Social Investment: An Introduction

On 14 May 2012, NPC and The Clothworkers' Company held a seminar for trustees who wanted to understand more about social investment. The attendees were exploring whether social investment could be a route increased financial resilience for their organisation. This report highlights the key themes discussed during the seminar, looking at the spectrum of social investment opportunities, understanding how to assess and manage risk, and ensuring a good fit between the type of investment and the purpose of the investment

A system for the simulation and evaluation of satellite communication networks

With the emergence of a new era in satellite communications brought about by NASA's thrust into the Ka band with multibeam and onboard processing technologies, new and innovative techniques for evaluating these concepts and systems are required. To this end, NASA, in conjunction with its extensive program for advanced communications technology development, has undertaken to develop a concept for the simulation and evaluation of a complete communications network. Incorporated in this network will be proof of concept models of the latest technologies proposed for future satellite communications systems. These include low noise receivers, matrix switches, baseband processors, and solid state and tube type high power amplifiers. To accomplish this, numerous supporting technologies must be added to those aforementioned proof of concept models. These include controllers for synchronization, order wire, and resource allocation, gain compensation, signal leveling, power augmentation, and rain fade and range delay simulation. Taken together, these will be assembled to comprise a system capable of addressing numerous design and performance questions. The simulation and evaluation system as planned will be modular in design and implementation, capable of modification and updating to track and evaluate a continuum emerging concepts and technologies

Technology achievements and projections for communication satellites of the future

Multibeam systems of the future using monolithic microwave integrated circuits to provide phase control and power gain are contrasted with discrete microwave power amplifiers from 10 to 75 W and their associated waveguide feeds, phase shifters and power splitters. Challenging new enabling technology areas include advanced electrooptical control and signal feeds. Large scale MMIC's will be used incorporating on chip control interfaces, latching, and phase and amplitude control with power levels of a few watts each. Beam forming algorithms for 80 to 90 deg. wide angle scanning and precise beam forming under wide ranging environments will be required. Satelllite systems using these dynamically reconfigured multibeam antenna systems will demand greater degrees of beam interconnectivity. Multiband and multiservice users will be interconnected through the same space platform. Monolithic switching arrays operating over a wide range of RF and IF frequencies are contrasted with current IF switch technology implemented discretely. Size, weight, and performance improvements by an order of magnitude are projected

Creative Clusters and City Growth

Considerable attention has been focused on the potential of the creative industries to contribute to economic development and regeneration. Creative clusters (networks of interconnected companies, and associated institutions operating in close proximity) are a favoured concept for identifying groups of companies on which to target intervention and through which to implement strategies for delivering this growth. Almost every region in the country now has a policy to target key local creative clusters. Recently clusters have been promoted as a means of encouraging the regeneration of deprived inner city areas (Porter, 1995) and this US inspired model of business led regeneration has led to the introduction of the City Growth Strategy (CGS) initiative in the UK. This paper draws on the work of an on-going evaluation of one of the initial pilot City Growth areas - the City Fringe area of London where six different creative clusters are being targeted as a means of stimulating economic development and social inclusion in the area. Drawing on baseline research with one of the most established clusters (jewellery) the paper explores the degree to which the jewellery cluster gains competitive advantage from clustering in its inner city location, and the extent to which it is able to contribute to the regeneration of the local area. It thus provides a critique of Porter’s theory and contributes to our understanding of the extent to which creative clusters can act as a tool for inner city regeneratio

The simple economics of labor standards and the Gatt

labour standardsGATT