Resource renewal in heavy business networks: the case of Modvion starting up in the Swedish wind energy context

Purpose: Taking the perspective of a start-up company, the purpose of this paper is to analyse resource renewal in heavy business networks. Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical framework is based on the Industrial Network Approach and, especially, the resource interaction framework, business network settings and studies of starting up in business networks. The basis for the paper is a case study of a start-up in the Swedish wind energy context. Findings: Resource renewal in this case means replacing one resource, having implications for the resource interfaces in the three business network settings. Research limitations/implications: The paper contributes to the area of studies of starting up in business networks by identifying a distinct form of resource renewal in heavy business networks enabled by development of resource interfaces in three business network settings. Practical implications: Managers in start-ups as well as established firms need to interact to create and develop the resource interfaces that are needed to achieve resource renewal. Resource renewal not only is in the hands of start-ups but also requires interactive resource development with various collaboration partners. Originality/value: This study takes a start-up’s perspective to resource renewal of heavy business networks and analyses heaviness based on resource interfaces in three business network settings

A start-up’s collaboration in networks for sustainable freight transport: a micro-meso-macro approach to innovation

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse how start-ups with a clear sustainability focus collaborate with multiple actors at different levels to pursue business ideas and develop sustainable freight transport solutions. Design/methodology/approach: This paper builds on a theoretical approach that includes three levels of analysis: the actor level (micro), business-network level (meso) and society and government level (macro). An embedded case study is used of a focal start-up aiming to innovate on networked platforms and electric and autonomous vehicles (EAVs). Findings: Activities and resources are developed at the firm (micro), network (meso) and societal levels (macro), and all three levels need to be considered for a start-up, with a clear sustainability focus. Interaction within as well as between levels affects the innovation development, integration and implementation. The many-folded collaborations at the meso level serve as a locus for the integration of EAVs. The start-up’s networking activities with actors at meso and macro levels contribute to it gaining legitimacy in the transport system. Originality/value: This paper focuses on the importance of collaboration in the context of developing innovative solutions for environmental sustainability and freight transport and provides a unique case of how a start-up company manages collaborations at the micro, meso and macro levels

Tamråttan (Rattus norvegicus domesticus) och möjligheten att tillgodose dess behov

This study aimed to investigate if the selection of rat related products found in pet stores coincide with the natural behaviours of the domestic rat (Rattus norvegicus domesticus). Literature regarding the wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the wild black rat (Rattus rattus) were researched to some extent to be able to draw parallels to and learn about the needs and behaviours of the pet rat. It was also of interest to investigate how much knowledge the staff working in the animal stores possessed. The methods used in this study consisted by a survey sent out to rat related groups on Facebook, researching the general experiences for the common rat owners regarding the accessibility of rat related products in stores. This part of the study also covered how rat owners experienced the level of knowledge from the animal store staff workers. The second method used was a field study where 4 different animal stores were visited and inventory was taken, focusing on toys for enrichment, information, gnawing material, fodder, cage furniture, cages and bedding material. Results showed that most of the rat owners participating in the study were of the opinion that a lot of the above-mentioned products were accessible in stores, although they replied having a preference for ordering most products online. The field study showed that although there were few species-specific products for rats, plenty of products for other species also appears to be suitable for rats - especially cage furniture made for rats and ferrets. However, scientific literature indicates that cage furniture and bedding made from certain materials, especially wood made out of pine, might be toxic to rats and should be avoided as far as possible. It is reasonable to draw the conclusion that if a product is originally made for some other species it makes sense to do some research about the material, to make sure it is completely rat safe. The most prominent thing lacking in stores were easily accessible information, something that should be added to the selection since it would most likely help a lot of rat owners navigate through the different products and materials available on the market

Actor roles and public–private interaction in transitioning networks: the case of geofencing for urban freight transport in Sweden

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate actor roles and public–private interactions in networks. Role dynamics are explored in two settings: thecurrent development network and the future implementation network to which actors are transitioning.Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds on the industrial marketing and purchasing approach to business markets and uses aqualitative methodology. A case study of a network developing geofencing applications in the context of sustainable transport was used. The mainsource of data was interviews with 26 respondents from public and private organizations.Findings – Roles in development and implementation of geofencing are identified, where private and public actors may take on one or several rolesin the developing setting. When transitioning to the implementation setting, the expectations of public actors vary and there is ambiguity over theirroles, which range from active to inactive. This detailed empirical case study shows the complexity of multi-actor involvement when developingdigital technology for the transport system.Research limitations/implications – The study highlights the transition from firm-centric innovation to network-centric innovation and itsimplications on actor roles.Practical implications – Organizations participating in public–private innovation networks need to be aware of the multiple roles publicorganizations play and the complexities they face.Originality/value – The paper explores role dynamics within and between the development and implementation settings of geofencing. Within thecurrent development setting, roles are identified at different organizational levels with limited change in role dynamics. When transitioning to a newsetting, actors’ role dynamics may range from “limited” to “path-breaking.” In future settings, actors enter and exit networks and their roles maychange dramaticall

Who is part of geofencing? Actors: their roles and interactions in connected freight transport systems

Background and research questionsThe transport system is undergoing a transformation where new technologies based on digitalization and connectivity contributes to new solutions aiming to mitigate negative effects from transports. Both vehicles and infrastructure are becoming more connected, enabling new services and opportunities for a more integrated and sustainable transport system (Levi\ue4kangas, 2013; B\uf6hm, 2019). New technologies in transport will affect governance structures, business models and rely on collaborative efforts between both private and public organizations (Levi\ue4kangas & 6\uf6rni, 2020). This will affect the roles of existing and new actors within the transport network in various ways as it includes many different and uncertain elements, such as data sharing, policy development, innovation, new business models and that new actors are introduced to the network (B\uf6hm, 2019). The context of the study underlying the paper focus on the emerging digital tool of geofencing as a part of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) enabled by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The study focusses on geofencing applications within a freight transport context. Geofencing enables traffic related applications by affecting vehicle or driver behavior when a vehicle enters or exits a geographical defined area and triggers some kind of action in the vehicle. Its main focus is to increase road transport safety and to reduce emissions by ensuring a certain vehicle behavior in certain areas, often where vehicles and vulnerable road users co-exist. There is little knowledge on which actors that are involved in a geofencing network, how they interact and what their potential roles are.With this paper, we aim to investigate industrial networks within geofencing-applications for freight transport. This is done by answering two research questions (i) which are the key actors and stakeholders and what are their roles in a geofencing network? and (ii) which interactions are taking place between these actors? By answering these research questions, we will expand the knowledge about the organizing of geofencing and how its technological development is enabled thorough interaction between actors.MethodThe research intends to fulfill this aim by conducting qualitative research, namely a case study. We have chosen to base our study in Sweden, as it is a country where the development of geofencing, as well as its implementation, has come quite far. 15 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with knowledgeable respondents from both public and private organizations who are either involved in various projects for geofencing development or in strategic positions for freight transport planning and development. The empirical data is from national agencies, service providers and the city of Gothenburg and city of Stockholm, where geofencing is under development and implementation is made in various forms. The analysis consists of thematic coding of transcripts in order to map different actors and their interactions in different settings by using theoretic concepts. To analyze the empirical data and better understand the disruptive changes in actor interactions and roles, this study has used the Industrial Network Approach (INA) as theoretic framework. The INA approach studies the relationships among actors from different perspectives and how the relationships and roles develop over time (H\ue5kansson & Snehota, 1995). It is based on conceptual principles of interaction processes and value co-creation between connected firms, which in relation to ITS and geofencing can take new forms. By relying on INA and identify the interrelations, interdependencies and objectives of the different actors, it can contribute to an understanding the roles of the involved actors.Results and analysisThis empirical study has outlined the network of actors involved in developing and deploying geofencing as a tool to increase sustainability in the freight transport system. It has contributed to a better understanding of the expected interactions and roles of different public and private actors when introducing innovative technologies for traffic management. In Gothenburg, geofencing is used in public transport but different projects are undergoing for introducing applications in urban freight settings. In Stockholm, geofencing is used in a pilot project to ensure silent off-peak deliveries of freight by forcing electric powertrain on a heavy-duty vehicle within certain geographic areas. Other projects that are ongoing, in pilot-form, involve geofencing for dynamic speed adaptation in congested areas and access control. Our study shows that there are multiple actors involved in the development and deployment of geofencing and dependent on application it relies upon both operational and regulative public-private interaction and collaboration. Furthermore, new actors also affect the network by introducing new resources such as data, data exchange platforms and tools in the development and deployment. The engagement of actors also differs in relation to when new applications being developed in collaborations and when the applications are being used. Public actors, consisting of public and national road authorities and agencies, mainly interact between different municipal divisions and with national agencies, mainly for measures regarding regulation and data sharing. Private actors, consisting of service providers such as vehicle manufacturers, service users such as transport operators and enablers such as map or IT service providers mainly interact in measures for data sharing and various service exchanges. Different private actors are involved in different settings of development and deployment.Actors can take different roles depending on the stage of development. Interactions between actors also depend on expectations on their roles within different contexts. At the moment a lot of interaction and roles between public and private actors are being explored in various innovation-projects, however, there is no unity in the proposed interaction between public and private organizations for geofencing in the deployment phase. This mainly surrounds the aspect of data sharing between public and private actors and legal responsibilities to enable different dynamic geofencing-applications. There is also a common view that traditional actors, such as road operators, will need to take a more active role in traffic management when geofencing is more developed, especially for dynamic geofencing functions. What these roles will entail and how the actors will operate within these roles are however unclear and can be a subject of future research.ReferencesB\uf6hm, M. (2019). Deployment of C-ITS: A Review of Global Initiatives. In M. Lu (Ed.), Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems - Towards High-Level Automated Driving (pp. 21-40). London: Institution of Engineering and Technology.H\ue5kansson, H., & Snehota, I. (1995). Developing Relationships in Business Network. London: Routledge.Levi\ue4kangas, P. (2013). Intelligent transport systems− technological economic system performance and market views. International Journal of Technology, 4(3), 288-298.Levi\ue4kangas, P., & 6\uf6rni, R. (2020). From business models to value networks and business ecosystems – What does it mean for the economics and governance of the transport system? Utilities Policy, 64, 101046. doi:10.1016/j.jup.2020.10104

Who is part of geofencing? Actors: their roles and interactions in connected freight transport systems

This paper focus on technological development and innovation in industrial networks. Technological development and innovation are studied as interactive phenomenon based on the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) tradition (H\ue5kansson & Snehota, 1995; H\ue5kansson, Ford, Gadde, Snehota, Waluszewski, 2009). These studies emphasize interaction and business relationships in industrial networks.\ua0The context of the study underlying the paper are technologies and services enabled by developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in freight transport settings. More specifically, the study focus on the emerging digital tool of geofencing as a part of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) enabled by ICT. Geofencing enables traffic related applications by assuring certain vehicle behaviors when the vehicle enters or exits a geographical defined area and triggers some kind of action in the vehicle such as switch of powertrain in a hybrid-vehicle, warning signaling and speed adjustment. Its main focus is to increase road transport safety and to reduce emissions by ensuring a certain vehicle behavior in certain areas, often where vehicles and vulnerable road users co-exist. According to B\uf6hm (2019), ITS challenge the traditional role of road operators and introduce new actors in managing transport and traffic. Geofencing, as part of ITS, is no exception. There is little knowledge on which actors and stakeholders that are involved in a geofencing network, how they interact and what their potential roles are. This is made more complex as several identified geofencing-applications depend on both operational and regulative public-private interaction. Furthermore, new actors and disruptive business models will also affect the network by introducing new resources such as data platforms and tools for traffic management. With this paper, we aim to investigate industrial networks within geofencing-applications for freight transport. This is done by answering two research questions (i) which are the key actors and stakeholders and what are their roles in a geofencing network? and (ii) which interactions are taking place between these actors? By answering these research questions, we will expand the knowledge about the organizing of geofencing and how its technological development is enabled thorough interaction between actors.\ua0 The research intends to fulfill this aim by conducting qualitative research, namely a case study. We have chosen to base our study in Sweden, as it is a country where the development of geofencing, as well as its implementation, has come quite far. To this point 14 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with knowledgeable respondents from both public and private organizations who are either involved in various projects for geofencing development or in strategic positions for freight transport planning and development. The analysis consists of thematic coding of transcripts in order to map different actors and their interactions in different settings by using theoretic concepts.The empirical data is from the city of Gothenburg and city of Stockholm, where geofencing is under development and implementation is made in various forms. In Gothenburg, geofencing is used in public transport but different projects are undergoing for introducing applications in urban freight settings. In Stockholm, geofencing is used in a pilot project to ensure silent off-peak deliveries of freight by forcing electric powertrain on a heavy-duty vehicle within certain geographic areas. Other projects that are ongoing, in pilot-form, involve geofencing for dynamic speed adaptation in congested areas and access control.To better understand the disruptive changes in actor interaction, this research will take an Industrial Network Approach (INA) as part of IMP in the three settings of developing, producing and using (H\ue5kansson & Waluszewski, 2007; Ingemansson, 2010). The INA approach studies the relationships among actors from different perspectives and how the relationships and roles develops over time (H\ue5kansson & Snehota, 1995). It is based on conceptual principles of interaction processes and value co-creation between connected firms, which in relation to ITS and geofencing can take new forms. By relying on INA and identify the interrelations, interdependencies and objectives of the different actors, it can contribute to an understanding of the underlying mechanisms in the development, production and usage of new ITS-services and applications. Our study shows that there are multiple actors involved in development, production and usage of geofencing and that it depends on public-private interaction and collaboration. It relies on cross-sectional interaction in different organizational levels and in different operational and regulative settings. The engagement of actors also differs in relation to the three settings of developing, producing and using. Public actors, consisting of public and national road authorities and agencies, mainly interact between different municipal divisions and with national agencies, mainly for measures regarding regulation and data sharing. Public actors are in some form engaged in all three phases of development, production and usage. Private actors, consisting of service providers such as vehicle manufacturers, users such as transport operators and enablers such as map service providers mainly interact in measures for data sharing and various service exchanges. Different private actors are involved in different settings of development, production and usage. At the moment a lot of interaction between public and private actors are being explored in various innovation-projects, however, there is no unity in the proposed interaction between public and private organizations for geofencing in the production and usage phase. This mainly surrounds the aspect of data sharing between public and private actors to enable different dynamic geofencing-applications. There is also a common view that traditional actors, such as road operators, will need to take a more active role in traffic management when geofencing is more developed, especially for dynamic geofencing functions

Case-based learning in collaboration across universities to enhance students' understanding of sustainability

Focus on sustainability is increasing in engineering and management education, businesses, and the larger society. In order to cope with sustainability challenges, more holistic pedagogies and practices that foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary ways of thinking are needed. Thus, this exploratory paper aims to provide insights into developing a master’s-level course module on sustainability in business networks by using active learning through case-based teaching together with collaboration among three Nordic universities (NTNU, Vaasa, and Chalmers). The paper illustrates the multiple facets of designing, implementing, and evaluating three-party collaborative case-based learning based on an active learning approach that enhances students’ learning and performance. We conclude that the students are actively involved and learn better with case-based learning and can further empathize and associate with the case contexts. This can be achieved through engagement in cross-border collaboration, a mix of student backgrounds, flexibility in choosing cases, and clarity in case materials. Additionally, we encourage teachers to use a combination of innovative active learning methods to promote students’ in-depth understanding of complex sustainability-related challenges.© 2023 Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.9. International License.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

An ICT-based start-up entering maritime logistics networks: facilitation of value cocreation patterns

Purpose: This study aims to explore how a start-up entering maritime logistics networks (MLNs) in the container shipping industry integrates resources underlying value cocreation patterns in these networks. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a single case study of a technological start-up, providing tracking, tracing and other information services to MLN members using internet-based software. An interorganizational theory perspective informs the case study to unveil the resource integration for value cocreation in the network. Findings: The start-up holds multiple resource interaction roles and the start-up’s involvement enables the creation of new knowledge resources, which facilitate new revenue streams and manage resource dependencies. Hence, the findings indicate that the start-up changes value cocreation patterns in the network by reconfiguring and integrating existing resources so that the service is customized for various customers, including shippers and freight forwarders. Practical implications: The results provide insights about how technological start-ups can unlock resources within MLNs. Originality/value: The study extends previous studies on resource roles in business networks and shows how start-ups can perform multiple roles simultaneously within these networks. In addition, the study contributes to the literature by studying information and knowledge as resources configured in different ways in a unique network setting

Retained efficacy of ivermectin against cyathostomins in Swedish horse establishments practicing selective anthelmintic treatment

Cyathostominae are ubiquitous to grazing horses and regarded the most prevalent internal parasite in the horse. Unfortunately, decades of indiscriminate use of anthelmintic drugs have resulted in the development of resistance in cyathostomins to all currently available drug groups, the most recent being a documented lack of efficacy to the macrocyclic lactones (ML). In vivo determination of anthelmintic resistance in horses most often utilises the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Further, a shortened egg reappearance period (ERP) can indicate a change in response to the applied treatment and suggest an upcoming reduction of efficacy. Although both true resistance as demonstrated by the FECRT and shorter ERPs after ML treatment have now been shown in cyathostomins worldwide, the efficacy of ML as regards to cyathostomins in Sweden is currently unknown. The aim of the present study was therefore to determine FECRTs and ERPs after ivermectin (IVM) treatment in Swedish horses. Sixteen equestrian establishments with a minimum of six horses excreting at least 150 eggs per gram faeces (EPG) at screening were selected. For each establishment, FECRTs and ERPs were determined by collecting faecal samples prior to and 14 days after IVM treatment (200 mu g/kg), and thereafter at weekly intervals for a total of eight weeks. All participants responded to a questionnaire detailing pasture management methods and anthelmintic routines.Questionnaire results showed that the majority of establishments (69%) only treated horses with anthelmintic drugs if indicated by faecal diagnostics and all of the establishments had a mean FECRT exceeding 99.0% and ERPs ranging from six to over eight weeks. The ERP was shown to increase with age as young individuals were shown to excrete cyathostomin eggs earlier after treatment compared with older horses (R = 0.21, p = 0.015). Riding schools, stud farms and those declaring not to use separate summer and winter paddocks had significantly shorter ERPs (p <0.01).In conclusion, retained ERPs and no confirmed resistance to IVM were found in Swedish equine establishments practising selective anthelmintic treatment, and supports the use of selective deworming regimens as a means of reducing the risk of anthelmintic resistance development

SPECT/CT imaging reveals CNS-wide modulation of glymphatic cerebrospinal fluid flow by systemic hypertonic saline

Intrathecal administration enables central nervous system delivery of drugs that do not bypass the blood-brain barrier. Systemic administration of hypertonic saline (HTS) enhances delivery of intrathecal therapeutics into the neuropil, but its effect on solute clearance from the brain remains unknown. Here, we developed a dynamic in vivo single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) imaging platform to study the effects of HTS on whole-body distribution of the radiolabeled tracer (99)mTc-diethylenetriaminepen-taacetic acid (DTPA) administered through intracisternal, intrastriatal, or intravenous route in anesthetized rats. Co-administration of systemic HTS increased intracranial exposure to intracisternal (99)mTc-DTPA by similar to 80% during imaging. In contrast, HTS had minimal effects on brain clearance of intrastriatal (99)mTc-DTPA. In sum, SPECT/CT imaging presents a valuable approach to study glymphatic drug delivery. Using this methodology, we show that systemic HTS increases intracranial availability of cerebrospinal fluid-administered tracer, but has marginal effects on brain clearance, thus substantiating a simple, yet effective strategy for enhancing intrathecal drug delivery to the brain.Peer reviewe