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. --

Einflußfaktoren auf das Management von Forschungs- und Entwicklungskooperationen: Eine empirische Analyse in der Biotechnologie

Vor dem Hintergrund der hohen Bedeutung von Forschungs- und Entwicklungskooperationen in der Biotechnologie analysieren die Autoren mit Hilfe einer empirischen Analyse die wesentlichen Einflussfaktoren auf das Management von zwischenbetrieblichen Entwicklungsprojekten. Basierend auf theoretischen Ansätzen und empirischen Studien werden geeignete Einflussfaktoren identifiziert und deren kausale Zusammenhänge in Form von Hypothesen formuliert, die anschließend kausalanalytisch überprüft werden. Die empirischen Befunde belegen, dass insbesondere die Kooperationserfahrung und die Planungsintensität einen positiven Einfluss auf die Effizienz der Kooperation haben. Entgegen der allgemeinen Auffassung in der Kooperationsforschung konnte hingegen kein direkter positiver Zusammenhang zwischen der Intensität der Zusammenarbeit und der Effizienz gefunden werden. Die Befunde der Studie zeigen vielmehr, dass aufgrund der höheren organisatorischen Komplexität bei einer intensiven Zusammenarbeit gleichzeitig eine intensivere Planung vorhanden sein muss. -- Because of the importance of inter-firm cooperation in research and development in the field of biotechnology, the authors analyze effects of relevant factors on the management of inter-organizational R&D-projects. Based on prior theoretical and empirical research, certain factors on the management of R&D-cooperation were identified and causal relationships between these factors were analyzed using structural equation modelling. Results of the empirical study in the biotechnology industry show that prior experience with the cooperation partner and the intensity of planning have a positive effect on the efficiency of the cooperation. In contrast to the literature, no direct positive effect of the intensity of cooperation on the efficiency was observed. We conclude that the organisational complexity depending on the intensity of cooperation require a high level of planning.Unternehmenskooperation,Produktforschung,Forschung und Entwicklung,Forschungskooperation

Essays in taxation : capacity, compliance and complexity

This dissertation consists of three independent essays in the field of taxation. The first essay explores the incentives of a government to invest in the "capacity" to raise tax revenue within a political economy model that includes public debt. The second essay experimentally examines the effects of a permanent tax amnesty on tax compliance. The third essay empirically investigates the impact of tax complexity on foreign direct investment

Kombinierte Visualisierung von EEG- und Diffusions-MRT-Nervenfaser-Daten

Ziel dieser Diplomarbeit ist die Entwicklung einer interaktiven Visualisierung von EEG-Daten und deren Quellen in Kombination mit Nervenfaserbündeldaten. Dazu soll als Softwaregrundlage das derzeit in Entwicklung befindliche OpenWalnut genutzt werden. Dabei handelt es sich um einen Softwarerahmen zur medizinischen Visualisierung mit Schwerpunkt auf die interaktive Darstellung von Gehirndaten. Die Darstellung und Selektion von Nervenfaserbündeln wurde darin bereits implementiert. Damit bietet es sich an, dieses System als Grundlage zu nehmen

Wavelength-converted light sources in fluorescence-based methods in medical technology

This contribution proposes phosphors as excitation for fluorescence analysis and evaluates their potential in this application area. Aim of this research is to provide a method which allows to quantify how well a phosphor fits as excitation in a given optical system with spectral filters for fluorescence analysis. The approach consists of a mathematical calculation of crosstalk which is first applied to abstract and subsequentially defined phosphor emission spectra. The resulting crosstalk is used as measure indicating the fit of a phosphor spectrum. Result of this contribution is a detailed description of the applied method as well as an example exercise on a given optical system which gives an impression of possibilities phosphors offer in this application. The presented method is applicable to any (new) phosphor or even LED spectra. Especially evaluations on the example optical system allow conclusions which help to design future optical systems

Wavelength-converted light sources in fluorescence-based methods in medical technology

This contribution proposes phosphors as excitation for fluorescence analysis and evaluates their potential in this application area. Aim of this research is to provide a method which allows to quantify how well a phosphor fits as excitation in a given optical system with spectral filters for fluorescence analysis. The approach consists of a mathematical calculation of crosstalk which is first applied to abstract and subsequentially defined phosphor emission spectra. The resulting crosstalk is used as measure indicating the fit of a phosphor spectrum. Result of this contribution is a detailed description of the applied method as well as an example exercise on a given optical system which gives an impression of possibilities phosphors offer in this application. The presented method is applicable to any (new) phosphor or even LED spectra. Especially evaluations on the example optical system allow conclusions which help to design future optical systems

Lab-on-chip projection system for fluorescence based medical analysis

The aim of this research project is to implement a novel concept of using a scanning projection system for exciting fluorescence in lab-on-chip devices. While scanning projectors are state of the art in display applications, this use case imposes a set of specific requirements not fulfilled by commercial devices. One advantage in the lab-on-chip setting is increased flexibility in the design of disposables. To implement the final goal, the theoretical feasibility of the optical system is estimated, followed by simulation of the entire setup in Zemax OpticStudio and finally building up the working prototype of the projection system in the lab as a proof of concept, to compare the experimental findings with the simulation results

Lab-on-chip projection system for fluorescence based medical analysis

The aim of this research project is to implement a novel concept of using a scanning projection system for exciting fluorescence in lab-on-chip devices. While scanning projectors are state of the art in display applications, this use case imposes a set of specific requirements not fulfilled by commercial devices. One advantage in the lab-on-chip setting is increased flexibility in the design of disposables. To implement the final goal, the theoretical feasibility of the optical system is estimated, followed by simulation of the entire setup in Zemax OpticStudio and finally building up the working prototype of the projection system in the lab as a proof of concept, to compare the experimental findings with the simulation results

Hygiene perception changes during the influenza A H1N1 pandemic in Germany: incorporating the results of two cross-sectional telephone surveys 2008–2009

Background: The federal campaign Wir gegen Viren [Us against viruses] promoted hygiene in Germany during the influenza A H1N1 pandemic in 2009. The intervention aimed to encourage people to protect themselves against respiratory infections by simple means of hygiene behaviour. Quantitative research was carried out to outline changes in hygiene perception of the population over time, and to find out whether the potential hygiene perception changes were consistent to the federal campaign about hygiene or not. Methods: To determine changes in the hygiene perception of the population, two cross-sectional telephone surveys were held, each one with n = 2006 participants. The initial survey was carried out before the influenza A H1N1 pandemic in calendar week 49–51 in 2008 and the second in week 48 in 2009 directly after the peak of the pandemic in Germany. The questionnaire contained indicators about perceived hand hygiene efficacy, preference for coughing into the sleeve, propensity for presenteeism while showing symptoms of a cold and acceptance of hygiene masks. Results: The proportion of people who perceive the efficacy of hand washing as “very good” increased significantly from 50.9% in 2008 to 61.1% in 2009. The proportion of people who perceive coughing into the sleeve as the best way to cough increased even more dramatically from 4.8% in 2008 to 38.3% in 2009. In contrast the propensity for presenteeism decreased significantly: The proportion of people who state that they always report to work while they show symptoms of a cold decreased from 50.8% in 2008 to 40.9% in 2009. Acceptance of hygiene masks has not changed significantly from 2008 to 2009. Conclusions: The results revealed changes in hygiene perception during influenza A H1N1 pandemic in Germany. The changes we found are in accordance with the hygiene recommendations given by the federal campaign Wir gegen Viren [Us against viruses]. Results can constitute a practical benchmark for future research about hygiene perception and hygiene promotion for adults. A pivotal question is: does the increase in hygiene perception persist after the pandemic has ceased

Flexible Sicherheitskräfte für Auslandseinsätze: Afghanistan und die Grenzen deutscher Sicherheitspolitik

"Auslandseinsätze stellen internationale Sicherheitskräfte vor besondere Herausforderungen. Die Sicherheitslage in den Einsatzgebieten, internationale Normen und Demokratie verlangen von Soldaten und Polizisten, sowohl sich selbst als auch Zivilisten vor Ort gegen Gewalt zu schützen. In der Praxis bedeutet dies eine Konvergenz traditioneller militärischer und polizeilicher Rollen. Dieser Report untersucht die Schwierigkeiten der Bundeswehr und der deutschen Polizei, in Afghanistan flexibel beim Einsatz von Zwangs- und Gewaltmittel zu sein. Die Autoren zeigen, dass eine größere Flexibilität deutscher Sicherheitskräfte in Auslandseinsätzen sowohl notwendig als auch risikoreich ist, und formulieren Vorschläge, wie Deutschland mit diesem Dilemma umgehen kann." (Autorenreferat