Technological Adaptation to a Platform and Dependence: Value Co-creation through Partnerships

This article examines technology exchange mechanisms in technological platform partnerships between software and hardware firms. Such firms form complementary partnerships to develop innovative technological products in the mobile telephony sector. Data were collected from 110 high-tech firms which have formed technological platform partnerships, and analysed data, by using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that a focal firm’s technological complexity and technological adaptation to its partner’s platform increase its dependence on a partner, which in turn positively affects value co-creation in such partnerships. Complementary technological collaboration through adaptation-dependence between technological partners helps resolve knowledge accessibility and technological integration for value co-creation and innovation between heterogeneous partners from different high-tech industries. This study provides a clue as to how technological partners co-create value in the high-tech industry

Effects of entrapped residual air bubbles on tracer transport in heterogeneous soil: Magnetic resonance imaging study

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study the process of infiltration and solute transport in an undisturbed soil sample of coarse sandy loam. The sample was subjected to the recurrent ponded infiltration (RPI) experiment, which was carried out in order to assess the changes in the entrapped air volume and its impact on steady state flow rates and solute breakthrough. The main stages of the first and second experimental RPI runs were monitored using an MRI sequence that follows both water density and magnetic relaxation. In a steady state stage of each experimental run a nickel nitrate pulse was injected in order to visualize the solute breakthrough. Effluent from the sample was collected for chemical analysis and a breakthrough curve of the nickel was constructed. To obtain information about the soil structure and to reveal potential preferential pathways, the soil sample was scanned using computed tomography. The local nickel ion transport breakthrough was evaluated from MR images in a series of local observation points distributed along the selected preferential pathways.The preferential flow instability phenomenon with the emphasis on air bubble formation was shown by detecting a 60% decrease of the steady state infiltration rate. The detailed analyses of MRI measurements at observation points revealed air bubble formation, producing a flow rate decrease accompanied by redirection of nickel ion transport trajectories. By analyzing M0 maps it was found that the volumetric water content decrease was 2.2%. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Recent developments in neutron imaging with applications for porous media research

Computed tomography has become a routine method for probing processes in porous media, and the use of neutron imaging is especially suited to the study of the dynamics of hydrogenous fluids, and of fluids in a high-density matrix. In this paper we give an overview of recent developments in both instrumentation and methodology at the neutron imaging facilities NEUTRA and ICON at the Paul Scherrer Institut. Increased acquisition rates coupled to new reconstruction techniques improve the information output for fewer projection data, which leads to higher volume acquisition rates. Together, these developments yield significantly higher spatial and temporal resolutions, making it possible to capture finer details in the spatial distribution of the fluid, and to increase the acquisition rate of 3-D CT volumes. The ability to add a second imaging modality, e.g., X-ray tomography, further enhances the feature and process information that can be collected, and these features are ideal for dynamic experiments of fluid distribution in porous media. We demonstrate the performance for a selection of experiments carried out at our neutron imaging instruments

Exploring regional innovation ecosystems: an empirical study in China

This paper explores the Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE) aiming to fully understand its static and dynamic nature. We investigate how organizations co-evolve within an ecosystem and how does it affect their ecosystems. Based on the longitudional qualitative in-depth case study analysis of the three most representative Chinese RIEs, we empirically explore and validate a 4C framework. The framework includes construct, cooperation, configuration, and capability and offers insights into a better redistribution of roles and coordination of ecosystem resources, delivering a better understanding of the dynamic and co-evolution nature of ecosystem development and inspiring the practitioners to further explore their complementary partners. The key findings imply importance of within and inter RIE complementarity based collaboration, which with an appropriate and well informed governmental support can significantly boost National Innovation System