Standardisation framework to enable complex technological innovations: The case of photovoltaic technology

Strategic standardisation is becoming increasingly challenging due to high levels of complexity, interdisciplinarity, and systems nature of modern technologies. This paper develops a standardisation mapping framework for systematic and comprehensive analyses of how standardisation supports innovation, by integrating key ‘dimensions of standardisation’ addressed in existing conceptual models and related literature. A longitudinal case study of photovoltaic technology highlights evolving dynamics of these dimensions over multiple technology lifecycles, thus demonstrating the importance of such holistic and integrative approach. Based on a widely-used foresight tool, the framework can be used to help decision-makers develop more coherent, long-term, and system-wide strategies for standardisation.Gatsby Charitable Foundatio

Strategic standardisation of smart systems: A roadmapping process in support of innovation

With increasing awareness among policymakers and other stakeholders of the importance of standards in supporting innovation, many national governments and standards organisations are taking strategic foresight approaches to standardisation . This is especially the case for ICT-based ‘smart systems’, where an increasing number of different technologies and systems are interconnected to each other, involving a complex variety of actors. Roadmapping is a widely used tool to support such strategic policy processes, yet there remain significant challenges in terms of structuring and managing roadmapping exercises. This paper proposes a systematic process of managing roadmapping practices to develop effective strategies for standardisation in support of innovation. Based on literature regarding public-level strategy roadmaps and reviews of existing standardisation roadmapping exercises, a more systematic process has been developed, incorporating activities and tools to address increased challenges associated with standardisation of such complex areas. Findings of the research not only provide guidance on how roadmapping processes can be structured and organised to more effectively address standardisation issues in innovation strategies for smart systems, but also highlight policy implications, including potential roles for government in supporting standardisation efforts.The authors would like to thank Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Samsung Scholarship Foundation for their financial support, and all interviewees for sharing their knowledge and experiences, which provided invaluable insight for the research. Thanks are also due to two anonymous reviewers who provided constructive feedback and suggestions, which made the paper much stronger than before.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.04.01

Implicit Emotional Priming of Traumatic Events: The Effects of Semantic Leveland Emotional Activation

Vivid representations are often made by traumatic events with intense emotions. The emotions may be activatedautomatically from memory on the mere exposure of an affect-loaded stimulus. The aims of this study were to investigate theimplicit emotional processing of traumatic events and the moderation of priming by semantic level of the events, using primednaming task at short stimulus onset asynchrony (150ms). A 3 semantic level of traumatic primed events (general, domestic,or foreign words) by 3 target emotions (high-arousal negative, moderate positive, low-arousal negative words) repeated designwas used. When the primed words were general (e.g. terror) or domestic (e.g. Sewol ferry disaster) events, response time ofhigh-arousal negative words (e.g. fear or angry) were significantly longer than other emotion words (e.g. happy or sadness).Our findings suggest contrast effects of affective priming as a result of automatic implicit regulation

A Systems Perspective on Standardisation in Technological Innovation: A Conceptual Framework and a Process Model Supporting Strategic Policy Foresight

This thesis addresses conceptual and practical challenges in anticipating potential standardisation needs and developing relevant strategies throughout various stages of technological innovation. With increasing awareness of critical roles played by standardisation in supporting a variety of innovation activities, strategic foresight for timely and appropriate standardisation is becoming a crucial innovation policy interest in many countries. However, there are currently limited and fragmented studies on this issue, because of the complexity and variety involved in dynamic interplays between standardisation and other aspects of innovation. There are also increased challenges to develop coherent and long-term strategies for standardisation, due to modern technologies that are becoming more complex, interdisciplinary, and fast-evolving at the same time. Standards organisations and policymakers thus face significant challenges in developing standardisation strategies (in terms of what, why, when, how, and who) to support technological innovation more effectively. In this regard, the current research develops a systematic conceptual framework for more comprehensive understanding of standardisation – particularly highlighting its technological complexities – in the context of innovation, and a structured process model for using it to support strategic policy foresight. Building on the innovation systems perspective, preliminary framework and process model are first developed by adopting the holistic approach of strategic roadmapping as method, and incorporating a priori constructs drawn from existing literature relevant to standardisation. Then, multiple exploratory case studies covering various technology domains have been conducted to identify first order elements for their development. They are followed by an in-depth longitudinal case study on standardisation of photovoltaic technology, testing and refining the framework and process model by exploring complex dynamics between standardisation and innovation in greater detail. Interviews with experts across a broader range of domains and regions have then been carried out, to verify the framework and process model, including their utility and practicality. This thesis makes contributions to both theory and practice. With a systems perspective on standardisation, it provides a more holistic and comprehensive understanding of how standardisation supports innovation, highlighting its mediating roles between critical innovation activities and functions. It also presents a unified framework integrating various dimensions of standardisation with particular emphasis on technological elements, addressing challenges due to complex technological systems. Such new insights are expected to help standards organisations and policymakers with strategic foresight for standardisation in support of innovation, using the proposed framework and process model as practical tools for anticipating future standardisation needs and developing relevant strategies. In addition, the current research contributes to the roadmapping literature and practice, by presenting more structured and advanced frameworks and processes, and providing insights for using the roadmap-based approach as methods for data collection and analyses.Samsung Scholarship, Gatsby Foundatio

Ductile Fracture Simulation of Full-scale Circumferential Cracked Pipes: (II) Stainless Steel

AbstractThis paper reports ductile fracture simulation of full-scale circumferentially cracked pipes using finite element (FE) damage analysis. In the structural integrity, without experimental investigations or with few ones, it is not an easy task to properly evaluate the crack initiation and crack propagation of large-scale components with a crack-like defect. Unfortunately, from an economic perspective, performing experiments of large-scale components would be consequently unfavorable. For these reasons, ductile fracture simulation using FE damage analysis to predict crack behavior is one efficient way to replace the test procedures. In order to simulate ductile tearing of large-scale cracked pipes, element-size-dependent critical damage model based on the stress-modified fracture strain model is proposed. To evaluate fracture behavior of full-scale cracked pipes, tensile and C(T) specimens are calibrated by FE analysis technique. Tensile properties and fracture toughness of stainless steel at 288oC are taken from Battelle Pipe Fracture Encyclopedia. After calibrations, simulated results of the full-scale pipes with a circumferential crack are compared with test data to validate the proposed method

Addressing the evolving standardisation challenges of ‘smart systems’ innovation: Emerging roles for government?

At a time when standardisation is increasingly recognised as an important area of innovation policy, the emergence of cyber-physical ‘smart systems’ presents significant challenges. Such complex technological systems have unprecedented levels of complexity and interoperability requirements, and pervade many critical national infrastructures, so calling for active roles for government to support their effective standardisation. Existing literature, however, offer limited insights into where, why, and how policy intervention can address the evolving variety of innovation challenges associated with standardisation. This paper thus proposes a novel innovation systems-based framework, for structured analyses of complex dynamics between standard-related innovation problems, relevant roles of government, and appropriate policy instruments. The historical case study of photovoltaic technology (from its early R&D to integration into Smart Grid) illustrates the framework, and provides practical implications for policymakers, suggesting evolving roles of government in the transition to cyber-physical smart systems in response to growing risks of systemic problems.Gatsby Charitable Foundatio

Evaluation of Genetic Stability and Effects of Plant Growth Regulators for in vitro Propagation of Underutilized Vitis amurensis ‘Cheongsan’

Vitis amurensis ‘Cheongsan’ is a plant with high economic value in both medical and agricultural applications. However, its utilization has been restricted owing to difficulties encountered when applying traditional mass propagation methods, requiring instead application of in vitro propagation methods for their mass scale production. Hence, this study was conducted to find the optimal plant growth regulators for shoot multiplication and root induction during in vitro propagation. Among the three cytokinins used at multiple concentrations for culture initiation and shoot multiplication, the most positive response was found with MS medium containing 5.0 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA), compared to more modest responses from other types of cytokinin, such as kinetin (KIN) and thidiazuron (TDZ). For root induction, medium supplemented with α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) produced a callus and inhibited shoot growth in explants, whereas indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) did not create any significant problems, but did display differences in root induction efficiencies. Generally, root induction responses with IBA were better that those with IAA. The maximum rooting rates were observed without callus formation and no shoot growth inhibition from explants grown on media supplemented with 0.67 μM IBA. Further, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analyses revealed that micropropagated plantlets generated in medium supplemented with 5.0 μM BA and 0.67 μM IBA did not lead to genetic variation. Therefore, the application of the in vitro propagation method developed in this study could be used on a commercial scale and will offer opportunities to strengthen the industrial use of V. amurensis ‘Cheongsan’

In vitro embryo rescue for the production of hypotetraploids after cross between hypotetraploid and tetraploid grape cultivars

Consumer demand for seedless grape with high quality and large berry has been increasing. Breeding of hypotetraploid grape was suggested as one of promising methods to satisfy it, but low frequency of hypotetraploid occurrence and low seed germination by abortive embryo were indicated as the major problem to hamper the development of hypotetraploid grape. Hence, this study was carried out to evaluate the basic efficiency of in ovulo embryo culture after the cross between hypotetraploid (‘Hanareum’) and tetraploid (‘Honey Black’ and ‘Kyoho’) grape cultivars on the establishment of hypotetraploid grapes. Embryos and plantlets were hardly obtained in ovules cultured at six after the cross pollination (WAP), but ovules inoculated at 10 WAP produced more embryos as well as plantlets regardless of cross combination. Furthermore, we found that embryo formation was not affected by the basal media in ovules cultured at six WAP, but utilization of specific medium can be more beneficial for embryo formation when ovules were cultured at 10 WAP. A total of 17 plants were obtained from ovules cultured at 10 WAP, and above 50% of plants were identified as hypotetraploid grapes. These results indicate that in vitro embryo rescue after cross pollination between hypotetraploid and tetraploid grape can enhance the efficiency for the breeding of hypotetraploid grapes

Development of Pd Alloy Hydrogen Separation Membranes with Dense/Porous Hybrid Structure for High Hydrogen Perm-Selectivity

For the commercial applications of hydrogen separation membranes, both high hydrogen selectivity and permeability (i.e., perm-selectivity) are required. However, it has been difficult to fabricate thin, dense Pd alloy composite membranes on porous metal support that have a pore-free surface and an open structure at the interface between the Pd alloy films and the metal support in order to obtain the required properties simultaneously. In this study, we fabricated Pd alloy hydrogen separation membranes with dense/porous hybrid structure for high hydrogen perm-selectivity. The hydrogen selectivity of this membrane increased owing to the dense and pore-free microstructure of the membrane surface. The hydrogen permeation flux also was remarkably improved by the formation of an open microstructure with numerous open voids at the interface and by an effective reduction in the membrane thickness as a result of the porous structure formed within the Pd alloy films