SLMTA in the country, using the SLIPTA scoring system to measure laboratory progress. Methods: Three cohorts of five laboratories each were enrolled in the SLMTA programme in 2010, 2011 and 2013. The cohorts used SLMTA workshops, improvement projects, mentorship and quarterly performance-based financing incentives to accelerate laboratory quality improvement. Baseline, exit and follow-up audits were conducted over a two-year period from the time of enrolment. Audit scores were used to categorise laboratory quality on a scale of zero (< 55% to five (95% – 100% stars. Results: At baseline, 14 of the 15 laboratories received zero stars with the remaining laboratory receiving a two-star rating. At exit, five laboratories received one star, six received two stars and four received three stars. At the follow-up audit conducted in the first two cohorts approximately one year after exit, one laboratory scored two stars, five laboratories earned three stars and four laboratories, including the National Reference Laboratory, achieved four stars. Conclusion: Rwandan laboratories enrolled in SLMTA showed improvement in quality management systems. Sustaining the gains and further expansion of the SLMTA programme to meet country targets will require continued programme strengthening.

Technological innovation, human capital and social change for sustainability. Lessons learnt from the industrial technologies theme of the EU's Research Framework Programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabadie, Jesús Alquézar

2014-05-15

Europe is facing a twofold challenge. It must maintain or even increase its competitiveness, a basic requirement in a globalised economy and under the current demographic threat. It needs also to tackle the so-called "grand challenges", especially environmental issues, through a sustainable model of production and consumption. Such challenges should lead to new business and industrial models, based on more sustainable production and consumption chains, from design to end of life. This implies a need for new industrial materials and processes, new skills and, indeed, new values and life-styles. Sustainability and innovation are key elements of EU's Research and Innovation Framework Programmes, particularly in the field of industrial technologies (nanotechnologies, materials and industrial technologies), which objective is to "improve the competitiveness of the European industry and generate knowledge to ensure its transformation from a resource intensive to a knowledge intensive industry". Sustainability and innovation are interrelated challenges for R&D. Research can develop technical solutions to tackle environmental or societal challenges, but such technologies need to be successfully commercialised to have a real environmental impact. Several socio-economic studies carried-out by the European Commission show not only the emerging technological and industrial trends, but they also emphasise the need for linking sustainable technologies with social change. Human capital and new social behaviours are critical factors to combine economic competitiveness and sustainability: technology alone is no longer able to solve global challenges. But what kind of human capital (skills, behaviours, and values) are we referring to? How to encourage the shift towards a greener society through human capital? Which reforms are needed in education systems to move towards a sustainable economy? Are there examples of social innovation to be extrapolated and/or generalised? © 2013

The innovation element of the diploma (b.eng.) programs at DTU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nyborg, Mads; Christiansen, Nynne Budtz

2016-01-01

Diploma) and the Technical University of Denmark. The most significant new activity in the programs is the introduction of a common 10 ECTS compulsory course in innovation in the later part of the programs. The idea behind this course is to give students the opportunity to collaborate on interdisciplinary...... real-life projects. This course strengthens not only innovation skills but personal and interpersonal skills as well. In this paper we will discuss the organization of the Innovation Pilot course. In particular we focus on: - Structure of programmes - Organization of the Innovation Pilot course...

Sustainable protein technology : an evaluation on the STW Protein programme and an outlook for the future

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Voudouris, Panagiotis; Tamayo Tenorio, Angelica; Lesschen, Jan Peter; Kyriakopoulou, Konstantina; Sanders, Johan P.M.; Goot, van der Atze Jan; Bruins, Marieke E.

2017-01-01

In 2013 a new STW research programme was started on sustainable protein recovery. This STW Protein Programme consisted of five sustainable protein technology projects, which aimed at developing innovative methods to extract proteins from plant leaves, microalgae and insects to meet the increasing

Overview of OECD/NEA BEPU Programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amri, Abdallah; Gulliford, Jim; )

2013-01-01

The OECD/NEA paved the way for the development and assessment of BEPU for about 40 years, through concrete tasks: International Standard Problems (ISPs), Benchmarking activities, Development of Validation Matrices, Joint Safety Research Projects, and Specialist meetings. Several NEA related Best-Estimate Plus Uncertainties (BEPU) programmes have been successfully completed: Uncertainty Methods Study (UMS), Best-Estimate Methods - Uncertainty and Sensitivity Evaluation (BEMUSE), Safety Margin Assessment and Application (SM2A), Uncertainty Analysis in Modeling (UAM) Benchmark. New Programmes are underway to address pending issues (e.g., input uncertainties, uncertainties in coupled codes). The present Workshop may highlight new issues to be addressed (e.g., uncertainty analysis for CFD codes). Document available in the slides-form only

A New Direction for Technology-Based Economic Development: The Role of Innovation Intermediaries

Science.gov (United States)

Bendis, Richard A.; Seline, Richard S.; Byler, Ethan J.

2008-01-01

Accelerating innovation to drive economic growth is the foremost goal for technology-based economic development organizations today. Realizing this goal through programmes is challenged by limited and outdated operating models. The authors outline their 21st Century Innovation Intermediary model, which pairs commercialization with regional…

Improving capacity in ethnicity and health research: report of a tailored programme for NHS Public Health practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Salway, Sarah; Piercy, Hilary; Chowbey, Punita; Brewins, Louise; Dhoot, Permjeet

2013-10-01

To determine whether an intervention designed to enhance research capacity among commissioners in the area of ethnicity and health was feasible and impactful, and to identify programme elements that might usefully be replicated elsewhere. How healthcare commissioners should be equipped to understand and address multiethnic needs has received little attention to-date. Being able to mobilise and apply evidence is a central element of the commissioning process that requires development. Researching ethnicity and health is widely recognised as challenging and several prior interventions have aimed to enhance competence in this area. These have, however, predominantly taken place in North America and have not been evaluated in detail. An innovative research capacity development programme was delivered to public health staff within a large healthcare commissioning organisation in England. Evaluation methodology drew on 'pluralistic' evaluation principles and included formative and summative elements. Participant evaluation forms gave immediate feedback during the programme. Participants also provided feedback at two weeks and 12 months after the programme ended. In addition, one participant and one facilitator provided reflective accounts of the programme's strengths and weaknesses, and programme impact was traced through ongoing partnership work. The programme was well received and had a tangible impact on knowledge, confidence and practice for most participants. Factors important to success included: embedding learning within the participants' work context; ensuring a balance between theory and practical tips to enhance confidence; and having sustained interaction between trainers and participants. Despite positive signs, the challenging nature of the topic was highlighted, as were wider structural and cultural factors that impede progress in this area. Although it is unrealistic to expect such programmes to have a major impact on commissioning practices, they may well

How to use innovations for company growth

OpenAIRE

Melicharová, Kristýna

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key characteristics of successful innovation, analyse the innovation process in Unilever and provide set of recommendations for the company. This paper addresses a key question of current business -- how to achieve growth of a company via innovation. The thesis is based on the already published research for identifying the best practices in dealing with innovation, survey with strategic innovation leaders in HHC Unilever, interviews with employees ...

L'Alliance pour appliquer à plus grande échelle l'innovation ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Ce projet servira à financer des innovations numériques qui contribuent à résoudre des défis relatifs au développement. Il établira un programme de financement de démarrage, élaborera des approches d'application à plus grande échelle d'innovations, et stimulera le développement de leaders entrepreneuriaux.

The European wind energy programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beurskens, H.J.M.; Lalas, D.

1993-01-01

A general review is given of national wind energy programmes in European countries. First, tendencies of the past wind energy programmes are described and linked to the present developments. Not only the separate aspects are reviewed (R+D, wind turbine development, market stimulation, utility involvement, regulatory issues and operational experiences), but also the synergetic aspects of their integration is addressed. The main conclusion is that the integration of R+D, industrial development and market stimulation works. 4 ills., 3 tabs

Innovation Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasselbalch, Jacob

2017-01-01

Current regulatory approaches are ill-equipped to address the challenges of governing through periods of disruptive technological change. This article hones in on the use of assessment regimes at the level of the European Union, particularly in the work of the Commission, to argue for a missing...... I label innovation assessment, to steer polities through periods of disruptive technological change, during which innovations have taken concrete forms and are beginning to diffuse, but still exhibit much scope for rapid, unexpected change and alternative trajectories of development. By juxtaposing...

Accelerating Innovation Through Coopetition: The Innovation Learning Network Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Chris; Ford Carleton, Penny; Krumpholz, Elizabeth; Chow, Marilyn P

Coopetition, the simultaneous pursuit of cooperation and competition, is a growing force in the innovation landscape. For some organizations, the primary mode of innovation continues to be deeply secretive and highly competitive, but for others, a new style of shared challenges, shared purpose, and shared development has become a superior, more efficient way of working to accelerate innovation capabilities and capacity. Over the last 2 decades, the literature base devoted to coopetition has gradually expanded. However, the field is still in its infancy. The majority of coopetition research is qualitative, primarily consisting of case studies. Few studies have addressed the nonprofit sector or service industries such as health care. The authors believe that this article may offer a unique perspective on coopetition in the context of a US-based national health care learning alliance designed to accelerate innovation, the Innovation Learning Network or ILN. The mission of the ILN is to "Share the joy and pain of innovation," accelerating innovation by sharing solutions, teaching techniques, and cultivating friendships. These 3 pillars (sharing, teaching, and cultivating) form the foundation for coopetition within the ILN. Through the lens of coopetition, we examine the experience of the ILN over the last 10 years and provide case examples that illustrate the benefits and challenges of coopetition in accelerating innovation in health care.

Innovation Partnership for a Roadmap on Vaccines in Europe (IPROVE): A vision for the vaccines of tomorrow.

Science.gov (United States)

Medaglini, Donata; De Azero, Magdalena R; Leroy, Odile; Bietrix, Florence; Denoel, Philippe

2018-02-21

A clear vision for vaccines research and development (R&D) is needed if Europe is to continue to lead the discovery of next generation vaccines. Innovation Partnership for a Roadmap on Vaccines in Europe (IPROVE) is a collaboration between leading vaccine experts to develop a roadmap setting out how Europe can best invest in the science and technology essential for vaccines innovation. This FP7 project, started in December 2013, brought together more than 130 key public and private stakeholders from academia, public health institutes, regulators, industry and small and medium-sized enterprises to determine and prioritise the gaps and challenges to be addressed to bolster innovation in vaccines and vaccination in Europe. The IPROVE consultation process was structured around seven themes: vaccine R&D, manufacturing and quality control, infrastructure, therapeutic vaccines, needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, vaccines acceptance and training needs. More than 80 recommendations were made by the consultation groups, mainly focused on the need for a multidisciplinary research approach to stimulate innovation, accelerated translation of scientific knowledge into technological innovation, and fostering of real collaboration within the European vaccine ecosystem. The consultation also reinforced the fact that vaccines are only as good as their vaccine implementation programmes, and that more must be done to understand and address vaccination hesitancy of both the general public and healthcare professionals. Bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to work on the IPROVE roadmap has increased mutual understanding of their different perspectives, needs and priorities. IPROVE is a first attempt to develop such a comprehensive view of the vaccine sector. This prioritisation effort, aims to help policy-makers and funders identify those vaccine-related areas and technologies where key investment is needed for short and medium-long term success. Copyright © 2017 The

Nuclear Education and training: addressing a global need

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunn Lee, Janice

2008-01-01

There is growing concern about the difficulties nuclear institutions in many OECD/NEA member countries are experiencing in recruiting qualified specialists. Recent studies have also shown that nuclear education and training have been suffering declines of various degrees. If no action is taken on this issue, the nuclear sector risks facing a shortage of qualified human resources to ensure the appropriate regulation and operation of existing nuclear facilities as well as the construction of new ones in those countries wishing to do so. The NEA Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy issued a statement on this subject in October 2007, the complete text of which is available at: www.nea.fr/html/general/press/2007/2007-05.html. The NEA has for many years been involved in efforts to define and address the need for qualified human resources. In this regard, the Agency: 1- carries out assessments of requirements and availability of qualified human resources in the nuclear field, 2- enhances nuclear education programmes, such as the International School of Nuclear Law, and 3- encourages large, high-profile international research and development programmes. These areas are addressed in the NEA Strategic Plan as well as in the specific NEA programmes discussed below. The presentation will focus on ways to address the issue of qualified human resources, share information about what others are doing, and discuss what we might do collectively. (author)

TRAINING OF INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP – A KEY TO CREATION OF STARTUPS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olena KURCHENKO

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Innovative startup companies that emerged in the late 1990s are now widely supported by countries with developed innovation systems. The aim of this article is to analyse the experience of creation innovative programs in entrepreneurship, with a further perspective for introducing similar programmes into Ukrainian universities. For this, the authors presented their own developed program of monitoring the Ukrainian universities on availability of courses of innovative entrepreneurship. The results of this survey will be analytical prerequisite for decision-making of establishment special curriculum of innovative entrepreneurship in technical and natural Sciences universities for the development of startup-ecosystem in Ukraine.

Innovative uses of communication technology for HIV programming for men who have sex with men and transgender persons1

Science.gov (United States)

Allison, Susannah M; Adams, Darrin; Klindera, Kent C; Poteat, Tonia; Wolf, R Cameron

2014-01-01

Globally, overall rates of HIV are on the decline; however, rates among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons are increasing. Meanwhile, there has been exponential growth in access to communication technology over the last decade. More innovative prevention and care technology-based programmes are needed to help address the growing numbers of MSM and transgender persons living with HIV and those at risk for infection. To address this need, a meeting was hosted by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and co-sponsored by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The meeting brought together researchers, community implementers, advocates and federal partners to discuss the current landscape of technology-based interventions for MSM and transgender persons and to discuss key considerations. Presentations and discussions focused on the research gaps, facilitators and barriers to programme implementation and public–private partnerships. This article summarizes the meeting proceedings and outlines key considerations for future work in this area. PMID:25280864

Relationship between innovation capability, innovation type, and firm performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.P. Jayani Rajapathirana

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Insurers are well versed in the litany of challenging conditions facing the sector. These challenges are economic, political, regulatory, legal, social, and technological. As a result of those pressures, the industry is experiencing increasing competition, muted growth, and an excess of capital. The increased connectivity among household and workplace devices, the development of autonomous vehicle and the rising threat of cyber attacks are transforming the way people live and risk they need to mitigate with insurance products. Insurers need to adopt their business models address the changes which can be threatening to the growth of the industry (Deloitte, 2017. Innovation is widely regarded as pinnacle success factor in highly competitive and global economy. An innovation perspective draws a clear picture of future opportunities that lie ahead. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship among innovations capability, innovation type and on the different aspect of firm performance including innovation, market and financial performance based on an empirical study covering insurance industry in Sri Lanka. The research framework developed in this study was tested 379 senior managers of insurance companies. The empirical verification of assumption of this model has given evidence to confirm the relationship between innovation capabilities; innovation efforts and firm performance are significant and strong. The results of this study could lead effective management of innovation capability which helps to deliver more effective innovations outcomes to generate better performance and it would be benefits for management of the insurance companies.

Project-based knowledge in organizing open innovation

CERN Document Server

Comacchio, Anna; Pizzi, Claudio

2014-01-01

Enriching understanding of the current theoretical debate on project-based open innovation, ‘Project-based Knowledge in Organizing Open Innovation’ draws on innovation management literature and knowledge-based perspectives to investigate the relationship between knowledge development at project level and the strategic organization of open innovation. Addressing the still open issue of how the firm level should be complemented by studies at the project level of analysis, this book provides theoretical and empirical arguments on the advantages of a more fine-grained level of analysis to understand how firms organize their innovation processes across boundaries. The book also addresses the emerging interest in the management literature on project-based organizations, and on the relevance of project forms of organizing in a knowledge-based economy. Through field research in different industrial settings , this book provides empirical evidence on how firms design open innovation project-by-project and it will ...

A Typology of Reverse Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

von Zedtwitz, Max; Corsi, Simone; Søberg, Peder Veng

2015-01-01

secondary market introduction, this study expands the espoused definition of reverse innovation beyond its market-introduction focus with reversals in the flow of innovation in the ideation and product development phases. Recognizing that each phase can take place in different geographical locations...... taking place in an emerging country. This analytical framework allows recasting of current research at the intersection between innovation and international business. Of the 10 reverse innovation flows, six are new and have not been covered in the literature to date. The study addresses questions......’s portfolio of global innovation competence and capability. The implications for management are concerned with internal and external resistance to reverse innovation. Most significantly, while greater recognition and power of innovation in formerly subordinate organizational units is inconvenient to some...

Leveraging External Sources of Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

West, Joel; Bogers, Marcel

2014-01-01

, it suggests a four-phase model in which a linear process—(1) obtaining, (2) integrating, and (3) commercializing external innovations—is combined with (4) interaction between the firm and its collaborators. This model is used to classify papers taken from the top 25 innovation journals, complemented by highly...... cited work beyond those journals. A review of 291 open innovation-related publications from these sources shows that the majority of these articles indeed address elements of this inbound open innovation process model. Specifically, it finds that researchers have front-loaded their examination...... external innovations create value rather than how firms capture value from those innovations. Finally, the interaction phase considers both feedback for the linear process and reciprocal innovation processes such as cocreation, network collaboration, and community innovation. This review and synthesis...

The Value of Fidelity of Implementation Criteria to Evaluate School-Based Science Curriculum Innovations

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yew-Jin; Chue, Shien

2013-10-01

School-based curriculum innovations, including those in science education, are usually not adequately evaluated, if at all. Furthermore, current procedures and instruments for programme evaluations are often unable to support evidence-based decision-making. We suggest that adopting fidelity of implementation (FOI) criteria from healthcare research can both characterize and narrow the separation between programme intent and actual implementation, which is a mandatory stage of evaluation before determining overall programme value. We demonstrate how such a process could be applied by science educators using data from a secondary school in Singapore that had devised a new curriculum to promote interest, investigative processes, and knowledge in science. Results showed that there were ambivalent student responses to this programme, while there were high levels of science process skill instruction and close alignment with the intended lesson design. The implementation of this programme appeared to have a satisfactory overall level of FOI, but we also detected tensions between programme intent and everyday classroom teaching. If we want to advance science education, then our argument is that applying FOI criteria is necessary when evaluating all curricular innovations, not just those that originate from schools.

Developing an integrated, Internet-based self-help programme for young people with depression and alcohol use problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Deady

2014-07-01

Overall, the DEAL Project programme was well-received and provides an innovative new platform for the treatment of co-occurring depression and alcohol use problems in young people. The next phase will include an evaluation of programme efficacy. If found to be efficacious, the programme has the potential to improve outcomes, reduce disease burden, and increase treatment uptake in this vulnerable group.

Globalisation of Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Narula, Rajneesh; Zanfei, Antonello

2003-01-01

underlying the nature and evolution of cross border innovation. We address the issue ofinternational technology partnering as a key strategy that is complementary to theinternationalisation of innovative activities through internal means, before raising importantpolicy dimensions and directions for future......This paper undertakes a brief evaluation of the trends in the internationalization of innovativeactivities. We provide a taxonomy of R&D internationalization strategies, and discuss the main relevant theoretical and empirical issues, before discussing the centripetal and centrifugal forces...

The IDEFICS Community-Oriented Intervention Programme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Henauw, Stefaan; Verbestel, Vera; Mårild, Staffan

2011-01-01

to develop new pathways for sustainable health-promoting communities. Against this background, the IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) study developed and implemented innovative community-oriented intervention programmes for obesity....... The sphere of action encompassed both children and their (grand) parents, schools, local public authorities and influential stakeholders in the community. All materials for the interventions were centrally developed and culturally adapted. Results: So far, the following has been achieved: focus group...... research, literature review and expert consultations were done in an early phase as a basis for the development of the intervention modules. The intervention mapping protocol was followed as guide for structuring the intervention research. The overall intervention programme's duration was 2 years...

Addressing the social determinants of health: a case study from the Mitanin (community health worker) programme in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Nandi, Sulakshana; Schneider, Helen

2014-09-01

The Mitanin Programme, a government community health worker (CHW) programme, was started in Chhattisgarh State of India in 2002. The CHWs (Mitanins) have consistently adopted roles that go beyond health programme-specific interventions to embrace community mobilization and action on local priorities. The aim of this research was to document how and why the Mitanins have been able to act on the social determinants of health, describing the catalysts and processes involved and the enabling programmatic and organizational factors. A qualitative comparative case study of successful action by Mitanin was conducted in two 'blocks', purposefully selected as positive exemplars in two districts of Chhattisgarh. One case focused on malnutrition and the other on gender-based violence. Data collection involved 17 in-depth interviews and 10 group interviews with the full range of stakeholders in both blocks, including community members and programme team. Thematic analysis was done using a broad conceptual framework that was further refined. Action on social determinants involved raising awareness on rights, mobilizing women's collectives, revitalizing local political structures and social action targeting both the community and government service providers. Through these processes, the Mitanins developed identities as agents of change and advocates for the community, both with respect to local cultural and gender norms and in ensuring accountability of service providers. The factors underpinning successful action on social determinants were identified as the significance of the original intent and vision of the programme, and how this was carried through into all aspects of programme design, the role of the Mitanins and their identification with village women, ongoing training and support, and the relative autonomy of the programme. Although the results are not narrowly generalizable and do not necessarily represent the situation of the Mitanin Programme as a whole, the

Effects of honours programme participation in higher education : A propensity score matching approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kool, Ada; Mainhard, Tim; Jaarsma, Debbie; van Beukelen, Peter; Brekelmans, Mieke

2017-01-01

Honours programmes have become part of higher education systems around the globe, and an increasing number of students are enrolled in such programmes. So far, effects of these programmes are largely under-researched. Two gaps in previous research on the effects of such programmes were addressed:

Summer Research Fellowship Programme 2018

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Date of birth: 2 September 1957. Specialization: Cosmic Magnetic Fields, Structure Formation, Cosmology Address: Distinguished Professor & Dean, Visitor Academic Programmes, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics, Post Bag 4, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007, Maharashtra Contact: Office: (020) 2560 4101

Addressing Plagiarism in Online Programmes at a Health Sciences University: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ewing, Helen; Anast, Ade; Roehling, Tamara

2016-01-01

Plagiarism continues to be a concern for all educational institutions. To build a solid foundation for high academic standards and best practices at a graduate university, aspects of plagiarism were reviewed to develop better management processes for reducing plagiarism. Specifically, the prevalence of plagiarism and software programmes for…

'Scaling-up is a craft not a science': Catalysing scale-up of health innovations in Ethiopia, India and Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Spicer, Neil; Bhattacharya, Dipankar; Dimka, Ritgak; Fanta, Feleke; Mangham-Jefferies, Lindsay; Schellenberg, Joanna; Tamire-Woldemariam, Addis; Walt, Gill; Wickremasinghe, Deepthi

2014-11-01

Donors and other development partners commonly introduce innovative practices and technologies to improve health in low and middle income countries. Yet many innovations that are effective in improving health and survival are slow to be translated into policy and implemented at scale. Understanding the factors influencing scale-up is important. We conducted a qualitative study involving 150 semi-structured interviews with government, development partners, civil society organisations and externally funded implementers, professional associations and academic institutions in 2012/13 to explore scale-up of innovative interventions targeting mothers and newborns in Ethiopia, the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and the six states of northeast Nigeria, which are settings with high burdens of maternal and neonatal mortality. Interviews were analysed using a common analytic framework developed for cross-country comparison and themes were coded using Nvivo. We found that programme implementers across the three settings require multiple steps to catalyse scale-up. Advocating for government to adopt and finance health innovations requires: designing scalable innovations; embedding scale-up in programme design and allocating time and resources; building implementer capacity to catalyse scale-up; adopting effective approaches to advocacy; presenting strong evidence to support government decision making; involving government in programme design; invoking policy champions and networks; strengthening harmonisation among external programmes; aligning innovations with health systems and priorities. Other steps include: supporting government to develop policies and programmes and strengthening health systems and staff; promoting community uptake by involving media, community leaders, mobilisation teams and role models. We conclude that scale-up has no magic bullet solution - implementers must embrace multiple activities, and require substantial support from donors and governments in

Open innovation : State of the art and future perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huizingh, K.R.E.

Open innovation has become one of the hottest topics in innovation management. This article intends to explore the limits in our understanding of the open innovation concept. In doing so, I address the questions of what (the content of open innovation), when (the context dependency) and how (the

Convocation address.

Science.gov (United States)

Swaminathan, M S

1998-07-01

This address delivered to the 40th convocation of the International Institute for Population Sciences in India in 1998 opens by noting that a shortage of jobs for youth is India's most urgent problem but that the problems that attend the increasing numbers of elderly also require serious attention. The address then notes that the Earth's population is growing at an unsustainable rate while economic inequities among countries are increasing, so that, while intellectual property is becoming the most important asset in developed countries, nutritional anemia among pregnant women causes their offspring to be unable to achieve their full intellectual potential from birth. Next, the address uses a discussion of the 18th-century work on population of the Marquis de Condorcet and of Thomas Malthus to lead into a consideration of estimated increased needs of countries like India and China to import food grains in the near future. Next, the progress of demographic transition in Indian states is covered and applied to Mahbub ul Haq's measure of human deprivation developed for and applied to the region of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives). The address continues by reiterating some of the major recommendations forwarded by a government of India committee charged in 1995 with drafting a national population policy. Finally, the address suggests specific actions that could be important components of the Hunger-Free India Programme and concludes that all success rests on the successful implementation of appropriate population policies.

Reverse innovation in maternal health.

Science.gov (United States)

Firoz, Tabassum; Makanga, Prestige Tatenda; Nathan, Hannah L; Payne, Beth; Magee, Laura A

2017-09-01

Reverse innovation, defined as the flow of ideas from low- to high-income settings, is gaining traction in healthcare. With an increasing focus on value, investing in low-cost but effective and innovative solutions can be of mutual benefit to both high- and low-income countries. Reverse innovation has a role in addressing maternal health challenges in high-income countries by harnessing these innovative solutions for vulnerable populations especially in rural and remote regions. In this paper, we present three examples of 'reverse innovation' for maternal health: a low-cost, easy-to-use blood pressure device (CRADLE), a diagnostic algorithm (mini PIERS) and accompanying mobile app (PIERS on the Move), and a novel method for mapping maternal outcomes (MOM).

Review of European wind energy programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beurskens, H.J.M.; Lalas, D.

1993-03-01

Based on papers from Norway, Sweden, Spain and Denmark, submitted to the ECWEC'93 conference in Travemuende, Germany, and the draft 1992 annual report of the IEA R+D Wind Programme, a general review is given of national wind energy programmes in European countries. First, tendencies of the past wind energy programmes are described and linked to the present developments. Not only the separate aspects are reviewed (R+D, wind turbine development, market stimulation, utility involvement, regulatory issues and operational experiences), but also the synergetic aspects of their integration is addressed. The main conclusion is that the integration of R+D, industrial development and market stimulation works. 3 tabs

Initial community perspectives on the Health Service Extension Programme in Welkait, Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McAuliffe Eilish

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Health Service Extension Programme (HSEP is an innovative approach to addressing the shortfall in health human resources in Ethiopia. It has developed a new cadre of Health Extension Workers (HEWs, who are charged with providing the health and hygiene promotion and some treatment services, which together constitute the bedrock of Ethiopia's community health system. Methods This study seeks to explore the experience of the HSEP from the perspective of the community who received the service. A random sample of 60 female heads-of-household in a remote area of Tigray participated in a structured interview survey. Results Although Health Extension Workers (HEWs had visited them less frequently than planned, participants generally found the programme to be helpful. Despite this, their basic health knowledge was still quite poor regarding the major communicable diseases and their vectors. Participants felt the new HESP represented an improvement on previous health provision. HEWs were preferred over Traditional Birth Attendants for assistance with labour Conclusion While the introduction of HEWs has been a positive experience for women living at the study site, the frequency of visits, extent of effectively imparted health knowledge and affects of HEWs on other health providers needs to be further explored.

User innovation and the market

OpenAIRE

Gault, F.

2011-01-01

This paper proposes a way of including in official statistics consumers as user innovators who modify or develop products for their own use. The issue addressed is the role of the market in the definition of innovation in the OECD/Eurostat Oslo Manual and the exclusion by that definition of consumers who modify or develop products and then freely reveal the knowledge thus gained to others. A change to the definition, which also has implications for the measurement of innovation in the public ...

Innovative Approaches Address Aging and Mental Health Needs in LGBTQ Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoy-Ellis, Charles P; Ator, Michael; Kerr, Christopher; Milford, Jessica

2016-01-01

LGBTQ older adults have higher levels of psychological distress as compared to older adults in general. They also experience multiple barriers to accessing equitable, culturally competent mental health and aging services because of their distinct histories and particular social contexts. This article discusses this lack of access to services, and highlights an innovative way mental health services are being delivered in LGBTQ communities.

Innovation adoption: a review of theories and constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

Wisdom, Jennifer P; Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E; Horwitz, Sarah M

2014-07-01

Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations.

Equalization of opportunities in the tertiary level of education of students with special needs in the Czech Republic – innovation programme of services at the University of Hradec Kralove

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruzickova Kamila

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The specialized text describes the standard rules of the equalization of opportunities at the tertiary level of the education of students with special needs in the Czech Republic. National standard recommendations for support services at Czech universities and colleges are presented in the first part of the article. The next part concentrates specifically on the innovative programme of services for students with special needs at the University of Hradec Kralove. The final part of the article provides the selected results of research study into the level of support services at the University of Hradec Kralove. Data were obtained from 52 respondents - kye workers for equalization of opportunities for students with special needs. A set of questionnaire was analysed using descriptive statistic. The first selected data demonstrate the status of readiness the innovated service system at the University of Hradec Kralove

An investigation of innovation processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kavin, Lone; Narasimhan, Ram

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on how the innovation-fostering practices of firms are influenced by industry clock-speed. Industry clock-speed influences investments in product and technology development, strategic priorities and innovation processes, and how a firm engages with its supply network to leverag...... integration and absorptive capacity. Our study informs both theory and practice of innovation-fostering practices in industries that differ in clock-speeds.......This paper focuses on how the innovation-fostering practices of firms are influenced by industry clock-speed. Industry clock-speed influences investments in product and technology development, strategic priorities and innovation processes, and how a firm engages with its supply network to leverage...... supplier knowledge and unique competencies. However, the literature suffers from insufficient discussion concerning how differences in industry clock-speed affect innovation-fostering practices and innovation performance of firms. We address this unexplored issue in this paper by means of a comparative...

An assessment method for system innovation and transition (AMSIT)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, Marc W.; Hofman, Erwin; Kuhlmann, Stefan

2016-01-01

To address comprehensive system innovations that may occur in a future transition, a suitable ex ante assessment method is required. The technological innovation system approach is useful for the retrospective study of the conditions for success or failure of innovation trajectories, and the

INFOMAR - Ireland's National Seabed Mapping Programme: A Tool For Marine Spatial Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Furey, T. M.

2016-02-01

INFOMAR is Ireland's national seabed mapping programme and is a key action in the national integrated marine plan, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth. It comprises a multi-platform approach to delivering marine integrated mapping in 2 phases, over a projected 20 year timeline (2006-2026). The programme has three work strands; Data Acquisition, Data Exchange and Integration, and Value Added Exploitation. The Data Acquisition strand includes collection of hydrographic, oceanographic, geological, habitat and heritage datasets that will underpin future sustainable development and management of Ireland's marine resource. INFOMAR outputs are delivered through the Data Exchange and Integration strand. Uses of these outputs are wide ranging and multipurpose, from management plans for fisheries, aquaculture and coastal protection works, to environmental impact assessments, ocean renewable development and integrated coastal zone management. In order to address the evolution and diversification of maritime user requirements, the programme has realigned and developed outputs and new products, in part, through an innovative research funding initiative. Development is also fostered through the Value Added Exploitation strand. INFOMAR outputs and products serve to underpin delivery of Ireland's statutory obligations and enhance compliance with EU and national legislation. This is achieved through co-operation with the agencies responsible for supporting Ireland's international obligations and for the implementation of marine spatial planning. A strategic national seabed mapping programme such as INFOMAR, provides a critical baseline dataset which underpins development of the marine economy, and improves our understanding of the response of marine systems to pressures, and the effect of cumulative impacts. This paper will focus on the evolution and scope of INFOMAR, and look at examples of outputs being harnessed to serve approaches to the management of activities having an impact on the

Emerging regulatory challenges facing the Indian rural electrification programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharyya, Subhes C.; Srivastava, Leena

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present and analyse the regulatory issues emerging from the newly launched programme of rural electricity access in India. We focus on two broad areas, namely regulatory issues related to the organisation/structuring of the activities and issues related to subsidy and tariffs. The paper looks into the alternative organisational arrangements being used by the programme and identifies problem areas through a responsibility mapping. The tariff principle being followed by the programme is then analysed considering the alternative organisational forms and issues related to such pricing policies are identified. Possible alternative pricing options are then suggested. The paper finds that while the franchisee model is an innovative idea, it raises issues that the regulators should be concerned with. The programme has so far relied on the simplest franchisee model because of its ease of implementation but a transition to more complex alternatives would require careful considerations

A Comparative Assessment of Wind Turbine Innovation and Diffusion Policies. Historical Case Studies of Energy Technology Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neij, Lena; Andersen, Per Dannemand

2012-01-01

Wind turbines have become a mainstream technology, a first choice for many when investing in new electricity generation facilities. This comparative case study addresses how governmental policy has been formulated to support the wind turbine innovation and diffusion process. Three innovation stages...... and corresponding innovation strategies are identified. The first stage is the early movers of the 1970s and early 1980s, including pioneer countries such as Denmark, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. The second stage is the booming markets of the 1990s, guided by the successful Danish innovation...

Innovative financing instruments for global health 2002–15: a systematic analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prof Rifat Atun, FRCP

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Development assistance for health (DAH, the value of which peaked in 2013 and fell in 2015, is unlikely to rise substantially in the near future, increasing reliance on domestic and innovative financing sources to sustain health programmes in low-income and middle-income countries. We examined innovative financing instruments (IFIs—financing schemes that generate and mobilise funds—to estimate the quantum of financing mobilised from 2002 to 2015. We identified ten IFIs, which mobilised US$8·9 billion (2·3% of overall DAH in 2002–15. The funds generated by IFIs were channelled mostly through GAVI and the Global Fund, and used for programmes for new and underused vaccines, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health. Vaccination programmes received the largest amount of funding ($2·6 billion, followed by HIV/AIDS ($1080·7 million and malaria ($1028·9 million, with no discernible funding targeted to non-communicable diseases.

Innovation in the fuel cycle industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamorlette, Guy

1998-01-01

The fuel cycle industry will have to adapt to the production of new fuel and in the same time will have to improve its performance. Innovation will be a key factor of success. Innovation must be driven by the needs of the fuel cycle industry to achieve. The fuel cycle requirement of tomorrow, Innovative processes for mining high grade uranium, Innovative enrichment process, Sorting the pellets at Melox plant, Innovation in action, and Innovative waste management in la Hague are presented. A number of innovative solutions are already implemented and are in action on industrial facilities. As problems are becoming more and more tough to address, international cooperation will be required. The fuel cycle industry, as a part of the nuclear power industry, is committed to seek improvements through performance upgrade and innovation. (Cho. G. S.). 10 refs., 4 figs

The fostering of innovative eLearning strategies in European higher education

OpenAIRE

Aczel, James; Cotinat, Olivier; Franco, Adelaide; Hardy, Pascale; Iggulden, Helen; Komáromi, Laszlo; Maillet, Katherine; Medina, Sara; Meiszner, Andreas; Obermueller, Eva; Reichl, Franz; Spinoglio, Mark; Staniland, Karen

2006-01-01

Although there are strong attempts being made by various European observatories and European Commission programmes to identify and disseminate innovative eLearning practices (MENON, 2006), the factors that determine educational effectiveness are, as yet, not well understood. In particular, while an extraordinarily wide range of university-level eLearning programmes are rapidly becoming available from large numbers of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Europe, the sharing of good prac...

Teaching Chemistry about "Stevia"--A Case of Cooperative Curriculum Innovation within PROFILES in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Stuckey, Marc; Lippel, Marianne; Eilks, Ingo

2014-01-01

PROFILES is a project of teacher education and curriculum innovation funded by the FP7-programme of the European Union. The aim of PROFILES is implementing innovative science teaching practices incorporating a societal perspective and compassing inquiry-based science learning. The University of Bremen, Germany, as one of the partners, combines…

Labour flexibility and innovation, complementary or concurrent strategies? A review of the literature

OpenAIRE

De Spiegelaere, Stan; Van Gyes, Guy; Van Hootegem, Geert

2014-01-01

The European strategy for growth has a double aim: becoming an innovative union and enhancing labour flexibility. Yet, few addressed the question whether these two strategies are compatible or concurrent strategies. Through a review of the literature, we address this question by focusing on different types of labour flexibility (functional, contractual and financial), and two types of innovation outcomes: employee-driven innovation (EDI) and organizational innovativeness. Using insights from ...

Optimizing study design for multi-species avian monitoring programmes

Science.gov (United States)

Jamie S. Sanderlin; William M. Block; Joseph L. Ganey

2014-01-01

Many monitoring programmes are successful at monitoring common species, whereas rare species, which are often of highest conservation concern, may be detected infrequently. Study designs that increase the probability of detecting rare species at least once over the study period, while collecting adequate data on common species, strengthen programme ability to address...

Innovative Older-Worker Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Jessup, Denise; Greenberg, Barbara

1989-01-01

Describes program innovations to keep older workers employed: retraining, job sharing, flexible working hours, job redesign, and phased retirement. Addresses costs and savings, disincentives for workers and employers, and future trends. (SK)

Civil society organisations, social innovation and health research in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Beinare, Dace; McCarthy, Mark

2012-12-01

European Union strategies and programmes identify research and innovation as a critical dimension for future economic and social development. While European research policy emphasizes support for industry, the health field includes not-for-profit civil society organisations (CSOs) providing social innovation. Yet, the perspectives of CSOs towards health research in Europe are not well understood. STEPS (Strengthening Engagement in Public Health Research) was funded by the European Commission's Science in Society research programme. Within the study, we interviewed by telephone respondents of 13 European health CSOs, which represented collectively local and national organizations. Research was valued positively by the respondents. Health CSOs did not seek to do research themselves, but recognized the opportunity of funds in this field and welcomed the possibility of collaborating in research, of using the results from research and of providing input to research agendas. Links between research and users provides knowledge for the public and improves impacts on policy. Research and evaluation can help in demonstrating the benefit of innovative activities, and give support and legitimacy. However, the cultures of, and incentives for, researchers and health CSOs are different, and collaboration requires building trust, a shared language and for the power relations and objectives to match. Health CSOs contribute social innovation in organising services and activities such as advocacy that cannot be satisfactorily met by industry. Engaging CSOs in research and innovation will strengthen the European Research Area.

Mission improbable: Does petroleum-related aid address the resource curse?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolstad, Ivar; Wiig, Arne; Williams, Aled

2009-01-01

Petroleum-related aid programmes and projects are a key part of donor activities in oil-rich developing countries. This paper critically assesses petroleum-related aid activities, using the Norwegian Oil for Development programme as a main case. Recent research suggests that institutions, or governance, are essential in averting a resource curse. While governance issues are beginning to receive more attention in these types of programmes, they still form a minor part of programme activities. The narrow sector focus that characterizes petroleum-related aid makes it unlikely that it will produce the higher order institutional changes needed to lift the resource curse. Petroleum-related aid activities address the issue of corruption only to a limited extent. Given the commercial and political interests of donor countries, questions about the integrity and credibility of these types of programmes can be raised

Innovation in the U.S. building sector: An assessment of patent citations in building energy control technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altwies, Joy E.; Nemet, Gregory F.

2013-01-01

Buildings are crucial to addressing energy problems because they are large consumers of end-use energy, and potential exists to dramatically improve their efficiencies. However, the pace of innovation in buildings is generally characterized as inadequate, despite the implementation of an array of policy instruments aimed at promoting efficiency. The literature on innovation in the building industry provides several explanations including: fragmented decision-making, principal agent problems, inadequate information, and limited learning across heterogeneous projects. We investigate the innovation process for buildings in the U.S. with a case study of patenting in energy management control systems (EMCS) for commercial buildings and programmable thermostats (PT) for residential buildings. Using U.S. patent data, we find that: (1) patenting activity peaked around 1980, subsequently declined, and then increased considerably in the past decade; (2) commercial, rather than residential, buildings account for the recent increase; and (3) building control technologies have benefitted from inventions originating outside the industry, notably from electronics and computers, with a shift toward the latter in recent years. - Highlights: ► We investigate the innovation process for buildings in the U.S. using patents. ► We use commercial and residential building controls technology as a case study. ► Patenting peaked around 1980, declined, and then increased in the past decade. ► Commercial building control patents account for most of the recent increase. ► Inventions in electronics and computers have led to innovation in building controls.

Innovation Adoption: A Review of Theories and Constructs

Science.gov (United States)

Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

2013-01-01

Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations. PMID:23549911

A Systemic Innovation Policy Framework: The Cases of Scottish and Dutch Agrifood Innovation Systems

OpenAIRE

Lamprinopoulou-Kranis, Chrysa; Renwick, Alan W.; Klerkx, Laurens; Hermans, Frans; Islam, Md. Mofakkarul; Roep, Dirk

2012-01-01

Innovation and knowledge exchange are receiving increased attention among policy makers as a means to address sustainable economic development challenges (European Commission, 2011). However, a range of factors such as inappropriate structures and institutional or capabilities barriers may negatively influence the spread or direction of processes of innovation and knowledge exchange (Klein-Woolthuis et al., 2005). These problems are often referred to as systemic weaknesses or failures, and hi...

Biological applications of an LCoS-BASED PROGRAMMABLE ARRAY MICROSCOPE (PAM)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hagen, G.M.; Caarls, W.; Thomas, M.; Hill, A.; Lidke, K.A.; Rieger, B.; Fritsch, C.; Van Geest, B.; Jovin, T.M.; Arndt-Jovin, D.J.

2007-01-01

We report on a new generation, commercial prototype of a programmable array optical sectioning fluorescence microscope (PAM) for rapid, light efficient 3D imaging of living specimens. The stand-alone module, including light source(s) and detector(s), features an innovative optical design and a

The problem of using hierarchy for implementing organisational innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuring, R.W.; Harbers, Clementine; Harbers, C.C.E.; Kruiswijk, M.; Kruiswijk, Martine; Rijnders, Sander; Boer, Harm

2003-01-01

Neither science nor practice seems to regard the implementation of a continuous improvement (CI) programme as a problematic organisational innovation. Many organisations do not regard CI implementation as a major change and tend to use their existing hierarchy to organise and manage the process.

Preparing organisations for employee-driven open innovation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amundsen, O.

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The present study addresses the need to prepare organisations, small or large, for open innovation approaches, including the development of capacity to exploit the potential benefits of such principles through Employee-Driven Innovation (EDI. Based on interviews in 20 Norwegian enterprises, we propose that EDI is an under-explored opportunity in many organisations, and that the systematic introduction of EDI practices increases organisations' ability to exploit open innovation principles and favourably impacts the capacity for innovation. Specifically, EDI results in a more general interest in improvement among employees, increased engagement in innovation processes, and reduced opposition to change.

Co-creation of innovation: Investment with and in social capital. Studies on collaboration between education - industry - government

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ehlen, Corry

2017-01-01

This study unravels the concept of 'CO-CREATION‘ in two large scale inter-organisational innovation programmes. Co-creation becomes internationally recognized as a leading innovative approach for regional collaboration between education, industry and government. 'SOCIAL CAPITAL’ is found to be

A model for scale up of family health innovations in low-income and middle-income settings: a mixed methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Taylor, Lauren A; Pallas, Sarah Wood; Talbert-Slagle, Kristina; Yuan, Christina; Fox, Ashley; Minhas, Dilpreet; Ciccone, Dana Karen; Berg, David; Pérez-Escamilla, Rafael

2012-01-01

Many family health innovations that have been shown to be both efficacious and cost-effective fail to scale up for widespread use particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC). Although individual cases of successful scale-up, in which widespread take up occurs, have been described, we lack an integrated and practical model of scale-up that may be applicable to a wide range of public health innovations in LMIC. To develop an integrated and practical model of scale-up that synthesises experiences of family health programmes in LMICs. We conducted a mixed methods study that included in-depth interviews with 33 key informants and a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature from 11 electronic databases and 20 global health agency web sites. We included key informants and studies that reported on the scale up of several family health innovations including Depo-Provera as an example of a product innovation, exclusive breastfeeding as an example of a health behaviour innovation, community health workers (CHWs) as an example of an organisational innovation and social marketing as an example of a business model innovation. Key informants were drawn from non-governmental, government and international organisations using snowball sampling. An article was excluded if the article: did not meet the study's definition of the innovation; did not address dissemination, diffusion, scale up or sustainability of the innovation; did not address low-income or middle-income countries; was superficial in its discussion and/or did not provide empirical evidence about scale-up of the innovation; was not available online in full text; or was not available in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, resulting in a final sample of 41 peer-reviewed articles and 30 grey literature sources. We used the constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis to extract recurrent themes from the interviews, and we integrated these themes with findings from the

Web-Based Parenting Support: Development of the COPING Confident Parenting Programme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith Hutchings

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Parents have the most significant impact on children’s development and the key parenting factors that promote child development and wellbeing are well known. Furthermore, many behavioural, social and emotional problems in children are associated with poor parenting practices. Parenting interventions that address parental skill deficits and teach positive parenting principles based on social learning theory are effective and are the recommended treatment for conduct disorder. Alongside the development of treatment programmes, universal parenting programmes have been developed; many present the same core parenting principles but their rationales vary from promoting children’s development to addressing common behavioural challenges and the evidence for these programmes is less well established. Most parents now have internet access and are making daily use of it, including seeking advice on parenting matters but that advice is often anecdotal and lacking evidence. In the meantime, a small number of web-based programmes, including parenting programmes have been developed and evaluated. This paper summarises the rationale for web-based universal programmes to support parents and briefly describes the history, content and a summary of the initial research on the COPING (confident parent internet guide programme developed by the authors. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research directions.

Convocation address.

Science.gov (United States)

Zakaria, R

1996-07-01

By means of this graduation address at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) in Bombay, the Chancellor of Urdu University voiced his concerns about overpopulation in India. During the speaker's tenure as Health Minister of Maharashtra, he implemented a sterilization incentive program that resulted in the state's having the best family planning (FP) statistics in India for almost 10 years. The incentive program, however, was misused by overenthusiastic officials in other states, with the result that the FP program was renamed the Family Welfare Programme. Population is growing in India because of improvements in health care, but the population education necessary to change fertility will require more time than the seriousness of the population problem allows. In the longterm, poverty and illiteracy must be addressed to control population. In the meanwhile, the graduate program at the IIPS should be expanded to include an undergraduate program, marriage age laws should be enforced, and misconceptions about religious objections to FP must be addressed. India can not afford to use the measures forwarded by developed countries to control population growth. India must integrate population control efforts with the provision of health care because if population continues to grow in the face of reduced infant mortality and longer life expectancy, future generations will be forced to live in a state of poverty and economic degradation.

Optimal diversity in investments with recombinant innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zeppini-Rossi, P.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.

2008-01-01

The notion of dynamic, endogenous diversity and its role in theories of investment and technological innovation is addressed. We develop a formal model of an innovation arising from the combination of two existing modules with the objective to optimize the net benefits of diversity. The model takes

Optimal diversity in investments with recombinant innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zeppini, P.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.

2013-01-01

The notion of dynamic, endogenous diversity and its role in theories of investment and technological innovation is addressed. We develop a formal model of an innovation arising from the combination of two existing modules, with the objective to optimize the net benefits of diversity. The model takes

Innovation - a one size fits all concept?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langergaard, Luise Li; Hansen, Anne Vorre

drawn the attention of innovation research: the operational service sector, and the public sector. It is argued that we need to address fundamental meta-theoretical questions for the concept to be useful to innovation managers. Lastly, it is argued that we need a differentiated, context-specific rather...

Top Management Team Diversity and Strategic Innovation Orientation: The Relationship and Consequences for Innovativeness and Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Talke, Katrin; Salomo, Søren; Kock, Alexander

2011-01-01

A firm's strategic innovation orientation, which is aimed at discovering and satisfying emerging customer needs with novel technological solutions, has repeatedly been shown to be crucial for firm innovativeness and firm performance. Despite its apparent importance, relatively little research has...... addressed antecedents of a firm's strategic orientation that help explain heterogeneity in innovation strategies across firms. Especially the influence of top management teams (TMT) should be critical, since innovation strategies are shaped at the top management level. Building on the theory of upper...... market data for firm performance. Results indicate that TMT diversity, measured as heterogeneity in educational, functional, industry, and organizational background, has a strong positive effect on a firm's innovation orientation. A strong proactive focus on emerging customer needs and on novel...

Intellectual Property and Innovation

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

Francis Gurry has led WIPO as Director General since 1st October, 2008. He was reappointed in May 2014 for a second six-year term, which runs until September 2020. Under his leadership, WIPO is addressing major challenges. These include managing the stress on the international patent and copyright systems produced by rapid technological change, by globalisation and increased demand; reducing the knowledge gap between developed and developing countries; and ensuring that the intellectual property (IP) system serves its fundamental purpose of encouraging creativity and innovation in all countries. Every year, WIPO publishes the Global Innovation Index (GII), which provides detailed metrics about the innovation performance of countries and economies around the world. The 2016 edition highlighted CERN as an example of successful, regional innovation initiatives. In this seminar Mr. Gurry will share his knowledge and views on the role of IP in innovation. You can read a message from Mr. Gurry here : http://...

NDA National Graduate Programme 'nucleargraduates'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, Carl

2010-01-01

The aim of this paper is to outline the NDA National Graduate Programme (nuclear graduates). The NDA has a remit under the Energy Act (2004) 'to maintain and develop the skills for decommissioning and nuclear clean-up'. Although current research is now being reviewed, there is significant evidence to suggest that the age profile in the Site Licence Companies is skewed towards older workers and there is likely to be a skill shortage in 3-5 years. As nuclear clean-up is a national issue; skill shortages also become a national issue in a very real sense. In addition, evidence suggests that the industry needs to be constantly challenged in order to achieve its targets for decommissioning. The NDA has a unique position under the Act. It is both a strategic overseer and direct employer. To this end the 'National Graduate Programme' is aligned to both the NDA's previous succession plans and the needs of the industry. Industry needs leadership that challenges the status quo and moves the UK nuclear industry to become best in class; Industry needs a dedicated to programme to address skills shortages and difficult to recruit areas such as, but not exclusively, estimators, schedulers, contract managers, site engineers, decommissioning technicians, safety monitors; The NDA has indicated a 'commercial and politically savvy' cohort is required to meet its own internal challenges and to ensure sustainability in its own workforce, and to be sensitive to the needs of customers and suppliers alike; Need to create a more diversified workforce in the nuclear industry and also plan for new skills evolving from research and development breakthroughs; Need to ensure that Tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 contractors invest in the leadership and skills for the future. World Class - delivery will be benchmarked against UK based multinational companies who operate in a global graduate attraction and development marketplace. The graduates targeted will be from leading institutions and will have a blend of

Product-Marketing Innovation, Skills, and Firm Productivity Growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Junge, Martin; Severgnini, Battista; Sørensen, Anders

2016-01-01

The role of product and marketing innovation for productivity growth is addressed using survey and register data for the Danish economy. It is hypothesized that product and marketing innovation are complementary inputs and that innovation activities are skill-intensive. It is established...... that product and marketing innovation in skill-intensive firms results in significantly faster productivity growth. Moreover, product and marketing innovation have independent roles in productivity growth, which cannot be attributed to organizational changes. Finally, we apply an instrument variable approach...... for firms, innovation choices to study endogeneity. The results strongly support the idea that product–marketing innovation leads to faster productivity growth in skill-intensive firms....

Geothermal projects funded under the NER 300 programme - current state of development and knowledge gained

Science.gov (United States)

Shortall, Ruth; Uihlein, Andreas

2017-04-01

Introduction The NER 300 programme, managed by the European Commission is one of the largest funding programmes for innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects. NER 300 is so called because it is funded from the sale of 300 million emission allowances from the new entrants' reserve (NER) set up for the third phase of the EU emissions trading system (ETS). The programme aims to successfully demonstrate environmentally safe carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy (RES) technologies on a commercial scale with a view to scaling up production of low-carbon technologies in the EU. Consequently, it supports a wide range of CCS and RES technologies (bioenergy, concentrated solar power, photovoltaics, geothermal, wind, ocean, hydropower, and smart grids). Funded projects and the role of geothermal projects for the programme In total, about EUR 2.1 billion have been awarded through the programme's 2 calls for proposals (the first awarded in December 2012, the second in July 2014). The programme has awarded around EUR 70 million funding to 3 geothermal projects in Hungary, Croatia and France. The Croatian geothermal project will enter into operation during 2017 the Hungarian in 2018, and the French in 2020. Knowledge Sharing Knowledge sharing requirements are built into the legal basis of the programme as a critical tool to lower risks in bridging the transition to large-scale production of innovative renewable energy and CCS deployment. Projects have to submit annually to the European Commission relevant knowledge gained during that year in the implementation of their project. The relevant knowledge is aggregated and disseminated by the European Commission to industry, research, government, NGO and other interest groups and associations in order to provide a better understanding of the practical challenges that arise in the important step of scaling up technologies and operating them at commercial scale. The knowledge sharing of the NER 300

System and method for programmable bank selection for banked memory subsystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blumrich, Matthias A. (Ridgefield, CT); Chen, Dong (Croton on Hudson, NY); Gara, Alan G. (Mount Kisco, NY); Giampapa, Mark E. (Irvington, NY); Hoenicke, Dirk (Seebruck-Seeon, DE); Ohmacht, Martin (Yorktown Heights, NY); Salapura, Valentina (Chappaqua, NY); Sugavanam, Krishnan (Mahopac, NY)

2010-09-07

A programmable memory system and method for enabling one or more processor devices access to shared memory in a computing environment, the shared memory including one or more memory storage structures having addressable locations for storing data. The system comprises: one or more first logic devices associated with a respective one or more processor devices, each first logic device for receiving physical memory address signals and programmable for generating a respective memory storage structure select signal upon receipt of pre-determined address bit values at selected physical memory address bit locations; and, a second logic device responsive to each of the respective select signal for generating an address signal used for selecting a memory storage structure for processor access. The system thus enables each processor device of a computing environment memory storage access distributed across the one or more memory storage structures.

Essays on Innovation Ecosystems in the Enterprise Software Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Peng

2010-01-01

Innovation ecosystem strategy is often adopted by platform technology owners to seek complementary innovation from resources located outside the firm to exploit indirect network effect. In this dissertation I aim to address the issues that are related to the formation and business value of platform innovation ecosystems in the enterprise software…

Agricultural innovation platforms in West Africa: How does strategic institutional entrepreneurship unfold in different value chain contexts?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paassen, van A.; Klerkx, L.W.A.; Adjei-Nsiah, S.; Adu-Acheampong, R.; Ouologuem, B.; Zannou, E.

2014-01-01

Inspired by Innovation System theory, donors promote Innovation Platforms (IP) to enhance collaboration for development. However, the question arises whether this is the best approach to facilitate change. The article presents the experience of an action-research programme (2009-2013) on the value

Educating Higher Education Students for Innovative Economies: What International Data Tell Us

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Avvisati

2014-04-01

Full Text Available As innovation increasingly fuels economic growth, higher education institutions and systems face the challenge of equipping students with the skills required by innovative economies. Using two international surveys of tertiary education graduates five years after their graduation, we show that the innovative, tertiary-educated workforce comprises a mix of graduates holding degrees from all disciplines. The contribution to innovation of different graduates varies by type of innovation. When they assess the strong and weak points of their university education, graduates give a mixed picture of the quality of the education they have received. We then link the propensity to participate in innovation to the relative emphasis on theory and practice in university programmes and conclude by highlighting the importance of a competence-based approach to curriculum and pedagogy

Improving homeless persons’ utilization of primary care : Lessons to be learned from an outreach programme in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elissen, A.M.J.; van Raak, A.J.A.; Derck, E.W.C.C.; Vrijhoef, H.J.M.

2013-01-01

Faced with rising homelessness, countries around the world are in need of innovative approaches to caring for those without shelter, who, more often than not, suffer from severe health problems. We conducted a case study of an innovative Dutch Primary Care for the Homeless (PCH) programme to gain

The link between product market reform, innovation and EU macroeconomic performance

OpenAIRE

Rachel Griffith; Rupert Harrison; Helen Simpson

2006-01-01

This report analyses the impact of product market reforms, in the form of the EU Single Market Programme, on the extent of product market competition and the subsequent effects of competition on innovation activity and productivity growth.The report first summarises the main messages from the existing theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between competition and innovation and uses this to inform the subsequent empirical analysis. The theoretical literature on competition a...

PACMAN – an Innovative Doctoral Programme for CLIC

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2013-01-01

The final network project funded under the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), Marie Curie Actions, held its kick-off meeting at CERN on 20 November 2013.   PACMAN – a study on Particle Accelerator Components Metrology and Alignment to the Nanometre scale – is in the final stage of recruiting 10 PhD students to do research on beam instrumentation, metrology, micrometric alignment, magnetic measurements, nano-positioning and high-precision engineering. The students will acquire multi-disciplinary expertise in advanced engineering combined with a broad span of transferable skills. “PACMAN gives us the opportunity to attract students to CERN at a key moment in the CLIC study,” said Frédérick Bordry, Head of CERN’s Technology Department. “This is also an ideal opportunity to further develop CERN’s networks with industry and universities.” “The project is...

Biomedical device innovation methodology: applications in biophotonics

Science.gov (United States)

Beswick, Daniel M.; Kaushik, Arjun; Beinart, Dylan; McGarry, Sarah; Yew, Ming Khoon; Kennedy, Brendan F.; Maria, Peter Luke Santa

2018-02-01

The process of medical device innovation involves an iterative method that focuses on designing innovative, device-oriented solutions that address unmet clinical needs. This process has been applied to the field of biophotonics with many notable successes. Device innovation begins with identifying an unmet clinical need and evaluating this need through a variety of lenses, including currently existing solutions for the need, stakeholders who are interested in the need, and the market that will support an innovative solution. Only once the clinical need is understood in detail can the invention process begin. The ideation phase often involves multiple levels of brainstorming and prototyping with the aim of addressing technical and clinical questions early and in a cost-efficient manner. Once potential solutions are found, they are tested against a number of known translational factors, including intellectual property, regulatory, and reimbursement landscapes. Only when the solution matches the clinical need, the next phase of building a "to market" strategy should begin. Most aspects of the innovation process can be conducted relatively quickly and without significant capital expense. This white paper focuses on key points of the medical device innovation method and how the field of biophotonics has been applied within this framework to generate clinical and commercial success.

Social perceptions about a technological innovation for fuelwood cooking: Case study in rural Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troncoso, Karin; Castillo, Alicia; Masera, Omar; Merino, Leticia

2007-01-01

The widespread use of traditional biomass fuels in open fires in developing countries brings about serious health effects, besides high fuelwood consumption. A technological innovation-i.e., improved cookstoves-reduce fuel consumption and address the health effects of indoor air pollution. Implementation projects have been conducted worldwide, but have frequently faced very low success rates. Different demographic and socio-economic factors have been analysed to explain low rates but there are almost no studies that try to understand, from the users' perspective, the factors involved when choosing among different cooking technologies. Through a qualitative methodological approach we documented the adoption of improved cookstoves through the implementation programme of a Mexican NGO. Results showed that although the programme raised public awareness, the improved cookstoves did not reach the poorest sector. The socioeconomic level was found positively correlated with the adoption of the improved cookstoves, but neither the age nor the educational levels were. Payment of the stove did not seem to be an adoption factor. Differences among individual users were more significant than differences between communities. Finally as men are the principal fuelwood harvesters, they should be considered as an important group in diffusion programs

Assessment of the wood-energy programme 2000-2006. Synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-04-01

This report proposes an assessment of a nationwide programme launched in 2000 to help wood energy to become a well-structured value chain with a self-development capacity. This programme addressed the three sectors of domestic, industrial and community/urban heating, and more notably the latter. Based on interviews and on a survey, this study aims at giving a quantitative as well as a qualitative assessment of the whole wood energy activity financed or led by the French energy conservation agency (ADEME) at the national or regional level, at assessing the programme efficiency and highlighting the impacts of the supported actions, at defining recommendations for the 'renewable heat' (chaleur renouvelable) programme

Reflect before you act: providing structure to the evaluation of rehabilitation programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Velema, Johan P; Cornielje, Huib

2003-11-18

This paper is concerned with understanding and evaluating potentially diverse rehabilitation programmes. It helps evaluators and programme managers to focus attention on specific aspects of the rehabilitation process and select evaluation questions relevant to each. Distinction is made between the rehabilitation programme itself, the programme environment and the relationships between the two. For each of these areas, evaluation questions have been formulated. For services offered to individual clients, questions address whether the status of clients has improved, what interventions are offered and who benefit from them, the relationships between the service providers and the clients, and who may be involved in the rehabilitation process besides the client. To assess the programme environment, questions address the epidemiology of disability, the resources available to persons with disabilities, the inclusiveness of education and employment and a number of eco-social variables. Relationships between the programme and its environment concern the support of the community for the programme, the way the programme seeks to influence the community, the referral of clients to other services available in the community and the extent to which the programme is a learning organization. Lists of evaluation questions are presented from which the evaluator can select those most relevant to the programme to be evaluated. This provides a framework for the evaluation and for the information to be gathered. Rather than providing a blue print, this framework permits flexibility to adapt to the specific situation of the programme to be evaluated. This paper presents a useful guideline that stimulates the thinking of those preparing for the evaluation of rehabilitation programmes.

Global Health Innovation Technology Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly Harding

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Chronic technology and business process disparities between High Income, Low Middle Income and Low Income (HIC, LMIC, LIC research collaborators directly prevent the growth of sustainable Global Health innova‐ tion for infectious and rare diseases. There is a need for an Open Source-Open Science Architecture Framework to bridge this divide. We are proposing such a framework for consideration by the Global Health community, by utiliz‐ ing a hybrid approach of integrating agnostic Open Source technology and healthcare interoperability standards and Total Quality Management principles. We will validate this architecture framework through our programme called Project Orchid. Project Orchid is a conceptual Clinical Intelligence Exchange and Virtual Innovation platform utilizing this approach to support clinical innovation efforts for multi-national collaboration that can be locally sustainable for LIC and LMIC research cohorts. The goal is to enable LIC and LMIC research organizations to acceler‐ ate their clinical trial process maturity in the field of drug discovery, population health innovation initiatives and public domain knowledge networks. When sponsored, this concept will be tested by 12 confirmed clinical research and public health organizations in six countries. The potential impact of this platform is reduced drug discovery and public health innovation lag time and improved clinical trial interventions, due to reliable clinical intelligence and bio-surveillance across all phases of the clinical innovation process.

From ideas to construction innovations: firms and universities collaborating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Bröchner

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose here is to study patterns of project collaboration found in one government supported programme for construction innovation. Preferred types of interaction were identified using data from two questionnaire surveys, one with experienced construction sector respondents and one aimed at construction researchers. All sixteen development projects within the Swedish Bygginnovationen programme were investigated, relying on documents and a survey of project managers. Important types of interaction, according to construction respondents, are informal contacts, joint research projects and staff mobility. For university respondents, informal contacts is also seen as the most important type of interaction, followed by MSc thesis work in firms and industrial PhD candidates. Grant applicants from manufacturing depended more on university laboratories and were less sensitive to firm/university distance. Laboratory use was also more frequent for projects relying on the field of materials engineering. In conclusion, there is a consensus about which types of collaboration are valuable. The broadness of participation in the programme, ranging over many industries, both as to origin of ideas and ultimate applications, reaches beyond narrow interpretations of the construction industry. Policy makers should recognize the innovation importance of university laboratory facilities and field testing, rather than seeing researchers as sources of ideas.

Indigenous innovation in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jin, Jun; Slepniov, Dmitrij

2012-01-01

champions. However, recently growing number of Chinese companies are seeking to create a foundation for growth and development based on innovation. As a result of this, many of them spread their operations to the countries of the traditional industrial ‘triad’ of North America, Europe and Japan to capture...... a foothold in these markets and to tap into the advanced technologies and concepts originating from this developed context. Another category of Chinese companies includes those who seek to move from routine transactional tasks to more innovation-intensive concepts while remaining in China and relying...... on their own in-house resources. The development and implementation of indigenous innovation solutions for these companies is an imperative which has not been adequately addressed in the literature. Therefore, by employing an explorative case of a Chinese company behind an innovative logistics concept...

Results from the electro-optic sensors domain of the materials and components for missiles innovation and technology partnership (phase 1)

Science.gov (United States)

Bray, Mark E.; Shears, Robert A.

2013-10-01

The Materials and Components for Missiles Innovation and Technology Partnership (ITP) is a research programme supporting research for guided weapons at Technology Readiness Levels 1 to 4. The Anglo-French initiative is supported by the DGA and the MoD, with matched funding from industry. A major objective is to foster projects which partner UK and French universities, SMEs and larger companies. The first projects started in January 2008 and the first phase completed in spring 2013. Providing funding is secured, the next phase of the programme is due to start later in 2013. Selex ES leads Domain 3 of the MCM-ITP which develops Electro-Optic sensor technology. In collaboration with DGA, MoD and MBDA, the prime contractor, we identified 4 key objectives for the first ITP phase and focussed resources on achieving these. The objectives were to enable better imagery, address operationally stressing scenarios, provide low overall through life cost and improve active and semi-active sensors Nine normal projects and one ITP innovation fund project have been supported within the domain. The technology providers have included 3 SMEs and 8 research centres from both the United Kingdom and France. Highlights of the projects are included. An outline of the priorities for the domain for the new phase ise provided and we encourage organisations with suitable technology to contact us to get involved.

CASE ANALYSIS OF INNOVATION IN THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY USING THE CYCLIC INNOVATION MODEL

OpenAIRE

NICHOLAS FORD; PAUL TROTT; CHRIS SIMMS; DAP HARTMANN

2014-01-01

This paper builds upon Berkhout et al.’s (2010) cyclic innovation model (CIM). This model was shown to provide an effective framework for understanding and managing the innovation process and to address many of the shortcomings of previous models. Building on that article we have applied CIM to an in-depth case study featuring a formable paperboard technology within the packaging industry. Using data gathered from 28 interviews conducted over a three year period, CIM, for the first time, is a...

The Choice of Innovation Policy Instruments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borrás, Susana; Edquist, Charles

The purpose of this article is to discuss the different types of instruments of innovation policy, to examine how governments and public agencies in different countries and different times have used these instruments differently, to explore the political nature of instrument choice and design (and...... associated issues), and to elaborate a set of criteria for the selection and design of the instruments in relation to the formulation of innovation policy. The article argues that innovation policy instruments must be designed and combined into mixes in ways that address the problems of the innovation system....... These mixes are often called “policy mix”. The problem-oriented nature of the design of instrument mixes is what makes innovation policy instruments ‘systemic’....

The Choice of Innovation Policy Instruments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borrás, Susana; Edquist, Charles

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss the different types of instruments of innovation policy, to examine how governments and public agencies in different countries and different times have used these instruments differently, to explore the political nature of instrument choice and design (and...... associated issues), and to elaborate a set of criteria for the selection and design of the instruments in relation to the formulation of innovation policy. The article argues that innovation policy instruments must be designed and combined into mixes in ways that address the problems of the innovation system....... These mixes are often called “policy mix”. The problem-oriented nature of the design of instrument mixes is what makes innovation policy instruments ‘systemic’....

Eco-Innovation in Circular Agri-Business

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Her Shih

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This study constructs a theory of eco-innovation in circular agri-business. Although previous studies have discussed eco-innovation in circular agri-business, they did not address eco-innovation from the perspective of a closed-loop sustainable supply chain. Hence, this study applied the fuzzy TOPSIS method to conduct the analysis and determine the interrelationship between eco-innovation and the closed-loop concept. The results are consistent with the theory and a significant improvement in terms of the decisive attributes. The findings suggest that improving water management, relationships with suppliers, knowledge sharing, environmental management systems, and new product and service development are the most effective and efficient ways to build eco-innovation in circular agri-business. The managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.

Leveraging Digital Innovation in Healthcare

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brown, Carol V.; Jensen, Tina Blegind; Aanestad, Margun

2014-01-01

Harnessing digital innovations for healthcare delivery has raised high expectations as well as major concerns. Several countries across the globe have made progress in achieving three common goals of lower costs, higher quality, and increased patient access to healthcare services through...... investments in digital infrastructures. New technologies are leveraged to achieve widespread 24x7 disease management, patients’ wellbeing, home-based healthcare and other patient-centric service innovations. Yet, digital innovations in healthcare face barriers in terms of standardization, data privacy...... landscapes in selected countries. Then panelists with expertise in digital data streams, cloud, and mobile computing will present concrete examples of healthcare service innovations that have the potential to address one or more of the global goals. ECIS attendees are invited to join a debate about...

South Africa's nuclear hydrogen production development programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Ravenswaay, J.P.; Van Niekerk, F.; Kriek, R.J.; Blom, E.; Krieg, H.M.; Van Niekerk, W.M.K.; Van der Merwe, F.; Vosloo, H.C.M.

2010-01-01

In May 2007 the South African Cabinet approved a National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies R and D and Innovation Strategy. The strategy will focus on research, development and innovation for: i) wealth creation through high value-added manufacturing and developing platinum group metals catalysis; ii) building on the existing knowledge in high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) and coal gasification Fischer-Tropsch technology, to develop local cost-competitive hydrogen production solutions; iii) to promote equity and inclusion in the economic benefits from South Africa's natural resource base. As part of the roll-out strategy, the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) created three Competence Centres (CC), including a Hydrogen Infrastructure Competence Centre hosted by the North-West University (NWU) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The Hydrogen Infrastructure CC is tasked with developing hydrogen production, storage, distribution as well as codes and standards programmes within the framework of the DST strategic objectives to ensure strategic national innovation over the next fifteen years. One of the focus areas of the Hydrogen Infrastructure CC will be on large scale CO 2 free hydrogen production through thermochemical water-splitting using nuclear heat from a suitable heat source such as a HTGR and the subsequent use of the hydrogen in applications such as the coal-to-liquid process and the steel industry. This paper will report on the status of the programme for thermochemical water-splitting as well as the associated projects for component and technology development envisaged in the Hydrogen Infrastructure CC. The paper will further elaborate on current and future collaboration opportunities as well as expected outputs and deliverables. (authors)

Fusion technology programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finken, D.

1984-10-01

The KfK-Association has continued work on 17 R and D contracts of the Fusion Technology Programme. An effort of 94 manyears per year is at present contributed by 10 KfK departments, covering all aereas defined in the Fusion Technology Programme. The dominant part of the work is directed towards the need of the NET design or supporting experiments. Some additional effort addresses long term technological issues and system studies relevant to DEMO or confinement schemes alternative to tokamaks. Direct contribution to the NET team has increased by augmentation of NET study contracts and delegation of personnel, three KfK delegates being at present members of the NET team. In reverse, specifications and design guidelines worked out by NET have started to have an impact on the current R and D-work in the laboratory. (orig./GG)

Navigating the Tensions of Innovative Assessment and Pedagogy in Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Lock

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Innovative practice in a classroom adds challenges and tensions to programs and institutional structures in higher education. With the recent emphasis on curricula reform, there is a great focus on assessment and pedagogical practices to support student learning. To illustrate the tensions arising from these efforts, we present four pedagogical and assessment innovation approaches using both Shulman’s (2005 Signature Pedagogies and Tatar’s (2007 Design Tensions frameworks. The four approaches include problem-based learning, game-based learning, case-based learning, and technology-enhanced learning. A narrative for each approach examines and addresses tensions using Shulman’s (2005 surface, deep and implicit structures. We argue that there is an interconnected complexity and conflicting visions among the micro- (e.g., classroom or practicum, meso- (e.g., program, and macro- (e.g., institution levels. We acknowledge that dynamic tensions continually exist and needs to be thoughtfully navigated in support of innovative assessment and pedagogies in higher education. Dans l’enseignement supérieur, les pratiques innovatrices en salle de classe ajoutent des défis et des tensions aux programmes et aux structures institutionnelles. Suite à l’importance accrue récemment attachée à la réforme des programmes d’études, l’accent est mis sur l’évaluation et les pratiques pédagogiques pour soutenir l’apprentissage des étudiants. Afin d’illustrer les tensions qui découlent de ces efforts, nous présentons quatre approches de pédagogie et d’évaluation innovatrices qui font appel à la fois aux cadres de Shulman, Signature Pedagogies (2005, et à ceux de Tatar, Design Tensions (2007. Les quatre approches comprennent l’apprentissage par problèmes, l’apprentissage fondé sur le jeu, l’apprentissage basé sur des cas et l’apprentissage amélioré par les technologies. Chaque approche est examinée et traite des tensions

Production, Innovation and Service Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slepniov, Dmitrij; Wæhrens, Brian Vejrum; Johansen, John

2012-01-01

Production, innovation and service networks of companies all over the world become increasingly decentralised, specialised and interdependent. These three characteristics combined inevitably lead to the formation of complex configurations of resources, crossing both national and organisational...... borders. The existing studies do not adequately address the complex interplay between co-evolving production, innovation and service networks. The widening geographical and cognitive gaps between these networks mean that coordinating them and managing their interfaces in a global operations context...... are becoming strategically important. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue and to develop a number of propositions about the development and organisation of these networks. The paper highlights the critical importance of engineering operations in this process. The propositions are developed...

Production, Innovation and Service Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slepniov, Dmitrij; Wæhrens, Brian Vejrum; Johansen, John

2011-01-01

is becoming strategically important. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue and to develop a number of propositions about how companies can organize these networks and coordinate between them effectively. The propositions are developed by employing the design science approach based on a literature......Production, innovation and service networks of companies all over the world become increasingly decentralized, specialized and interdependent. The three characteristics combined inevitably lead to the formation of complex configurations of assets and capabilities crossing both national...... and organisational borders. The existing studies do not adequately address the complex interplay between co-evolving production, innovation and service networks. The widening geographical and cognitive gap between these networks means that coordinating them and managing their interfaces in global operations context...

Barriers to Innovation in Urban Wastewater Utilities: Attitudes of Managers in California.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiparsky, Michael; Thompson, Barton H; Binz, Christian; Sedlak, David L; Tummers, Lars; Truffer, Bernhard

2016-06-01

In many regions of the world, urban water systems will need to transition into fundamentally different forms to address current stressors and meet impending challenges-faster innovation will need to be part of these transitions. To assess the innovation deficit in urban water organizations and to identify means for supporting innovation, we surveyed wastewater utility managers in California. Our results reveal insights about the attitudes towards innovation among decision makers, and how perceptions at the level of individual managers might create disincentives for experimentation. Although managers reported feeling relatively unhindered organizationally, they also spend less time on innovation than they feel they should. The most frequently reported barriers to innovation included cost and financing; risk and risk aversion; and regulatory compliance. Considering these results in the context of prior research on innovation systems, we conclude that collective action may be required to address underinvestment in innovation.

Improving innovation and multidisciplinary competences among bachelor of engineering students

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løje, Hanne; Andersson, Pernille Hammar; Grex, Sara

2017-01-01

within Engineering Education. Furthermore, there is also a demand for the graduates to be able to work multidisciplinary and to be able to use generic skills in their work. In this paper, the research question is how to enhance innovation and multidisciplinary competences of engineering students......From society and industry, there are increasing requirements for skilled and well-educated engineers who can develop new solutions through innovation and this have pushed universities to meet these requirements by having an increasing focus on developing innovation and entrepreneurship programmes......? This is a central question in order to educate engineers that can create sustainable solutions for the environment, for products and to secure future workplaces. In this paper, a new mandatory course for Bachelor of Engineering students at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) "Innovation Pilot...

The international project on innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles (INPRO) - status and trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gowin, Peter J.; Beatty, Randy L.

2010-01-01

The International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) was initiated in 2000. As of April 2010, INPRO has 31 members and is implementing activities in five programme areas: A: Nuclear Energy System Assessments (NESA) using the INPRO Methodology Assisting Member States in performing Nuclear Energy System Assessments (NESA) using the INPRO methodology, in support of long-term strategic planning and nuclear energy deployment decision making. B: Global Vision Developing global and regional nuclear energy scenarios, on the basis of a scientific-technical pathway analysis, that lead to a global vision on sustainable nuclear energy development in the 21. century, and supporting Member States in working towards that vision. C: Innovations in Nuclear Technology Fostering collaboration among INPRO Member States on selected innovative nuclear technologies and related R and D that contribute to sustainable nuclear energy. D: Innovations in Institutional Arrangements Investigating and fostering collaboration on innovative institutional and legal arrangements for the use of innovative nuclear systems in the 21. century and supporting Member States in developing and implementing such innovative arrangements. E: INPRO Dialogue Forum Bringing together technology holders and technology users to discuss, debate and share information on desirable innovations, both technical and institutional, but also national long-term nuclear planning strategies and approaches and, on the highest level, the global nuclear energy system. The paper presents main INPRO achievements to date, the current status of activities in these five programme areas and recent INPRO publications, in particular in support of nuclear energy system assessments (NESA) using the INPRO methodology. (authors)

Innovative behavior in nurse executives.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, C E

1994-05-01

This study addresses the problem-solving styles of hospital nurse executives and explores the relationship between problem-solving style and leader effectiveness. The Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) and the Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description-Self (LEAD-S) were the instruments used to survey nurse executives from 66 medium-sized urban California hospitals. The majority of respondents used innovative approaches, but no correlation was found between problem-solving style and leader effectiveness.

Scaling up ART adherence clubs in the public sector health system in the Western Cape, South Africa: a study of the institutionalisation of a pilot innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

MacGregor, Hayley; McKenzie, Andrew; Jacobs, Tanya; Ullauri, Angelica

2018-04-25

In 2011, a decision was made to scale up a pilot innovation involving 'adherence clubs' as a form of differentiated care for HIV positive people in the public sector antiretroviral therapy programme in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. In 2016 we were involved in the qualitative aspect of an evaluation of the adherence club model, the overall objective of which was to assess the health outcomes for patients accessing clubs through epidemiological analysis, and to conduct a health systems analysis to evaluate how the model of care performed at scale. In this paper we adopt a complex adaptive systems lens to analyse planned organisational change through intervention in a state health system. We explore the challenges associated with taking to scale a pilot that began as a relatively simple innovation by a non-governmental organisation. Our analysis reveals how a programme initially representing a simple, unitary system in terms of management and clinical governance had evolved into a complex, differentiated care system. An innovation that was assessed as an excellent idea and received political backing, worked well whilst supported on a small scale. However, as scaling up progressed, challenges have emerged at the same time as support has waned. We identified a 'tipping point' at which the system was more likely to fail, as vulnerabilities magnified and the capacity for adaptation was exceeded. Yet the study also revealed the impressive capacity that a health system can have for catalysing novel approaches. We argue that innovation in largescale, complex programmes in health systems is a continuous process that requires ongoing support and attention to new innovation as challenges emerge. Rapid scaling up is also likely to require recourse to further resources, and a culture of iterative learning to address emerging challenges and mitigate complex system errors. These are necessary steps to the future success of adherence clubs as a cornerstone of

Design and Innovation: Organizational Culture as Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Poul Rind; Junginger, Sabine

2013-01-01

Designing, as an activity, is squeezed in a paradoxical agency between reproduction and innovation of meanings in society as well as in the organization. In this conceptual paper the apparent paradox is addressed in perspective of the organizational culture theory and examine the role of design...... in reproducing and innovating dominant organizational cultures....

Addressing Cancer Disparities Among American Indians through Innovative Technologies and Patient Navigation: The Walking Forward Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petereit, Daniel G. [Department of Oncology, John T. Vucurevich Cancer Care Institute, Rapid City, SD (United States); Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI (United States); Guadagnolo, B. Ashleigh [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States); Wong, Rosemary; Coleman, C. Norman, E-mail: dpetereit@regionalhealth.com [Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD (United States)

2011-06-22

Purpose/Objective(s): American Indians (AIs) present with more advanced stages of cancer and, therefore, suffer from higher cancer mortality rates compared to non-AIs. Under the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Disparities Research Partnership (CDRP) Program, we have been researching methods of improving cancer treatment and outcomes since 2002, for AIs in Western South Dakota, through the Walking Forward (WF) Program. Materials/Methods: This program consists of (a) a culturally tailored patient navigation program that facilitated access to innovative clinical trials in conjunction with a comprehensive educational program encouraging screening and early detection, (b), surveys to evaluate barriers to access, (c) clinical trials focusing on reducing treatment length to facilitate enhanced participation using brachytherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for breast and prostate cancer, as AIs live a median of 140 miles from the cancer center, and (d) a molecular study (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) to address whether there is a specific profile that increases toxicity risks. Results: We describe the design and implementation of this program, summary of previously published results, and ongoing research to influence stage at presentation. Some of the critical outcomes include the successful implementation of a community-based research program, development of trust within tribal communities, identification of barriers, analysis of nearly 400 navigated cancer patients, clinical trial accrual rate of 10%, and total enrollment of nearly 2,500 AIs on WF research studies. Conclusion: This NCI funded pilot program has achieved some initial measures of success. A research infrastructure has been created in a community setting to address new research questions and interventions. Efforts underway to promote cancer education and screening are presented, as well as applications of the lessons learned to other health disparity populations – both nationally and

Addressing Cancer Disparities Among American Indians through Innovative Technologies and Patient Navigation: The Walking Forward Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petereit, Daniel G.; Guadagnolo, B. Ashleigh; Wong, Rosemary; Coleman, C. Norman

2011-01-01

Purpose/Objective(s): American Indians (AIs) present with more advanced stages of cancer and, therefore, suffer from higher cancer mortality rates compared to non-AIs. Under the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Disparities Research Partnership (CDRP) Program, we have been researching methods of improving cancer treatment and outcomes since 2002, for AIs in Western South Dakota, through the Walking Forward (WF) Program. Materials/Methods: This program consists of (a) a culturally tailored patient navigation program that facilitated access to innovative clinical trials in conjunction with a comprehensive educational program encouraging screening and early detection, (b), surveys to evaluate barriers to access, (c) clinical trials focusing on reducing treatment length to facilitate enhanced participation using brachytherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for breast and prostate cancer, as AIs live a median of 140 miles from the cancer center, and (d) a molecular study (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) to address whether there is a specific profile that increases toxicity risks. Results: We describe the design and implementation of this program, summary of previously published results, and ongoing research to influence stage at presentation. Some of the critical outcomes include the successful implementation of a community-based research program, development of trust within tribal communities, identification of barriers, analysis of nearly 400 navigated cancer patients, clinical trial accrual rate of 10%, and total enrollment of nearly 2,500 AIs on WF research studies. Conclusion: This NCI funded pilot program has achieved some initial measures of success. A research infrastructure has been created in a community setting to address new research questions and interventions. Efforts underway to promote cancer education and screening are presented, as well as applications of the lessons learned to other health disparity populations – both nationally and

Proceedings of the NEA International Workshop on the Nuclear Innovation road-map (NI2050)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Jaejoo HA; Deffrennes, Marc; ); Tromm, Walter; Ait Abderrahim, Hamid; Fernandez Fernandez, Alberto; Speranzini, Robert; Jeong, Ik; Lee, Gye Seok; Castelao Lopez, Carlos; Pasamehmetoglu, Kemal; Puska, Eija Karita; Cordier, Pierre-Yves; Horvath, Akos; Agostini, Pietro; Kamide, Hideki; Nakatsuka, Toru; Roelofs, Ferry; Wrochna, Grzegorz; Zezula, Lubor; Rayment, Fiona; Cizelj, Leon; Zimmermann, Martin A.; Schmitz, Bruno; Martin-Ramos, Manuel; Andreeva-Andrievskaya, Lyudmila N.; Monti, Stefano; ); Paillere, Henri; ); Caron-Charles, Marylise; Gulliford, Jim; ); Breest, Axel; ); McGrath, Margaret; Bignan, Gilles

2015-07-01

The two-day workshop held at the OECD Headquarters in Paris on 7-8 July 2015, brought together some of the leading experts in the field of nuclear fission research, development and demonstration. The purpose was to launch the NEA Nuclear Innovation 2050 Initiative, aiming, after a first survey phase, at producing a road-map of main priority research programmes and infrastructures necessary to support the role nuclear energy may play in the low carbon power sector of the future. This might then further lead to some ad-hoc cooperation frameworks that help to effectively implement key priorities coming out of the road-mapping. The workshop was organised into the following five sessions: 1 - Opening session on NI2050: vision and main objectives; 2 - National presentations on nuclear fission research and innovation activities (programmes, infrastructures, budgets); 3 - Presentations on some existing international nuclear fission road-maps and co-operation frameworks; 4 - Defining the way forward for NI2050: survey, road-mapping and priorities and co-operation; 5 - Open discussion. These proceedings bring together the available presentations (slides) given during the workshop: 1. Opening session on NI2050: vision and main objectives: Setting the scene: NEA/IEA Nuclear Energy road-map 2050 (Jaejoo Ha); Proposed scope and organisation of the NI2050 project launching, taking stock of the IEA Energy RD and D survey and going further (Marc Deffrennes); 2. National presentations on nuclear fission research and innovation activities (programmes, infrastructures, budgets): Overview of German Situation with focus on HGF NUSAFE - HELMHOLTZ (W. Tromm); Investing in Nuclear Innovation in Belgium - SCKCEN (Hamid Ait Abderrahim and Alberto Fernandez); Canadian Nuclear Laboratories: Nuclear S and T and Innovation (R. Speranzini); ROK's Nuclear Policies and R and D Programs - KAERI (Ik Jeong and Lee Gye Seok); R and D Spanish Nuclear Platform (C. Castelao); NOE-NE Programs and

Does Your Department Have a Technology Innovation Strategy?

Science.gov (United States)

Felkey, Bill G; Fox, Brent I

2016-11-01

There are ways to facilitate the successful implementation of technological innovations. These are especially important in a time of rapid development of new tools to support safe and effective medication therapy. This installment addresses some of the key components of a successful technology innovation strategy.

Negotiating bioethics : the governance of UNESCO's Bioethics Programme

OpenAIRE

Langlois, Adèle

2013-01-01

The sequencing of the entire human genome has opened up unprecedented possibilities for healthcare, but also ethical and social dilemmas about how these can be achieved, particularly in developing countries. UNESCO's Bioethics Programme was established to address such issues in 1993. Since then, it has adopted three declarations on human genetics and bioethics (1997, 2003 and 2005), set up numerous training programmes around the world and debated the need for an international convention on hu...

Internationalisation and Multiculturalism in CELA-Particpating Landscape Architecture International Education Programmes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Hewitt

2004-12-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses the need for research in landscape architecture international education by offering a selective analysis of three surveys of department heads in CELA-participating landscape architecture programmes. The primary data addressed in the paper is a set of follow-up focused interviews conducted in 2004. These interviews expand on the authors' previous surveys concerning international education activities in CELA-participating schools, which were conducted in 2002 and 2003, and a similar survey by Malcomb Cairns and Ann Hoover, conducted in 2003. The selected data from the surveys and interviews provide information from the reporting landscape architecture programmes on their history, and approaches to internationalisation and multiculturalism. Analysis of the data indicates that: (1 Most landscape architecture international education programmes began during the 1980s and 1990s, and the majority of programmes reported significant change in their activities within the last decade. (2 A significant number of programmes described their approach to international education in terms of the relationship between the region and the global or international. (3 A significant number of programmes described their international education activities in terms of opportunities for, and benefits of, exposure to cultures other than their own, and in terms of relationships between multiculturalism and internationalisation.

Innovative diagnostics for ITER physics addressed in JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murari, A; Alfier, A; Pasqualotto, R [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA per la Fusione, Consorzio RFX, 4-35127 Padova (Italy); Edlington, T; Andrew, Y; Arnoux, G; Beurskens, M; Coad, P; Kempenaars, M; Kiptily, V; Meigs, A [Euratom/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Alonso, A; Hidalgo, C [Asociacion EURATOM-CIEMAT para Fusion, CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain); Crombe, C [Department of Applied Physics, Ghent University, Rozier 44, 900 Gent (Belgium); Gauthier, E; Giroud, C; Hong, S; Loarer, T [Association EURATOM-CEA, CEA Cadarache, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Tala, T [Association EURATOM-Tekes, VTT, PO Box 1000, FIN-02044 VTT (Finland)

2008-12-15

In recent years, JET diagnostic capability has been significantly improved to widen the range of physical phenomena that can be studied and thus contribute to the understanding of some ITER relevant issues. The most significant results reported in this paper refer to the plasma wall interactions, the interplay between core and edge physics and fast particles. A synergy between new infrared cameras, visible cameras and spectroscopy diagnostics has allowed investigating a series of new aspects of the plasma wall interactions. The power loads on the plasma facing components of JET main chambers have been assessed at steady state and during transient events like ELMs and disruptions. Evidence of filaments in the edge region of the plasma has been collected with a new fast visible camera and high resolution Thomson scattering. The physics of detached plasmas and some new aspects of dust formation have also been devoted particular attention. The influence of the edge plasma on the core has been investigated with upgraded active spectroscopy, providing new information on momentum transport and the effects of impurity injection on ELMs and ITBs and their interdependence. Given the fact that JET is the only machine with a plasma volume big enough to confine the alphas, a coherent programme of diagnostic developments for the energetic particles has been undertaken. With upgraded {gamma}-ray spectroscopy and a new scintillator probe, it is now possible to study both the redistribution and the losses of the fast particles in various plasma conditions.

Innovative financing instruments for global health 2002-15: a systematic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Atun, Rifat; Silva, Sachin; Knaul, Felicia M

2017-07-01

Development assistance for health (DAH), the value of which peaked in 2013 and fell in 2015, is unlikely to rise substantially in the near future, increasing reliance on domestic and innovative financing sources to sustain health programmes in low-income and middle-income countries. We examined innovative financing instruments (IFIs)-financing schemes that generate and mobilise funds-to estimate the quantum of financing mobilised from 2002 to 2015. We identified ten IFIs, which mobilised US$8·9 billion (2·3% of overall DAH) in 2002-15. The funds generated by IFIs were channelled mostly through GAVI and the Global Fund, and used for programmes for new and underused vaccines, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health. Vaccination programmes received the largest amount of funding ($2·6 billion), followed by HIV/AIDS ($1080·7 million) and malaria ($1028·9 million), with no discernible funding targeted to non-communicable diseases. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Crowdsourcing Business Model Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waldner, Florian; Poetz, Marion

Successfully adapting existing business models or developing new ones significantly influences a firm?s ability to generate profits and develop competitive advantages. However, business model innovation is perceived as a complex, risky and uncertain process and its success strongly depends...... on whether or not firms are capable of understanding and addressing their customers? needs. This study explores how crowdsourcing-based search approaches can contribute to the process of business model innovation. Drawing on data from a crowdsourcing initiative designed to develop ideas for new business...... models in the podcast industry, we provide first exploratory insights into the value of crowdsourcing for innovating a firm?s business model, and discuss which characteristics of crowd-contributors increase the quantity and quality of the outcome....

Matching to Openly Innovate with Suppliers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Linda Nhu

2017-01-01

heterogeneous suppliers with the internal organisation in order to openly innovate. More specifically, it focuses on a governance mode, recently emerged in practice, by which firms summon their suppliers and their own internal organisation at an event to match them for open innovation activities – innovation......When large firms choose to involve their many suppliers in open innovation, they are faced with a set of challenges pertaining to the governance of several suppliers. Suppliers are heterogeneous, offering heterogeneous materials, products, information, services, and knowledge, which are differently...... organized across functions and hierarchies. To make use of such heterogeneous resources, a critical challenge for open innovation is to pair a supplier resource with a suitable opportunity-for-use from within the firm – a challenge of matching. This dissertation addresses the challenge of matching...

Electric power and its significance as the energy for innovation and progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klinger, H.; Boehmer, T.

1999-01-01

The significance of electric power as the essential form of energy to support innovation and progress well into the future is explained with respect to four major domains of application: 1. Innovative activities in microelectronics and semiconductor technology, for applications such as automation and computer technology, instrumentation and control technology, facility and systems management and control. 2. Energy efficiency programmes and schemes for increasing the penetration of energiy from renewable sources in the market. Example: Heat pump technology. 3. Electric power as an energy boosting innovation in industrial production processes. Examples are given from the transportation sector. (orig./CB) [de

The European quantum technologies flagship programme

Science.gov (United States)

Riedel, Max F.; Binosi, Daniele; Thew, Rob; Calarco, Tommaso

2017-09-01

Quantum technologies, such as quantum communication, computation, simulation as well as sensors and metrology, address and manipulate individual quantum states and make use of superposition and entanglement. Both companies and governments have realised the high disruptive potential of this technology. Consequently, the European Commission has announced an ambitious flagship programme to start in 2018. Here, we sum up the history leading to the quantum technologies flagship programme and outline its envisioned goals and structure. We also give an overview of the strategic research agenda for quantum communication, which the flagship will pursue during its 10-year runtime.

Opening up the Innovation Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vujovic, Sladjana; Ulhøi, John Parm

2008-01-01

An organization's ability to create, retrieve, and use knowledge to innovate is a critical strategic asset. Until recently, most textbooks on business and product development argued that managers should keep their new ideas to themselves and protect knowledge from getting into competitors' hands....... Seeking, developing, and protecting knowledge is a costly endeavour. Moreover, apart from being expensive, the process of turning new knowledge into useful and well-protected innovations often slows the speed of development and increases costs. In this chapter, alternative strategies for innovation......, in which sharing and co-operation play a critical part, are discussed. In particular, we address the involvement of users in opening up the innovation process which, in turn, offers participating actors some useful strategies for product development. Four archetypal strategies are identified and classified...

Information and Innovation Management within Information Technology Enterprises

OpenAIRE

Geoff D. Skinner

2010-01-01

Australia, while being a large and eager consumer of innovative and cutting edge Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), continues to struggle to remain a leader in Technological Innovation. This paper has two main contributions to address certain aspects of this complex issue. The first being the current findings of an ongoing research project on Information and Innovation Management in the Australian Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector. The...

Product-Marketing Innovation, Skills and Firm Productivity Growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Junge, Martin; Severgnini, Battista; Sørensen, Anders

The role of product and marketing innovation for productivity growth is addressed using survey and register data for the Danish economy. It is argued that marketing and product innovation are complementary inputs and that innovation activities are skill-intensive. It is found that product...... and marketing innovation in skill-intensive firms results in significantly faster productivity growth than in unskilled-intensive firms that introduce this combination of innovation activities. More precisely, an increase in the share of educated workers of one percentage point, increases productivity growth...... by around 0.1 percentage point in firms with product and marketing innovation. In addition, it is found that firms that engage in product innovation but not in marketing innovation or the other way around do not demonstrate a growth effect from their innovation activities. It is also found that product...

Assessment Guiding Learning: Developing Graduate Qualities in an Experiential Learning Programme

Science.gov (United States)

Clements, Michael David; Cord, Bonnie Amelia

2013-01-01

As industry demands increase for a new type of graduate, there is more pressure than ever before for higher education (HE) to respond by cultivating and developing students who are prepared for these workplace challenges. This paper explores an innovative experiential learning programme built on the principles of work-related learning that…

Innovation Management by Promoting the Informal Artistic, Experience-based, Playful

CERN Document Server

Bürgermeister, Markus; Porschen, Stephanie

2012-01-01

This book explores new approaches to successful innovation - with all uncertainty. Its focal points are management of the informal and a new perspective of human work: innovation work is based on artistic, experience-based and playful action. The book helps recognize and utilize new success potentials for innovation in enterprises. It addresses managers and experts who are interested in promoting innovation in practice. Moreover, scientists will gather new interdisciplinary insights into innovation management and work organization from this book.

The emergence of community health worker programmes in the late apartheid era in South Africa: An historical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

van Ginneken, Nadja; Lewin, Simon; Berridge, Virginia

2010-09-01

There is re-emerging interest in community health workers (CHWs) as part of wider policies regarding task-shifting within human resources for health. This paper examines the history of CHW programmes established in South Africa in the later apartheid years (1970s-1994) - a time of innovative initiatives. After 1994, the new democratic government embraced primary healthcare (PHC), however CHW initiatives were not included in their health plan and most of these programmes subsequently collapsed. Since then a wide array of disease-focused CHW projects have emerged, particularly within HIV care. Thirteen oral history interviews and eight witness seminars were conducted in South Africa in April 2008 with founders and CHWs from these earlier programmes. These data were triangulated with written primary sources and analysed using thematic content analysis. The study suggests that 1970s-1990s CHW programmes were seen as innovative, responsive, comprehensive and empowering for staff and communities, a focus which respondents felt was lost within current programmes. The growth of these earlier projects was underpinned by the struggle against apartheid. Respondents felt that the more technical focus of current CHW programmes under-utilise a valuable human resource which previously had a much wider social and health impact. These prior experiences and lessons learned could usefully inform policy-making frameworks for CHWs in South Africa today. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Community facilitation of problem structuring and decision making processes: Experiences from the EU LEADER+ programme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vidal, Rene Victor Valqui

2009-01-01

This paper reports on the work carried out supporting a rural community in Denmark under the LEADER+ programme. This is a programme that supports development in particularly vulnerable rural regions of the European countries members of EU. It supports creative and innovative projects that can...... contribute to long-term and sustainable development in these regions. The main tasks have been the organisation and facilitation of conferences and workshops to structure the problematic situation of identifying and designing innovative projects for the development of the community and to support decision...... making processes related to the agreement on action plans. Learning to design, plan, manage and facilitate conferences and workshops have also being another central activity. The main purpose of these conferences and workshops was not only problem structuring and decision making in connection...

Energy Technology Programmes 1993-1998. Intermediate report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-10-01

The Tekes energy technology research programmes were launched in 1993. The aim is to produce innovative solutions that are efficient, environmentally sound and widely - even globally - applicable. Now Tekes manages a total of 12 energy technology research programmed. Research programmed form a network linking academia and industry. Total funding for the energy technology programmed during the years 1993-1998 is estimated at some FIM 1.5 billion, about half of which will be put up by the Tekes and the rest by the industry. Funding by the Ministry of Trade and Industry covers the first full-scale applications (demonstrations) resulting from the research and development activities. Finnish technology is front-ranking in the efficient use of energy, combustion technology, renewable energy sources and environmental technology. In this report the results and the research activities of the separate programmes is presented and discussed

Energy Management Programmes for Industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-09-05

The IEA Policy Pathway publications provide details on how to implement specific recommendations drawn from the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations. This Policy Pathway, jointly produced by the International Energy Agency and the Institute for Industrial Productivity, develops the critical steps for policy makers implementing energy management programmes for industry. Optimising energy use in industry is essential to improve industrial competitiveness and achieve wider societal goals such as energy security, economic recovery and development, climate change mitigation and environmental protection. While there is significant potential to decrease energy consumption in this sector, opportunities to improve energy efficiency are still under-exploited. Energy management programmes have shown to be instrumental in addressing many of the barriers that inhibit wide-scale uptake of energy management in industry. The Policy Pathway builds on lessons learned from country experiences and provides actionable guidance on how to plan and design, implement, evaluate and monitor energy management programmes for industry.

Nuclear power programme planning: An integrated approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-12-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published material on different policy considerations in the introduction of nuclear power, primarily addressed to top level decision makers in government and industry in Member States. Several Member States and experts recommended to the IAEA to address the aspects of an integrated approach to nuclear power programme planning and to serve as guidance to those countries wishing to embark on a nuclear power programme. As a follow-up, the present publication is primarily intended to serve as guidance for executives and managers in Member States in planning for possible introduction of nuclear power plants in their electricity generating systems. Nuclear power programme planning, as dealt with in this publication, includes all activities that need to be carried out up to a well-founded decision to proceed with a project feasibility study. Project implementation beyond this decision is not in the scope of this publication. Although it is possible to use nuclear energy as a heat source for industrial processes, desalination and other heat applications, it is assumed in this publication that the planning is aimed towards nuclear power for electricity generation. Much of the information given would, however, also be relevant for planning of nuclear reactors for heat production. The publication was prepared within the framework of the IAEA programme on nuclear power planning, implementation and performance as a joint activity of the Nuclear Power Engineering Section and the Planning and Economic Studies Section (Division of Nuclear Power)

The IAEA Nuclear Security Programme Combating Nuclear Terrorism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Discusses the four threats of nuclear terrorism,which are theft of a nuclear weapon, theft of material to make an improvised nuclear explosive device,theft of other radioactive material for an Radiological dispersal device and sabotage of a facility or transport. The IAEA Nuclear Security programme combating Nuclear Terrorism therefore adopts a comprehensive approach. The programme addresses the need to cover nuclear and other radioactive materials, nuclear facilities and transports, non-nuclear, medical and industrial applications of sources

Conduct of a meta review of programme evaluations : a case study of the SEARCH Program

OpenAIRE

Dickson, Rumona; Tight, Malcolm; Saunders, Murray

2012-01-01

This thesis presents a retrospective case study that critically examines the evaluations that were undertaken as part of a continuing professional development (CPD) programme for health care professionals. The case is the SEARCH Program, an innovative CPD programme, which was designed to promote the implementation of evidence based practice (EBP) within the existing health care system in Alberta, Canada. Two approaches from the ‘using’ branch of Alkin and Chrisite’s evaluation theory tree are...

Open innovation: the activities and views of companies in Wales

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rhisiart, Martin; Djebarni, Rami; Thomas, Andrew

favoured by companies are: 1) Financial support for collaboration, 2) Increase co-funding schemes for SMEs’ R&D, 3) Improve the institutional framework for collaboration, 4) Improve access to governmental support, 5) Foster networks and clusters The report sets out seven key recommendations for promoting......This is the Final Report of a study conducted on open innovation in companies in Wales. The programme of research included a review of global literature, interviews with 15 companies, a survey and a focus group.The study discusses Government support measures for open innovation.  Those most...

Influence of a Non-Formal Environmental Education Programme on Junior High-School Students; Environmental Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Daphne; Assaraf, Orit Ben Zvi; Shaharabani, Dina

2013-01-01

One of the solutions implemented by schools for conducting value-based environmental education (EE) is outsourcing: allocating external environmental organizations that develop and conduct EE programmes. This study addressed such a programme--the Green Council Programme (GCP)--developed and implemented in schools by the Israeli Society for…

RELEVANT DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPETITIVE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS ON THE BASIS OF INNOVATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Yu. Levitskiy

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The article substantiates the necessity for competitive innovative high-tech construction products at the present stage of modernisation of the construction industry and reveals some peculiarities of their manufacture.Methods. In the course of the research, a programme-targeted method was applied, underlying the development of a programme for the innovative development of construction production.Results. Relevant directions of innovative development of construction production are systematised. The world's application experience of a technical regulation parametric model for construction industry product manufacturing is generalised. In order to increase the level of innovative activity of construction organisations, a set of practical measures is proposed whose implementation will ensure the output of competitive building products to the market.Conclusion. Increasing the competitiveness of construction products is closely connected with the activation of innovative processes: the introduction of high technology (including resource-saving into production processes and the expansion of the output of innovative products with the best consumer properties capable of successfully competing on the market with foreign counterparts in the context of import substitution strategies. The modernisation of the construction industry on the basis of introduction of hightech production methods specifies new requirements to the professional competencies of personnel producing competitive building products. To solve the set problems, a tool for improving the management mechanism of the innovative activity of construction organisations was proposed, ensuring the integration of institutional and production conditions for the large-scale development of advanced technologies and production of science-intensive types of construction products. 

Support for All in the UK Work Programme? Differential Payments, Same Old Problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Rees, James; Whitworth, Adam; Carter, Elle

2014-04-01

The UK has been a high profile policy innovator in welfare-to-work provision which has led in the Coalition government's Work Programme to a fully outsourced, 'black box' model with payments based overwhelmingly on job outcome results. A perennial fear in such programmes is providers' incentives to 'cream' and 'park' claimants, and the Department for Work and Pensions has sought to mitigate such provider behaviours through Work Programme design, particularly via the use of claimant groups and differential pricing. In this article, we draw on a qualitative study of providers in the programme alongside quantitative analysis of published performance data to explore evidence around creaming and parking. The combination of the quantitative and qualitative evidence suggest that creaming and parking are widespread, seem systematically embedded within the Work Programme, and are driven by a combination of intense cost-pressures and extremely ambitious performance targets alongside overly diverse claimant groups and inadequately calibrated differentiated payment levels.

Safety-related Innovative Nuclear Reactor Technology Elements R and D (SINTER) Network and Global HTGR R and D Network (GHTRN). Strategic benefits of international networking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Von Lensa, W.

1998-01-01

The nuclear industries and the nuclear research and development (R and D) programmes world-wide have undergone considerable changes over recent years which have resulted in the formation of international industrial consortiums on the one hand and the need for synergistic collaboration in the R and D area due to the reductions of national R and D activities in the nuclear field on the other hand. International networking starting from precompetitive medium- or long-term oriented R and D could be an efficient mean to overcome the problems nuclear energy is facing today with respect to the lack of public acceptance and economic attractivity in a joint effort. Additional motivation is provided by the fact that there is not only a globalisation of markets but also a 'globalisation of problems' to be addressed internationally like reductions of environmental impacts and long-term availability of economic energy supply. The tools for telecommunication and telecollaboration are evolving in parallel and offer better conditions for closer collaboration of different R and D teams at distant locations than ever before. It is obvious that these trends and boundary conditions will drastically influence the structures of collaboration not only in the industries, but for R and D on an international level, too. The chances emerging from the creation of a European Union and from the globalisation trends have to be converted into strategic benefits by active response on these 'historic changes'. New initiatives have been undertaken in Europe to push for innovations of nuclear reactor technologies via international R and D Networks under the European R and D Framework Programmes (FWP). Innovative approaches are already addressed with limited funding under the actual 4th FWP and should be extended for complementing the commercial efforts on evolutionary LWR concepts by medium- and long-term oriented innovations and R and D. The MICHELANGELO initiative as well as the EU-funded Concerted

Business Model Innovation: How Iconic Business Models Emerge

OpenAIRE

Mikhalkina, T.; Cabantous, L.

2015-01-01

Despite ample research on the topic of business model innovation, little is known about the cognitive processes whereby some innovative business models gain the status of iconic representations of particular types of firms. This study addresses the question: How do iconic business models emerge? In other words: How do innovative business models become prototypical exemplars for new categories of firms? We focus on the case of Airbnb, and analyze how six mainstream business media publications ...

Energy and environment at a crossroads - perspectives from the social studies of the SAMRAM research programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roevik, Arne Oe.

2001-01-01

Leading abstract. The research programme SAMRAM was carried out by the Research Council of Norway in 1996-2000. The present book contains twelve articles based on the results of the programme. The articles are grouped in three main sections: (1) The energy markets - environmental effects, innovation and consumption, (2) Energy and environmental policy - international relations and national instruments, (3) Instruments of the energy- and environmental policy - motivation and behaviour

Bringing the field into the classroom: an innovative methodology in global health teaching

OpenAIRE

Dr. M H Bryant, MBBS; J Wolff, MD

2015-01-01

Background: The practice of global health is difficult to teach from a US-based classroom. Students benefit from experiencing how theory becomes practice in the chaotic environments of under-resourced health programmes in developing countries. We could not take our students to the field during weekly course work, so we designed a course to bring the field to the students. We created innovative partnerships with locally based organisations that implement programmes in developing countries. Eac...

Reverse innovation: an opportunity for strengthening health systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Snowdon, Anne W; Bassi, Harpreet; Scarffe, Andrew D; Smith, Alexander D

2015-02-07

Canada, when compared to other OECD countries, ranks poorly with respect to innovation and innovation adoption while struggling with increasing health system costs. As a result of its failure to innovate, the Canadian health system will struggle to meet the needs and demands of both current and future populations. The purpose of this initiative was to explore if a competition-based reverse innovation challenge could mobilize and stimulate current and future leaders to identify and lead potential reverse innovation projects that address health system challenges in Canada. An open call for applications took place over a 4-month period. Applicants were enticed to submit to the competition with a $50,000 prize for the top submission to finance their project. Leaders from a wide cross-section of sectors collectively developed evaluation criteria and graded the submissions. The criteria evaluated: proof of concept, potential value, financial impact, feasibility, and scalability as well as the use of prize money and innovation team. The competition received 12 submissions from across Canada that identified potential reverse innovations from 18 unique geographical locations that were considered developing and/or emerging markets. The various submissions addressed health system challenges relating to education, mobile health, aboriginal health, immigrant health, seniors health and women's health and wellness. Of the original 12 submissions, 5 finalists were chosen and publically profiled, and 1 was chosen to receive the top prize. The results of this initiative demonstrate that a competition that is targeted to reverse innovation does have the potential to mobilize and stimulate leaders to identify reverse innovations that have the potential for system level impact. The competition also provided important insights into the capacity of Canadian students, health care providers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to propose and implement reverse innovation in the context of the

Offentlig innovation gennem partnerskaber - Om et bibliotek der turde tage ramasjangs'en

OpenAIRE

Mathiasen, Kim Søborg; Fagerlund Arendal, Annemari; Lulu Nielsen, Edit

2011-01-01

Abstract This thesis focuses on an innovative partnership between Aalborg Libraries, a Danish TV’s television programme for children called Ramasjang Live, and the user group of these public institutions. The name of the innovative partnership is “At eye-level with Denmark’s children” which is a developmental project initiated by the Danish Agency for Library and Media, and consists of three collaborators; Aalborg Central Libraries, Danish TV (DR) and Pallesgavebod.dk (which is a joint nation...

Procedure of Improvement of the Marketing Mechanism of Introduction of Innovation Developments

OpenAIRE

Tsapuk Olena Yu.

2014-01-01

The article considers the modern state of the power industry and its place in the Ukrainian economy as a basis of sustainable development and competitiveness of the country with consideration of high power intensity of the national gross domestic product. It analyses barriers on the way to increase of power efficiency of the country and pays special attention to the mechanism of implementation of innovation developments and also role of investment and innovation components of programmes of po...

Technological Innovation and Cooperation for Foreign Information Access Program

Science.gov (United States)

Office of Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education, 2012

2012-01-01

The Technological Innovation and Cooperation for Foreign Information Access (TICFIA) Program supports projects focused on developing innovative technologies for accessing, collecting, organizing, preserving, and disseminating information from foreign sources to address the U.S.' teaching and research needs in international education and foreign…

What the patient wants: Addressing patients' treatment targets in an integrative group psychotherapy programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Kealy, David; Joyce, Anthony S; Weber, Rainer; Ehrenthal, Johannes C; Ogrodniczuk, John S

2018-02-13

Limited empirical attention has been devoted to individualized treatment objectives in intensive group therapy for personality dysfunction. This study investigated patients' ratings of distress associated with individual therapy goals - referred to as target object severity - in an intensive Evening Treatment Programme for patients with personality dysfunction. Change in target objective severity was examined in a sample of 81 patients who completed treatment in an intensive, integrative group therapy programme. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine associations between change in target object severity and patients' pre-treatment diagnosis, symptom distress, and treatment outcome expectancy, and between change in target objective severity and patients' ratings of group therapy process (group climate, therapeutic alliance, group cohesion). The relationship between change in target objective severity and longer-range life satisfaction was also examined in a subsample of patients who rated life satisfaction at follow-up. While change in target objective severity was not significantly related to pre-treatment variables, significant associations were found with several aspects of group therapy process. Patients' experience of a highly engaged group climate was uniquely associated with improvement in target object severity. Such improvement was significantly related to longer-term life satisfaction after controlling for general symptom change. The working atmosphere in group therapy contributes to patients' progress regarding individual treatment targets, and such progress is an important factor in later satisfaction. Attention to individualized treatment targets deserves further clinical and research attention in the context of integrative group therapy for personality dysfunction. This study found that patients attending an integrative group treatment programme for personality dysfunction experienced significant improvement in severity of distress

Faculty professional development in emergent pedagogies for instructional innovation in dental education.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, M; Bender, D; Nadershahi, N

2017-05-01

Innovative pedagogies have significantly impacted health professions' education, dental education included. In this context, faculty, defined in this study as instructor in higher education, has been increasingly required to hone their instructional skills. The purpose of this exploratory study was to share the design, implementation and preliminary outcomes of two programmes to enhance dental faculty's instructional skills, the Teaching and Learning Seminar Series and the Course Director Orientation. Data sources included faculty and student surveys developed and administered by the researchers; data extracted from the learning management system; reports from the learning analytics tool; and classroom observations. Participants' satisfaction, self-reported learning, instructional behavioural change, and impact on student learning behaviours and institutional practice were assessed borrowing from Kirkpatrick's 4-level model of evaluation of professional development effectiveness. Initial findings showed that faculty in both programmes reported positive learning experiences. Participants reported that the programmes motivated them to improve instructional practice and improved their knowledge of instructional innovation. Some faculty reported implementation of new instructional strategies and tools, which helped create an active and interactive learning environment that was welcomed by their students. The study contributes to literature and best practice in health sciences faculty development in pedagogy and may guide other dental schools in designing professional development programmes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Managing Innovation In View Of The Uncertainties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Igorevich Mosalev

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Study of the problems of uncertainty in innovation is at present the most up to date. Approaches to its definition, arranged primarily on the assumption and include the known parameters, which essentially is a game approach to the assessment. Address specific issues of governance of innovation in accounting uncertainty still remains open and the most relevant, especially when the innovation represented by one of the drivers of growth of national economies. This paper presents a methodological approach to determining the degree of uncertainty and an approach to the management of innovation through a system of mathematical modeling on the criterion of gross errors.

National Programme for Radiological Protection in Medical Exposures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-07-01

A national programme on radiation protection of patients can only be effective and sustainable if there is a joint effort between the regulatory body and the health authorities, and a cooperation with educational institutions, professional bodies and representatives of the industry. The regulatory body needs to promote a strategy of cooperation, and to identify obstacles that may prevent compliance with regulatory requirements and to address them. Not of least is the need for a continuous self-evaluation on the efficacy of the programme. Radiation safety of the patients is a responsibility of the users of the radiation sources involved in diagnostic and treatment. In particular, they are responsible for compliance with regulatory requirements. But safety depends also on aspects that are beyond the capabilities of those authorized to conduct practices. These aspects include educational programmes and institutions to implement them, calibration facilities, national protocols, professional bodies for the establishment of reference levels and contributions from the industry. Neither the users nor the regulatory body alone can achieve that these elements are in place. It needs a network of institutions and cooperation arrangements that involve educational and health authorities, laboratory facilities, professional bodies and the industry. A national programme has to include a strategy of cooperation, identification of obstacles that may prevent compliance with regulatory requirements and address them. Not of least is the need for a continuous self-evaluation on the efficacy of the programme. A group of regulatory agencies belonging to the Ibero American Forum of Nuclear and Radiation Regulatory Agency have exchanged experiences, lessons learned and good practices over three years. This exchange included extensive collaboration with the health authorities. The result of this work is this document containing a self-evaluation approach for the regulatory programme on

Building Innovation and Sustainability in Programs of Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Villarruel, Antonia M

2018-01-01

Innovation and sustainability are two important concepts of impactful programs of research. While at first glance these concepts and approaches may seem at odds, they are synergistic. We examine the social, political, and policy context as it relates to innovation and sustainability. We present an exemplar of a program of research and discuss factors to consider in developing innovative and sustainable programs of research. Innovation is an important component of sustainable programs of research. Understanding the social and political context and addressing relevant policy issues are factors to be considered in both innovation and sustainability. Innovation and sustainability, important components of research, are also central to clinical practice. Open communication between researchers and clinicians can support the acceleration of innovations and the integration of evidence-based findings in practice. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Crowdsourcing business model innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waldner, Florian; Poetz, Marion Kristin; Bogers, Marcel

2016-01-01

Successfully adapting existing business models or developing new ones significantly influences a firm’s ability to generate profits and develop competitive advantages. However, business model innovation is perceived as a complex, risky and uncertain process and its success strongly depends...... on whether or not the firm is capable of understanding and addressing their customers’ needs. We conduct a quantitative exploratory case study to investigate how crowdsourcing-based search approaches among user communities can contribute to developing business model innovation. Drawing on data from...... a crowdsourcing initiative designed to develop ideas for new business models in the podcast industry, we provide first exploratory insights into the value of crowdsourcing for innovating a firm’s way of creating, delivering and capturing value, and discuss characteristics of crowd-contributors that influence...

Data-Driven Diffusion Of Innovations: Successes And Challenges In 3 Large-Scale Innovative Delivery Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorr, David A; Cohen, Deborah J; Adler-Milstein, Julia

2018-02-01

Failed diffusion of innovations may be linked to an inability to use and apply data, information, and knowledge to change perceptions of current practice and motivate change. Using qualitative and quantitative data from three large-scale health care delivery innovations-accountable care organizations, advanced primary care practice, and EvidenceNOW-we assessed where data-driven innovation is occurring and where challenges lie. We found that implementation of some technological components of innovation (for example, electronic health records) has occurred among health care organizations, but core functions needed to use data to drive innovation are lacking. Deficits include the inability to extract and aggregate data from the records; gaps in sharing data; and challenges in adopting advanced data functions, particularly those related to timely reporting of performance data. The unexpectedly high costs and burden incurred during implementation of the innovations have limited organizations' ability to address these and other deficits. Solutions that could help speed progress in data-driven innovation include facilitating peer-to-peer technical assistance, providing tailored feedback reports to providers from data aggregators, and using practice facilitators skilled in using data technology for quality improvement to help practices transform. Policy efforts that promote these solutions may enable more rapid uptake of and successful participation in innovative delivery system reforms.

Elk Valley Coal innovation paving the way

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, C.; Ednie, H.; Weldon, H.

2006-09-15

Elk Valley Coal maintains performance optimization across its six metallurgical coal operations. Performance, personnel issues, and training are discussed. Programmes at Fording River, Greenhills, and Coal Mountain are described. Fording River is implementing new computer systems and high-speed wireless networks. The pit control system and the equipment maintenance and remote maintenance programmes are being improved. The Glider Kit program to rebuild major equipment is described. Safety and productivity measures at Greenhills include testing and evaluation of innovations such as the Drilling and Blasting System (DABS), a payload monitor on a shovel, and two GPS-based systems. Blasting methods, a timing study that examines wall stability, fragmentation simulation, and the Six Mine structure at Coal Mountain are described. 5 photos.

Examining the pathways for young people with drug and alcohol dependence: a mixed-method design to examine the role of a treatment programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Nathan, Sally; Rawstorne, Patrick; Hayen, Andrew; Bryant, Joanne; Baldry, Eileen; Ferry, Mark; Williams, Megan; Shanahan, Marian; Jayasinha, Ranmalie

2016-05-25

Young people with drug and alcohol problems are likely to have poorer health and other psychosocial outcomes than other young people. Residential treatment programmes have been shown to lead to improved health and related outcomes for young people in the short term. There is very little robust research showing longer term outcomes or benefits of such programmes. This paper describes an innovative protocol to examine the longer term outcomes and experiences of young people referred to a residential life management and treatment programme in Australia designed to address alcohol and drug issues in a holistic manner. This is a mixed-methods study that will retrospectively and prospectively examine young people's pathways into and out of a residential life management programme. The study involves 3 components: (1) retrospective data linkage of programme data to health and criminal justice administrative data sets, (2) prospective cohort (using existing programme baseline data and a follow-up survey) and (3) qualitative in-depth interviews with a subsample of the prospective cohort. The study will compare findings among young people who are referred and (a) stay 30 days or more in the programme (including those who go on to continuing care and those who do not); (b) start, but stay fewer than 30 days in the programme; (c) are assessed, but do not start the programme. Ethics approval has been sought from several ethics committees including a university ethics committee, state health departments and an Aboriginal-specific ethics committee. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at research conferences, disseminated via a report for the general public and through Facebook communications. The study will inform the field more broadly about the value of different methods in evaluating programmes and examining the pathways and trajectories of vulnerable young people. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to

Product Service System Innovation in the Smart City

OpenAIRE

Cook, Matthew

2018-01-01

Product service systems (PSS) may usefully form part of the mix of innovations necessary to move society toward more sustainable futures. However, despite such potential, PSS implementation is highly uneven and limited. Drawing on an alternate socio-technical perspective of innovation, this paper provides fresh insights, on among other things the role of context in PSS innovation, to address this issue. Case study research is presented focusing on a use orientated PSS in an urban environment:...

Teaching Note--Incorporating Social Innovation Content into Macro Social Work Education

Science.gov (United States)

Pitt-Catsouphes, Marcie; Cosner Berzin, Stephanie

2015-01-01

The practice of social innovation offers promising approaches for addressing social issues. Although many social innovation strategies are congruent with macro social work theory and practice, some of the insights and tactics that have emerged in the social innovation field have the potential to strengthen current macro practice. Based on our…

Building a Future for Technological Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-17

Higher Education 26% 27% 30% 31% 41% 46% 117% France EU-25 UK Australia Ireland S. Korea Poland 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 3%U.S.15 2010 UN Index rankings jumped...breakthroughs in health IT • Address scientific “grand challenges” Promote Competitive Markets that Spur Productive Entrepreneurship • Promote... entrepreneurship • Improve public sector innovation and support community innovation Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nec/reports

Enabling innovations in energy access: An African perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agbemabiese, Lawrence; Nkomo, Jabavu; Sokona, Youba

2012-01-01

Conventional energy technologies and deployment approaches cannot be relied upon to eliminate energy poverty in Africa. Innovations in energy access are necessary. Previous attempts at introducing and scaling up innovative solutions do not sufficiently address dynamic and structural determinants of success. This limits their actual performance as scalable drivers of innovations in technology, policy and institutions. Using technological innovation systems theory, we demonstrate a practical approach to assess the sustainability of innovations in energy access, and develop a framework to guide energy policy makers, clean energy entrepreneurs and energy-development researchers. - Highlights: ► Innovative technologies and policies are needed to expand energy access. ► TIS approach can guide the formulation and deployment of sustainable energy innovations. ► Learning by exploring and doing are the keys to entrepreneurial success. ► Lack of infrastructure and institutional frameworks are major barriers to innovations. ► Government intervention is needed to eliminate barriers to innovations.

The Return Home: Transitioning from a 28-Day Remote Outdoor Education Programme

Science.gov (United States)

McNatty, Shannon

2016-01-01

This article addresses the challenges for students transitioning from the remote Te Kahu (pseudonym) outdoor education programme back into their home and school city environments. Students must develop methods of coping and readjust to society to continue the personal growth and process the learning affected through the 28-day programme. The…

The Innovations on teachers’ initial training in relation to values education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Peiró i Gregòri

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Educating in values is a means to achieve the students’ maturity (self-control. This is an unfinished process and it requires to progress in Educational Theory, namely: innovation. To explain and define this premise, the following aspects are addressed. First, situating ourselves in the sociocultural innovational context of educational system. Then, to inquire, from a comparative view, about the relevant model for innovation in teacher education, respect to enable them to address the educational values in their professional tasks. As here we are offering an experience, it displays the criteria underpinning our model with an innovative style. After, We turn to explain the mode of how the innovation fits in the course "Theory and history of education" for the initial training of teachers. Inserts in the 'Bologna model' development, this article explains how to establish the teaching relationship with University students. Finally we proposed pedagogical requirements.

Socially responsible medical education: innovations and challenges in a minority setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Schofield, Aurel; Bourgeois, Daniel

2010-03-01

Distributed medical education sites help train, recruit and retain doctors, notably in rural and isolated areas, by providing education and training in these areas and adapting their curriculum to meet the host community's health needs. The Centre de Formation Médicale du Nouveau Brunswick (CFMNB; New Brunswick Medical Education Centre) was established by a partnership between two academic institutions, the Université de Sherbrooke (University of Sherbrooke), situated in the province of Quebec, and the Université de Moncton (University of Moncton), situated in the province of New Brunswick, in Canada. The CFMNB is specifically targeting a minority community (Acadians). Working to establish a high-quality medical education programme, the CFMNB has also set community objectives to meet not only the health needs of this population, but also its social and economic needs. This paper describes the overall objectives of this project, which are: to reduce the gap between community needs and academic institutional needs; to address ethno-cultural and language differences in a defined minority population, and to develop collaboration between the partners involved, including government and community entities which are often perceived as operating in isolation from one another. We also describe why and how the CFMNB developed community-focused objectives and the challenges that came with these innovations, and present lessons from the experience that may be relevant to other sites interested in the social responsibility of medical schools. The CFMNB has produced interesting work and innovations in the field of social responsibility and has encountered many challenges. Continuing interaction between medical education, health research and health services to better address the needs of the population has been established. The information obtained by this process has been used to build a strategic plan for the CFMNB in order to ensure that it is socially responsive and has

Creating a climate that catalyses healthcare innovation in the United Kingdom – learning lessons from international innovators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathrin Cresswell

2017-01-01

Conclusions:  There is now a need to create mechanisms through which frontline National Health Service staff in relation can raise ideas/concerns and suggest opportunities for improvement, and then build national innovation environments that seek to address these needs. This should be accompanied by creating competitive health technology markets to stimulate a commercial environment that attracts high-quality health information technology experts and innovators working in partnership with staff and patients.

Does Venture Capital Spur Innovation?

OpenAIRE

Samuel Kortum; Josh Lerner

1998-01-01

While policymakers often assume venture capital has a profound impact on innovation, that premise has not been evaluated systematically. We address this omission by examining the influence of venture capital on patented inventions in the United States across twenty industries over three decades. We address concerns about causality in several ways, including exploiting a 1979 policy shift that spurred venture capital fundraising. We find that the amount of venture capital activity in an indust...

Performance measurement procedures that support innovativeness rather than hamper it

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerssens-van Drongelen, I.C.; Harkink, E.W.F.P.M.; Blomqvist, Kirsimarja; Ojanen, Ville; Kuittinen, Ossi

2004-01-01

This paper addresses the contemporary challenges in increasing firm-level innovativeness and developing appropriate performance metrics. The authors discuss these challenges and provide a literature review on the innovation enhancing factors in service industries. They subsequently study the case of

The District Nursing Clinical Error Reduction Programme.

Science.gov (United States)

McGraw, Caroline; Topping, Claire

2011-01-01

The District Nursing Clinical Error Reduction (DANCER) Programme was initiated in NHS Islington following an increase in the number of reported medication errors. The objectives were to reduce the actual degree of harm and the potential risk of harm associated with medication errors and to maintain the existing positive reporting culture, while robustly addressing performance issues. One hundred medication errors reported in 2007/08 were analysed using a framework that specifies the factors that predispose to adverse medication events in domiciliary care. Various contributory factors were identified and interventions were subsequently developed to address poor drug calculation and medication problem-solving skills and incorrectly transcribed medication administration record charts. Follow up data were obtained at 12 months and two years. The evaluation has shown that although medication errors do still occur, the programme has resulted in a marked shift towards a reduction in the associated actual degree of harm and the potential risk of harm.

GENIUS & the Swedish Fast Reactor programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallenius, Janne

2012-01-01

Concluding remarks: Sweden’s growing fast reactor programme focuses on LFR technology, but we also participate in ASTRID. • An innovative facility for UN fabrication, an LBE thermal hydraulics loop and a lead corrosion facility are operational. • A plutonium fuel fabrication lab is is under installation (this week!) • The government is assessing the construction of ELECTRA-FCC, a centre for Gen IV-system R&D, at a tentative cost of ~ 140±20 M€. • Location: Oskarshamn (adjacent to intermediate repository) • Date of criticality: 2023 (best case) • Swedish participation in IAEA TWG-FR should intensify

Sociotechnical Dimensions of Design and Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

of technology). The paper thus challenges the orthodox linear and sequential model of innovation and diffusion, which fail to capture and problematise the complexity of the dynamics involved in sociotechnical change. The paper takes a relatively broad stance as to what constitutes sociotechnical dimensions...... of the sociotechnical dimensions of innovation processes. The paper’s analysis is itself guided by a reflexive stance as to the ‘social shaping of technology’, primarily drawing on an actor-network (ANT) understanding and perspectives based on the enculturation of innovations (e.g. inno-fusion or domestication......The paper addresses interdisciplinary approaches to the study of design and innovation processes, by gathering and critically examining research contributions to date from a number of different scholarly traditions and practices including constructivist studies, participative design activities...

Synthesis across social innovation case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Avelino, Flor; Dorland, Jens

2016-01-01

Part 1 is an overview and a comparative analysis of the findings from the 20 case study reports in TRANSIT about aspects of transformative social innovation (TSI). Each of the 20 reports, which the report is based on, includes an analysis of a transnational social innovation network and at least...... two local social innovation initiatives. Part 2 consists of extended abstracts of 8 papers which either focus on empirical phenomena surfacing in different TRANSIT cases (e.g. alternative economic arrangements), take a societal or methodological issue as starting point (e.g. inclusivity or research...... relations), address propositions from TRANSIT proto-theory (institutionalization dialectics, responses to crisis), build upon thematic clusters used for case selection (e.g. spaces for/of innovation, inclusive society, new economy, transformative science) or inductively develop specific sensitizing concepts...

Innovation spaces: six strategies to inform health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhar, Michael; Griffin, Margaret; Hollin, Ilene; Kachnowski, Stan

2012-01-01

Innovation remains an understudied resource within health care. Furthermore, the goals of US health care reform make innovation vitally important, while the time and resource limitations characteristic of health care make new strategies for innovation both necessary and potentially highly meaningful. The purpose of this study was to examine strategies for innovation in various industries and draw lessons for improving innovation in health care. This qualitative study began with literature research that provided a framework for discussion and identified a recurrent challenge in innovation: balancing the freedom to be creative with the need for structured management of ideas. Researchers then identified leading innovative companies and conducted phone interviews with innovation officers and other experts about their strategies for addressing the major innovation challenge. This article breaks out innovation strategies into 6 categories (dedicated times, formal teams, outside ideas, idea-sharing platforms, company/job goals, and incentives) and evaluates them for levels of control, yield, and pervasiveness. Based on this analysis, recommendations are offered for improving innovation in health care, calling for employee time allocated to innovation, dedicated innovation teams, and the incorporation of outside ideas.

Canadian cardiac surgeons' perspectives on biomedical innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyman, Gretchen; Tucker, Joseph E L; Cimini, Massimo; Narine, Kishan; Fedak, Paul W M

2012-01-01

Barriers to successful innovation can be identified and potentially addressed by exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders in the innovation process. Cardiac surgeons in Canada were surveyed for personal perspectives on biomedical innovation. Quantitative data was obtained by questionnaire and qualitative data via interviews with selected survey participants. Surgeons were asked to self-identify into 1 of 3 categories: "innovator," "early adopter," or "late adopter," and data were compared between groups. Most surgeons viewed innovation favourably and this effect was consistent irrespective of perceived level of innovativeness. Key barriers to the innovation pathway were identified: (1) support from colleagues and institutions; (2) Canada's health system; (3) sufficient investment capital; and (4) the culture of innovation within the local environment. Knowledge of the innovation process was perceived differently based on self-reported innovativeness. The majority of surgeons did not perceive themselves as having the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively translate innovative ideas to clinical practice. In general, responses indicate support for implementation of leadership and training programs focusing on the innovation process in an effort to prepare surgeons and enhance their ability to successfully innovate and translate new therapies. The perspectives of cardiac surgeons provide an intriguing portal into the challenges and opportunities for healthcare innovation in Canada. Copyright © 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Outreach Programmes for Education and Training: Contributions from the International Cartographic Association

Science.gov (United States)

Cartwright, W. E.; Fairbairn, D.

2012-07-01

Organisations like the International Cartographic Association champion programmes that develop and deliver education and training to cartographers and geospatial scientists, globally. This can be in the form of traditional university and training college programmes, short courses for professional and technical members of mapping agencies and as outreach initiatives to transfer knowledge about the discipline and its contemporary practices. Through its international community, the ICA undertakes the transfer of knowledge about cartography and GI Science by publishing books and special editions of journals and running workshops. Colleagues from the ICA community conduct these workshops on a volunteer basis, generally with the support of the national member organisation of ICA or the national mapping body. For example, the ICA promotes the generation of extensive publications, generally through its Commissions and Working Groups. The publications include books, journals and the ICA Newsletter. Outreach activities are especially pertinent to up skill colleagues from developing countries. Specialist programmes can be offered for professional and 'everyday' map users (from adults to children). The ICA can assist with its current programmes, designed to embrace professional and non-professional cartographers alike. This paper will address how education and outreach programmes can be supported by international associations, by offering programmes independently, or in partnership with sister associations and national and regional organisations and societies. As well, the paper will address the need to deliver education and outreach programmes not to just the professional international community, but also to map users and citizen map publishers.

Targeting International Food Aid Programmes: The Case of Productive Safety Net Programme in Tigray, Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Azadi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Ethiopia has experienced more than five major droughts in the past three decades, leading to high dependency on international food aids. Nevertheless, studies indicate that asset depletion has not been prevented; neither did food insecurity diminish. Since 2004/5, the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP has been implemented to improve food security in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Critics point out that the implementation of food aid programmes can have negative impacts as well as positive outcomes for local communities. Accordingly, this survey study aimed to analyse the distribution and allocation of food aids in the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP in Tigray. Results of 479 interviews revealed that targeting different households in the PSNP has been considerably linked to socio-demographic attributes among which age and size of family were decisive factors to receive food aids. Furthermore, older households with smaller family size received more direct support. Inequality between genders was another major finding of this study. When combined with the marital status, there was also a big difference in the percentage of married or unmarried women receiving food aids. These findings could provide fundamental information for policy intervention to correct food security programmes at household level and reduce hunger. Given that, socio-demographic factors can help to identify particular and usually different requirements, vulnerabilities and coping strategies of the members of the food aid programme, so that they can be much more addressed when an emergency happens.

How educational innovations and attention to competencies in postgraduate medical education relate to preparedness for practice : The key role of the learning environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, Ids S.; Pols, Jan; Remmelts, Pine; Rietzschel, Eric; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Brand, Paul L.P.

2015-01-01

Introduction Many training programmes in postgraduate medical education (PGME) have introduced competency frameworks, but the effects of this change on preparedness for practice are unknown. Therefore, we explored how elements of competency-based programmes in PGME (educational innovations,

A Peer Review of the RPII Environmental Monitoring Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, P.; Hunt, J.; Ledgerwood, K.; Nielsen, S.; O'Donnell, C

2009-12-01

The RPII has since the early 1980s carried out an environmental monitoring programme covering radioactivity in air, food and water. The primary focus of this programme has been the assessment of human exposure and the protection of human health. The programme aims to meet Irish and European Union legal requirements, other national and international commitments and to support the RPII's advisory and information provision functions. In 2009 the RPII had the scope and effectiveness of its monitoring programme reviewed by an international peer group. This report provides the background to the review; an overview of the documents provided to the peer group for conduction of the review; and the comments and recommendations by the peer group. The key objectives of the review was to consider whether the RPII environmental monitoring programme is meeting the stated aims and objectives and to provide recommendations for improvement if required. This exercise is part of a continual process of review and improvement of the RPII's monitoring programme. It addresses both continuous monitoring and project based elements of the programme. It was designed to be conducted at a strategic rather than an operational level

An evaluation of a leadership development coaching and mentoring programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Comte, Lyndsay; McClelland, Beverley

2017-07-03

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to determine the value and impact of the Leadership Development - Coaching and Mentoring Programme at Counties Manukau Health and understand how the skills gained are applied. Design/methodology/approach Mixed-methods approach including surveys of programme participants and senior staff and semi-structured interviews with programme participants. Findings The survey response rate was 24.4 per cent for programme participants and 30 per cent for senior staff. Eight programme participants participated in semi-structured interviews. Of the 70 programme participants, 69 utilised their learning from the programme; 45 of 70 changed their approach to managing staff; and 40 of 68 programme participants reported that meeting with peers for triad group coaching was the most challenging aspect of the programme. Key themes identified through interviews included: working with others; not owning others' problems; professional support and development; coaching and mentoring; future participants. Practical implications The majority of participants changed their leadership behaviours as a result of the programme, which has resulted in improved communication, a more supportive culture and distributed leadership. These changes contribute to better patient care. Originality value There is a paucity of evidence in the literature about the impact of coaching and mentoring programme on leadership development and how the skills gained in such programmes are applied in practice in a healthcare context. This evaluation helps to address that gap.

E-learning for textile enterprises innovation improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Blaga, M.; Harpa, R.; Radulescu, I. R.; Stepjanovic, Z.

2017-10-01

The Erasmus Plus project- TEXMatrix: “Matrix of knowledge for innovation and competitiveness in textile enterprises”, financed through the Erasmus+ Programme, Strategic partnerships- KA2 for Vocational Education and Training, aims at spreading the creative and innovative organizational culture inside textile enterprises by transferring and implementing methodologies, tools and concepts for improved training. Five European partners form the project consortium: INCDTP - Bucharest, Romania (coordinator), TecMinho - Portugal, Centrocot - Italy, University Maribor, Slovenia, and “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania. These will help the textile enterprises involved in the project, to learn how to apply creative thinking in their organizations and how to develop the capacity for innovation and change. The project aims to bridge the gap between textile enterprises need for qualified personnel and the young workforce. It develops an innovative knowledge matrix for the tangible and intangible assets of an enterprise and a benchmarking study, based on which a dedicated software tool will be created. This software tool will aid the decision-making enterprise staff (managers, HR specialists, professionals) as well as the trainees (young employees, students, and scholars) to cope with the new challenges of innovation and competitiveness for the textile field. The purpose of this paper is to present the main objectives and achievements of the project, according to its declared goals, with the focus on the presentation of the knowledge matrix of innovation, which is a powerful instrument for the quantification of the intangible assets of textile enterprises.

User-driven innovation in tourism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjalager, Anne-Mette; Nordin, Sara

2011-01-01

This literature study reviews user-driven innovation and establishes a typology of its forms in a tourism context. Sixteen methods are distinguishable. They comprise situations where users are actively involved and methods where information is collected without direct user involvement. The nature...... and intensity of the dialogue between companies and their customers are addressed. Drawing on this existing research, the article concludes that there is still little comprehensive follow-up on user-driven innovation in tourism and its impact on quality improvements and assurance. Key areas for future studies...

A BLUEPRINT FOR IMPLEMENTING GRAND CHALLENGE SCHOLARS’ PROGRAMME: A CASE STUDY OF TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MUSHTAK AL-ATABI

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The National Academy for Engineering announced 14 Grand Challenges for the 21st Century engineers to address in order to ensure a sustainable future for the generations to come. These grand challenges are in four broad areas, namely, energy and environment, health, security and learning and computation. This paper reports on a Grand Challenges Scholars’ Programme that is developed to prepare the engineering students to be able to address the grand challenges using the CDIO framework and focusing on five components; research experience, interdisciplinary curriculum, entrepreneurship, global dimension and service learning. The programme is voluntary and the candidates are expected to commit additional learning time. The programme was launched with 16 participants who are expected to graduate in 2016. A preliminary assessment of the programs shows that the participants found the programme useful in developing an array of CDIO skills. The School intends to continue offering this programme with the intention of integrating it with a holistic education approach.

Impact of Customer Relationship Management on Product Innovation Process

OpenAIRE

Li, Yelin; Thi, Thu Sang Nguyen

2012-01-01

In marketing, the common view is that customer relationships enhance innovativeness. Regularly it involves doing something new or different in response to market conditions. However, previous studies have not addressed how customer relationship management (CRM) plays its role in product innovation process. This thesis proposes and tests how key CRM activities influence and relate to each stage in product innovation process. The objective of this study is to test how customer relations managem...

Challenges and trade-offs in corporate innovation for climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pinkse, J.; Kolk, A.

2010-01-01

The international debate on addressing global climate change increasingly points to the role that companies can play by using their innovative capacity. However, up till now companies have been rather cautious in taking decisive steps in facilitating an innovation-based transition towards a

Integrating national community-based health worker programmes into health systems: a systematic review identifying lessons learned from low-and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zulu, Joseph Mumba; Kinsman, John; Michelo, Charles; Hurtig, Anna-Karin

2014-09-22

Despite the development of national community-based health worker (CBHW) programmes in several low- and middle-income countries, their integration into health systems has not been optimal. Studies have been conducted to investigate the factors influencing the integration processes, but systematic reviews to provide a more comprehensive understanding are lacking. We conducted a systematic review of published research to understand factors that may influence the integration of national CBHW programmes into health systems in low- and middle-income countries. To be included in the study, CBHW programmes should have been developed by the government and have standardised training, supervision and incentive structures. A conceptual framework on the integration of health innovations into health systems guided the review. We identified 3410 records, of which 36 were finally selected, and on which an analysis was conducted concerning the themes and pathways associated with different factors that may influence the integration process. Four programmes from Brazil, Ethiopia, India and Pakistan met the inclusion criteria. Different aspects of each of these programmes were integrated in different ways into their respective health systems. Factors that facilitated the integration process included the magnitude of countries' human resources for health problems and the associated discourses about how to address these problems; the perceived relative advantage of national CBHWs with regard to delivering health services over training and retaining highly skilled health workers; and the participation of some politicians and community members in programme processes, with the result that they viewed the programmes as legitimate, credible and relevant. Finally, integration of programmes within the existing health systems enhanced programme compatibility with the health systems' governance, financing and training functions. Factors that inhibited the integration process included a rapid

Getting fit for practice: an innovative paediatric clinical placement provided physiotherapy students opportunities for skill development.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Nora; Bruder, Andrea; Taylor, Nicholas F; Angelo, Tom

2013-06-01

Negative attitudes to disability among physiotherapy students in paediatric placements might be addressed by providing clinical placement opportunities for students early in their course. The aim of this qualitative research study was to explore what physiotherapy students reported learning from an innovative paediatric placement option. Qualitative research with in-depth interviews. Seventeen first and second year physiotherapy students (15 women, 2 men; mean age 19.9 (SD 1.4) years) who took part in the clinical education experience. The experience comprised a student-led progressive resistance training programme performed twice a week for 10 weeks at a community gymnasium with an adolescent with Down syndrome. In-depth interviews were completed after the 10-week programme and were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and independently coded by two researchers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Two themes emerged from the data, one about being a student mentor and the second about skill development and application. The physiotherapy students indicated the programme was a challenging yet rewarding experience, and that they gained an increased appreciation of disability. They reported developing and applying a range of communication, professional and physiotherapy specific skills. The results suggest that the clinical experience provided physiotherapy students with opportunities to learn clinical skills, generic professional skills, and better understand disability in young people. Many of the learning outcomes identified by the participating students align with desired graduate capabilities and required professional competencies. Copyright © 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Financing innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in times of crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dejan ERIC

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME in general and particularly innovative ones are becoming an increasingly important factor on the road to achieving smart, sustainable and comprehensive development. Because of their propensity to innovative undertaking and risk, SMEs contribute significantly to economic growth but are generally less productive and pay the cost of high rates of death and lower rates of profitability. Financing SMEs is risky and uncertain and for innovative SMEs it is even more difficult to access financing. When financing innovative activities, investors perceive high risks and it is even more emphasized in times of crisis when there is an increase in the cost of capital. Institutional support and governmental programmes have an important role in closing financial gap that innovative SMEs are faced with. Because the survival and development of SMEs is to a great extant determined by their ability to access favorable financing, the main objective of this paper is to provide policy recommendations for promoting availability of financing to innovative SMEs in order to foster economic recovery and more dynamic development of Serbia. The recommendations are to emerge from analyzes and evaluation of currently available sources of finance for innovative SMEs.

Three Tails of Organizational Innovation: from the Value Creation Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Chih-Cheng; Ma, Zheng

2012-01-01

Several prior articles have emphasized the importance of organizational innovation and change. To advance our understanding, this paper seeks to address the following question: “in what ways the outcome of organizational innovation process distributed over time” by examining organizational...... innovation process with the knowledge creation perspective. To explore this supposition, this paper conducted multiple case studies. A qualitative approach was chosen due to the lack of prior research and is appropriate for establishing empirical evidence and describing the phenomenon of the innovation...

NDA National Graduate Programme 'nucleargraduates'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dawson, Carl

2010-07-01

The aim of this paper is to outline the NDA National Graduate Programme (nuclear graduates). The NDA has a remit under the Energy Act (2004) 'to maintain and develop the skills for decommissioning and nuclear clean-up'. Although current research is now being reviewed, there is significant evidence to suggest that the age profile in the Site Licence Companies is skewed towards older workers and there is likely to be a skill shortage in 3-5 years. As nuclear clean-up is a national issue; skill shortages also become a national issue in a very real sense. In addition, evidence suggests that the industry needs to be constantly challenged in order to achieve its targets for decommissioning. The NDA has a unique position under the Act. It is both a strategic overseer and direct employer. To this end the 'National Graduate Programme' is aligned to both the NDA's previous succession plans and the needs of the industry. Industry needs leadership that challenges the status quo and moves the UK nuclear industry to become best in class; Industry needs a dedicated to programme to address skills shortages and difficult to recruit areas such as, but not exclusively, estimators, schedulers, contract managers, site engineers, decommissioning technicians, safety monitors; The NDA has indicated a 'commercial and politically savvy' cohort is required to meet its own internal challenges and to ensure sustainability in its own workforce, and to be sensitive to the needs of customers and suppliers alike; Need to create a more diversified workforce in the nuclear industry and also plan for new skills evolving from research and development breakthroughs; Need to ensure that Tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 contractors invest in the leadership and skills for the future. World Class - delivery will be benchmarked against UK based multinational companies who operate in a global graduate attraction and development marketplace. The graduates targeted will be from leading

How institutions influence SME innovation and networking practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thai, Thi Minh; Hjortsø, Carsten Nico Portefée

2015-01-01

This paper addresses impacts of the institutional framework on small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) innovation and networking practices. Through an explorative study of a domestic SME-dominated sector in Vietnam, we find that the institutional framework limits incentives for long......-term investments, resulting in exploitative cost-control strategies rather than product-oriented innovation. Due to dominating social norms, SMEs form trust-based friendship networks, potentially limiting knowledge acquisition and weakening business rationality. Institutional pressures reinforce negative...... influences on SMEs' incentives to develop innovation ambidexterity. The findings suggest that new institutional economic sociology provides a promising foundation for understanding how institutional frameworks influence SMEs' innovation practices in emerging economies....

Experience Innovation for Small Food and Tourism Firms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Safania Normann

2015-01-01

This article focuses on experience innovation as a means to create value for small food and tourism firms in rural areas. Innovation is viewed as an essential part of experience staging. However, research on innovation in the experience economy literature constitutes an immature field of study...... that requires further investigation. The article seeks to address this gap by investigating how small food and tourism firms can enhance experience innovation. The research approach is a qualitative experimental design. Methods for collecting empirical material consist of observations, semi......-structured interviews, and documents. The main contribution is a three-phased model that can inspire small food and tourism firms to generate, select, and develop new ideas for experience innovation that are aligned with their capabilities, experience DNA, and available resources....

Five Forces of 21st Century Innovation Strategy: Insights for Leaders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arent, Douglas J.; Pless, Jacquelyn; Statwick, Patricia

2016-03-01

Understanding these dynamics informs 21st century innovation strategies that government and business leaders rely upon to address modern technological, social, environmental, and demographic realities. This Research Highlight previews JISEA's continuing work on innovation strategy.

Highlights from the 2013 WIN Symposium: personalised cancer therapy from innovation to implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schilsky, Richard L

2013-01-01

The Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) consortium is a global alliance of academic and industrial cancer researchers, clinicians, and cancer advocacy groups set up to promote innovations in personalised cancer therapy and to accelerate the translation of research in this discipline into the oncology clinic. One of its most important initiatives is the WIN symposia, which have been held in Paris each summer since 2009. The fifth WIN symposium, which was held 10-12 July 2013, took as its overall theme 'Personalised Cancer Therapy: From Innovation to Implementation'. Over 400 delegates, including a good number of representatives of patient groups as well as leading academic, industrial, and clinical scientists; students; and post-docs attended this symposium. Its scientific programme featured thirty presentations divided into four main plenary sessions, and there was also a wide-ranging poster session that encompassed all the topics covered in the plenaries. The programme structure followed the path of drug discovery, in that the first session covered assay development for personalised cancer medicine; the second, applications of genomics in oncology; the third, clinical development; and the fourth, the impact of personalised medicine on cancer care.

A principle and seven ambitions for innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauvergeon, Anne; Verdier, Henri; Biot, Jacques; Bouyoux, Philippe; Demarolle, Alain; Erra, Mercedes; Haignere, Claudie; Lombard, Didier; Pisani-Ferry, Jean; Rousset, Alain; Serres, Michel; Aghion, Philippe; Bourdoncle, Francois; Caffier, Jean-Louis; Dufourcq, Nicolas; Fink, Mathias; Lehmann, Jean-Claude; Mandon, Thierry; Prieux, Pierre; Alain Sahel, Jose; Legait, Benoit; Faitot, Aurelie

2013-10-01

Published by the Commission for Innovation with the mission to identify and select a limited number of strong ambitions based on major innovations, in order to bring wealth and employment to France on the long term, the objective of this report is to stimulate innovation within enterprises of any size on sustainable priorities. After an analysis of the world context, the report identifies France's strengths and weaknesses, describes how to create an environment which is favourable to innovation, discusses how choices are made among the various possibilities and opportunities, and defines some principles for an innovating implementation. Seven ambitions are then proposed. They address energy storage, the recycling of rare materials, the valorisation of sea resources (metals, sea water desalination), vegetal proteins and vegetal chemistry, the development of customised medicine, the development of 'silver' economy or innovation to the service of longevity, and the valorisation of massive data (Big Data)

Industrial infrastructure for the Indian nuclear power programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, M.R.

1986-04-01

For the inception of the Indian nuclear power programme, great emphasis has been laid on development of comprehensive indigenous capability in design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants. The choice of the pressurised heavy water reactor as the mainline for India's first generation nuclear power stations fitted into this perspective. Apart from the inherent advantages of high neutron economy, low fuelling costs and high capacity factors, this system offered significant opportunities for manufacture and design of all the components within the country. The development of indigenous capability has not been without its problems, namely cost overruns and delays. The main causes for these delays have been the developmental nature of the jobs involving learning process and continued tightening of the quality control requirements. The strategy of development to be pursued by any country is naturally dependent upon the size of the programme it wishes to embark upon and the state of industrial infrastructure in the country. The Indian experience has demonstrated that for development of a comprehensive capability, it is necessary to have a well formulated reactor policy, a good inter-disciplinary R and D base, a good base of conventional industrial infrastructure, a comprehensive manpower development programme and an innovative management. It is hoped that this experience will be of benefit to other developing countries embarking on their own nuclear programme

A Competence-Based Approach to Sustainable Innovation Teaching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAloone, Timothy Charles

2007-01-01

the object of a research exercise, to affect and observe various approaches to the teaching of design. Particular attention will be paid in this case to competencies, both initiated in the teaching and the evaluated in the students’ interpretation of the theoretical contents. The lessons learned from...... through educational curricula and research programmes. This paper presents an initiative from Denmark, showing new interpretations of industrial needs, research insights, educational ideas and identification of core innovative engineering competencies. The new Danish Master of Science engineering...... the first three years of this semester’s application and teaching to approximately 55 students per year are presented and discussed. After introducing the motivation and background for establishing the education programme, the consideration of competence-based education is described, in the context...

Smart Specialization and EU Eastern Innovation Cooperation: A Conceptual Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prause Gunnar

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The concept of smart specialization as a policy approach for regional development through increased regional productivity and competitiveness in the European context is actively discussed (European Union, 2009; OECD, 2014. Meanwhile, smart specialization has found its way into EU cohesion policy as well as into the European Commission’s Innovation Union flagship programme.

Applications of field-programmable gate arrays in scientific research

CERN Document Server

Sadrozinski, Hartmut F W

2011-01-01

Focusing on resource awareness in field-programmable gate array (FPGA) design, Applications of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays in Scientific Research covers the principle of FPGAs and their functionality. It explores a host of applications, ranging from small one-chip laboratory systems to large-scale applications in ""big science."" The book first describes various FPGA resources, including logic elements, RAM, multipliers, microprocessors, and content-addressable memory. It then presents principles and methods for controlling resources, such as process sequencing, location constraints, and in

The Impact of Horizon 2020 on Innovation in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veugelers, R.; Cincera, M.; Frietsch, R.; Rammer, C.; Schubert, T.; Pelle, A.; Renda, A.; Montalvo Corral, C.; Leijten, J.

2015-01-01

The EU’s stagnation on many innovation indicators led to a number of efforts to spur a turnaround. One of most visible projects has been the Horizon 2020 strategy, which devotes unprecedented levels of funding to the promotion of R&D and innovation. But does this strategy address the right issues to

An overview of a moored ocean data buoy programme

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Nayak, M.R.

This paper addresses the rationale. history, strategy and management techniques used in the developmcnt of NIO oceanographic data buoy programme. The system is used for short term as well as long term oceanographic observations. The technical...

Structural materials for innovative nuclear systems (SMINS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Structural materials research is a field of growing relevance in the nuclear sector, especially for the different innovative reactor systems being developed within the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), for critical and subcritical transmutation systems, and of interest to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). Under the auspices of the NEA Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) the Workshop on Structural Materials for Innovative Nuclear Systems (SMINS) was organised in collaboration with the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe in Germany. The objectives of the workshop were to exchange information on structural materials research issues and to discuss ongoing programmes, both experimental and in the field of advanced modelling. These proceedings include the papers and the poster session materials presented at the workshop, representing the international state of the art in this domain. (author)

A case study of government innovative programmes for increasing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: Qualitative analysis of the participation and satisfaction rates in retention and recruitment incentives for health workers in Gwembe and Chibombo Districts was conducted. Further document review of the current strategies implemented by the government was conducted with regards to them addressing the ...

Innovative factors and conditions of sustainable development of rural territories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voloshenko Ksenya

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This article considers the main features of sustainable development of rural territories, identifies the factors of innovative entrepreneurship, and assesses their influence on the condition of rural economy. Special attention is paid to the analysis of concepts, programmes, and projects in the field of rural territory development. The authors summarise conceptual and strategic approaches and actions of the Baltic region states in the field of sustainable development of rural territories. The article identifies objectives, common for the Baltic region, relating to sustainability of rural territories, including sustainable use of natural resource potential, diversification of production through support for non-agricultural activities and employment, application of innovations and efficient technologies, and manufacturing of environmentally friendly products. The analysis of the development of agricultural and innovations in the Baltic Sea regions serves as a basis for identifying the factors and conditions of supporting innovative entrepreneurship. Of special importance are the research, technological, and innovative potential of the territory, the availability of adequate innovative infrastructure, and the formation of innovative culture. The authors corroborate the idea of innovative entrepreneurship development in rural territories through the transformation of organizational and economic mechanism of management relating to the creation of institutional, infrastructure, and spatial conditions. Research and technological cooperation in the Baltic region is emphasised as a priority area.

Knowledge Incubation and Collaboration for Science, Technology Adoption, Resourcing and Transfer (KIC-START)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ugbor, U.; Cilliers, A.; Kurwitz, R. C.

2016-01-01

Full text: In order to address the effectiveness of national networks in Member States, and to implement regional and national strategies, it is important to understand the necessary conditions that ensure successful creation and sharing of knowledge, including, effective policy and programme incentives, promoting collaboration, innovation and networking. Furthermore, Member States with aspirations to develop their nuclear programmes (power and non-power applications in agriculture, industry and health sector), need to develop their own capabilities if they are to fully benefit from the social and economic opportunities from nuclear science and technology. Ultimately nuclear innovation programmes that take into account the role of universities, education and industry would lead to a robust nuclear programme that maximizes social and economic benefit. This paper a presents an initiative for capturing best practices in the areas of university collaboration and innovation, which are driven by learning, research and entrepreneurship. The initiative covers Knowledge (creation), Innovation and Collaboration for Science and Technology Adoption, Resourcing and Transfer (KIC-START). (author

Innovative strategies using communications technologies to engage gay men and other men who have sex with men into early HIV testing and treatment in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Anand, Tarandeep; Nitpolprasert, Chattiya; Ananworanich, Jintanat; Pakam, Charnwit; Nonenoy, Siriporn; Jantarapakde, Jureeporn; Sohn, Annette H; Phanuphak, Praphan; Phanuphak, Nittaya

2015-04-01

One-in-three men who have sex with men (MSM) surveyed between 2007 and 2010 in Bangkok were HIV infected; 54% of new infections in Thailand are expected to be among MSM. Although MSM are the top internet-accessing population in Thailand, it has not been optimally used to scale up early HIV testing and counselling (HTC) and linkage to treatment. Thailand needs innovative technology-based strategies to help address the exploding epidemic of HIV among gay men and other MSM. Adam's Love, an innovative web-based communications strategy, was launched in 2011 by the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre. It includes a dedicated website, integrated social media and web message boards for online counselling, recruitment and appointment making, a club membership programme offering non-financial incentives for HTC, targeted marketing and promotions, and collaboration with MSM-friendly clinics and private hospitals to improve accessibility of HTC services. Between September 2011 and January 2015, the website engaged 1.69 million viewers, and gained more than 8 million page views. An estimated 11,120 gay men and other MSM received online counselling; 8,288 MSM were referred to HTC services; 1,223 to STI testing services; and 1,112 MSM living with HIV were advised regarding HIV treatment. In total, 1,181 MSM recruited online were enrolled in the club membership programme, and 15.5% were diagnosed with HIV. The Adam's Love programme has successfully demonstrated the potential for utilising 'online-to-offline' recruitment models in Thailand, and has attracted national and regional recognition as a trusted resource on HIV and referral to testing and care.

An Intensive Programme on Education for Sustainable Development: The Participants' Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Biasutti, Michele

2015-01-01

This paper presents the framework of an intensive programme (IP) organised by UNESCO and addressed to young graduate professionals to prepare them for a career in fields related to sustainability. The aims of the IP were to address participants' environmental awareness and to develop attitudes and skills related to environmental planning and…

Boosting innovation in the water sector - The role and lessons learned from collaborative projects

OpenAIRE

Alegre, H.; Coelho, S.T.; Feliciano, J.; Matos, R. S.

2015-01-01

A key worldwide challenge in most sectors is to boost the effective adoption of innovation, as underpinned by the new European Union research programme Horizon 2020, which focuses on increasing innovation in Europe from 2014 to 2020. This is particularly relevant in the water sector, often perceived as conservative and averse to change. This paper discusses the role that collaborative knowledge-transfer projects can play in effectively rolling out R&D in the water industry. LNEC (Laboratório ...

The Identification of Technology Platforms and Innovation Areas with High Regional Impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataša Urbančíková

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The paper is focused on the process of identification of the technological platforms and innovation areas with high regional impact. The aim is to discover future fields of technological innovation which are having a high qualitative and quantitative demand of high potentials. The research has been undertaken within project Innovative Development of European Areas by fostering transnational Knowledge Development – IDEA/ 2CE1175P1 funded by Central Europe Programme. The aim of IDEA project is the development of an adequate strategy which enables the small and medium sized enterprises in the regions of Central Europe to face the increasing demand of high potentials with tested methods and instruments. The target group of IDEA project are so called “high potentials” in the engineering and scientific sector where future-oriented technologies are one of the main sources of innovation.

Effect of horticultural therapy on wellbeing among dementia day care programme participants: A mixed-methods study (Innovative Practice).

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Jodi; Mitchell, Gary; Webber, Catherine; Johnson, Karen

2016-04-11

Fourteen people attending an adult day programme were recruited to a structured horticultural therapy programme which took place over 10 weeks. The effects were assessed using Dementia Care Mapping and questionnaires completed by family carers. High levels of wellbeing were observed while the participants were engaged in horticultural therapy, and these were sustained once the programme was completed. This study adds to the growing evidence on the benefits of horticultural therapy for people with dementia who have enjoyed gardening in the past. © The Author(s) 2016.

MARKETING TOOLS FOR PROMOTING INNOVATIONS IN THE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalya O. Kolchina

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: the article is concerned with the tools for promoting innovative educational products within the framework of the concept “Europe of knowledge” on the basis of education integration, researches and innovations. The relevance of the article is caused by increasing importance of promoting innovative products in the field of higher education through the means designed to popularize science not only among science professional, but also among the general public. Materials and Methods: the author uses descriptive method and analyzes the scholar literature on the promotion and introduction of innovative products in the field of education through the media. Results: the results show the need for using the exhibition activity parameters to introduce and implement the educational programmes “Tempus”, “Erasmus+”, and others, and to create relationship between universities and representatives of business communities from the partner countries. The authors emphasise the differences in the mechanism of impact on the target audience (a high school leaver, a student or a representative of a business community. The article presents a combination of essential elements in core objectives of the strategy “Europe 2020” (particularly in the context of priority of the rapid development and components of seven priority initiatives which determine the scheme for the strategic development of the EU member states in the field of education until 2020. Discussion and Conclusions: a professionally designed exposition, well-prepared advertising materials and adequate work with representatives of business communities and partner universities whihin the education exhibition can increase the number of applications to participate in the programme “Capicity-building in the field of higher education”. Promoting innovative products through using some marketing tools is differential in nature and indirectly related to the specifics of their posi

Constructing a Model for Safe Nuclear Energy. General Conference Event to Focus on Innovative Cross-cutting Approach to Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verlini, Giovanni

2011-01-01

Two innovative IAEA Extra-Budgetary Programmes, supporting safe nuclear energy in Bulgaria and Romania, passed their one-year milestone in 2010. Funded by the Norwegian government, these programmes are unique in that they cover separate but cross-cutting issues related to nuclear safety, including safety culture, safety assessments, risk management and resource management.

Mathematical model of innovative sustainability “green” construction object

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slesarev Michail

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses the issue of finding sustainability of “green” innovative processes in interaction between construction activities and the environment. The problem of today’s construction science is stated as comprehensive integration and automation of natural and artificial intellects within systems that ensure environmental safety of construction based on innovative sustainability of “green” technologies in the life environment, and “green” innovative products. The suggested solution to the problem should formalize sustainability models and methods for interpretation of optimization mathematical modeling problems respective to problems of environmental-based innovative process management, adapted to construction of “green” objects, “green” construction technologies, “green” innovative materials and structures.

Energy, environment and technological innovation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando José Pereira da Costa

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The development problems can not be addressed without taking account of the environmental and energy issues, as well as the intimate relationship and the intense interaction between the two. In fact, the energy issue can not be analyzed separately from environmental issues, nor the advances in technological innovation, integrating dynamic-systemic way and so positioning address the issue of the development model to set the bulge the transition process experienced by the world since the seventies of the twentieth century. This transition, in turn, implies the passage of Paradigm of Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy also called the Paradigm of renewable sources of energy, not just holding the energy problem, but towards to environmental and technological components. It is within this relatively slow and long process, instigator of high levels of volatility, turbulence inducing and motor of technological innovation, which is (re raises the question of the development model that defines how a new model/style development.

Employee-driven Innovation in Welfare Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Wihlman

2014-05-01

Full Text Available There is a growing interest in both employee-driven innovation (EDI and innovation in welfare services, but a lack of empirical studies addressing innovation from the employee perspective. Accordingly, this study was designed to contribute with well-grounded empirical knowledge, aiming to explore the barriers to and opportunities for participation in innovation experienced by employees of the Swedish welfare services. In order to reach the aim, a qualitative thematic analysis of 27 semi-structured interviews with employees in four municipalities was performed. The study identified three main themes, with a great impact on the innovative performance of the studied organizations: support, including leadership and innovation processes; development, including creativity and learning; and organizational culture, which includes attitudes and communication, all essential ingredients in EDI. Experienced barriers for innovation were unclear or non-existing innovation processes with ambiguous goals, insufficient learning, and deficient organizational slack, thus creating a tension between day-to-day work and innovation and hindering reflection and exploration. Attitudes of colleagues and lack of communication were also barriers to implementing innovation, suggesting the need for better management support for a communicative and open culture. Opportunities were found, including commitment to innovation and willingness to try new ideas, but the employees must be given the mandate and sufficient time to develop the potential that emerges from continuous learning, time for reflection, and user dialogue. The conclusion was that incremental innovations existed, but the full potential of these did not benefit the entire organization due to inadequate communication and lack of innovation processes. The study improves our understanding of how employees regard their involvement in innovation. It also discusses how to make better use of employees’ resources in

Innovative financing models for low carbon transitions: Exploring the case for revolving funds for domestic energy efficiency programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouldson, Andy; Kerr, Niall; Millward-Hopkins, Joel; Freeman, Mark C.; Topi, Corrado; Sullivan, Rory

2015-01-01

The IEA has estimated that over the next four decades US$31 trillion will be required to promote energy efficiency in buildings. However, the opportunities to make such investments are often constrained, particularly in contexts of austerity. We consider the potential of revolving funds as an innovative financing mechanism that could reduce investment requirements and enhance investment impacts by recovering and reinvesting some of the savings generated by early investments. Such funds have been created in various contexts, but there has never been a formal academic evaluation of their potential to contribute to low carbon transitions. To address this, we propose a generic revolving fund model and apply it using data on the costs and benefits of domestic sector retrofit in the UK. We find that a revolving fund could reduce the costs of domestic sector retrofit in the UK by 26%, or £9 billion, whilst also making such a scheme cost-neutral, albeit with significant up-front investments that would only pay for themselves over an extended period of time. We conclude that revolving funds could enable countries with limited resources to invest more heavily and more effectively in low carbon development, even in contexts of austerity. - Highlights: • Examines the need for substantially higher levels of low carbon investment. • Explores the need for innovative financing mechanisms such as revolving funds. • Shows that revolving a fund could reduce the cost of UK retrofit by £9 billion or 26%. • Also shows that a revolving fund could make retrofit cost-neutral in the long term. • Concludes that revolving funds could dramatically increase low carbon investment.

Quality Management in Slovenian Education Programmes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milena Alič

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Product and service quality, effective process management, continuous improvement and innovation are some essential conditions for making a successful business. They are often emphasised by managers of successful organizations, by authors of professional and scientific papers and even by politicians and journalists. Quality management standards and models, such as ISO 9001 and EFQM model appeared in assistance to the needs of organisations to assure stable product and service quality, to improve it and to make the production process and its supporting processes effective. It has been 28 years since the standard ISO 9001 appeared. Now it is the most widely spread global standard implemented in more than 1.100.000 organizations worldwide. If quality management was proved to be an important approach to make organizations operate better and thus to contribute to well-being of the society, it would be expected that it is somehow included in our regular school programmes on all the levels. We expect that learning and living quality approaches in childhood and youth would be the least costly way to improve the culture of quality in the society and to implement it in our organizations as well. The paper gives some insight in the situation by searching for quality management related programmes and approaches in our primary, secondary and tertiary school programmes. The purpose of this paper is only to highlight the issue of teaching for quality in our regular education programmes – just to become aware of it and to find some improvement opportunities. There should be still some more detailed research on this topic to give strong suggestions.

An exploratory trial of a health education programme to promote healthy lifestyles through social and emotional competence in young children: Study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Bermejo-Martins, Elena; López-Dicastillo, Olga; Mujika, Agurtzane

2018-01-01

To implement and evaluate a health education programme based on the development of social and emotional competence in young children. Children's social and emotional skills play a key role in the adoption and maintenance of their lifestyles. Currently, a more comprehensive perspective dealing with these aspects is needed to promote healthy habits in children and develop effective health education programmes. An exploratory randomized controlled trial. A convenience sample of 30 children (5 and 6 years old) will be recruited from a public school in Spain, with 15 participants in the experimental group and 15 in the control group. Participants in the experimental group will receive the first unit of the programme, consisting of developing emotional knowledge skills around daily health habits (eating, hygiene, sleep and physical exercise) using different game-based dynamics and an emotional diary, while those in the control group will continue with their usual school routine. Outcome measures include emotional knowledge ability, basic social skills and children's health profile. The perceived impact of the intervention by parents, acceptability (by parents and children) and feasibility of the programme will be also assessed. Data will be collected at baseline, postintervention and at 7-month follow-up. This study offers an innovative intervention aimed at improving children's healthy lifestyles from a holistic perspective by addressing social and emotional competence as one of the most influential aspects of children's development. This exploratory trial is an essential step to explore crucial aspects of the full-scale clinical trial. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creating a climate that catalyses healthcare innovation in the United Kingdom - learning lessons from international innovators.

Science.gov (United States)

Cresswell, Kathrin; Cunningham-Burley, Sarah; Sheikh, Aziz

2017-01-25

The United Kingdom (UK) lags behind other high-income countries in relation to technological innovation in healthcare. In order to inform UK strategy on how to catalyse innovation, we sought to understand what national strategies can help to promote a climate for innovation in healthcare settings by extracting lessons for the UK from international innovators. We undertook a series of qualitative semi-structured interviews with senior international innovators from a range of health related policy, care/service delivery, commercial and academic backgrounds. Thematic analysis helped to explore how different stakeholder groups could facilitate/inhibit innovation at individual, organisational, and wider societal levels. We conducted 14 interviews and found that a conducive climate for healthcare innovation comprised of national/regional strategies stimulating commercial competition, promoting public/private relationships, and providing central direction (e.g. incentives for adoption and regulation through standards) without being restrictive. Organisational attitudes with a willingness to experiment and to take risks were also seen as important, but a bottom-up approach to innovation, based on the identification of clinical need, was seen as a crucial first step to construct relevant national policies.  There is now a need to create mechanisms through which frontline National Health Service staff in relation can raise ideas/concerns and suggest opportunities for improvement, and then build national innovation environments that seek to address these needs. This should be accompanied by creating competitive health technology markets to stimulate a commercial environment that attracts high-quality health information technology experts and innovators working in partnership with staff and patients.

Exploring the impact of transformational leadership on nurse innovation behaviour: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Rhay-Hung; Huang, Ching-Yuan; Chen, Li-Mei; Chang, Li-Yu

2015-05-01

This study explored the influences of transformational leadership on nurse innovation behaviour and the mediating role of organisational climate. Recently, global nursing experts have been aggressively encouraging nurses to pursue innovation in nursing in order to improve nursing outcomes. Nursing innovation, in turn, is affected by nursing leadership. We employed a questionnaire survey to collect data, and selected a sample of nurses from hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 439 valid surveys were obtained. Hierarchical multiple regression model analysis was conducted to test the study hypothesis. The mean values of agreement of nurse innovation behaviour and transformational leadership were 3.40 and 3.78, respectively. Patient safety climate and innovation climate were found to have full mediating effects on the relationship between transformational leadership and innovation behaviour. Organisational climate has a significant impact on innovation behaviour. Transformational leadership has indirect effects on innovation behaviour via the mediation of patient safety climate and innovation climate. Hospitals should enhance transformational leadership by designing leadership training programmes and establishing transformational culture. In addition, nursing managers should foster nursing innovation through improvements in organisational climate. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The First 100 Years of American College of Surgeons Presidential Addresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanem, Omar M; Heitmiller, Richard F

2016-01-01

We reviewed the first 100 years of presidential addresses delivered at the fall congress of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Our hypothesis was that these addresses would be an excellent indicator of the College's position on surgical policy, ethics, methods, and education. All ACS presidential addresses from 1913 to 2013 were identified through the ACS archives website. This included the presenter, title, year, and citation if published in a peer reviewed journal. The text of each address was obtained from the ACS archives, or from the listed citations. Addresses were then classified into 1 of 6 subgroups based on content-surgical credo, medical innovation, medical education, surgical history, business and legal, and personal tribute. The 100-year period was divided into 5 interval each of 20-year and the frequency of each category was graphed over time. There were 111 ACS presidential addresses delivered in the study period. Distribution by category was surgical credo (57%), surgical history (14%), medical innovation (10%), medical education (8%), business and legal (6%), and personal tributes (5%). The frequency of surgical credo has remained stable over time. Business and legal emerged as a new category in 1975. The other topics had low, but stable frequency. ACS presidential addresses do reflect the College's position on surgical policy and practice. The college has remained consistent in serving its members, maintaining, and defining the role of its organization, the qualifications for membership, and the expectations for the professional conduct of its members. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

DESIGNING AN INTEGRATED OPEN INNOVATION SYSTEM: TOWARDS ORGANIZATIONAL WHOLENESS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baka, Vasiliki

2014-01-01

sociotechnical arrangement within the paradigm of open innovation. We explore how effectively technological platforms address emergent collaboration and innovation practices within and across organizations and to which extent existing technologies act as strategic catalysts of open innovation. We argue...... that in embracing wholeness and in treating technologies as inseparable constitutive parts of organizational architecture, we foster organizational and institutional collaboration and encourage innovative practices. The focus of the paper is on how the design of sociotechnical systems as wholes, that is systems...... that are concurrently acting as corporate websites, internal collaboration spaces, extranets and social media aggregators, actively promotes open innovation in practice. We close with a presentation of six cases that are illustrative of how such a system could be applicable within the open innovation paradigm, namely...

Towards ProAlcool II - a review of the Brazilian bioethanol programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosillo-Calle, F.; Cortez, L.A.B.

1998-01-01

Since the creation of the National Alcohol Programme (NAP) in 1975, commonly known as ''ProAlcool'', it has gone through a number of fluctuations reflecting Brazilian political, economic and energy priorities. In 1996-1997 over 175 Mt of sugarcane (65% of 270 Mt harvested) was converted to ethanol fuel. The ProAlcool started as a highly innovative programme, but in recent years has lost part of its technological zeal and in certain areas is becoming stagnant. This is due to a combination of reasons, e.g. unclear energy policy, high sugar prices in the international market and lower investment in ethanol production as a result of low international oil prices. A new impetus is needed to reflect changing economic and energy policy in Brazil. This paper reviews the implications for ProAlcool of the new economic policies and the possibilities for restructuring the programme to guarantee its survival as a pioneering and sustainable renewable energy source. (author)

Open innovation in urban energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnold, M. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, TUM School of Management, Freising (Germany); Barth, V. [Carl von Ossietzky Universitaet Oldenburg, Ecological Economics, Oldenburg (Germany)

2012-08-15

Despite recent efforts, existing urban energy systems still hardly meet the demands of sustainable development or climate change. Meeting these targets thus will require innovations that use energy much more efficiently and emit far less greenhouse gases. These innovations need to be made on the production as well as the consumption side, on all levels, and need to cover not only technical aspects, but even more service solutions. While many of these solutions still need to be developed, some are already invented but only exist in limited market segments. Opening closed urban planning processes and using open innovation tools can foster bottom-up urban energy system transformation by addressing the interactive ways of decision-making integrating company representatives and citizens. While open innovation tools like (open) innovation workshops or ideas competitions are already used by several companies to find and develop new designs and products, there is yet little experience with energy efficiency ideas and bottom-up changes. Therefore, we analyse energy-efficient ideas generated in three different ideas competitions. We discuss the findings for theory and research on open innovation approaches and bottom-up urban changes. Our results show that there are a vast number of ideas available in the public. Open innovation tools offer advanced possibilities to generate energy-efficient solutions.

An evaluation of the Parents Plus-Parenting When Separated programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Keating, Adele; Sharry, John; Murphy, Michelle; Rooney, Brendan; Carr, Alan

2016-04-01

This study evaluated the Parents Plus-Parenting when Separated Programme, an intervention specifically designed to address the needs of separated parents in an Irish context. In a randomized control trial, 82 separated parents with young children were assigned to the Parents Plus-Parenting when Separated Programme treatment group and 79 to a waiting-list control group. They were assessed on measures of client goals, parenting satisfaction, child and parental adjustment and interparental conflict at baseline (Time 1) and 6 weeks later (Time 2), after the treatment group completed the Parents Plus-Parenting when Separated Programme. From Time 1 to 2, significant goal attainment, increases in parenting satisfaction and decreases in child behaviour problems, parental adjustment problems and interparental conflict occurred in the Parents Plus-Parenting when Separated Programme group, but not in the control group. These results supported the effectiveness of Parents Plus-Parenting when Separated Programme, which should be made more widely available to separated parents. © The Author(s) 2015.

The European programme on climatic change. Assessment and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Creach, Morgane

2008-09-01

After having recalled how the ratification of the Kyoto protocol became the basis of the European programme for the struggle against climatic change (operation of flexibility mechanisms) and how this programme has been implemented, this report describes the content of the first European Climate Change Programme which notably addressed the energy sector with the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energies, the transport sector, the industry sector with the implementation of the European trading scheme for CO 2 emissions, and a regulation on some fluoridated gases. The second part proposes a contrasted assessment of this first programme. It outlines the difficulties to meet the Kyoto objective and identifies the main reason for that, i.e. the limited abilities of the EU to apply the Kyoto protocol. The third part presents the second programme with an integrated climate-energy policy, the integration of the air transport sector within the ETS, a new strategy of reduction of CO 2 emissions by cars, and the definition of a strategy for adaptation to climate change in Europe

DOE's Innovative Treatment Remediation Demonstration Program accelerating the implementation of innovative technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hightower, M.

1995-01-01

A program to help accelerate the adoption and implementation of new and innovative remediation technologies has been initiated by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Environmental Restoration Program Office (EM40). Developed as a Public-Private Partnership program in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Technology Innovation Office (TIO) and coordinated by Sandia National Laboratories, the Innovative Treatment Remediation Demonstration (ITRD) Program attempts to reduce many of the classic barriers to the use of new technologies by involving government, industry, and regulatory agencies in the assessment, implementation, and validation of innovative technologies. In this program, DOE facilities work cooperatively with EPA, industry, national laboratories, and state and federal regulatory agencies to establish remediation demonstrations using applicable innovative technologies at their sites. Selected innovative technologies are used to remediate small, one to two acre, sites to generate the full-scale and real-world operating, treatment performance, and cost data needed to validate these technologies and gain acceptance by industry and regulatory agencies, thus accelerating their use nationwide. Each ITRD project developed at a DOE site is designed to address a typical soil or groundwater contamination issue facing both DOE and industry. This includes sites with volatile organic compound (VOC), semi-VOC, heavy metal, explosive residue, and complex or multiple constituent contamination. Projects are presently underway at three DOE facilities, while additional projects are under consideration for initiation in FY96 at several additional DOE sites. A brief overview of the ITRD Program, program plans, and the status and progress of existing ITRD projects are reviewed in this paper

The year 2000 (Y2k) Programme at AECL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauksens, J.; Jung, D.

1998-01-01

In the nuclear industry we make, in total, very extensive use of digital computers and equipment. While use of dates in our application may not be quite so extensive as in other businesses such as banking or insurance, dates are nonetheless employed, and are important in a variety of applications. Furthermore, date-related problems can sometimes propagate into overall system failures or computer crashes. Digital system or digital infrastructure failure can have serious potential consequences in a power plant, utility, or engineering design office. This in turn can have potential impact on public safety or the reliability of power production and delivery of electrical power to the public. A concerted effort is needed, and is underway by nuclear design organizations, and the nuclear utilities in order to identify and fix or avoid the problems in the short time that remains between now and the Year 2000. AECL have a substantial Year 2000 programme underway, addressing both the infrastructure systems at AECL, and AECL's products and services. High priority is placed, in the programme, on assisting AECL's customers with the Year 2000 issue. The programme, and some of the lesson learned to date, are described in this paper. The relationship to equipment vendors' and customers' Year 2000 programs is explained, and the importance of Year 2000 programmes conducted by the customers, to address systems and equipment which are under their control, is highlighted. (authors)

Approach for a Pattern-Based Development of Frugal Innovations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Christin Lehner

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Emerging markets have become increasingly interesting for companies from industrialized countries, but the requirements in these markets differ dramatically from those in the companies’ traditional markets. New products and services are demanded – so-called frugal innovations. Since the challenges for the development of frugal innovations are often quite similar – for example, low income of the target customer, poor infrastructure, etc. – the hypothesis appears that the solutions will also be similar. In our earlier TIM Review article (Lehner & Gausemeier, 2016, we showed how solution patterns for frugal innovations can be derived. The article at hand summarizes those findings and supplements an innovation process for frugal innovation using the solution patterns. The validation based on the example of telemedical assistant systems shows the benefit of the pattern-based development of frugal innovations. The article addresses managers and engineers who plan to introduce frugal innovations, as well as university-based researchers interested in the development of frugal innovations.

H2020 opportunities for research and innovation in Production Management and Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raúl Poler

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Horizon 2020 is the new financial instrument implementing the European Union, a global initiative aimed at securing Europe's competitiveness and creating new growth and jobs in Europe. This new EU programme for research and innovation will run from 2014 to 2020 with a budget over €70 billion. What’s new compared with previous framework programs? Horizon 2020 major goal is helping to bridge the gap between research and the market. Research remains essential but innovation plays now an important role. This market-driven approach include creating public-private partnerships to bring together the resources needed. On the other hand, a two year perspective will be provided in order to allow researchers more time to prepare proposals and more scope to make innovative proposals.

Peer power: how Dare County, North Carolina, is addressing chronic disease through innovative programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Anne B; Ward, Ellie

2006-01-01

Peer Power is an innovative school-based program that trains high school students as health educators and mentors for middle school students. The program was designed to produce positive health behavior changes in youth and reduce long-term incidence of chronic diseases of the heart and lung. This program, developed at the Management Academy for Public Health, has been successful in receiving grant funds and has demonstrated positive behavioral changes in youth in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use. Peer Power has far exceeded the anticipated outcomes and proven to be a catalyst for improved health behaviors throughout the community. Positive unintended consequences of Peer Power include the development of an effective social marketing campaign, reduction in tobacco sales to minors, and an increase in smoke-free restaurants in Dare County. Benefits received by Management Academy participants are evident through improved business and administrative skills at the Dare County Department of Public Health, the number of new and innovative programs that have succeeded in securing grant funds, and the sustainability of the programs developed.

SWOT analysis to evaluate the programme of a joint online/onsite master's degree in environmental education through the students' perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Gutierrez, Miguel; Jimenez-Liso, M Rut; Martinez-Chico, Maria

2016-02-01

This study shows the use of SWOT to analyse students' perceptions of an environmental education joint master's programme in order to determine if it runs as originally planned. The open answers given by students highlight the inter-university nature of the master's, the technological innovation used as major points, and the weaknesses in the management coordination or the duplicate contents as minor points. The external analysis is closely linked with the students' future jobs, their labour opportunities available to them after graduation. The innovative treatment of the data is exportable to the evaluation of programmes of other degrees because it allows the description linked to its characteristics and its design through the students' point of view. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The handbook of service innovation

CERN Document Server

Selen, Willem; Roos, Göran; Green, Roy

2015-01-01

Bringing together some of the world’s leading thinkers, academics and professionals to provide practitioners, students and academicians with comprehensive insights into implementing effective service innovation. This book presents service innovation holistically and systemically across various service areas, including health, education, tourism, hospitality, telecommunications, and retail. It addresses contemporary issues through conceptual and applied contributions across industry, academia, and government, providing insights for improved practice and policy making. Featuring cutting-edge research contributions, practical examples, implementations and a select number of case studies across several growth service industries, this book also includes examples of failed service innovation attempts in order to demonstrate a balanced view of the topic and to make clear the pitfalls to be avoided. Culminating in a suggested step-by-step guide to enable service organization’s managers to understand and implemen...

The INNOHYP-CA Project: producing Hydrogen by innovative high-temperature processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giaconia, A.; Giorgiantoni, G.; Liberatore, R.; Tarquini, P.; Vignolini, M.

2008-01-01

The Project, financed under the 6. Framework Programme, has selected a member of innovative high-temperature processes that seem promising for large-scale production of Hydrogen. ENEA has contributed to the analysis of the status of national and regional projects in the European countries and to the definition of guidelines for the future development of these technologies [it

Curriculum Innovation for Marketing Analytics

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Elizabeth J.; McCabe, Catherine; Smith, Robert S.

2018-01-01

College graduates need better preparation for and experience in data analytics for higher-quality problem solving. Using the curriculum innovation framework of Borin, Metcalf, and Tietje (2007) and case study research methods, we offer rich insights about one higher education institution's work to address the marketing analytics skills gap.…

A Systems Approach to Healthcare Innovation Using the MIT Hacking Medicine Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Gubin, Tatyana A; Iyer, Hari P; Liew, Shirlene N; Sarma, Aartik; Revelos, Alex; Ribas, João; Movassaghi, Babak; Chu, Zen M; Khalid, Ayesha N; Majmudar, Maulik D; Lee, Christopher Xiang

2017-07-26

MIT Hacking Medicine is a student, academic, and community-led organization that uses systems-oriented "healthcare hacking" to address challenges around innovation in healthcare. The group has organized more than 80 events around the world that attract participants with diverse backgrounds. These participants are trained to address clinical needs from the perspective of multiple stakeholders and emphasize utility and implementation viability of proposed solutions. We describe the MIT Hacking Medicine model as a potential method to integrate collaboration and training in rapid innovation techniques into academic medical centers. Built upon a systems approach to healthcare innovation, the time-compressed but expertly guided nature of the events could enable more widely accessible preliminary training in systems-level innovation methodology, as well as creating a structured opportunity for interdisciplinary congregation and collaboration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing Programme Implementation Strategies to Increase the Adoption and Use of Biosand Water Filters in Rural India

OpenAIRE

Tommy K.K. Ngai; Richard A. Fenner

2014-01-01

Low-cost household water treatment systems are innovations designed to improve the quality of drinking water at the point of use. This study investigates how an NGO can design appropriate programme strategies in order to increase the adoption and sustained use of household sand filters in rural India. A system dynamics computer model was developed and used to assess 18 potential programme strategies for their effectiveness in increasing filter use at two and ten years into the future, under s...

ECO-INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RATIU Mariana

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Eco-innovation is any form of innovation resulting in or aiming at significant and demonstrable progress towards the goal of sustainable development, through reducing impacts on the environment, enhancing resilience to environmental pressures, or achieving a more efficient and responsible use of natural resources. States and governments of the world, different institutions and organizations actively involved and aware in public policies, strategies and actions, reaffirm their commitments and reassess actions in order to achieve a truly sustainable development. In the common vision and the resolutions and other documents of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, the words "environment", "innovation", "green economy" appear very often and almost always along the same context, to achieve the objectives of the sustainable development. The objectives of EU's Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, are being implemented through a number of Flagship Initiatives addressing the main challenges, like “Innovation for a sustainable Future - The Eco-innovation Action Plan (EcoAP”. Eco-innovation Observatory developed the Eco-Innovation index, the first tool to assess and illustrate eco-innovation performance across the EU Member States. Like in all fields, in textiles and leather field, eco-innovation is present and there are a lot of tools available that measure environmental damage and help manufacturers and brands become more sustainable. Eco-innovation is not just a trendy concept but a reality and a necessity nowadays, a way to achieve a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations.

The breast screening programme and misinforming the public

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gøtzsche, Peter C; Jørgensen, Karsten Juhl

2011-01-01

The information provided to the public by the NHS Breast Screening Programme has been criticized for lack of balance, omission of information on harms and substantially exaggerated estimates of benefit. These shortcomings have been particularly evident in the various invitation leaflets for breast...... screening and in the Programme's own 2008 Annual Review, which celebrated 20 years of screening. The debate on screening has been heated after new data published in the last two years questioned the benefit and documented substantial harm. We therefore analysed whether the recent debate and new pivotal data...... about breast screening has had any impact on the contents of the new 2010 leaflet and on the 2010 Annual Review. We conclude that spokespeople for the Programme have stuck to the beliefs about benefit that prevailed 25 years ago. Concerns about over-diagnosis have not been addressed either and official...

Negative emissions—Part 3: Innovation and upscaling

Science.gov (United States)

Nemet, Gregory F.; Callaghan, Max W.; Creutzig, Felix; Fuss, Sabine; Hartmann, Jens; Hilaire, Jérôme; Lamb, William F.; Minx, Jan C.; Rogers, Sophia; Smith, Pete

2018-06-01

We assess the literature on innovation and upscaling for negative emissions technologies (NETs) using a systematic and reproducible literature coding procedure. To structure our review, we employ the framework of sequential stages in the innovation process, with which we code each NETs article in innovation space. We find that while there is a growing body of innovation literature on NETs, 59% of the articles are focused on the earliest stages of the innovation process, ‘research and development’ (R&D). The subsequent stages of innovation are also represented in the literature, but at much lower levels of activity than R&D. Distinguishing between innovation stages that are related to the supply of the technology (R&D, demonstrations, scale up) and demand for the technology (demand pull, niche markets, public acceptance), we find an overwhelming emphasis (83%) on the supply side. BECCS articles have an above average share of demand-side articles while direct air carbon capture and storage has a very low share. Innovation in NETs has much to learn from successfully diffused technologies; appealing to heterogeneous users, managing policy risk, as well as understanding and addressing public concerns are all crucial yet not well represented in the extant literature. Results from integrated assessment models show that while NETs play a key role in the second half of the 21st century for 1.5 °C and 2 °C scenarios, the major period of new NETs deployment is between 2030 and 2050. Given that the broader innovation literature consistently finds long time periods involved in scaling up and deploying novel technologies, there is an urgency to developing NETs that is largely unappreciated. This challenge is exacerbated by the thousands to millions of actors that potentially need to adopt these technologies for them to achieve planetary scale. This urgency is reflected neither in the Paris Agreement nor in most of the literature we review here. If NETs are to be

BioRefine. New biomass products programme 2007-2012. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makinen, T. (ed.) [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland); Alakangas, E.; Holviala, N. (eds.) [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Jyvaskyla (Finland)

2012-07-01

The focal areas of the BioRefine programme have been business development, raw materials, and product lines. The key issue in the programme has been the development of business opportunities. The other two programme areas - raw materials and product lines, including technologies and services - have always been viewed from the perspective of short, medium or long-term business activities.The programme has organised four calls for research projects. The focus of the first call was on biomass-based fuels for transport (in the autumn 2007), the second one focused on other biomass-based products like chemicals and materials (in the spring 2008), and the third one on new biomass sources and waste-based biomass, and research supporting the business development of SME companies (early in 2010). In the last call in the spring 2011, project proposals were expected to focus on the following areas: new innovative and multidisciplinary research initiatives related to biomass utilisation, small distributed biorefinery concepts, efficient and sustainable utilisation of biomass raw materials in new integrated solutions for biorefining, and new integrated solutions for the efficient utilisation of sidestreams in the biorefining value chain or in its parts. Unlike research organizations, companies have been able to apply for funding continuously from Tekes.

Innovation: an emerging focus from cells to societies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hochberg, Michael E; Marquet, Pablo A; Boyd, Robert; Wagner, Andreas

2017-12-05

Innovations are generally unexpected, often spectacular changes in phenotypes and ecological functions. The contributions to this theme issue are the latest conceptual, theoretical and experimental developments, addressing how ecology, environment, ontogeny and evolution are central to understanding the complexity of the processes underlying innovations. Here, we set the stage by introducing and defining key terms relating to innovation and discuss their relevance to biological, cultural and technological change. Discovering how the generation and transmission of novel biological information, environmental interactions and selective evolutionary processes contribute to innovation as an ecosystem will shed light on how the dominant features across life come to be, generalize to social, cultural and technological evolution, and have applications in the health sciences and sustainability.This article is part of the theme issue 'Process and pattern in innovations from cells to societies'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Policy Pathways: Energy Management Programmes for Industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-09-06

The IEA Policy Pathway publications provide details on how to implement specific recommendations drawn from the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations. This Policy Pathway, jointly produced by the International Energy Agency and the Institute for Industrial Productivity, develops the critical steps for policy makers implementing energy management programmes for industry. Optimising energy use in industry is essential to improve industrial competitiveness and achieve wider societal goals such as energy security, economic recovery and development, climate change mitigation and environmental protection.While there is significant potential to decrease energy consumption in this sector, opportunities to improve energy efficiency are still under-exploited. Energy management programmes have shown to be instrumental in addressing many of the barriers that inhibit wide-scale uptake of energy management in industry. The Policy Pathway builds on lessons learned from country experiences and provides actionable guidance on how to plan and design, implement, evaluate and monitor energy management programmes for industry.

A censervative programme for treatment of anterior knee pain in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

week conservative rehabilitation programme in addressing anterior knee pain in adolescents. Design. Subjects were randomly allocated to a control group (N=12) and an experimental group (N=18). The experimental group was subjected to a ...

Competency-based education: programme design and challenges to implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruppen, Larry D; Burkhardt, John C; Fitzgerald, James T; Funnell, Martha; Haftel, Hilary M; Lypson, Monica L; Mullan, Patricia B; Santen, Sally A; Sheets, Kent J; Stalburg, Caren M; Vasquez, John A

2016-05-01

Competency-based education (CBE) has been widely cited as an educational framework for medical students and residents, and provides a framework for designing educational programmes that reflect four critical features: a focus on outcomes, an emphasis on abilities, a reduction of emphasis on time-based training, and promotion of learner centredness. Each of these features has implications and potential challenges for implementing CBE. As an experiment in CBE programme design and implementation, the University of Michigan Master of Health Professions Education (UM-MHPE) degree programme was examined for lessons to be learned when putting CBE into practice. The UM-MHPE identifies 12 educational competencies and 20 educational entrustable professional activities (EPAs) that serve as the vehicle for both learning and assessment. The programme also defines distinct roles of faculty members as assessors, mentors and subject-matter experts focused on highly individualised learning plans adapted to each learner. Early experience with implementing the UM-MHPE indicates that EPAs and competencies can provide a viable alternative to traditional courses and a vehicle for rigorous assessment. A high level of individualisation is feasible but carries with it significant costs and makes intentional community building essential. Most significantly, abandoning a time-based framework is a difficult innovation to implement in a university structure that is predicated on time-based education. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

First Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) Neglected Diseases and Innovation Symposium

OpenAIRE

Musselwhite, Laura W.; Maciag, Karolina; Lankowski, Alex; Gretes, Michael C.; Wellems, Thomas E.; Tavera, Gloria; Goulding, Rebecca E.; Guillen, Ethan

2012-01-01

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines organized its first Neglected Diseases and Innovation Symposium to address expanding roles of public sector research institutions in innovation in research and development of biomedical technologies for treatment of diseases, particularly neglected tropical diseases. Universities and other public research institutions are increasingly integrated into the pharmaceutical innovation system. Academic entities now routinely undertake robust high-throughp...

School effectiveness research: a review of criticisms and some proposals to address them.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andres Sandoval-Hernandez

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Based on Lakato’s notion of research programmes, the paper analyses the structure of the School Effectiveness Research (SER programme and reviews the main criticisms that have arisen, stressing those regarding its objectivity and theoretical limitations. Then, some proposals are made to address these criticisms, namely: to adopt a critical realist approach to the study of SE and an Abductive Theory of Scientific Method that lead to the development of sound theory in the field. Based on this analysis the paper concludes that, in terms of Lakatos, a movement towards a new research programme is needed in order to ensure that the main objectives originally set for SER can be eventually reached.

Innovation and Competition: Conflicts over Intellectual Property Rights in New Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuelson, Pamela

1987-01-01

Addresses conditions and concerns involved in accommodating the interests of both innovators of new technologies and the general public. Discusses the tension that exists in intellectual property law between innovators and competitors. Focuses on cases dealing with computer software and semiconductor chip designs, genetically-engineered life…

Open innovation models - a case study of playing poker with chess pieces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goduscheit, René Chester; Jørgensen, Jacob Høj; Bergenholtz, Carsten

2010-01-01

The benefits of employing open innovation models are widely acknowledged among academics and practitioners. However, the organizational challenges in employing open innovation models as opposed to more closed ones are not extensively explored in the literature. This paper addresses these organiza...

Innovation in patient-centered care: lessons from a qualitative study of innovative health care organizations in Washington State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reed Peter

2012-12-01

and addressing conditions for innovation.

Innovative nuclear reactor - Indian approach to meet user requirements for safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, D.; Sinha, R.K.

2002-01-01

Full text: For sustainable development of nuclear energy, a number of key issues are to be addressed. It should be economically competitive; it must address the issues related to nuclear safety, proliferation resistance, environmental impact, waste disposal and cross cutting issues like social and infra-structural aspects. To compete successfully in the long term, in the highly competitive energy market and to overcome other challenges, it is necessary to introduce innovative reactor and fuel cycle concepts. Indian Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is one such innovative reactor. To guide the research and development activities related to innovative concepts, user requirements are to be formulated. User requirements covering various aspects of sustainable development are being formulated at both national and international levels. One such international project involved in the formulation of user requirements is the IAEA International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO). This paper deals with INPRO user requirements for safety and Indian approach to meet these requirements through AHWR

Policy Learning and Organizational Capacities in Innovation Policies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borrás, Susana

2011-01-01

Bengt-Åke Lundvall’s work has underlined the importance of policy learning for inducing innovation systems’ adaptability. In spite of his efforts and of the general interest in this topic, studies of policy learning in innovation policy continue to be scarce. Elaborating from recent theoretical...... advances, the paper identifies three levels of policy learning and argues that their effects on innovation systems are related to specific capacities of the relevant organizations implementing change. This analytical framework is used in the study of trans-national policy learning in Europe in the area...... of science–industry relations, showing the importance of capacities (or lack thereof). This calls for the practical need of addressing organizational capacity-building, in particular of analytical capacity, for truly strategic innovation policy-making....

A model for integrating strategic planning and competence-based curriculum design in establishing a public health programme: the UNC Charlotte experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harver Andrew

2009-08-01

programme innovation. Lessons learnt from this process include: being connected to your community and knowing its needs, being responsive to your community, remembering that process is as important as product, and preparing for success. Conclusion The efforts reported here can be informative to other institutions by exemplifying an integrated top-down/bottom-up process of strategic planning that ensures that a department's degree programmes meet current needs and that students graduate with the competences to address those needs.

A model for integrating strategic planning and competence-based curriculum design in establishing a public health programme: the UNC Charlotte experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Michael E; Harver, Andrew; Eure, Marquis

2009-08-11

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a doctoral/research-intensive university, is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region. The university currently offers 18 doctoral, 62 master's and 90 baccalaureate programmes. Fall 2008 enrolment exceeded 23,300 students, including more than 4900 graduate students. The university's Department of Health Behavior and Administration was established on 1 July 2002 as part of a transformed College of Health & Human Services. In 2003, the Department initiated a series of stakeholder activities as part of its strategic planning and programmatic realignment efforts. The Department followed an empirically derived top-down/bottom-up strategic planning process that fostered community engagement and coordination of efforts across institutional levels. This process culminated in a vision to transform the unit into a Council on Education for Public Health accredited programme in public health and, eventually, an accredited school of public health. To date, the Department has revised its Master of Science in health promotion into an Master of Science in Public Health programme, renamed itself the Department of Public Health Sciences, launched a Bachelor of Science in Public Health major, laid plans for a doctoral programme, and received accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health as a public health programme. Furthermore, the campus has endorsed the programme's growth into a school of public health as one of its priorities. It is only through this rigorous and cyclical process of determining what society needs, designing a curriculum specifically to prepare graduates to meet those needs, ensuring that those graduates meet those needs, and reassessing society's needs that we can continue to advance the profession and ensure the public's health. Community stakeholders should be active contributors to programme innovation. Lessons learnt from this process include: being connected to your

Open source R&D - an anomaly in innovation management?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ulhøi, John Parm

2004-01-01

This paper addresses innovations based on the principle of open source or non-proprietary knowledge. Viewed through the lens of private property theory, such agency appears to be a true anomaly. However, by a further turn of the theoretical kaleidoscope, we will show that there may be perfectly...... justifiable reasons for not regarding open source innovations as anomalies. The paper has identified three generic cases of open source innovation, which is an offspring of contemporary theory made possible by combining elements of the model of private agency with those of the model of collective agency...

EURATOM research and training programme: towards a new way of developing-teaching science, closer to the end-users

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Goethem, G.

2015-01-01

EURATOM is not isolated in the European Energy policy. Nuclear fission is part of the European energy mix, together with renewable energy sources (Article 194 of Lisbon Treaty, 2007).Research, innovation and education are at the heart of the EURATOM Treaty 1 (Rome, 1957), dedicated to peaceful applications of nuclear fission. One of the main objectives of the EURATOM Treaty is to contribute to the sustainability of nuclear energy by developing and sharing appropriate knowledge, skills and proficiencies in nuclear fission and radiation protection. EURATOM programmes 2 consist in end-user driven projects in selected topics, gathering the best research organisations and structured as follows: -) research and innovation projects which contribute to generating advanced knowledge and scientific understanding of interest to industrial applications, -) education and training projects, including continuous professional development, which contribute to developing skills and proficiencies. Fission technologies can be transmitted to the next generations only within the framework of a responsible strategy regarding waste management and/or recycling of fissile and fertile materials. In this context, EURATOM research and training programmes insist, in particular, on the implementation of geological disposal for spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste and/or on Generation-IV developments aiming at efficient resource utilisation and waste minimisation. Safety improvements in Generation-II (e.g. related to long-term operation) and in Generation-III (e.g. related to severe accident management) are also addressed. As regards radiation protection research, the emphasis of EURATOM programmes is on better quantification of risks at low dose and how they vary between individuals (of particular interest in radio-diagnosis and radio-therapy). Special efforts are dedicated to a common nuclear safety and radiation protection culture, based on the highest achievable standards. Also

Quality Assurance in Environmental Technology Verification (ETV): Analysis and Impact on the EU ETV Pilot Programme Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Molenda, Michał; Ratman-Kłosińska, Izabela

2018-03-01

Many innovative environmental technologies never reach the market because they are new and cannot demonstrate a successful track record of previous applications. This fact is a serious obstacle on their way to the market. Lack of credible data on the performance of a technology causes mistrust of investors in innovations, especially from public sector, who seek effective solutions however without compromising the technical and financial risks associated with their implementation. Environmental technology verification (ETV) offers a credible, robust and transparent process that results in a third party confirmation of the claims made by the providers about the performance of the novel environmental technologies. Verifications of performance are supported by high quality, independent test data. In that way ETV as a tool helps establish vendor credibility and buyer confidence. Several countries across the world have implemented ETV in the form of national or regional programmes. ETV in the European Union was implemented as a voluntary scheme if a form of a pilot programme. The European Commission launched the Environmental Technology Pilot Programme of the European Union (EU ETV) in 2011. The paper describes the European model of ETV set up and put to operation under the Pilot Programme of Environmental Technologies Verification of the European Union. The goal, objectives, technological scope, involved entities are presented. An attempt has been made to summarise the results of the EU ETV scheme performance available for the period of 2012 when the programme has become fully operational until the first half of 2016. The study was aimed at analysing the overall organisation and efficiency of the EU ETV Pilot Programme. The study was based on the analysis of the documents the operation of the EU ETV system. For this purpose, a relevant statistical analysis of the data on the performance of the EU ETV system provided by the European Commission was carried out.

Business Inspiration: Small Business Leadership in Recovery?

Science.gov (United States)

Rae, David; Price, Liz; Bosworth, Gary; Parkinson, Paul

2012-01-01

Business Inspiration was a short, action-centred leadership and innovation development programme designed for owners and managers of smaller firms to address business survival and repositioning needs arising from the UK's economic downturn. The article examines the design and delivery of Business Inspiration and the impact of the programme on…

Rethinking cities in a post-carbon society. Perspectives from a prospective programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidalenc, Eric; Riviere, Antoine; Delduc, Paul; Cecutti-Etahiri, Nathalie; Theys, Jacques

2015-03-01

This article is inspired by an interdisciplinary research programme (Rethinking towns in the post-carbon society) and addresses two critical issues, the role of cities in this energy transition, and how cities could lead to a post-carbon society. While discussing the first issue, the authors show that cities are both victims and executioners of climate changes, but also that they possess unique levers to drive a territory towards post-carbon transition. To study the second issue, the authors relied on a scenario-based approach. Six different and contrasted trajectories have been defined to express the complexity of the urban metabolism, but also to understand, through qualitative and quantitative analysis, the potential forces in action between now and 2050. Three main stakes are then identified: the sustainability of our societies will only be reached with a combination of technical and social innovations; the modification of behaviours and lifestyles is an important component to ensure the resilience of our societies on medium and long terms; and the global coherence of transition processes must be looked for, in terms of temporalities (short, medium and long terms) as well as space scales (from the individual to the global level)

THE NOTION OF HIERARCHY: THE ‘PARCHIN KARI’ PROGRAMME AT THE TAJ MAHAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thalia Kennedy

2007-03-01

visitors to the mausoleum. The paper addresses three main issues: the decorative technique and its context and symbolism; a description of the gemstone and ornamental stone programme with a focus on motif, material and location; and the relationship between that programme and the concept of hierarchical organisation in its enhancement of the visual and spatial effects.

Capabilities, innovation, and overall performance in Brazilian export firms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Ednilson de Oliveira Cabral

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article extends the current research on innovation by investigating the relationship between innovative capabilities and export firms’ overall performance. From the perspectives of the resource-based view (RBV and dynamic capability, we examine the differential and interactive effects of exploration and exploitation capabilities in product innovation for external markets and overall performance (direct and mediated by a new product. In addition, we test the moderating effect of market dynamism and the controlling effect of firm size on these relationships. Hence, the main contribution of this article is developing and empirically testing an original model, by combining these constructs that address new relationships, in an emerging country. This model was tested with data from 498 Brazilian export firms, distributed throughout all Brazilian manufacturing sectors, by firm size, and in states. The analysis was made with application of the structural equation modeling (SEM. As a result, we found support for the assumptions that exploitation capabilities influence product innovation and overall performance, whereas exploration capabilities and their interaction to exploitation capabilities influence overall performance, but not product innovation. Additionally, the relationship between exploitation capabilities and overall performance is mediated by product innovation. Unlike hypothesized, market dynamism does not moderate the relationship between product innovation and overall performance. Furthermore, firm size works as a controlling variable in the relationships analyzed. Regarding the implications for theory, this study contributes to grasp that exploitation capabilities influences a firm’s overall performance, both directly and indirectly (via product innovation, and highlights the various direct and mediatory effects of innovation on overall performance. These insights show the importance of considering the role of mediating and

Installed Base as a Facilitator for User-Driven Innovation: How Can User Innovation Challenge Existing Institutional Barriers?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Synnøve Thomassen Andersen

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses an ICT-based, user-driven innovation process in the health sector in rural areas in Norway. The empirical base is the introduction of a new model for psychiatric health provision. This model is supported by a technical solution based on mobile phones that is aimed to help the communication between professional health personnel and patients. This innovation was made possible through the use of standard mobile technology rather than more sophisticated systems. The users were heavily involved in the development work. Our analysis shows that by thinking simple and small-scale solutions, including to take the user’s needs and premises as a point of departure rather than focusing on advanced technology, the implementation process was made possible. We show that by combining theory on information infrastructures, user-oriented system development, and innovation in a three-layered analytical framework, we can explain the interrelationship between technical, organizational, and health professional factors that made this innovation a success.

Campaigns of Experimentation: Pathways to Innovation and Transformation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Alberts, David S; Hayes, Richard E

2005-01-01

... (CCRP) series on Information Age Transformation, addresses a critical core competency for a 21st century military, or for that matter any organization that needs to embrace disruptive innovation to survive...

Evaluation of an HIV/AIDS peer education programme South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HIV I AIDS peer-education programme for its employees aimed at addressing the growing ..... m:JI education intervention in a mining community reports essentially no effect.17 ... yet to be determined. Such data are crucial for the development.

Developing Innovation Competence Profile For Teaching Staff In Higher Education In Uganda

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kasule, G.W.; Wesselink, R.; Mulder, M.

2014-01-01

Higher education across the globe is under increasing pressure to prepare students with innovation capacities to address challenges facing humanity in the 21st century and beyond. A call for innovative graduates without first understanding the factors that impede higher education institutions from

Effects of kinesiotaping added to a rehabilitation programme for patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy: protocol for a single-blind, randomised controlled trial addressing symptoms, functional limitations and underlying deficits.