Contributions to the Development of a General Methodology for Innovation and Forecasting

The paper presents authors’ contributions to the achievement of a first variant of the innovation and forecasting methodology. The various tools of TRIZ methodology (laws of systems development set for technical systems, the matrix of contradictions, the 40 inventive principles, the 39 parameters, Su-Field analysis, the method of the 9 screens etc) are already available, or can be customised to the specific type of the organization system. The TRIZ methodology for economics was embedded in a more general methodology for innovation and forecasting. The eight laws of evolution systems were customised to economics. The authors also make a comparative analysis of the technical TRIZ matrix to the company management matrix. Based on the analysis performed, it can be concluded that a general methodology can be prepared for innovation and forecasting, making use of TRIZ methodology, by customising some classical instruments of the technical field, and bringing in other specific economic tools.innovation, forecasting, matrix, methodology, TRIZ.

The intersections between TRIZ and forecasting methodology

The authors’ intention is to correlate the basic knowledge in using the TRIZ methodology (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving or in Russian: Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch) as a problem solving tools meant to help the decision makers to perform more significant forecasting exercises. The idea is to identify the TRIZ features and instruments (40 inventive principles, i.e.) for putting in evidence the noise and signal problem, for trend identification (qualitative and quantitative tendencies) and support tools in technological forecasting, to make the decision-makers able to refine and to increase the level of confidence in the forecasting results. The interest in connecting TRIZ to forecasting methodology, nowadays, relates to the massive application of TRIZ methods and techniques for engineering system development world-wide and in growing application of TRIZ’s concepts and paradigms for improvements of non-engineering systems (including the business and economic applications).forecasting, TRIZ, methodology, problem solving.

Correlation between Total Unemployment and Expenses with Unemployed Social Protection in Romania

The goal of the study is to estimate the correlation between two important macroeconomicvariables in the labour market: the total unemployment rate over the active population (as dependentvariable), respectively the rate of social protection expenditures with the unemployment over GDP (asindependent or causal variable) in Romania. In order to achieve the goal, the following objectives wereachieved: a) the formation of time series and the statistical analysis for the two variables; b) designinga mono-factorial linear econometric model; c) estimation of the econometric model. The empirical dataused are quarterly data between January 1997 and December 2016. The data quality was provided byusing the following sources: EUROSTAT, respectively the Romanian Statistical Yearbook. The mainscientific results of the study are as follows: 1) statistically the time series of the two variables arestationary only at the level of the first order differences, the series of the independent variable is nonnormal,and the dependent variable is quasi-normal; 2) the estimation of the quantitative model showsthat there is a direct correlation (though weak, about 3%) between the dependent and the independentvariable. At the same time, there are no influences outside the independent variable (the free term ofthe first degree equation is approximately - 0.002). In conclusion, it can be said that the variation of thetotal unemployment rate in the active population is direct, albeit relatively weak, influenced by thechange in the rate of social protection expenditures in GDP

Estimation of Energy Potential for Solid Pyrolysis By-Products Using Analytical Methods

Waste can be converted into energy and value-added products by thermo-chemical processes. Pyrolysis represents the thermal degradation of the material under a non-oxidant atmosphere leading to generation of three products: char—solid, oil—liquid and pyrolysis gas. Pyrolysis process means a complex mechanism of reactions, endothermic and/or exothermic chemical reactions that occurs simultaneously and/or subsequently. The use of lignocellulosic and plastic waste for energy purposes leads to the production of solids that could replace much of the conventional fuels once energy conversion technologies will prove profitable. In this chapter the authors proposed to describe, analyze and apply analytical methods for the heating value estimation of the solid products generated by pyrolysis of different wood and plastic materials. Our results obtained by experimental studies and empirical formulas will be evaluated and compared. The impact of the thermo-chemical process operational conditions on the variation of chars and biochars heating value will be also discussed in this chapter

The Rural Tourism: Great Potential, Low Development.

The paper deals with an analysis of the European tourism. We operated during 2000-2010 time period, and we analysed the specific indicators of the tourism in Romania. Romanian tourism is low developed and depends powerfully on domestic demand. Neither the myth of the rural tourism in Romania is not real as long as the infrastructure is lamentable and the services are shoddy and expensive. Practically, the international touristic flows in the country are still low and mainly for business purposes. An optimal solution for Romanian tourism has to be focused on three elements: macroeconomic sustainable development, public financial support and a new touristic management approach, as well. The conclusions of the paper are followed by pertinent graphics, maps and diagrams

The End or a New Beginning for the European Union

The global crisis is far away of finishing. This is why all international organizations are cautious in making economic forecasts. On the other hand, the present crisis allowed the right evaluation for all regional and international integrated organizations. It was the point zero to define and redefine new mechanism, policies and priorities. Moreover, the slogan “think global and action local” should be revised and this paper tries to define a more adequate one

RHEOLOGY OF CHICKPEA PROTEIN CONCENTRATE DISPERSIONS

Chickpea proteins are used as ingredients in comminuted sausage products and many oriental textured foods. Rheological behaviour of chickpea protein concentrate was studied using a controlled stress rheometer. The protein dispersion prepared with phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 presented non-Newtonian shear thinning behaviour and rheological data well fitted to the Sisko, Carreau and Cross models. The viscoelastic properties of the chickpea protein suspensions were estimated by measuring the storage and loss moduli in oscillatory frequency conditions (0.1-10 Hz) at 20°C. Moreover, thermally induced gelation of the chickpea proteins (16, 24 and 36%) was studied at pH 7.0 and 4.5 in the temperature range 50 to 100oC and salt concentration ranging from 0 to 1 M. Gelling behaviour was quantified by means of dynamic rheological measurements. Gels formation was preceded by the decrease of storage modulus and loss moduli, coupled with the increase of the phase angle (delta). The beginning of thermal gelation was influenced by protein concentration, pH and salt level. In all studied cases, storage modulus increased rapidly in the temperature range 70-90°C. All rheological parameters measured at 90°C were significantly higher at pH 4.5 compared to pH 7.0

The Principle of Difference and Automatic Stabilizers in Social Justice

The paper presents some theoretical arguments regarding the issue of inequalities between individuals, inequalities which inevitably appear in the structure of any society and which can be analyzed on the base of a principle known and widely debated in the literature, the principle of difference and attenuated / solved by implementing automatic stabilizers in the area of control of the application of social justice. Thus, from the perspective of the author and the theme of the paper, the concepts of social justice with its two categories of commutative justice and distributive justice, elements of the theory of justice as equity, the Rawlsian concept of the principle of difference, the concept of automatic stabilizer in social justice. We consider that the design of an automatic stabilizer in the field of social justice and especially in the sphere of social distribution justice brings with it the desirability of avoiding the influence of the political factor in the decision to adjust the mechanism of distribution of the economic product of society

Correlation between Total Unemployment and Expenses with Unemployed Social Protection in Romania

The goal of the study is to estimate the correlation between two important macroeconomic variables in the labour market: the total unemployment rate over the active population (as dependent variable), respectively the rate of social protection expenditures with the unemployment over GDP (as independent or causal variable) in Romania. In order to achieve the goal, the following objectives were achieved: a) the formation of time series and the statistical analysis for the two variables; b) designing a mono-factorial linear econometric model; c) estimation of the econometric model. The empirical data used are quarterly data between January 1997 and December 2016. The data quality was provided by using the following sources: EUROSTAT, respectively the Romanian Statistical Yearbook. The main scientific results of the study are as follows: 1) statistically the time series of the two variables are stationary only at the level of the first order differences, the series of the independent variable is nonnormal, and the dependent variable is quasi-normal; 2) the estimation of the quantitative model shows that there is a direct correlation (though weak, about 3%) between the dependent and the independent variable. At the same time, there are no influences outside the independent variable (the free term of the first degree equation is approximately - 0.002). In conclusion, it can be said that the variation of the total unemployment rate in the active population is direct, albeit relatively weak, influenced by the change in the rate of social protection expenditures in GDP