Management of R & D cooperation

Because of the high degree of technological complexity and the increasing convergence of new technologies, it is becoming more and more difficult to develop advanced products for those companies who solely rely on their own in-house 'core competencies'. One possible response made to these rising requirements is the consideration of cooperation with other companies. Since prior research on cooperation is extensive in its theoretical scope and diverse in its disciplinary bases, it seems appropriate to give a short overview on the literature. In this article, we pursue two purposes: Firstly, we provide a brief and comprehensive picture of theoretical findings on technology-related cooperation pertinent to practitioners by using a process-oriented framework which helps us to integrate the existing literature from different academic disciplines. Secondly, while management scholars have primarily tended to focus on certain research streams, we draw attention to some issues not sufficiently covered by the literature today. We highlight the importance of the technological content (incremental vs. breakthrough and product vs. process innovations) as well as the orientation of the cooperation (horizontal vs. lateral) which should be considered in more detail in future research. --

How to use analogies for breakthrough innovations

Analogies can trigger breakthrough ideas in new product development. Numerous examples demonstrate that substantial innovations often result from transferring problem solutions from one industry or domain to another. For instance, the designers of the new running shoe generation of Nike, Nike SHOX, use the same suspension concept like the technologies applied for Formula 1 racing cars, or the biological Lotus-effect led to the development of various self-cleaning surfaces. Academic research on analogical thinking has been so far heavily influenced by general theoretical work from cognitive psychology or systematic inventing. Only a small number of studies have investigated the application of analogies in the specific context of breakthrough innovation projects. This paper focuses on the question how analogies can be systematically used in the early innovation phases of new product development and which factors influence the successful use of analogical thinking in innovating companies. Special attention is paid to organizational facilitators and the requests on people involved in this process. --

Generating innovations through analogies: An empirical investigation of knowledge brokers

In this paper we explore how knowledge brokers - specialised design and engineering companies offering services to clients in diverse industries - use analogies for product development. Our research is based on interviews with project leaders of 13 knowledge brokering companies. The interviews focused on product development projects in which analogies were used. First, we categorize these cases according to the motivation to use analogies (efficiency vs. innovativeness). Second, we describe and analyse the process of using analogies. Our results show that analogies are frequently and very pragmatically applied throughout the whole development process. We also found that individual characteristics of the persons participating in such projects are the crucial factor that influences the outcome of the project. --product development,knowledge brokers,analogy

Innovation search fields with Lead Users

Close orientation with the market is essential for innovation success! Although both academics and market research practitioners would generally agree with this statement, alignment with the needs of the customer often results in conservative innovation strategies. Due to their focus on what is currently on offer in the marketplace, customers primarily demand small, step-wise developments - so-called incremental innovations. This dilemma can be overcome through with the help of particularly advanced customers (Lead Users). The Lead User method aids companies in capitalizing on the innovative potential of these highly qualified customers. A case study with the German firm, Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, demonstrated that Breakthrough Innovations are achievable this way. -- Kundenorientierung ist entscheidend für den Innovationserfolg! Obwohl dem Wissenschaftler und Praktiker in der Marktforschung grundsätzlich zustimmen dürften, ist mit der konsequenten Ausrichtung auf die Kundenbedürfnisse gleichzeitig der Nachteil einer konservativen Innovationspolitik verbunden. Kunden fördern durch ihre Fixierung auf aktuelle Marktangebot primär kleine Weiterentwicklungen, d.h. inkrementale Innovationen. Dieses Dilemma kann mit Hilfe besonders fortschrittlicher Kunden (Lead User) überwunden werden. Die Lead User Methode hilft Unternehmen dabei, das innovative Potential dieser hochqualifizierten Kunden zu nutzen. Eine Fallanwendung mit der Johnson&Johnson Medical GmbH demonstriert, wie auf diese Weise Ansätze für radikale Innovationen erarbeitet werden können.Produktentwicklung,Produktinnovation,Marktforschung,Lead User

The Political and Economic Role of Elites in Persecution: Evidence from Witchcraft Trials in Early Modern Scotland

Persecution, as a political and economic phenomenon, can be abetted by the resources of a nation's elite. To demonstrate this, I focus on a case study: witchcraft trials in Early Modern Scotland (1563-1727), a largely agricultural economy. I find that favourable growing temperatures predict more trials. My main empirical specification survives various robustness checks, including accounting for outliers. During this time, witchcraft was a secular crime, and it was incumbent on local elites to commit resources to trying alleged witches. Turning to mechanisms, I find that positive price shocks to export-heavy, taxable goods predict more witch trials, while price shocks to Scotland's main subsistence commodity, oats, do not. This is consistent with the explanation that as elite income increased, more resources were devoted to witchcraft prosecutions; I cite anecdotal evidence that a different judicial proceeding, sexual trials in Aberdeen, experienced a similar trend

La declinación ibérica

"La Declinación Ibérica" de Hugo Schuchardt basada en la obra de Hübner "Monumenta linguae ibericae" y originada por la pretensión por parte de Philipon de demostrar que el ibero era una lengua indogermánica es resumida en este texto. En las primeras páginas de su libro rebate esta teoría, y posteriormente se dedica a fijar la declinación ibéricaThis text summarizes "The Iberian Declination" by Hugo Schuchardt is based on the work by Hübner "Monumenta linguae ibericae" and originates in Philipon's pretension of demonstrating that Iberian was a indogermanic language. In the first pages of his book, the author rebuts this theory, and thereinafter devotes his efforts to establishing the Iberian declinatio

Le tchouktche et le basque

El tchouktche es una lengua indígena norteamericana que tiene gran paralelismo con el euskera. Como éste, tiene una conjugación transitiva y otra intransitivaThe tchouktche is an American native language that has a great parallelism with the Basque language. Like the latter, it has transitive and intransitive conjugation

Quelques observations sur les noms composés en basque

Comparación entre el euskera y las lenguas indoeuropeas en la estructura y formación de nombres. El indoeuropeo posee varias formaciones cuyos equivalentes se encuentran en euskera. Se dan ejemplosComparison between Basque and the Indo-European languages in the structure and formation of names. Indo-European possesses several formations the equivalent of which is to be found in Basque. Some examples are provide

Blackwater versus Blackbeard : which international regulations exist for the use of private maritime security companies in vessel protection operations?

The problem of piracy and armed robbery at sea has sharply risen in the last decades. As a result, shipping companies, governments, insurances and maritime organisations have tried to approach the problem in different ways, the employment of private maritime security companies being one of them. State navies do not have enough resources to cover the vast areas of the high seas. As a result, armed security teams are exercising traditional State functions to protect vessels from being attacked. This study aims to find the legal foundations in international public law for the employment of armed guards on-board of commercial or private vessels. Furthermore, legal questions about the seizing of pirates, the use of force, criminal jurisdiction on-board of ships and the carrying of weapons will be scrutinized. For this purpose, the applicability of the Geneva Conventions and other key documents of the international humanitarian law will be analysed such as the Montreux Document and the Draft International Convention on the Regulation, Oversight and Monitoring of Private Military and Security Companies. Moreover, relevant aspects of the UNCLOS rules will be highlighted. An additional chapter will review existing international and regional soft law standards, mainly developed by the shipping and the security industry. The analysis concludes that international law has not yet developed distinct rules for the use of private maritime security companies. Especially the UNCLOS does not deal with private actors in the fight against piracy at all. As a result, national law remains responsible for the creation of a comprehensive set of rules concerning the employment and the conduct of maritime security guards. In addition, the vast number of soft law guidance and standards are missing enforceable and effective mechanisms and cannot yet be seen as an alternative for national regulations

Lesion-induced Synaptic Remodelling In The Rat Red Nucleus

The rat red nucleus was investigated as a model for the study of synaptic remodelling following specific deafferentation. The normal neonatal and adult afferent projections from the deep cerebellar nuclei and the sensorimotor cortex were studied using anterograde and retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin (HRP-WGA), as well as retrograde transport of the fluorochromes Fast Blue and Nuclear Yellow. To examine the normal synaptology of the red nucleus, the anterogradely transported HRP-WGA was visualized ultrastructurally. The rat red nucleus receives topographically organized afferents which may be characterized by their specificity in location at the cellular level. The evidence provided also indicates the existence of a two-neuron cerebello-rubro-cerebellar loop between the nucleus interpositus and the red nucleus.;Specific neonatal deafferentation of the red nucleus induced the formation of aberrant afferent fibers from both normally crossed (i.e. cerebellorubral) and uncrossed (i.e. cerebrocorticorubral) projections to this nucleus, thereby replacing the lesioned pathway. Moreover, the normal topographic and somatotopic specificity was maintained in both of the aberrant cortical and cerebellar projections.;The specificity of synaptic localization in the aberrant rubral afferent projections was studied ultrastructurally. In neonatally hemicerebellectomized adult rats, both the normal contralateral and aberrant ipsilateral interpositorubral projections synapsed on somatic and proximal dendritic membrane of magnocellular neurons. Similarly, bilateral projections from the unablated nucleus lateralis terminated on small to medium sized dendrites of parvocellular neurons. In addition, following neonatal sensorimotor cortical lesions, the remaining sensorimotor cortex projected bilaterally to terminate on distal dendrites of parvocellular neurons.;In summary, the present study demonstrated that, following neonatal deafferentation, the neuroanatomical plasticity in the rubral afferent projections displayed several degrees of specificity which may provide the structural basis for recovery following lesions