The changing face of innovation policy: implications for the Northern Ireland economy

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Taking services seriously: how policy can stimulate the 'hidden innovation' in the UK’s services economy

Policy could have an important role in stimulating innovation in services. However, policymakers have lacked robust evidence showing how these sectors innovate. Drawing on a survey of more than 16,000 firms, this research reveals the high levels of ‘hidden innovation’ in some services sectors, especially in how they develop new business models and exploit technology. But the research also reveals that innovation is confined to a minority of service firms, and that many lack the skilled personnel or intelligence on markets and technology that would enable them to become more innovative. Because of their dominance in the economy, improved performance by the UK’s services sectors is necessary if we are to significantly close the productivity gap between the UK and other leading nations. However, if we are to take innovation in services seriously, we must recognise that they innovate differently from advanced manufacturing. We need policies to support increased training and development, and the effective dissemination and exploitation of technology

Spatial Patterns of Technology Diffusion: An Empirical Analysis Using TFP

We investigate the spatial distribution of TFP growth rates using exploratory spatial data analysis and other spatial econometric techniques. Our sample consists of 73 countries and covers the period 1960-2000. We identify significant positive spatial autocorrelation in TFP growth rates, indicating that high and low values tend to be clustered in space. We also find strong positive spatial autocorrelation in TFP levels, which has increased over the period 1960-2000. This result may be indicative of a tendency towards clustering over time, a conclusion reinforced by our finding of two clusters of high TFP growth rates (in Europe and South East Asia), and two clusters of low TFP growth rates (in the Andean region and Sub-Saharan Africa). We estimate the Nelson and Phelps (1966) model of technology diffusion while allowing for spatial dependence in the error term. Our estimation results suggest that both the growth rate and the level of human capital have an important effect on productivity growth rates. JEL:I2,O4,C21. Keywords: human capital, technology diffusion, spatial econometrics.

Migration and inter-industry mobility of UK graduates: Effect on earnings and career satisfaction

Career progression is often associated with migration and/or industry change, but the relationship between the two, and their effect on the earnings and career satisfaction of recent graduates are not well understood. We analyse the relationship between migration and inter-industry mobility using longitudinal microdata on 5,000 recent UK graduates who finished their studies in 2002/03, and who were surveyed 6 months and 3 ½ years after graduation. We define migration as a move of more than 15 km from the location of employment, and analyse the effects of a locational move in conjuction, or in the absence of, a change in industry. We allow for the possibility of selection bias, whereby unobservable characteristics may lead graduates to both change their location and/or industry, and earn a higher or lower salary, by estimating a treatment effects model with multinomial choice. Our results indicate that the effect on both earnings and career satisfaction of a change in location is positive, and there is a strong negative effect associated with changing both location and industry. The results also show that the subject of study is an important determinant of both migration choice and career outcomes for UK graduates.

Agro forestry systems and food security among smallholder farmers of the Brazilian Amazon: A strategy for environmental global crisis

The Amazon is known for its environmental importance for the climatic equilibrium, for its abundance and richness in biodiversity and its preservation is important to reduce global heating. Nevertheless, little research has analysed the possible positive role of the local farm population for environmental conservation. The paper investigates the possibility to conciliate the environmental conservation with the small farming expansion in the Amazon, to build agrobiodiversity, and at the same time improve food security. This social practice consequently would contribute to the reduction of deforestation and could thus falsify the old diagnosis of incriminating the poor farmers for forest and soil destruction. The study was conducted by the Associação de Produtores Alternativos, localized in territory of Ouro Preto d’ Oeste, Rondônia, in the Southwest of the Amazon. The study documented a number of forest preservation and agroecological methods used and concludes that institutional support to strengthening of social organization and local sustainable development projects is fundamental for the consolidation and amplification of the ecological experiences in the Amazon

Gênero e Sexualidade na Escola: Percepções de Estudantes do Ensino Médio

TCC(especialização) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Filosofia de Ciências Humanas. Gênero e Diversidade na Escola.O presente trabalho é o resultado da pesquisa realizada para a conclusão do Curso de Especialização em Gênero e Diversidade na Escola, do Instituto de Estudos de Gênero da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Possui como objetivo geral analisar as percepções dos estudantes de ensino médio sobre os projetos envolvendo gênero e sexualidade na Escola de Educação Básica Coronel Antônio Lehmkuhl. Quanto à metodologia utilizada, foram realizadas quatro entrevistas individuais semiestruturadas com estudantes do ensino médio que participaram do projeto durante três anos. Os principais resultados apontam que mesmo não conseguindo atingir a todas/os, o projeto provocou transformações efetivas nas ações e falas de alunos e alunas, de modo que a consciência sobre a necessidade de respeito e aceitação do/a outro/a é consenso. Ressaltou também que a escola não é a única responsável pelas percepções sobre gênero e sexualidade de alunas e alunos, sendo estas resultados de processos, experiências e vivências históricas, sociais e culturais.The present work is the result of the research done for the conclusion of the Specialization Course on Gender and Diversity in School, from the Gender Studies Institute of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). It presents as general objective to analyze the perceptions of high school students about the projects involving gender and sexuality in the School of Basic Education Coronel Antônio Lehmkuhl. As for the methodology used, four individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with high school students who participated in the project for three years. The main results point out that even though it did not reach all of them, the project provoked effective transformations in the actions and speeches of students, the awareness on the need for respect and acceptance of the other is a consensus. This work emphasized that the school is not the only agent responsable for the perceptions about gender and sexuality of students, which is a combination of processes with historical, social and cultural experiences

Suitable control choices: exploring the roles of clean air suits and scrub suits in infection control

Experts in infection control are often asked about issues related to the use of scrubs and clean air suits in the operating room (OR). So far there is no clear explanation or mandatory obligation why the surgical team has to wear clean air suits or scrub suits in ORs and, more importantly, what the main differences are between these two types of clothing. There is a general perception that the two are equal or very similar. So, what are clean air suits and scrub suits? Where did the concept and employ originate? Are they necessary from an infection control point of view? Are they useful in preventing or controlling transmission of infection? Clean air suits are considered Class I medical devices according to the definition and classification rules of the consolidated EU directive 93/42/EC as amended by 2007/47/ EC, while scrub suits don’t have any regulation for their use in a hospital

Reprocessing single-use devices: legislative issues in the EU

Reprocessing single-use medical devices raises issues of patient safety, ethics, the environment and costs. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of the problems related to the reprocessing of single-use medical devices in the EU, with a focus on Portugal’s position regarding this issue.The financial funding from QREN, POFC, Vale Inovação Project Nº 2012/24228 is gratefully acknowledged.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio