European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): Collaboration in a RIS3 Context

Innovation in the European Union is called upon to increase competitiveness, to improve territorial cohesion, and also to address societal challenges. This challenge-driven innovation is also high on the global agenda, and calls for building sufficient critical mass by taking full advantage of synergies and complementarities between innovation initiatives, in particular between cohesion-based innovation and excellence-based innovation. This report investigates in particular the motivations, practices and opportunities for strengthening collaborations between EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (EIT KICs) (focusing on excellence-based innovation) and the Managing Authorities of national and regional ESI Funds (focusing on cohesion-based innovation), within the context of Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3). Closer collaboration between RIS3 actors and the EIT KICs’ actors across Europe seems natural, as both communities aim at building Europe-wide value chains, encompass similar sets of stakeholders, and tackle similar societal challenges through innovation. However collaboration does not seem to come naturally, given the limited practices to date. Detailed analysis of both conceptual and practical similarities and differences between both approaches and the related communities identifies arguments, opportunities and bottlenecks for increased collaboration. Different modes of collaboration are considered, as well as proposals to scale up current collaboration practices and unlock existing collaboration potential. The report aims to make an important practical contribution to optimising the efficiency of research and innovation spending, to combining the objectives of increased competitiveness and cohesion, and to better addressing the big challenges our society is facing on the eve of the launch of the new Multi-Financial Framework.JRC.B.3-Territorial Developmen

Transfer of Islamic banking knowledge from GCC Islamic bank headquarter to its subsidiary in Malaysia

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Islamic banks' subsidiaries which have invested in Malaysia have seen the going gets tough. They are strapped by paltry returns and stymied by stiff competition from the local Malaysian banks. Since the increasing competition and the slowdown of the economy have encouraged multinational banks to seek new ways to improve their internal efficiency and their performance, it has given the pivotal importance of knowledge transfer for the competitiveness of multinationals, but the process of transferring knowledge effectively across dispersed units of International Islamic banks has only attracted little and rather fragmented research interest. Thus, there is hardly evidence about how this large-scale knowledge transfer has been achieved and what knowledge has actually been transferred to the GCC Islamic banks investing in Malaysia. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to develop a comprehensive Islamic banking knowledge transfer framework that serves as a basis for future research agenda. The study focused on the cases of the Islamic banks' subsidiaries in Malaysia that are fully owned by GCC Islamic banks. The respondents were the experts who are well aware of their business to answer the survey questionnaire. This study is mixed method type of research study. A survey questionnaire was used as a guideline to compose specific questions related to the conceptual model. This is followed by interviews that were conducted with the respondents to investigate the model’s constructs and then to analyse the generated propositions in order to address the main research questions. This study tested the research propositions and found that, the integration between HQ bank and its subsidiary bank, the strategic role and the ability of the subsidiary bank to engage in Islamic banking knowledge transfer are related to the development of Islamic banking knowledge transfer capabilities. Besides that, the development of Islamic banking knowledge transfer capabilities, as well as organizational and cultural distances between HQ bank and its subsidiary bank are related to the Islamic banking knowledge transfer performance. In short, the findings of this research study have not only contributed to the literature, but also provided valuable information to both managers and policy makers on the matter of transferring the knowledge of Islamic banking. The study recommends the top management to implement KT practices that need to be made known and felt by all levels of bank units' members. Managers have to pay attention to the development of communication technologies, personal contacts, training efforts and relations of trust between the employees, because it is an important factor for a successful knowledge transfer process. Finally, the findings of this study are useful, but need to be strengthened by future research work

Process plant contractors in the former Soviet Union and Central/Eastern Europe : identification and analysis of contractor selection criteria.

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN049764 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Swiss Energy Governance

This open access book gathers the results of an interdisciplinary research project led by the Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research (SCCER CREST) and jointly implemented by several universities. It identifies political, economic and legal challenges and opportunities in the energy transition from a governance perspective by exploring a variety of tools that allow state, non-state and transnational actors to manage the transition of the energy industry toward less fossil-fuel reliance. When analyzing the roles of these actors, the authors examine not only formal procedures such as political and democratic processes, but also market behavior and societal practices. In other words, the handbook focuses on both the behavior and the positive and normative frameworks of political actors, bureaucracies, courts, international organizations, lobby groups, civil society, economic actors and individuals. The authors subsequently use their findings to formulate specific guidelines for lawmakers and other rule-makers, as well as private and public actors. To do so, they draw on approaches stemming from the legal, political and management sciences

Geodetic infrastructure of Serbia

Geodetic reference systems and their realization at the territory of Serbia have been created and maintained since the end of 19th century. Until mid-80s a series of reference geodetic networks were established: trigonometric networks in four orders, two levelling networks of high accuracybut also a series of gravimetric networks. In the following period of 20 years, there were not any organized worksaiming to maintenance of existing networks and creating new ones. In 1996, works started again on developing a new geodetic infrastructure in the form of realizing: a passive geodetic network, a network of permanent stations (AGROS – the active geodetic reference network of Serbia) as well as basic gravimetric networks. In this paperwork, a short review of works aiming to establish and use said networks is given but also a series of suggestions for a future development of geodetic infrastructure of Serbia

Swiss Energy Governance

This open access book gathers the results of an interdisciplinary research project led by the Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research (SCCER CREST) and jointly implemented by several universities. It identifies political, economic and legal challenges and opportunities in the energy transition from a governance perspective by exploring a variety of tools that allow state, non-state and transnational actors to manage the transition of the energy industry toward less fossil-fuel reliance. When analyzing the roles of these actors, the authors examine not only formal procedures such as political and democratic processes, but also market behavior and societal practices. In other words, the handbook focuses on both the behavior and the positive and normative frameworks of political actors, bureaucracies, courts, international organizations, lobby groups, civil society, economic actors and individuals. The authors subsequently use their findings to formulate specific guidelines for lawmakers and other rule-makers, as well as private and public actors. To do so, they draw on approaches stemming from the legal, political and management sciences