Innovation capabilities and governance in the agri-food sector

Company performance is increasingly dependent on continuous improvement and innovation. In order to manage innovation projects effectively, a number of internal and external business capabilities are important: The results of this study show that functional, and in particular integrative firm capabilities play an important, but indirect, role in managing in-house innovation projects effectively. Integrative (communication) capabilities are important to combine the different functional capabilities, achieving higher product superiority and offsetting the negative effect of novelty of the project for the company on the adequateness of functional capabilities. External orientation and internalization of external resources and capabilities may enforce food producers to increase their ability to deal innovation project novelty for the company. Increased attention to the end-consumer may increase the market potential of innovations in this sector. Externally-oriented integrative capabilities are important for the organization of access to external knowledge, increasing assimilation of external knowledge and innovativeness of the company. In the case of pig farmers, this organizational capacity includes frequent networking with a number of key actors, identification of the main sources of new knowledge about innovations in the sector and participation in meetings organized by the sector. In addition to the capacities to integrate internal and external knowledge, innovation performance can also be enhanced by the benefits of co-innovation. The study shows that in dynamic processes, such as innovation and collaboration, the complementary nature of the extra-contractual formalization, rational and attitudinal commitment and trust is important to assure knowledge mobility and stability of the co-innovation network, maximizing the benefits of the co-innovation

The Influence of Networking and Absorptive Capacity on the Innovativeness of Farmers in the Dutch Pork Sector

The main objective of this study is to answer the question of how farmers’ networking behaviour and their ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit external knowledge is related to their level of innovativeness and profitability. These relations were tested on the basis of struc-tural equation modeling using 444 questionnaires completed by large-scale pig farmers in the Netherlands. Previous studies on the relation between network structure and innovativeness re-tained the absorptive capacity 'black box' by using proxies for absorption of knowledge. The pre-sent study addresses this shortcoming by studying absorptive capacity in terms of organizational capacities (routines and processes) of farmers to use their networks and absorb external knowledge. The findings show that frequency of contact in a specific network range affects in-novativeness positively, but also indirectly through acquisition and assimilation capacity. Assim-ilation capacity turns out to be the most important dimension of absorptive capacity for the inno-vativeness of pig farmers

Innovation capabilities and governance in the agri-food sector

Company performance is increasingly dependent on continuous improvement and innovation. In order to manage innovation projects effectively, a number of internal and external business capabilities are important: The results of this study show that functional, and in particular integrative firm capabilities play an important, but indirect, role in managing in-house innovation projects effectively. Integrative (communication) capabilities are important to combine the different functional capabilities, achieving higher product superiority and offsetting the negative effect of novelty of the project for the company on the adequateness of functional capabilities. External orientation and internalization of external resources and capabilities may enforce food producers to increase their ability to deal innovation project novelty for the company. Increased attention to the end-consumer may increase the market potential of innovations in this sector. Externally-oriented integrative capabilities are important for the organization of access to external knowledge, increasing assimilation of external knowledge and innovativeness of the company. In the case of pig farmers, this organizational capacity includes frequent networking with a number of key actors, identification of the main sources of new knowledge about innovations in the sector and participation in meetings organized by the sector. In addition to the capacities to integrate internal and external knowledge, innovation performance can also be enhanced by the benefits of co-innovation. The study shows that in dynamic processes, such as innovation and collaboration, the complementary nature of the extra-contractual formalization, rational and attitudinal commitment and trust is important to assure knowledge mobility and stability of the co-innovation network, maximizing the benefits of the co-innovation

Effect of tibial tuberosity advancement on femorotibial shear in cranial cruciate-deficient stifles. An in vitro study

OBJECTIVES: This in vitro study compares the femorotibial shear in canine stifles with intact and transected cranial cruciate ligaments (CrCL), before and after tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) by measuring the distance between origin and insertion of the cruciate ligaments. METHODS: Radiodense markers were inserted into bones at the attachment sites of the cruciate ligaments in sixteen cadaveric stifles of adult dogs. Each stifle was then mounted in a testing apparatus. The distances between the markers were measured on mediolateral radiographs, performed on each stifle under three different situations: intact, after CrCL transection, and after performing a TTA. Stifles were loaded to create a constant tibiofemoral reaction force by maintaining the load parallel to the patellar ligament. Radiographs were taken in a preloaded and loaded state in the intact stifle and only in a loaded state after CrCL transection, and after performing a TTA. RESULTS: Loading the stifle joints after transection of the CrCL resulted in a mean lengthening of the CrCL marker distance of 22.4%. Loading the transected CrCL stifles after performing a TTA resulted in a mean shortening of the CrCL marker distance by 3.0% compared to the loaded intact condition. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that, in loaded stifles with transected CrCLs, TTA causes a caudal shift in the cranial shear force, counteracting cranial subluxation of the tibia

Mathematical identification of influential parameters on the elastic buckling of variable geometry plate

The problem of elastic stability of plates with square, rectangular, and circular holes as well as slotted holes was discussed. The existence of the hole reduces the deformation energy of the plate and it affects the redistribution of stress flow in comparison to a uniform plate which causes a change of the external operation of compressive forces. The distribution of compressive force is defined as the approximate model of plane state of stress. The significant parameters of elastic stability compared to the uniform plate, including the dominant role of the shape, size, and orientation of the hole were identified. Comparative analysis of the shape of the hole was carried out on the data from the literature, which are based on different approaches and methods. Qualitative and quantitative accordance of the results has been found out and it verifies exposed methodology as applicable in the study of the phenomenon of elastic stability. Sensitivity factor is defined that is proportional to the reciprocal value of the buckling coefficient and it is a measure of sensitivity of plate to the existence of the hole. Mechanism of loss of stability is interpreted through the absorption of the external operation, induced by the shape of the hole. © 2013 Mirko Djelosevic et al