Collaborative supply chain management of nanotechnology industry in Malaysia

Nanotechnology is becoming important in Malaysia and the supply chain management within this promising industry is obviously crucial for ensuring the sustainability of the industry to support the nation‘s economic growth.However, there is a lack of research focus on the supply chain management (SCM) between the industry players, namely the suppliers, research and development centres, and the commercialisation companies.This study examined thecollaborative supply chain management within the nanotechnology industry context, with a more in-depth look into the wafer fabrication industry.Specifically, the research aimed to explore the current state of nanotechnology SCM and collaborative practices in Malaysia, the challenges for SCM in Malaysian nanotechnology, and finally to make recommendations to improve the collaboration within SCM based on specific projects.This study was cross-sectional in nature and used a qualitative approach in order to get a more insightful explanation.The use of triangulation approaches, which were interviews and document analysis, facilitated the research to meet the objectives. The key findings include issues highlighted in i) human resource, specifically on the need of nanotechnology education; ii) infrastructure, namely on the high start-up capital required; iii) organisational capabilities, focusing on the nature of nanotechnology which is equipment dependent; iv) process alignment, relating to involving more key players and champions; and v) collaborative supply chain management, which relies on various sources and technologies.In conclusion, this research identifies that there is a need of more knowledge in the area which can be supported by a solid education system for producing quality and qualified human capital; more political influence and government support for speeding up the process of research, development, and commercialisation of nanotechnology in Malaysia; and more collaborative practices not only through collaborations with industry players within the country and abroad, but also using collaborative techniques, methodology, and applications.Ultimately, these enhancements to the nanotechnology supply chain are for achieving the national interest, organisational interest, and personal interest

ERAWATCH COUNTRY REPORTS 2011: Italy

The main objective of the ERAWATCH Annual Country Reports is to characterise and assess the performance of national research systems and related policies in a structured manner that is comparable across countries. The 2011 country reports assess the evolution on the national R&D investments targets, the efficiency and effectiveness of national policies and investments into R&D, the articulation between education, research and innovation, with an increased focus on the last two in terms of their wider governance and policy mix. The reports for EU MS and AS integrates in the assessment the evolution of the national policy mixes in the perspective of the Europe 2020 Strategy goals and on the realisation and better governance of ERA.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

Life Cycle Engineering 4.0: A Proposal to Conceive Manufacturing Systems for Industry 4.0 Centred on the Human Factor (DfHFinI4.0)

Engineering 4.0 environments are characterised by the digitisation, virtualisation, and connectivity of products, processes, and facilities composed of reconfigurable and adaptive socio-technical cyber-physical manufacturing systems (SCMS), in which Operator 4.0 works in real time in VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) contexts and markets. This situation gives rise to the interest in developing a framework for the conception of SCMS that allows the integration of the human factor, management, training, and development of the competencies of Operator 4.0 as fundamental aspects of the aforementioned system. The present paper is focused on answering how to conceive the adaptive manufacturing systems of Industry 4.0 through the operation, growth, and development of human talent in VUCA contexts. With this objective, exploratory research is carried, out whose contribution is specified in a framework called Design for the Human Factor in Industry 4.0 (DfHFinI4.0). From among the conceptual frameworks employed therein, the connectivist paradigm, Ashby's law of requisite variety and Vigotsky's activity theory are taken into consideration, in order to enable the affective-cognitive and timeless integration of the human factor within the SCMS. DfHFinI4.0 can be integrated into the life cycle engineering of the enterprise reference architectures, thereby obtaining manufacturing systems for Industry 4.0 focused on the human factor. The suggested framework is illustrated as a case study for the Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture (PERA) methodology, which transforms it into PERA 4.0

ERAWATCH Country Reports 2009: Romania. Analysis of policy mixes to foster R&D investment and to contribute to the ERA

The main objective of the ERAWATCH Policy Mix Country reports 2009 is to characterise and assess in a structured manner the evolution of the national policy mixes in the perspective of the Lisbon goals, with a particular focus on the national R&D investments targets and on the realisation and better governance of the European Research Area. The reports were produced for all EU Member State and five Associated States to support the mutual learning process and the monitoring of Member and Associated States' efforts by DG-RTD in the context of the Lisbon Strategy and the European Research Area. The country reports 2009 build and extend on the analysis provided by analytical country reports 2008 and on a synthesis of information from the ERAWATCH Research Inventory and other important available information sources.JRC.J.3-Knowledge for Growt

Impact of Technological and Structural Change on Employment: Prospective Analysis 2020. Background Report

Abstract not availableJRC.J-Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Seville