The impact of the electricity tariff reform on renewable energies and energy efficiency investments: The case of the Italian residential market

This article investigates the impact that the electricity tariff reform is likely to have on investments in renewable energies (i.e., photovoltaics) and the adoption of energy efficiency measures (i.e., installation of heat pumps and efficient home appliances) in the residential market in Italy. The study develops detailed cost comparisons and simulations considering two different investment scenarios (before and after the reform) to conclude that the reform will: (i) have a negative impact on investments in photovoltaic systems; (ii) favor the adoption of energy efficiency measures, such as efficient home appliances

How firms use inbound Open Innovation practices over time: evidence from an exploratory multiple case study analysis

Firms are increasingly making use of Open Innovation in an attempt to get the most out of external ideas and knowledge in their innovation processes. The existing research on Open Innovation documents a broad set of practices that firms may use to implement inbound Open Innovation, which entail various degrees of integration with the external partner. There is also empirical evidence showing how firms move from a closed to an open approach to innovation over time. However, there is limited empirical work that documents if and how firms that start using open innovation change and evolve the practices through which inbound open innovation is implemented over time. This paper, relying on an exploratory analysis of nine case studies, adopts a temporal perspective to examine how and why firms use different practices for inbound open innovation over time, with attempts at offering a tentative explanation of the underlying drivers triggering this evolution. This paper contributes to the scholarly debate on the organisational enablers of Open Innovation and provides managers involved in open innovation activities with insights into the factors that may determine changes in their use of different inbound open innovation practices over time

The role of product design in circular economy business models

Circular economy business models have undoubtedly become a hot topic nowadays both in academia and among industrial practitioners and companies. In this paper, we focus on the product design practices that can be conceived in circular economy business models along two major dimensions: (i) the value network, i.e. the ways through which companies interact with suppliers and reorganize their own internal activities, and (ii) the customer value proposition and interface, i.e. the implementation of the circularity concept in proposing value to customers. Therefore, a theoretical framework of product design practices for circular economy business models is proposed and tested on a case study of an Italian manufacturing company.17-20 June 201

Towards the diffusion of smart buildings: The economic viability of the adoption of a home automation system in an existing building

Home Automation systems represent one of the most promising technologies for energy efficiency, which is currently considered one of main factors enabling an environmental sustainable growth. However, several barriers hinder a massive diffusion of Home Automation systems and their economic viability. The paper aims to analyze the economic viability of the adoption of a Home Automation system in different scenarios: the first one refers to the sole adoption of a Home Automation system, the second one concerns the adoption of the Home Automation system in addition to other energy efficiency technologies, while the third one also includes the installation of a PV plant. The economic simulations, based on a 200 m2house located in Northern Italy and built in the 1980's, performed using the traditional discounted cash flow methodologies (i.e. Net Present Value, Pay-Back Time and Internal Rate of Return), show that the adoption of the Home Automation system without other technologies for energy efficiency and the support of the electricity produced by RES - i.e. the first scenario - is the most profitable one

Towards the New Concept of Smart Roads: Regulatory Framework and Emerging Projects Overview

The evolution of the transportation sector enabled by the diffusion of smart roads represent a valuable opportunities for all the stakeholders involved, starting from and users (i.e. drivers) themselves and companies at the different stages of the value chain. Such evolution is driven not only by technology development, but also by the regulatory framework at national and supranational level. The analysis of some first experiences related to the implementation of smart roads concepts shows a certain level of heterogeneity among analyzed projects, none of them realized in Italy. In order to exploit such an opportunity, the Italian regulatory framework regarding transportation systems in Italy has been analyzed. It emerges that some improvements are required compared to the European context, e.g. the definition of technological standards

Smart Energy Management of a Railway Station

The world is becoming more and more sensitive to environmental issues such as the spread of pollutant emission due to energy consumption. A reduction of pollution can be achieved by using renewable resources to produce green electric energy and by increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and other energy users. A railway station is a building where a big amount of energy is consumed, therefore the identification of energy efficiency opportunities represents a fundamental issue. The aim of this work is to analyze energy consumption of a primary railway station in Milan in order to find out possible ways to improve it

Knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in the arts and crafts industry: a literature review

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive academic literature review on the relationship between knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in a specific subset of the creative industry, i.e. arts and crafts organizations. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations help increase performance and enhance the value of the activity of the so-called “knowledge workers” (i.e. craftsmen), who are the real knowledge owners in the process of value creation. Design/methodology/approach: The literature review follows the model suggested by Vom Brocke et al. (2009). The review follows a five-phase approach so as to be systematic, transparent and replicable. Academic contributions published over two periods are taken into consideration. The first period covers the years 1990-2000, when the concepts of creative industry and knowledge-based economy were developed. The second period covers the years 2000-2016, when scholars started to investigate how to effectively transfer knowledge (very often in the form of “tacit knowledge”) retained by master craftsmen in arts and crafts organizations and the critical role played by craftsmen in the performance of such organizations. Findings: Three main issues have emerged: how arts and crafts organizations manage and transfer knowledge internally; the effects of these activities on organizational performance; and the prominent role of craftsmen. The literature review shows how in arts and crafts organizations there is a considerable link between the concepts of “performance" and "tacit knowledge", even though addressing such link is somehow hard to realize, for several reasons discussed in the paper. The measurement of performance in arts and crafts organizations has become an area of academic investigation only when both the role of knowledge management and transfer and the role of knowledge workers (i.e., craftsmen) have become evident for obtaining a competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications: This paper has been an attempt to organize existing studies on knowledge management and transfer and to investigate the relationship existing between knowledge and performance in arts and crafts organizations. Nevertheless, the relationship between knowledge and performance is yet to be explored, as well as the development of techniques for measuring arts and crafts organizations’ performance effectively. The present contribution calls for a systematic reflection on how the transfer of traditional craftsmen’s skills impacts organizational performances in the long run. The definition and implementation of new performance evaluations criteria tailored to enhance the tacit knowledge of craftsmen as a real source of differentiation and competitive advantage for the arts and crafts organizations is somehow still missing. Practical implications: By pursuing its objectives, the present contribution aims to represent a step toward enabling arts and crafts organizations to play a vital role in the modern society in a more structured way. This would help to build awareness of the potential of arts and crafts organizations for promoting economic growth, proposing a value proposition different from the one dictated by the globalization and by the triumph of product standardization and mass production. Originality/value: Analyzing the knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations with a historical perspective, it appears that the recognition in academic literature of the centrality of knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations is only recent (i.e. from 2011 onward). Indeed, for approximately 20 years (i.e. 1990-2010), knowledge has been constantly related to technological paradigms and standardized results, with very little research and debate on craftsmanship and the role of craftsmen. Nevertheless, the research shows that over the years, the focus on knowledge in arts and crafts organizations and knowledge transfer has become progressively more detailed and precise: some authors have studied the role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy according to a historical perspective, while some others have analyzed different types of knowledge more thoroughly. For example, Sveiby (1997, 1996), analyzing the concept of "knowing talent" and "tradition", outlines a more prominent role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy and explain how, in sectors with a strong traditional background, the transfer of tacit knowledge is a meaningful challenge for many organizations