THE ROLE OF UNDERLYING MECHANISMS IN ACHIEVING CONSISTENT HYBRID COMBINATIONS OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

This thesis takes a step beyond the current discussion on hybrid competitive strategies (HS) by identifying the underlying mechanisms and common elements of successful hybrid strategies. Reviewing empirical and theoretical literature revealed a significant gap in this respect. Therefore, the activity-based view of strategy is introduced to the discussion on HS. In a first step, four consistent and sustainable HS concepts are developed providing the basis for deriving specific HS models. A second step identifies commonalities among these HS types and theoretically derives a synthesized, common HS model. Thirdly, the critical realist stance was selected for answering this thesis’ research questions addressing consistent HS concepts, implementations, common activities achieving external and internal fit, as well as common capabilities and resources supporting these activities. In a case study approach, semi-structured, open ended interviews combining appreciative and laddering methods are conducted with twelve interviewees from five firms. The separate analysis of ladder elements and ladders allowed distinguishing constitutional from relational elements. Based on this, fourth, an empirically revised research construct is substantiated. This research finds HS firms applying intended and consistent, but mixed strategy concepts based on generating high customer benefits through combining competitive weapons of differentiation and price or total customer cost. Moreover, HS concepts centre on three strategic building blocks: customer centricity, fulfilment of customer needs and employee orientation. Additionally, the research indicates that firms apply activities primarily for achieving fit. While all firms combine both views, no activities are directed to both fit types simultaneously. Activities deploy capabilities and resources in general on two adaptive and two absorptive mechanisms. Several practical implications derive from this thesis. First, firms can apply the synthesized model as a kind of ‘blueprint’ providing orientation for how to combine competitive advantages. Second, policy makers can apply the outcomes as principles steering firms or industries to ‘higher’ levels of performance. Last, firm managers can adapt their own as well as their firm’s behaviour accordingly

Lesson Learnt and Future of AI Applied to Manufacturing

This chapter touches on several aspects related to the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in the manufacturing sector, and is split in different sub-chapters, focusing on specific new technology enablers that have the potential of solving or minimizing known issues in the manufacturing and, more in general, in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) domain. After introducing AI/ML as a technology enabler for the IoT in general and for manufacturing in particular, the next four sections detail two key technology enablers (EdgeML and federated learning scenarios, challenges and tools), one most important area of the IoT system that needs to decrease energy consumption and increase reliability (reduce receiver Processing complexity and enhancing reliability through multi-connectivity uplink connections), and finally a glimpse at the future describing a promising new technology (Embodied AI), its link with millimetre waves connectivity and potential business impact

Scenarios for the future of the European legal sector, in the context of disruptive technologies, and its implications for the national association of young Portuguese lawyers (Anjap): framing, scoping & External environmental scanning

In the following Work Project, scenarios were developed based on scientific analysis and dealt with how the working environment of European lawyers could potentially develop in the future. The initial phases consisted of framing the focal issue, establishing a suitable time horizon, and performing an expert-examined external environment research. Then, a survey was conducted to build the foundational framework of scenarios and future strategies for the National Association of Young Portuguese Lawyers (ANJAP

Co-design process for upskilling the workforce in the factories of the future

The digital transformation that the world is facing has a strong impact in the professional occupations and job profiles in the factories of the future context, requiring the need of upskilling and re-qualification of the workforce. Taking this into account, an Industrial Collaborative Educational Design (ICoED) is presented comprising three stages and eight steps, and considering a democratic and collaborative participation of the different stakeholders, namely the managers, educators and learners, each one providing its own perspective on the design of the training programme. In this co-design process, the analysis of the skills’ gap is a crucial task to prepare the initial stage of the process, particularly identifying the needs in terms of soft and hard skills. The proposed ICoED process was applied to solve an upskilling problem of an industrial metal stamping company, with the participants performing three workshops to execute the eight steps, reaching a training programme with five modules, each one settled with proper activities, resources and infrastructures.This work is part of the FIT4FoF project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement n. 820701.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Setting the Agenda: The Legal and Historical Context to Best Understand How Transportation Technology Might Be Regulated to Combat Forced Labor

Transportation is a piece of all human activity. As individuals and as a society, the logistics of getting people and goods from one place to another is a question we answer countless times a day. Just today, billions of people drove to work, took the bus to school, used a rideshare to get to the store, or took the train into the city to enjoy an evening out on the town. This list does not even consider all the items people have ordered online which will be shipped and delivered to homes. Even more exciting is the innovation that inspired all the aforementioned modes of transportation; transportation technology has the amazing potential to make our lives easier, more efficient, and more equitable. But implementing all this technology requires labor, and the technology can only benefit those who have access to it. Most of us have never truly considered whose labor makes mobility possible. Relatedly, it is hard to imagine life without access to transportation if you are a person who has always known how they will get to work. This article will provide a framework to better understand one type of labor within the industry, exploited labor, also known as forced labor. Forced labor is part of the transportation industry and is also impacted by a lack of transportation. Without reliable and safe transportation individuals are at a higher risk of forced labor in other industries. The bottom line is twofold: considering the impacts that an increased demand for new technology will have on people who work in mines, in the supply chain, and in transportation as a service, as well as considering legal tools to maximize access to transportation for historically underserved communities in light of new technology. All this to say that this article will consider how society might reimagine the regulation of emerging transportation technology in a way that combats the systemic vulnerability that leaves people at risk of forced labor. This will include both the labor being performed to manufacture and operate the technology, as well as the impact on access to transportation of the user and nonuser. Though this article will largely analyze the role of automated vehicles, other innovations including reconfigured public transportation and electrification will also be considered. Transportation is at the heart of everything humanity does and yet this article will only scratch the surface of these issues

Seven Years of Design Research at Politecnico di Milano

Which are the main research funds currently accessed by the Department of Design? What are the topics explored through them and which are the interconnections with the Department core research activities? Also, what are the research products delivered, the reached outcomes, and the expected impacts BY these research projects? The book synthesises the results of a qualitative analysis conducted over 32 research (out of 96) projects coordinated or participated in by the researchers of the Department in the timeframe 2014-mid 2021. The results of the analysis confirm the high-level attractiveness of the Department research profile on core topics such as design methodology, service design, and health. However, more interestingly, the analysis shows a significant variety of new topics and themes that emerge as new research questions for the Department, such as the role of design in public sector innovation, ethics, or policy design. The publication provides a snapshot of the topics addressed through the competitive research projects, the dimension of such strands of investigations, the typology and features of results achieved, as well as their relationship to the Department's basic research lines. The relationship and interplay among the outputs, outcomes, and impacts of the funded research is then elaborated in impact pathways, opening up reflections about the upcoming and future of Design research. The findings of the analysis aim to capture the present to understand future directions in terms of scientific, societal, technological and economic aspects. The volume addresses an academic audience from long terms researchers the field of design and other closely related scientific disciplinary fields at the national and international levels, to young researchers approaching the world of design research

Industry 4.0 for SME

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Business AnalyticsIndustry 4.0 has been growing within companies and impacting the economy and society, but this has been a more complex challenge for some types of companies. Due to the costs and complexity associated with Industry 4.0 technologies, small and medium enterprises face difficulties in adopting them. This thesis proposes to create a model that gives guidance and simplifies how to implement Industry 4.0 in SMEs with a low-cost perspective. It is intended that this model can be used as a blueprint to design and implement an Industry 4.0 project within a manufactory SME. To create the model, a literature review of the different fields regarding Industry 4.0 were conducted to understand the most suited technologies to leverage within the manufacturing industry and the different use cases where these would be applicable. After the model was built, expert interviews were conducted, and based on the received feedback, the model was tweaked, improved, and validated