Exploring the benefits of integrating business model research within living lab projects

Business model and living lab research both have similar objectives – to maximize the probability of successful market introduction of innovative solutions – be it through different means. Yet, there are still only few studies or reports discussing both, with those studies that do touch the subject staying at a high level. iMinds Living Labs has gained a lot of experience in combined living lab and business model innovation projects and, rather than being competing approaches, our results have shown that these two research methodologies can be complementary, where the combined approach turns out to be more powerful than each individual approach used alone. The goal of this article is to promote the inclusion of business model research in a model of "a living lab as a service" (and vice versa) by explaining the benefits and by introducing a practical framework to implement such combined research tracks based on the experience at iMinds Living Labs over the past few years

Overcoming barriers to experimentation in business-to-business living labs

Business-to-business (B2B) living lab projects have been mentioned in different areas of academic research, but the innovation management literature requires deeper analysis of their potential opportunities and challenges. Real-life experimentation is a key requirement for living labs as it enables deeper insights in the potential success of innovations. However, the literature has not provided insights on how living lab projects can implement real-life experimentation in B2B innovation projects and does not describe appropriate conditions for experimentation in these settings. In this study, we identified three main barriers preventing real-life experimentation in B2B living lab projects: the technological complexity, the need for integration, and the difficulty in identifying testers. The barriers are discussed in detailed and potential solutions are provided to help overcome these barriers and stimulate the adoption of real-life experimentation in B2B innovation projects

A hypothesis driven tool to structurally embed user and business model research within Living Lab innovation tracks.

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Lause grammatilise ja pragmaatilise tähenduse mõistmise hindamine 5-aastastel lastel

http://www.ester.ee/record=b4542103*es

Nord Streami torujuhtme representatsioon Eesti päevalehtedes 2007. ja 2008. aastal

The purpose of this bachelor thesis (Representation of the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline in Estonian Daily Newspapers in 2007 and in 2008) is to analyze if two major Estonian daily newspapers Postimees and Eesti Päevaleht shaped public opinion about the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2007 and in 2008. The general purpose of this bachelor thesis is to analyze the representation of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in Estonian daily newspapers. One of the main aims of this thesis is to examine when was this topic most actively talked about and when it lost its role. But this thesis also concentrates on finding out what was the dominant attitude of the newspapers towards this topic, who were the main spokespersons and what arguments they used when expressing their support or resistance towards the development of the Russian-German gas pipeline. This thesis is trying to find out what kind of public opinion about Nord Steam was constructed in the opinion articles and in the editorials of daily newspapers. Different source materials and documents have been used as sources for the theoretical framework of this thesis. D. McQuail’s „Mass Communication Theory“, J. W. Daring’s and E. M. Roger’s „Agenda-Setting“, R. Waldhal’s „The Development of Public Opinion“ and other theoretical works have been used in this thesis. In order to analyze this topic the quantitative and qualitative content survey methods have been used. In order to find answers to hypotheses and questions raised all the articles, which were published in Postimees and in Eesti Päevaleht in 2007 and in 2008 and that talked about Nord Stream were considered as part of the general selection. 101 articles that discussed the Nord Steam topic were published in 2007 and in 2008. 34 of these articles were opinion articles or editorials. Opinion articles and editorials have been taken under closer examination and have been more thoroughly analyzed in this thesis. The background information of the Nord Steam gas pipeline topic and the connection of this pipeline with Estonia are presented in the theoretical overview chapter. This chapter also explains what is the role of media in a society and talks about the construction and essence of agenda-setting and public opinion. Results of the analysis indicate that 101 articles were published in Postimees and in Eesti Päevaleht that discussed the Nord Stream gas pipeline topic during the period of 1st January 2007 to 31st December 2008. The topic was most actively talked about in September 2007 when 36 articles were published. Articles that discussed issues related to the Nord Steam gas pipeline were also popular in October and in April 2007. During 2008 the topic lost its appeal and it was not anymore actively talked about in daily newspapers. More than half of the media texts published were news. 25 opinion articles, nine editorials and eight articles on the opinion pages were published during the period under examination. During those months when most of the media texts were published, the greatest number of stories appeared also on the opinion pages. As it appeared during the analysis only three authors wrote more than one story. But it is possible to bring out spokespersons according to spheres of activity. Journalists or columnists wrote the greatest number of opinion articles. They published ten articles. Nine articles were written by scientists, experts or analytics. Politicians as well as the representatives of the category “other” wrote both three articles. 19 opinion articles were written by Estonians and in the case of six articles the author represented some other nationality. All together 15 articles, which is 60% of the total number of articles under examination, expressed resistance towards the Nord Stream pipeline. Only five articles or 20% were in favour of the pipeline and in five articles the clear attitude towards the pipeline was not pointed out. It also appeared that mostly Estonians expressed opposition towards the Nord Stream gas pipeline and more foreigners were in favour of the pipeline. Three editorials supported the Nord Stream gas pipeline and only two editorials were against the pipeline. In four cases a clear attitude towards the topic was not expressed in the editorials. Although more editorials were in favour of the gas pipeline than against it the qualitative analysis of the editorials showed that negative argument are more frequently used and these negative comparisons and arguments are stronger than favourable statements. For several times the Nord Stream gas pipeline is portrayed in negative colours. For example it is compared to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, connected to lobbying, to political strife and to unanswered questions. Main positive aspects brought out when talking positively about the gas pipeline were the opportunity to express opinions about the questions that concern the building of the pipeline and the aspect that the pipeline will save Europe from energy hunger. The increase in Europe’s energy security was mentioned four times as an argument by those in favour of the gas pipeline. The argument of saying no and by that losing all opportunities to have a say in the matters that concern the building of the pipeline was mentioned thrice. Even if the pipeline is not in Estonian waters the fact that it is in the Baltic Sea does not eliminate possible dangers it might cause. Russia is a risk to security with or without the pipeline, thus the gas pipeline does not make matters worse. All together supportive arguments can be found in nine different subject fields. The argument according to which the Russian battle fleet is going to guard the pipeline and thereby Russia’s military presence at the Baltic Seal will increase and this in turn will give an intelligence advantage to Russia was used five times. The argument, which stated that Europe is too dependent on Russia’s energy supply and this dependence should be decreased, was also mentioned five times. The argument referring to the fact that Nord Stream is not a common European project and it will divide the European Union and the Baltic Sea region was also mentioned. All together counterarguments representing 17 different subject fields were used, hence it can be concluded that arguments against the gas pipeline prevailed in Estonian daily newspapers. In the chapter where discussion and conclusions are presented some possibilities how to develop this work further are also offered. One possibility is use the same hypothesis as in this thesis and to compare according to them media texts that have been published in other countries connected to this project. Another possibility is to enlarge the selection of the articles by adding texts published in 2009 and by interviewing the editors-in-chief of the opinion pages with the purpose to find out how editorials and opinion articles are written. In conclusion it can be said that mainly negative opinions about the Nord Stream project were constructed in Estonian daily newspapers. Certainly in a way this influenced the decision made by Estonian government to forbid the Nord Stream project research in Estonian economic zone. Thus it can be said that Estonian daily newspapers still participate in influencing and developing public opinion and in agenda-setting.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4014853*es

Strateegilise vaate muutus heidutusele Ameerika Ühendriikide ametlikus diskursuses ja laiemas välispoliitilises debatis globaalse terrorismivastase sõja kontekstis

http://tartu.ester.ee/record=b2655862~S1*es

Rahvusliku identiteedi konstrueerimine Eesti päevalehtedes 1920. aastatel

“The Construction of National Identity in Estonian Daily Newspapers in the 1920s” The aim of this master thesis is to analyse how different forms of national identity were produced by Estonian printed press during the 1920s and what were the distinctive features characterising these forms of identity. Articles published in Postimees ja Päevaleht in 1921-1929 were taken under closer examination. Newspapers had an important role to play in the construction of Estonian national identity in the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century. Figuratively it can be said that Estonian national identity was created by the printed word. The theoretical framework of the thesis derives from the constructivist view on reality believing that national identity is a product of social construction and thereby it could be produced and changed. National identity is discursively produced, reproduced, transformed and destructed by means of language and other semiotic systems. Media is one of these discursive means. Newspapers participate in the construction of national identity by creating messages, stereotypes and context. The production of national identity is especially intense in a state where conditions are favorable for the appearance of “hot nationalism”. Articles published under these conditions are the main object of research in this thesis. The thesis also relies on the political-cultural model of nationalism. According to this dualistic model there are two types of nationalism – western political or civic nationalism and eastern cultural or ethnic nationalism. These two concepts are not considered to be exclusive but instead the thesis relies on an assumption that national identity includes both political and cultural element. The importance and relations between different forms of identity change due to social situational settings. The changes in social setting have also changed Estonian nationalism/national identity. In the beginning cultural elements were prevailing but in the beginning of the 20th century when Estonia had became an independent state, where nation- and state-building occurred, political elements were the most prominent in shaping the construction of national identity. Arising from the theoretical framework the thesis is trying to answer the following questions: - Did the articles published in Estonian newspaper during the 1920s produce political national identity or cultural national identity or both? - Where there any changes visible in the construction of national identity in 1921-1929 and if there were, is it possible to associate these changes with social circumstances? - What were the characteristic features of different forms of national identity produced in the 1920s? In order to find answers to these questions LCA-method (Latent Class Analysis) was used. This method produced a solution according to which four different classes or forms of national identity appeared. These classes were analysed by quantitative and qualitative means in order to describe the nature and relations between different forms of identity. Identity forms were also analysed from the historical viewpoint, which made it possible to connect the changes in national identity with the developments in the social situation in Estonia during the 1920s. The four different forms of identity that appeared in the articles were named the production of political identity, the production of past-oriented identity, the production of cultural identity and the production of political-historical identity. The most commonly produced identity form in the articles was political identity, followed by past-oriented and cultural identity. Political-historical identity was most rarely constructed in the articles. The production of political identity was mainly oriented towards the appreciation of democratic and economic values. It was conveyed that democratic state system and functional economy are the main groundsels that ensure the future of Estonian nation. The production of cultural identity was associated with stressing the importance of culture, language, education and science. Achievements in the intellectual sphere are as significant to the development of Estonia as democratic state and good economy. Political-historical identity valued democracy and economic indicators but also emphasised the importance of common national factors and historical past. In the centre of the past-oriented identity were history and the antagonism with the foreign nations that had oppressed Estonia over many centuries. The results of the analysis indicated that during the 1920s political national identity was most commonly produced by the two major Estonian newspapers. It was also concluded that generally the political-cultural model of nationalism could be implemented to describe the developments of Estonian national identity. But political identity could not be considered as the only and dominant identity form because the production on past-oriented, cultural and political-historical identity also appeared. Postimees and Päevaleht constructed different patterns of identity on their pages and these identity patters also changed during the time period under examination. The most notable change that appeared was the increasing importance of the past-oriented identity. After the analysis of these developments it was concluded that changes in the construction of identity could be explained by the conditions prevailing in the Estonian society during the years 1921-1929.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4056459*estTartu Ülikool. Sotsiaal- ja haridusteaduskon