Knowledge Base, Exporting Activities, Innovation Openness and Innovation Performance: A SEM Approach Towards a Unifying Framework

In this paper we demonstrate the complexity that regulates the innovation-exports nexus. In particular we argue that innovation and exports should be treated as latent variables in order to account for as many facets possible thus, accounting for multifaceted heterogeneity. In this context, the role of innovation openness ought to be highlighted within a unified framework, as it is considered an additional activity of firms' knowledge creation strategy. In this line, innovation and exporting orientation are ruled by the firms' strategic mix comprised of internal knowledge creation processes and the diversity of innovation openness. Theoretical and empirical links between these major components are identified and measured employing a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach on a sample of Greek R&D-active manufacturing firms. Empirical findings corroborate the complexity of relationships and indicate that the firms' knowledge base and open innovation strategy regulate via complementary and substitution relationships firms' innovation and export performance

Direct and social genetic parameters for growth and fin damage traits in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).

Background The aim of the study was to estimate genetic parameters for direct and social genetic effects (SGE) for growth and welfare traits in farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). A SGE refers to the effect of an individual’s genes on trait performance of its social partners. In total, 2100 individually tagged juveniles from 100 families at an average age of 222 days post-hatching were used. Each family was separated into three groups of seven fish, and were randomly assigned to 100 experimental tanks, together with fish from two other families. Body weight and length of the first, second and third dorsal fin and the caudal fin measured by digital image analysis were measured at the start of the experiment, after two weeks, and after six weeks. Fin erosion was scored subjectively after six weeks. Variance components estimated using a conventional animal model were compared to those of an animal model including a SGE. Results Heritabilities from the conventional animal model ranged from 0.24 to 0.34 for body weight and 0.05 to 0.80 for fin length. Heritabilities for fin erosion were highest for the first dorsal fin (0.83¿±¿0.08, mean¿±¿standard error) and lowest for the third dorsal fin (0.01¿±¿0.04). No significant SGE were found for body weight, whereas SGE for fin lengths were significant after two and six weeks. Contributions to the total heritable variance were equal to 21.5% (6.1¿±¿2.1) for the direct effect, 33.1% (9.4¿±¿3.2) for the direct-social covariance, and 45.4% (12.9¿±¿4.1) for the social variance for length of the first dorsal fin. For fin erosion, SGE were only significant for the second and third dorsal fin. Conclusions Including SGE for fin length and fin erosion in the animal model increased the estimated heritable variation. However, estimates of total heritable variances were inaccurate and a larger experiment is needed to accurately quantify total heritable variance. Despite this, our results demonstrate that considering social breeding values for fin length or fin erosion when selecting fish will enable us to improve response to selection for welfare traits in Atlantic cod juveniles

BENEFISH: A European project to put a cost on fish welfare actions.

BENEFISH is a research project funded under the European Commission Sixth Framework initiative. It aims to develop bio-economic models that establish the effects of welfare actions (i.e. measures taken to safeguard welfare) on value chains within the European aquaculture industry, including both production related elements such as growth and feed efficiency, and societal elements such as consumer added value. The project includes wide and integrated scientific competence, which incorporates biological knowledge about fish welfare, industrial knowledge about practical farming, societal knowledge about consumer perception and economical knowledge about bio-economical development. This paper provides an overview of BENEFISH and explains how the project is structured to address its complex multidisciplinary aims. It also outlines how the project consortium plans to achieve its goal of developing bio-economic models relating to fish welfare