The Notion of "Sustainable Development"

The notion of ‘sustainable development’ was introduced on the political agenda by the World Commission on Environment and Development through its report (WCED, 1987), also called the Brundtland Report. Since the publication of the Brundtland Report the notion of sustainability has been used (and abused) a rich variety of ways. The present purpose is to give a clarifying interpretation of this notion. We will consider sustainability to be a requirement for a just distribution of quality of life between generations. The question of intergenerational justice has become a question of increasing importance in the latter years, since it is now in the capacity of the current generation to ruin the natural and environmental resource base of our descendants

The Notion of "Sustainable Development"

The notion of ‘sustainable development’ was introduced on the political agenda by the World Commission on Environment and Development through its report (WCED, 1987), also called the Brundtland Report. Since the publication of the Brundtland Report the notion of sustainability has been used (and abused) a rich variety of ways. The present purpose is to give a clarifying interpretation of this notion. We will consider sustainability to be a requirement for a just distribution of quality of life between generations. The question of intergenerational justice has become a question of increasing importance in the latter years, since it is now in the capacity of the current generation to ruin the natural and environmental resource base of our descendants

The Notion of "Sustainable Development"

The notion of ‘sustainable development’ was introduced on the political agenda by the World Commission on Environment and Development through its report (WCED, 1987), also called the Brundtland Report. Since the publication of the Brundtland Report the notion of sustainability has been used (and abused) a rich variety of ways. The present purpose is to give a clarifying interpretation of this notion. We will consider sustainability to be a requirement for a just distribution of quality of life between generations. The question of intergenerational justice has become a question of increasing importance in the latter years, since it is now in the capacity of the current generation to ruin the natural and environmental resource base of our descendants.sustainable development, economics

Some studies on the deformation of the membrane in an RF MEMS switch

Radio Frequency (RF) switches of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are appealing to the mobile industry because of their energy efficiency and ability to accommodate more frequency bands. However, the electromechanical coupling of the electrical circuit to the mechanical components in RF MEMS switches is not fully understood. In this paper, we consider the problem of mechanical deformation of electrodes in RF MEMS switch due to the electrostatic forces caused by the difference in voltage between the electrodes. It is known from previous studies of this problem, that the solution exhibits multiple deformation states for a given electrostatic force. Subsequently, the capacity of the switch that depends on the deformation of electrodes displays a hysteresis behaviour against the voltage in the switch. We investigate the present problem along two lines of attack. First, we solve for the deformation states of electrodes using numerical methods such as finite difference and shooting methods. Subsequently, a relationship between capacity and voltage of the RF MEMS switch is constructed. The solutions obtained are exemplified using the continuation and bifurcation package AUTO. Second, we focus on the analytical methods for a simplified version of the problem and on the stability analysis for the solutions of deformation states. The stability analysis shows that there exists a continuous path of equilibrium deformation states between the open and closed state

Local Nodes in Global Networks: The Geography of Knowledge Flows in Biotechnology Innovation

The literature on innovation and interactive learning has tended to emphasize the importance of local networks, inter-firm collaboration and knowledge flows as the principal source of technological dynamism. More recently, however, this view has come to be challenged by other perspectives that argue for the importance of non-local knowledge flows. According to this alternative approach, truly dynamic economic regions are characterized both by dense local social interaction and knowledge circulation, as well as strong inter-regional and international connections to outside knowledge sources and partners. This paper offers an empirical examination of these issues by examining the geography of knowledge flows associated with innovation in biotechnology. We begin by reviewing the growing literature on the nature and geography of innovation in biotechnology research and the commercialization process. Then, focusing on the Canadian biotech industry, we examine the determinants of innovation (measured through patenting activity), paying particular attention to internal resources and capabilities of the firm, as well as local and global flows of knowledge and capital. Our study is based on the analysis of Statistics Canada’s 1999 Survey of Biotechnology Use and Development, which covers 358 core biotechnology firms. Our findings highlight the importance of in-house technological capability and absorptive capacity as determinants of successful innovation in biotechnology firms. Furthermore, our results document the precise ways in which knowledge circulates, in both embodied and disembodied forms, both locally and globally. We also highlight the role of formal intellectual property transactions (domestic and international) in promoting knowledge flows. Although we document the importance of global networks in our findings, our results also reveal the value of local networks and specific forms of embedding. Local relational linkages are especially important when raising capital—and the expertise that comes with it—to support innovation. Nevertheless, our empirical results raise some troubling questions about the alleged pre-eminence of the local in fostering innovation

Regional environments and sector developments: the biotech sector in Oxfordshire

This paper explores the interdependence between national policy, the local characteristics of the UK’s biotechnology sectoral system of innovation and the growth of Oxfordshire’s biotech sector. It considers on the one hand the county’s research capacity and on the other its innovation performance. The latter is captured by a series of indicators from a recently completed study of the sector, recording the sector’s evolution both in the number of firms and their employment size, their status (independent, merged/acquired), product group and contribution to local employment and wealth creation. It considers the implications of the relative weaknesses in the system of innovation in this sector which relate to an underperformance of its firms in relation to the strength of the science base

Agency and economic change in regions: identifying routes to new path development using qualitative comparative analysis

This paper investigates the role of human agency in 40 phases of regional economic development in 12 Nordic regions over 30 years. It contributes with a theoretical framework to study agency over time and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis based on a unique dataset combining over 200 interviews, with printed and online sources, and quantitative data. The paper identifies which combinations of agency types and context conditions make industrial upgrading or diversification possible, and investigates how such combinations come into being. The causal claims from this analysis are illustrated with empirical examples and discussed in relation to previous literature.Agency and economic change in regions: identifying routes to new path development using qualitative comparative analysispublishedVersio

Entrepreneurial academics and regional innovation systems: the case of spin-offs from London's universities

In this paper we explore the spin-off process from London’s universities using a regional innovation systems (RIS) framework. We examine the pattern of spin-offs in the context of changes in institutional support systems, both within the universities and in the London region. The majority of the university-related spin-offs are small and medium-sized enterprises concentrated in biomedical sectors, as elsewhere. However, over a third have left London. We explore these patterns, the implications for understanding the role of universities in RIS, and consequent policy implications