Go East! I mercati adriatici come bacino di collaborazione e opportunit\ue0 di internazionalizzazione per le PMI del Nord Est

e Piccole e Medie Imprese (PMI) che approcciano i mercati internazionali risultano condizionate da almeno due fattori inibitori: la cosiddetta \u201cliability of foreigness\u201d \u2013 con cui si intende la scarsa conoscenza degli usi, costumi, delle leggi e delle istituzioni che caratterizzano un determinato mercato \u2013 e la \u201cliability of smallness\u201d. Quest\u2019ultima \u2013 anche intesa come \u201cvincolo dimensionale\u201d e pertanto riferita alla limitata disponibilit\ue0 di risorse e competenze a supporto dei processi di internazionalizzazione \u2013 rappresenta a detta di molti uno dei principali fattori che limitano il processo di espansione internazionale della piccola impresa

Antecedents and determinants of high-tech SMEs’ commercialisation enablers: opening the black box of open innovation practices

Innovation activities have become globalised and open in ways that were unimaginable 20 years ago. These changes have brought new insight into research on innovation activities and specific innovation practices in organisations, including that previous research largely ignored small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper tests a variance-based structural equation model (SEM) for selected antecedents and determinants of commercialisation enablers on a sample of 105 SMEs from Slovenia – a small, open, post-transition economy with a dominant SME sector. The main contribution of the paper lies in testing how two specific open innovation practices (open innovation information exchange and open innovation collaboration) impact the commercialisation enablers of high-tech SMEs through their innovation activities (antecedent) and their innovativeness (determinant). Both open innovation practices show statistically significant effect on high-tech SMEs’ innovativeness, thus supporting the idea that both collaboration and information exchange lead to more innovativeness in high-tech SMEs. They also show a high impact of internal (organisational) factors on innovation activities of and a high impact of innovativeness on the commercialisation enablers of high-tech SMEs

Are Better Workers Also Better Humans? On Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement in the Workplace and Conflicting Societal Domains

The article investigates the sociocultural implications of the changing modern workplace and of pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE) as a potential adaptive tool from the viewpoint of social niche construction. We will attempt to elucidate some of the sociocultural and technological trends that drive and influence the characteristics of this specific niche, and especially to identify the kind of capabilities and adaptations that are being promoted, and to ascertain the capabilities and potentialities that might become diminished as a result. In this context, we will examine what PCE is, and how and why it might be desirable as a tool for adaptation within the workplace. As human beings are, or at least should be allowed to be, more than merely productive, able-bodied and able-minded workers, we will further examine how adaptation to the workplace niche could result in problems in other domains of modern societal life that require the same or other cognitive capabilities. In this context we will also focus on the concept of responsibility and how it pertains to PCE and the modern workplace niche. This will shed some light on the kind of trends related to workplace niche construction, PCE and capability promotion that we can expect in the future, and on the contexts in which this might be either beneficial or detrimental to the individual as a well-rounded human being, and to other members of society

Prenatal Hyperandrogenization Induces Metabolic and Endocrine Alterations Which Depend on the Levels of Testosterone Exposure

Prenatal hyperandrogenism is able to induce polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in rats. The aim of the present study was to establish if the levels of prenatal testosterone may determine the extent of metabolic and endocrine alterations during the adult life. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were prenatally injected with either 2 or 5 mg free testosterone (groups T2 and T5 respectively) from day 16 to day 19 day of gestation. Female offspring from T2 and T5 displayed different phenotype of PCOS during adult life. Offspring from T2 showed hyperandrogenism, ovarian cysts and ovulatory cycles whereas those from T5 displayed hyperandrogenism, ovarian cysts and anovulatory cycles. Both group showed increased circulating glucose levels after the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT; an evaluation of insulin resistance). IPGTT was higher in T5 rats and directly correlated with body weight at prepubertal age. However, the decrease in the body weight at prepubertal age was compensated during adult life. Although both groups showed enhanced ovarian steroidogenesis, it appears that the molecular mechanisms involved were different. The higher dose of testosterone enhanced the expression of both the protein that regulates cholesterol availability (the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR)) and the protein expression of the transcriptional factor: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma). Prenatal hyperandrogenization induced an anti-oxidant response that prevented a possible pro-oxidant status. The higher dose of testosterone induced a pro-inflammatory state in ovarian tissue mediated by increased levels of prostaglandin E (PG) and the protein expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2, the limiting enzyme of PGs synthesis). In summary, our data show that the levels of testosterone prenatally injected modulate the uterine environment and that this, in turn, would be responsible for the endocrine and metabolic abnormalities and the phenotype of PCOS during the adult life

Economics of Technology Innovation for Sustainable Growth – With reference to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Innovation economics is geared towards harnessing the good in human ingenuity to bring about dynamic efficiency that result in changed habit formation of consumer choices in the market, together with high quality / performance of goods and services consumed by economic agents. In as much as the worries or concern that innovation bring, given its characteristics of creatively destroying existing ideas or product existence in the market, it can still be seen as the way forward in accumulating wealth creation, while increasing welfare opportunities for those who are ready to embrace change in a fiercely competitive environment. Figure 1 below provide a simple illustration of how cost-reducing innovation and technological change can be utilised to bring about positive gains in producer and consumer surplus (Riley, Online) which eventually result in lower prices, and the scope for an increase in real income of households or individuals

Antecedents and Determinants of High-tech SMEs’ Commercialisation Enablers: Opening the Black Box of Open Innovation Practices

Innovation activities have become globalised and open in ways that were unimaginable 20 years ago. These changes have brought new insight into research on innovation activities and specific innovation practices in organisations, including that previous research largely ignored small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper tests a variance-based structural equation model (SEM) for selected antecedents and determinants of commercialisation enablers on a sample of 105 SMEs from Slovenia – a small, open, post-transition economy with a dominant SME sector. The main contribution of the paper lies in testing how two specific open innovation practices (open innovation information exchange and open innovation collaboration) impact the commercialisation enablers of high-tech SMEs through their innovation activities (antecedent) and their innovativeness (determinant). Both open innovation practices show statistically significant effect on high-tech SMEs’ innovativeness, thus supporting the idea that both collaboration and information exchange lead to more innovativeness in high-tech SMEs. They also show a high impact of internal (organisational) factors on innovation activities of and a high impact of innovativeness on the commercialisation enablers of high-tech SMEs

RISIKOTECHNOLOGIEN UND ZEITGENÖSSISCHE SOZIALE HERAUSFORDERUNGEN: GEOENGINEERING IN DER RISIKOGESELLSCHAFT

Članak daje uvod u problematiku ljudski prouzročenih klimatskih promjena te društvenih, političkih i tehnoloških razvoja koji su doveli do širenja i konstruiranja ideja o geoinženjerskim intervencijama za ublažavanje očekivanih klimatskih promjena. Ujedno i smještava geoinženjering, koji je definiran kao inženjering okoline u velikom opsegu s namjerom djelovanja protiv učinaka promjena u atmosferskoj kemiji, u koncept društva rizika te tehnoloških pokušaja rješavanja suvremenih problema, koji su barem djelomično također društveno-kulturnog i ne samo tehničkog ili prirodnog podrijetla. Središnji dio namijenjen je analizi koja uključuje pregled i kategorizaciju pojedinih predloženih geoinženjerskih tehnika s obzirom na mehanizme djelovanja, predviđenu teorijsku učinkovitost očekivanog smanjivanja globalnog zatopljenja te možebitne nenamjerne negativne posljedice. Također raspravlja i o potencijalu navedenih geoinženjerskih tehnika za namjerno neprijateljsko korištenje u smislu tehnologija dvojne primjene. Zaključak sažima spoznaje iz analize i identifi cira najmanje rizične geoinženjerske tehnike. Kao što je razvidno, tehnike s najmanjim poznatim rizicima su baš one koje djeluju u najdužim vremenskim rasponima te su sposobne kompenzirati samo manji dio predviđenog globalnog zatopljenja, što znači da se mogu koristiti samo kao potpora mjerama za smanjivanje. Također donosi refleksiju o mjestu tehnologije i rizika u društvu rizika te o možebitnim opasnostima komercijalizacije geoinženjeringa, koja bi kroz mehanizme post-akademskog modela znanosti mogla dovesti do normalizacije i implementacije geoinženjerskih tehnika s najvećim potencijalnim nuspojavama. Konačno definira još možebitnu ulogu geoinženjeringa u svjetlu katastrofalnih globalnih promjena u okolišu te masovnih izumiranja vrsta u geološkoj povijesti života na Zemlji.The paper introduces the issue of man-made climate change as well as social, political and technological development that led to the construction and spread of the ideas about the ability of geo-engineering interventions to mitigate expected climate changes. At the same time geo-engineering, defined as large-scale environmental engineering able to counteract the changes in atmospheric chemistry, is observed together with the concept of risk society as well as technological attempts to resolve contemporary problems that are at least partially of socio-cultural and not only of technical or natural origin. The central part of the paper presents an overview and categorization of specific geo-engineering techniques considering their mechanisms, supposed theoretical efficiency to reduce global warming and possible unintended negative consequences. The paper also discusses the potential of mentioned geo-engineering techniques for purposeful adversarial use in the sense of dual-use technology. The concluding part summarizes the findings from the analysis and identifies geo-engineering techniques that involve the least risk. The paper also discusses the position of technology and risk in risk society, as well as possible dangers of the commercialization of geo-engineering that might, through post-academic models of science, lead to the normalization and implementation of those geo-engineering techniques that have the highest potential for side effects.Der vorliegende Artikel bietet eine Einführung in die Problematik der von Menschen verursachten Klimaänderungen, sowie der gesellschaftlichen, politischen und technologischen Entwicklungen, die zum Entstehen und zur Verbreitung der Ideen von Geoengineering-Eingriff en gebracht haben, zum Zweck der Milderung von zu erwartenden Klimaänderungen. Gleichzeitig wird der Geoengineering, der als Umweltengineering definiert ist und dessen Absicht größtenteils aus Aktivitäten gegen Folgen der Änderungen in der Atmosphärechemie besteht, in ein Konzept der Risikogesellschaft platziert und in die technologischen Versuche, die zeitgenössischen Probleme zu lösen, die wenigstens teilweise von gesellschaftlich- kulturellem und nicht nur technischem oder natürlichem Ursprung sind. Der mittlere Teil beinhaltet Analyse, Übersicht und Kategorisierung einzelner vorgeschlagener Geoengineering- Techniken mit Hinblick auf Wirkungsmechanismen, auf die vorgesehene theoretische Wirksamkeit der erwarteten Globalerwärmung und mögliche unabsichtliche negative Folgen. Auch erörtert man das Potenzial genannter Geoengineering-Techniken für absichtliche feindliche Nutzung im Sinne einer Technologie der dualen Anwendung. Der Schluss fasst Erkenntnisse der Analyse zusammen und identifi ziert die am wenigsten riskanten Geoengineering-Techniken. Im Artikel wird auch über die Stellung der Technologie und des Risikos reflektiert, sowie über mögliche Gefahren der Kommerzialisierung des Geoengineering, die durch Mechanismen des post-akademischen Wissenschaftsmodels zur Normalisierung und Implementierung von Geoengineering-Techniken mit den größten potentiellen Nebenwirkungen führen könnte