20,380 research outputs found

    The Role of Technology Support Centres in stimulating Entrepreneurship and Innovation in SME Clusters

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    The Innovative Product Development Centre (IPDC) was established at the University of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region of the UK with a mission “to help small and medium sized companies improve their business, secure jobs and contribute to the economic regeneration of the West Midlands Region”. Since 2000, the IPDC has helped several hundred enterprises to develop their businesses through innovation and new product development. Demand for help is high, which reflects a healthy desire by the SMEs to innovate. The assistance given is time limited, but its impact on the business is extremely varied. This paper will discuss the role that a university based product development and technology centre can play in supporting a regional agenda for developing entrepreneurship and innovation in SMEs. Using case studies drawn from the experiences of working with SMEs from the West Midlands region, the paper will consider key issues such as: • Entrepreneurial leadership in SMEs • Formalised approaches for managing NPD • Technology support for innovation • Product innovation • Business networks and entrepreneurial clusters The paper will conclude that university based centres like IPDC can play a vital role in regional development programmes by helping minimise the risks for entrepreneurs to develop new products or adopt new process technologies. Importantly, investments in such centres by regional development agencies can be pivotal for stimulating access to new technology for the exploitation of entrepreneurial clusters and creating attractive inward investment opportunities

    An empirical investigation into the use of product development in the educational furniture industry : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Technology in Product Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

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    An empirical investigation into the use of product development in the educational furniture industry is summarised in this thesis. New Zealand furniture manufacturers are facing increased competition from imported furniture and are also exporting more and more furniture. Developing new products is therefore important to the New Zealand furniture industry's growth. This research was based on a small furniture-manufacturing firm from Hastings, New Zealand called Furnware Industries Limited (Furnware). A product development process was developed to their specific needs by comparing their current product development activities with identified best practices in product development. Those parts of the current activities that worked well were amalgamated with the structured Stage-Gateœ process of Cooper (1998). This process was tested by using it to develop a Mobile Technology Education Workstation range for Furnware. The aim of the project was to develop a new product for Furnware to sell and to simultaneously test the developed process. Once the project was completed, an evaluation of the product development process used was undertaken. Several areas for improvement were identified and a revised process outlined. The use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software was identified as another area of improvement that would assist both product development activities and existing manufacturing processes at Furnware. Consequently, a CAD package best suited to Furnware is selected using a structured process. The three main outcomes of the research were: 1. A product development process suited to Furnware. 2. A Mobile Technology Education Workstation range of products ready for launch, pending minor adjustments and testing. 3. A CAD software package suggested for use at Furnware

    The European aerospace industry - Facts & figures 2001

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    Survey on the use of computational optimisation in UK engineering companies

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    The aim of this work is to capture current practices in the use of computational optimisation in UK engineering companies and identify the current challenges and future needs of the companies. To achieve this aim, a survey was conducted from June 2013 to August 2013 with 17 experts and practitioners from power, aerospace and automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), steel manufacturing sector, small- and medium-sized design, manufacturing and consultancy companies, and optimisation software vendors. By focusing on practitioners in industry, this work complements current surveys in optimisation that have mainly focused on published literature. This survey was carried out using a questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews lasting around 2 h with each participant. The questionnaire covered 5 main topics: (i) state of optimisation in industry, (ii) optimisation problems, (iii) modelling techniques, (iv) optimisation techniques, and (v) challenges faced and future research areas. This survey identified the following challenges that the participant companies are facing in solving optimisation problems: large number of objectives and variables, availability of computing resources, data management and data mining for optimisation workflow, over-constrained problems, too many algorithms with limited help in selection, and cultural issues including training and mindset. The key areas for future research suggested by the participant companies are as follows: handling large number of variables, objectives and constraints particularly when solution robustness is important, reducing the number of iterations and evaluations, helping the users in algorithm selection and business case for optimisation, sharing data between different disciplines for multi-disciplinary optimisation, and supporting the users in model development and post-processing through design space visualisation and data mining

    A framework for green manufacturing practicies in small and medium enterprises in Malaysia

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    Green Manufacturing Practices (GrMP) is a term used to describe manufacturing practices that do not harm the environment during any part of the manufacturing process. It emphasizes the use of processes that do not pollute the environment or harm consumers, employees, or other members of the community. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are moving toward sustainable alternatives through GrMP method. It stresses on critical factors such as organisational style, eco-knowledge, business environment, society influences, supply chain management and technology network. Large size industries are more compelled to do so compared to SMEs due to the fact that they are more influential with better organizational management and good financial stability compared to SMEs. However, SMEs are trying to adapt GrMP as a mandatory process, but lack of proper framework which guide them for implementation. Therefore, this study developes the framework of GrMP for local SMEs. The study involves enablers and barriers in implementing GrMP from previous literatures. This work formulate a framework based on relationship between criticals factors with enablers and barriers. 59 of respondents from local industries in Malaysia were selected as respondents based on six of critical factors divided into two parts which are enablers and barriers. The questionnaire are designed based on this. Survey were evaluated by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, in terms of correlation, reliability, central tendency and variability testing. The finding on this study in the term of framework will help SMEs to implementing GrMP. Framework formulate relates the critical factors from previous literature and enablers and barriers from survey based on perception of industries expert. GrMP for SMEs are the first step of environmental awareness and ecological responsibilties

    A comparison of industrial location behaviour within the US and European Semicondictor Industries

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    Our paper analyses micro-level data from the US and European semiconductor manufacturers. In particular, we will focus on the plants undertaking the wafer manufacturing processes. We integrate a range of production technological indices with spatial data and regional economic variables in order to understand the issues determining the location behavior of the industry. Our results indicate that the locational behaviors of the US and European wafer plants do not correspond to an orthodox product-life-cycle model.

    A comparative analysis of the location behaviour of the US and European semiconductor manufacturers

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    Our paper analyses micro-level data from the US and European semiconductor manufacturers. In particular, we will focus on the plants undertaking the wafer manufacturing processes. We integrate a range of production technological indices with spatial data and regional economic variables in order to understand the issues determining the location behavior of the industry. Our results indicate that the locational behaviors of the US and European wafer plants do not correspond to an orthodox product-life-cycle model.
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