EU Horizon 2020 subsidy instruments in Finnish unlisted green high-technology SMEs : utilization, impacts and experiences of grants from the case companies’ perspectives

The research and development activities are vital for economic development, although those are not at a socially optimal level. The issue is more severe in novel green high-technology small and medium-sized enterprises, which are resource-constrained and might find investing in their research and development unappealing since it is challenging for green companies to reap the full benefits of their products due to externalities and spillovers. Therefore, the economic environment for these companies could be mitigated by public subsidization. However, subsidization might be controversial as it might not attract or incentivize green SMEs to allocate and invest their own funds in innovation activities and could also lead to deadweight or crowding effects. As pecking order theory addresses the green high-technology SMEs might encounter financial barriers because of insufficient turnover and uncertainty related to their technologies. Moreover, being less-established actors, the green SMEs face legitimacy challenges that can be difficult to overcome. The EU has approached these obstacles and alleviated the underinvestment with its Horizon 2020 framework program that offers funding for innovative projects. As the H2020 funding is granted by a respectable body, the certification could be leveraged by the companies to attract resources and network with consortium or industry partners. The objective of this thesis is to examine Finnish unlisted green high-technology SMEs and the EU’s H2020 framework program. The study pursues to answer for the objectives by addressing the SMEs’ motives to apply for the H2020 subsidies, how the SMEs have utilized the instruments and what type of impacts have been realized. Also, reporting and cooperation in the H2020 program are studied. The empirical part of the thesis was conducted by interviewing 10 case companies in the green sector. The study finds that funds and networking by the H2020 are the primary factors to apply for the subsidies whereas, surprisingly, the EU certification was not important and occasionally recognised as disadvantageous. Moreover, although the H2020 subsidy was leveraged when obtaining external capital, the resource constraints prevented investing additional internal funds. However, the H2020 projects can be quite large in relation to the size of the SMEs and thus, tie up companies’ resources, creating a forced crowding-in effect.Tutkimus- ja kehitystoiminta ovat talouden kehityksen kannalta elintärkeitä, mutta eivät ole tällä hetkellä sosiaalisesti optimaalisella tasolla. Erityisesti vihreät korkean teknologian pk-yritykset ovat resursseiltaan rajoittuneempia sekä saattavat nähdä investoimisen vähemmän houkuttelevampana, koska niiden on haastavaa saada tuotteistaan täysimääräinen hyöty ulkoisvaikutusten vuoksi. Tästä johtuen, kyseisten yritysten taloudellista toimintaympäristöä voidaan parantaa julkisten tukien avulla. Kuitenkin, tukeminen saattaa olla ristiriitaista, sillä se ei välttämättä houkuttele tai kannusta vihreitä yrityksiä allokoimaan ja investoimaan varojaan innovaatiotoimintoihin ja voi johtaa myös rahoituksen syrjäytymisvaikutuksiin. Kuten rahoituksen nokkimisjärjestyksen teoria esittää, vihreät korkean teknologian pk-yritykset saattavat kohdata rahoituksellisia rajoitteita riittämättömän liikevaihdon tai teknologiaan kohdistuvan epävarmuuden takia. Lisäksi vähemmän vakiintuneina toimijoina vihreät pk-yritykset kohtaavat legitimiteettihaasteita, joita voi olla vaikea ylittää. EU on lähestynyt aihetta ja tukenut ali-investointeja Horisontti 2020 -puiteohjelmalla, joka tarjoaa rahoitusta lupaaville innovatiivisille projekteille. Koska H2020-tukirahoituksen myöntää huomionarvoinen taho antaa sertifiointi yrityksille erinomaisen mahdollisuuden houkutella yritykseen muita resursseja ja verkostoitua konsortioiden sekä toimialan kumppaneiden kanssa. Tämän työn tavoitteena on tutkia suomalaisia listaamattomia vihreitä korkean teknologian pk-yrityksiä ja EU:n H2020 -puiteohjelmaa. Tutkimus pyrkii vastaamaan työn tavoitteisiin käsittelemällä pk-yritysten motiiveja hakea H2020-tukia, kuinka pk-yritykset ovat hyödyntäneet tuki-instrumentteja ja millaisia vaikutuksia tuilla on ollut. Lisäksi tarkastellaan raportointia ja yhteistyötä H2020-puiteohjelmassa. Tutkimuksen empiirinen osa suoritetaan haastattelemalla 10 vihreällä sektorilla operoivaa pk-yritystä. Tutkimuksessa havaitaan, että H2020-ohjelman tarjoamat varat ja verkostoituminen ovat ensisijaisia syitä tukien hakemiseen, kun taas yllättäen EU-sertifikaattia ei koettu arvokkaaksi ja todettiin toisinaan jopa epäsuotuisaksi. Lisäksi, vaikka H2020-tukea hyödynnettiin ulkoisen pääoman hankkimisessa, resurssirajoitukset estivät pääosin yritysten sisäisten lisävarojen vivutuksen. Kuitenkin, H2020-hankkeet voivat olla niin suuria verrattuna pk-yritysten kokoon, että ne sitovat yritysten resursseja hankkeeseen luoden välttämättömän vipuvaikutuksen

A patient with Korsakoff syndrome of psychiatric and alcoholic etiology presenting as DSM-5 mild neurocognitive disorder

Background: Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) and Korsakoff syndrome (KS) are underdiagnosed. The DSM-5 has raised the diagnostic threshold by including KS in the major neurocognitive disorders, which requires that the patient needs help in everyday activities. Methods: We report clinical, neuropsychological, and radiological findings from a patient who developed Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome as a result of alcohol use and weight loss due to major depression. We assess the diagnosis in the context of the scientific literature on KS and according to the DSM-IV and the DSM-5. Results: The patient developed ataxia during a period of weight loss, thus fulfilling current diagnostic criteria of WE. WE was not diagnosed, but the patient partially improved after parenteral thiamine treatment. However, memory problems became evident, and KS was considered. In neuropsychological examination, the Logical Memory test and the Word List test were abnormal, but the Verbal Pair Associates test was normal (Wechsler Memory Scale-III). There were intrusions in the memory testing. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was broadly impaired, but the other test of executive functions (difference between Trail Making B and Trail Making A tests) was normal. There was atrophy of the mammillary bodies, the thalamus, the cerebellum, and in the basal ganglia but not in the frontal lobes. Diffusion tensor imaging showed damage in several tracts, including the uncinate fasciculi, the cinguli, the fornix, and the corona radiata. The patient remained independent in everyday activities. The patient can be diagnosed with KS according to the DSM-IV. According to the DSM-5, the patient has major neurocognitive disorders. Conclusions: Extensive memory testing is essential in the assessment of KS. Patients with a history of WE and typical clinical, neuropsychological, and radiological KS findings may be independent in everyday activities. Strict use of the DSM-5 may worsen the problem of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome underdiagnosis by excluding clear KS cases that do not have very severe functional impairment.Peer reviewe

Matriket – kohti ruoka-alan kehittämisalustaa

Tässä raportissa tarkastellaan ruoka-alan innovaatio- ja kehittämisalustoja. Raporttia varten läpikäytiin 15 ruoka-alan kehittämisverkostoa ja -alustaa Ruotsissa, Norjassa, Tanskassa ja Suomessa. Näitä tapausesimerkkejä peilataan Pohjanmaalle ja hahmotellaan, millainen voisi olla pohjalainen ruoka-alan kehittämisalusta ja sen toimintamalli. Kehittämisalustat kokoavat yhteen ruokasektorin eri toimijoita ja osaamisaloja sekä edistävät toimijoiden välistä vuorovaikutusta. Ruoka-alan kehittämisalusta voi tukea vuorovaikutusta hyvin käytännönläheisesti järjestämällä esimerkiksi verkostotapaamisia ja seminaareja. Abstraktimmalla tasolla ne voidaan nähdä eräänlaisina kehittämistyön yhteisinä nimittäjinä tai rajakohteina. Ruoka-alan kehittämisalustat rakentuvat aina olemassa olevien toimintojen ja organisaatioiden varaan. Kun suunnitellaan uuden alustan luomista, on tärkeää, ettei synnytetä sellaisia organisaatioita tai toimintoja, jotka alkavat kilpailla nykyisten toimintojen kanssa ja pahimmillaan heikentävät luottamusta paikallisten verkostojen sisällä. Kehittämisalustan rahoituspohja tulee olla riittävän laaja, jolloin toiminnan jatkuvuus ei ole riippuvaista yksittäisistä hankkeista tai kehittämisohjelmista. Tätä tukee se, että ruoka-ala on pitkäjänteisesti ja johdonmukaisesti mukana alueen kaikessa ohjelmatyössä. Pohjanmaalla tarvitaan oma erityinen näkökulma ruoka-alan kehittämiseen kuten esimerkiksi elintarvikevienti. Lisäksi tarvitaan suuren yleisön mielenkiintoa mutta myös kehittämisen intoa herättäviä ja ylläpitäviä kasvuyrityksiä ja ruoka-alan ilmiöitä. Hyviä kehittämisen välitavoitteita ovat paikallisten kehittämisverkostojen synnyttäminen sekä kehittämisalustan toiminnan hahmotteleminen. Jatkossa tavoitteeksi on kuitenkin asetettava verkostoituminen maakunnan ulkopuolelle, mikä tarkoittaa yhteyksien luomista muun muassa raportissa esitettyihin kehittämisalustoihin ja -verkostoihin

Non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome in psychiatric patients with a history of undiagnosed Wernicke's encephalopathy

Wernicke's encephalopathy is often undiagnosed, particularly in non-alcoholics. There are very few reports of non-alcoholic patients diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome in the absence of a prior diagnosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy and no studies of diffusion tensor imaging in non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome. We report on three non-alcoholic psychiatric patients (all women) with long-term non-progressive memory impairment that developed after malnutrition accompanied by at least one of the three Wemicke's encephalopathy manifestations: ocular abnormalities, ataxia or unsteadiness, and an altered mental state or mild memory impairment. In neuropsychological examination, all patients had memory impairment, including intrusions. One patient had mild cerebellar vermis atrophy in MRI taken after the second episode of Wemicke's encephalopathy. The same patient had mild hypometabolism in the lateral cortex of the temporal lobes. Another patient had mild symmetrical atrophy and hypometabolism of the superior frontal lobes. Two patients were examined with diffusion tensor imaging. Reduced fractional anisotropy values were found in the corona radiata in two patients, and the uncinate fasciculus and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus in one patient. Our results suggest that non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome is underdiagnosed. Psychiatric patients with long-term memory impairment may have Korsakoff syndrome and, therefore, they should be evaluated for a history of previously undiagnosed Wernicke's encephalopathy. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Too late snow wall removal as an enabler of rapid edge deformations - results from Aurora instrumented road sections on road E8 in Finland

Since early spring 2018 Tampere University and Roadscanners Oy have conducted long term structural and functional monitoring of two road sections on road E8 in Muonio, Finnish Lapland. This monitoring has been part of the Aurora project, an open testing ecosystem of intelligent transport and infrastructure solutions launched by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA). One of the unique observations made based on monitoring the vertical strains of base course layer and the vertical displacement of road surface concerns abrupt frost heave that takes place in the upper part of pavement structure in late spring before the start of thawing period. The phenomenon coincides with the melting of snow next to road edge, which indicates that the source of water enabling this late spring frost heave is from the side of road, not through the deeply frozen structural layers below. The conclusion was verified by means of periodic GPR measurements applied in monitoring the water content of road structure. The above observation emphasizes the importance of early enough removal of snow walls from road shoulders as a means of limiting the edge deformation and rutting of road structures during the thawing phase of seasonal frost.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

A patient with korsakoff syndrome of psychiatric and alcoholic etiology presenting as DSM-5 mild neurocognitive disorder

Background: Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) and Korsakoff syndrome (KS) are underdiagnosed. The DSM-5 has raised the diagnostic threshold by including KS in the major neurocognitive disorders, which requires that the patient needs help in everyday activities.Methods: We report clinical, neuropsychological, and radiological findings from a patient who developed Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome as a result of alcohol use and weight loss due to major depression. We assess the diagnosis in the context of the scientific literature on KS and according to the DSM-IV and the DSM-5.Results: The patient developed ataxia during a period of weight loss, thus fulfilling current diagnostic criteria of WE. WE was not diagnosed, but the patient partially improved after parenteral thiamine treatment. However, memory problems became evident, and KS was considered. In neuropsychological examination, the Logical Memory test and the Word List test were abnormal, but the Verbal Pair Associates test was normal (Wechsler Memory Scale-III). There were intrusions in the memory testing. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was broadly impaired, but the other test of executive functions (difference between Trail Making B and Trail Making A tests) was normal. There was atrophy of the mammillary bodies, the thalamus, the cerebellum, and in the basal ganglia but not in the frontal lobes. Diffusion tensor imaging showed damage in several tracts, including the uncinate fasciculi, the cinguli, the fornix, and the corona radiata. The patient remained independent in everyday activities. The patient can be diagnosed with KS according to the DSM-IV. According to the DSM-5, the patient has major neurocognitive disorders.Conclusions: Extensive memory testing is essential in the assessment of KS. Patients with a history of WE and typical clinical, neuropsychological, and radiological KS findings may be independent in everyday activities. Strict use of the DSM-5 may worsen the problem of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome underdiagnosis by excluding clear KS cases that do not have very severe functional impairment.Keywords: alcoholism, depressive disorder, diffusion tensor imaging, Korsakoff syndrome, neurocognitive disorders, Wernicke encephalopathy</p

Integrated Monitoring of Seasonal Variations and Structural Responses to Enable Intelligent Asset Management of Road Infrastructures

In 2017, Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) launched an open testing ecosystem of intelligent transport and infrastructure solutions, Aurora. The Aurora test area consists of a 10 km section of main highway E8 South from the village of Muonio in the Western part of Finnish Lapland. Regarding the road infrastructure a key element of the testing ecosystem consists of two extensively instrumented road sections, one of which is located on stiff subgrade soil area and the other one on a softer subgrade soil. Commissioned by FTIA the structural instrumentation of Aurora monitoring sections was accomplished jointly by Tampere University (TAU) and Roadscanners Ltd (RS).acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Heart failure in Finland: clinical characteristics, mortality, and healthcare resource use

AimsThe aims of this study were to describe patient characteristics of the adult chronic heart failure (HF) population and to estimate the prevalence, incidence, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and mortality associated with HF in Southwest Finland.Methods and resultsThis was a retrospective biobank and clinical registry study. Adult patients with an HF diagnosis (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) code I50) during 2004–2013 in secondary care were included in the study and compared with age‐matched and gender‐matched control patients without an I50 diagnosis. HF patients were stratified in groups by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as follows: LVEF ConclusionsThe high mortality rate and HCRU among the studied HF patients highlight the severity of the disease and the economic and social burden on both patients and society. This calls for improved methods of care for this large patient population.</p

Infrasound Does Not Explain Symptoms Related to Wind Turbines

Some individuals have reported various symptoms that they have intuitively associated with infrasound from wind turbines. Scientific evidence on the potential association or studies focusing directly on the health effects of wind turbine infrasound are lacking. This research project aimed at assessing whether wind turbine infrasound has harmful effects on human health. A questionnaire study, sound measurements, and provocation experiments were conducted. In the questionnaire study, symptoms intuitively associated with wind turbine infrasound were relatively common within 2.5 km from the closest wind turbine and symptom spectrum was broad. Many of the symptomatic respondents associated their symptoms also with vibration or electromagnetic field from wind turbines. In measurements, infrasound levels were similar to the levels occurring typically in urban environments. The captured sound samples with the highest infrasound levels and amplitude modulation values were used in the double blinded provocation experiments. The participants who had previously reported wind turbine infrasound related symptoms were not able to perceive infrasound in the noise samples and did not find samples with infrasound more annoying than those without previous wind turbine infrasound related symptoms. Further, wind turbine infrasound exposure did not cause physiological responses in either participant group.This publication is part of the implementation of the Government Plan for Analysis, Assessment and Research (tietokayttoon.fi). The content is the responsibility of the producers of the information and does not necessarily represent the view of the Government

Neurological symptoms and natural course of xeroderma pigmentosum

We have prospectively followed 16 Finnish xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients for up to 23 years. Seven patients were assigned by complementation analysis to the group XP-A, two patients to the XP-C group and one patient to the XP-G group. Six of the seven XP-A patients had the identical mutation (Arg228Ter) and the seventh patient had a different mutation (G283A). Further patients were assigned to complementation groups on the basis of their consanguinity to an XP patient with a known complementation group. The first sign of the disease in all the cases was severe sunburn with minimal sun exposure in early infancy. However, at the time the diagnosis was made in only two cases. The XP-A patients developed neurological and cognitive dysfunction in childhood. The neurological disease advanced in an orderly fashion through its successive stages, finally affecting the whole nervous system and leading to death before the age of 40 years. Dermatological and ocular damage of the XP-A patients tended to be limited. The two XP-C patients were neurologically and cognitively intact despite mild brain atrophy as seen by neuroimaging. The XP-G patients had sensorineural hearing loss, laryngeal dystonia and peripheral neuropathy. The XP-C patients had severe skin and ocular malignancies that first presented at pre-school age. They also showed immunosuppression in cell-mediated immunity. Neurological disease appears to be associated with the complementation group and the failure of fibroblasts to recover RNA synthesis following UV irradiation, but not necessarily to the severity of the dermatological symptoms, the hypersensitivity of fibroblasts to UVB killing or the susceptibility of keratinocytes to UVB-induced apoptosis