Reverse Innovation for the New Mobility

The confluence of increasing urbanization with climate change, and the associated need to decarbonize the economy, is driving urgency for the global adoption and diffusion of sustainable scalable solutions. IT-enabled, multi-modal transportation, often referred to as the “new mobility”, is making inroads in developed and emerging economies alike. Local emerging market entrepreneurs as well as multinationals, seeking transformative innovation strategies to open up new markets are engaging in this rapidly growing industry. This has created an opportunity for innovative indigenous firms in emerging economies to either scale internationally on their own or partner with (often Western) multinationals to define frugal products, services, and business models that address recession-constrained Western markets. Part and parcel to this shift in global engagement is the emergence of a new product development strategy, referred to as reverse innovation (RI). Here, we seek to explore the nexus of RI and the new mobility opportunity, by explicitly recognizing the spillover effects of knowledge transfer and economic development through local firms and, more broadly, the supply chains that internationalize. In fact, some Western companies are outsourcing RI to emerging economy partner firms, thus shifting historical cost-based relationships to value-based engagements. At the core, lies a radical shift in how products and processes are designed, to include: stripping out complexity without sacrificing customer experience; a high degree of customization not through features but by re-using underlying platforms; and customization at the latest stage of the value chain so as to not disrupt materials, components, and subsystems. The potential implications of RI designs and business models on the adoption of frugal innovations in the West are explored, and paths to engaging entrepreneurs in emerging economies are highlighted.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98984/1/1193_PAdriaens.pd

Field Structuration Around New Issues: Clean Energy Entrepreneurialism in Emerging Economies

This research contributes to the literature on emerging industries by examining how an organizational field takes form as a new entrepreneurial venture arises and is legitimized. Clean energy firms face unprecedented challenges, arising in emerging economies where energy infrastructure is inadequate or non-existent. These are local contexts where there are no preexisting related industries, yet the intent is to diffuse renewable energy widely to an extent that it could spur broader local economic development.This research proposes that in the absence of legitimacy-building mimetic, normative and regulative mechanisms, unique types of endorsements legitimize and enable new firms in nascent industries.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94215/1/1180_Adriaens.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94215/4/1180_DecPAdriaens.pd

Leveraging Physical Assets for Value Creation Through Cleanweb Firms - the Finnish Cleantech Space in Transition

Cleantech has made a respectable comeback onto the global agenda of firms, investors and economic developers alike. In the midst of the resurgence, Finnish CleanTech has been recognized globally. Indeed, recent rankings placed Finland in the top-3 of global leaders in cleantech, along with Israel and the US. This paper takes a closer look at the Finnish commercial cleantech space and scrutinizes it in light of select indicators such as degree of specialization into cleantech, type of industrial activity, generation of value added, financial performance as well as type and volume of intellectual property generated. Three insights stand out: First, the Finnish cleantech space is dominated by manufacturing-driven businesses. Second, consumer-oriented technical innovations seem to be rare. And third, the engine of industrial renewal – the small and medium-sized firms – appears to struggle with financial sustainability. The ability to shift gears from manufacturing- to service-driven businesses may be compromised if the low financial viability of small and medium sized companies turns out to be more than a statistical anomaly. These firms have the capacity to transition conventional industry boundaries to develop novel business models and open new markets. Poor financial performance would impact long-term development of the cleantech space in Finland. Given the central role of information technology in cleantech 3.0 businesses, there is an opportunity to leverage the innovative capacity of the Finnish ICT industry to: (a) accelerate the adoption of green solutions, (b) drive economic growth, and (c) render cleantech companies not only profitable, but also attractive investments.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111743/1/1279_ Adriaens.pd

Effect of water quality on waterbugs (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha & Nepomorpha) in Flanders (Belgium) : results from a large-scale field survey

Macroinvertebrates have been collected in Flanders since 1989 by the Flemish Environment Agency to assess ecological water quality. During the present study, the collected waterbugs were identified to species level. In total, more than 90 000 waterbugs were identified, belonging to 45 species. Two of these are recent additions to Flemish fauna: Sigara iactans was found to be a common species in 1989, the first year of monitoring, which is earlier than the first records reported so far, whereas Cymatia rogenhoferi remains a very rare species. Five different communities could be recognized: (1) species occurring in alkaline waters with a high pH, (2) species occurring in colder waters that can tolerate slightly brackish and nutrient rich water, (3) species from running waters, (4) species from acidic waters and (5) ubiquist species that occurred in all types of water. Owing to the general improvement of chemical water quality during the last decade, most species increased, however, three pollution tolerant species declined significantly: Callicorixa praeusta, Corixa punctata and Sigara striata

In Vitro Selection of Mercury (II)- and Arsenic (V)-Dependent RNA-Cleaving DNAzymes

Abstract DNAzymes (or catalytic DNA) are cell-free biomolecular recognition tools with target recognition sequences for charged molecules such as metal ions, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals. In this study, using in vitro selection, large populations (e.g., 1015) of random DNA sequences were used as the raw material for the selection of “catalytic or functional molecules” for Hg2+ and As5+. From a random pool of 45-nt (Pool-A) and 35-nt (Pool-B) templates, we isolated RNA-cleaving catalytic Hg2+- and As5+- active DNAzymes, respectively. After eight cycles of selection and amplification wihin Pool A, sequences were enriched with a 54% cleavage efficiency against Hg2+. Similarly, Pool B was found to catalyze ca. 18% cleavage efficiency against As5+ after 10 cycles of repeated selection and amplification. The M-fold software analysis resulted in sequences in the two active pools being dominated by AATTCCGTAGGTCCAGTG and ATCTCCTCCTGTTC functional motifs for Hg2+- and As5+-based catalysis, respectively. These DNAzymes were found to have higher activity in the presence of transition metal ions compared to alkaline earth metal ions. A maximum cleavage rate of 2.7 min−1 for Hg2+ was found to be highest in our study at a saturating concentration of 500 μM. Results demonstrate that DNAzymes are capable of selectively binding transition metal ions, and catalytic rates are at par with most Mg2+-dependent nucleic acid enzymes under similar conditions, and indicate their potential as metal species-specific biosensors.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63396/1/ees.2006.0026.pd

In Vitro Selection of Hg (II) and As (V)-Dependent RNA-Cleaving DNAzymes

DNAzymes (or catalytic DNA) are cell-free biomolecular recognition tools with target recognition sequences for charged molecules such as metal ions, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals. In this study, using in vitro selection, large populations (e.g., 1015) of random DNA sequences were used as the raw material for the selection of "catalytic or functional molecules" for Hg2+ and As5+. From a random pool of 45-nt (Pool-A) and 35-nt (Pool-B) templates, we isolated RNA-cleaving catalytic Hg2+- and As5+-active DNAzymes, respectively. After eight cycles of selection and amplification wihin Pool A, sequences were enriched with a 54% cleavage efficiency against Hg2+. Similarly, Pool-B was found to catalyze ca. 18% cleavage efficiency against As5+ after 10 cycles of repeated selection and amplification. The M-fold software analysis resulted in sequences in the two active pools being dominated by "AATTCCGTAGGTCCAGTG" and "ATCTCCTCCTGTTC" functional motifs for Hg2+- and As5+-based catalysis, respectively. These DNAzymes were found to have higher activity in the presence of transition metal ions compared to alkaline earth metal ions. A maximum cleavage rate of 2.7 min−1 for Hg2+ was found to be highest in our study at a saturating concentration of 500 µM. The results demonstrate that DNAzymes are capable of selectively binding transition metal ions, and catalytic rates are at par with most Mg2+-dependent nucleic acid enzymes under similar conditions, and indicate their potential as metal-species specific biosensors.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63104/1/ees.2007.24.73.pd

The electrochemistry of a gelatin modified gold electrode

This paper discusses the electrochemical behaviour of gelatin coated gold electrodes in physiological pH conditions in a potential window -1.5 till 1.0 V vs SCE by performing cyclic voltammetry. A comparison is made between gelatin A and gelatin B, which have respectively a positive and a negative net charge at physiological pH. The deposition of gelatin onto the gold surface is confirmed by means of attenuated total reflection-infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopic analyses