LEARNING FROM THE PAST: INNOVATION EVALUATED BY STRATEGIC NICHE MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY

The leading question in this paper concerns the reasons that may stimulate or hamper a wider diffusion of innovative technologies in the construction industry. The Strategic Niche Management (SNM) approach provides an evolutionary framework that is supposed to give a better insight into the reasons why new technologies may be successful or fail even though they promise superior performance compared to incumbent technologies. The SNM approach has been applied in a number of cases of innovative energy and transport technology solutions. The findings will be discussed by thriving on the theoretical backgrounds of the SNM approach and on literature describing the application of the SNM methodology in energy and transport technology cases as well as on the conclusions of the study on the application of it on the wider diffusion of an innovative prefab building system in the Dutch construction industry

Serum esterases in mackerel, Scomber scombrus L.

Special Meeting "The Biochemical and Serological Identification of Fish Stocks"

Achieving sustainable building education the case of polytechnics in Ghana

The construction industry in Ghana is suffering a number of problems at all levels with regards to materials, machinery, personal organization and information. This has its consequences for the production of buildings and amongst them housing. One of the solutions is thought in improving the technical education of the new staff for the construction industry. This paper reports of a successful (NPT) Nuffic project whereby the TU/e worked closely together with the two Ghanaian partners the Polytechnics in Sunyany and Cape Coast and the Kwame Nkruma University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. The approach of improving education was at different levels: a) The development of a new curriculum. b) Upgrading of laboratories and workshops at both polytechnics. c) The staff could follow upgrading courses to get a graduation of Bsc or Msc level. d) Some ((Msc) level) staff members were allowed to leave the country for a phd study in one of the specific teaching areas at the TU/e. The main point was to involve the construction industry in both the curriculum development and in the practice of teaching and apprenticeships. In December 2006 was a mid-term review as the project is half way. A number of promising results can be reported. Although some financial input is required in our view this way of approaching a problematic construction industry will bear its fruits in the nearby future. Already in September 2007 the new curriculum will be launched so that the industry will be reinforced with staff of a higher quality. The sustainability is guaranteed as the upgrading project was fully embedded Ghanaian context with full support of all parties involved

INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Despite the indisputable contribution of innovations to socio-economic development, the world has realized that many innovations and technologies have been a major cause of climatic change and resource depletion. This research aimed to identify how and whether innovation in construction contributes to achieve a sustainable built environment. An analytical framework -derived from literature studies on evidence and theories on innovation in manufacturing-was applied in Dutch construction. The study underpinned that sustainable construction requires innovative solutions which go beyond the traditional and generally accepted way of building. Government support appeared necessary for a regime shift to stimulate innovation for a sustainable built environment. Policies thus should be directed to tackle a major bottleneck in construction: knowledge, expectations and beliefs concerning innovation for sustainable construction

Lezing door mr A.W.H. Docters van Leeuwen

In zijn lezing op 11 mei 1998 voor de Bestuurskundige Interfacultaire vereniging Leiden acht Docters van Leeuwen op de rand van het millennium, de vraag naar transformaties meer dan ooit actueel

Europium-Doped Tellurite Glasses: The Eu2+ Emission in Tellurite, Adjusting Eu2+ and Eu3+ Emissions toward White Light Emission

Europium-doped magnesium tellurite glasses were prepared using melt quenching techniques and attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy was used to study the glass structure. The glass transition temperature increased with increasing MgO content. Eu2+ and Eu3+ emissions were studied using photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The broad emission of Eu2+ ions centered at approximately 485 nm was found to decrease in intensity with increasing MgO content, while the Eu3+ emission was enhanced. The Eu3+ emission lay within the red orange range and its decay time was found to increase with increasing MgO content. Different excitation wavelengths were used to adjust Eu2+ to Eu3+ emissions to reach white light emission. The white light emission was obtained for the sample with the lowest MgO content under excitation in the near-UV range