Cross-border knowledge transfer and innovation in the European neighbourhood: Tourism cooperation at the Finnish-Russian border

Knowledge transfer and innovation cooperation between the EU and its neighbours has remained weakly developed. To promote this cooperation, the EU has set up initiatives for the European neighbourhood. The issue has, however, received very limited scholarly attention in the field of tourism. This research gap is addressed here via interview data collected from participants in tourism related EU-funded projects in the Finnish-Russian cross-border region. These underline the importance of EU-funding in facilitating knowledge transfer and innovation between Finland and Russia. While language issues, and differences in business culture and administrative/legislative systems between the two countries, constitute barriers for practical cross-border cooperation, it is cross-border differences in culture and technological capabilities that drive cross-border knowledge transfer and innovation in the cross-border region. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for promoting future cross-border cooperation in innovation and tourism

Science and Technology Cooperation in Cross-border Regions::A Proximity Approach with Evidence for Northern Europe

Given the sheer number of cross-border regions (CBRs) within the EU, their socio-economic importance has been recognized both by policy-makers and academics. Recently, the novel concept of cross-border regional innovation system has been introduced to guide the assessment of integration processes in CBRs. A central focus of this concept is set on analyzing the impact of varying types of proximity (cognitive, technological, etc.) on cross-border cooperation. Previous empirical applications of the concept have, however, relied on individual case studies and varying methodologies, thus complicating and constraining comparisons between different CBRs. Here a broader view is provided by comparing 28 Northern European CBRs. The empirical analysis utilizes economic, science and technology (S&T) statistics to construct proximity indicators and measures S&T integration in the context of cross-border cooperation. The findings from descriptive statistics and exploratory count data regressions show that technological and cognitive proximity measures are significantly related to S&T cooperation activities (cross-border co-publications and co-patents). Taken together, our empirical approach underlines the feasibility of utilizing the proximity approach for comparative analyses in CBR settings

Interplay Between Cyclase-Associated Protein, Cofilin, Profilin and Twinfilin in Actin Dynamics

The ability of actin to form dynamic networks is crucial for processes including cell migration, endocytosis and cell division. Furthermore, in sarcomeres of muscle cells, actin and myosin form interdigitating networks responsible for muscle contraction. Actin is found from all eukaryotic cells where it exists as monomeric and filamentous forms, which are in balance and strictly regulated by plethora of actin binding proteins. Among the most central actin binding proteins are cyclase-associated protein (CAP), cofilin, profilin and twinfilin, which are under investigation in this study. CAP is known to bind actin monomers and accelerate actin turnover together with cofilin. Furthermore, CAP has been shown to accelerate nucleotide exchange on actin monomers. Also profilin catalyzes nucleotide exchange and CAP is known to interact with profilin, but the exact mechanism how these proteins work together is not understood. This study reveals that interactions with actin monomers, cofilin and profilin are conserved in CAPs from yeast to mammals. Unexpectedly, mammalian CAP was observed to have a higher affinity for ATP-actin than yeast CAP, and mammalian CAP was found to have two independent profilin binding sites whereas yeast CAP has only one. This study also demonstrates a novel function for the mini-CAP from apicomplexan parasite as a nucleotide exchange promoting factor. The malaria parasite CAP comprises only the C-terminal ADP-actin binding site suggesting that this domain harbors the most conserved function of CAPs. The unpublished data of this study reveals that CAP, twinfilin and ADP-actin form a ternary complex. Many actin-binding proteins have muscle-specific isoforms in addition to nonmuscle ones. The muscle-specific cofilin-2 was studied here and levels of cofilin-2 were shown to increase during sarcomere maturation while cofilin-1 amounts remained constant. Also, cofilin-2 showed higher affinity for ATP-actin than cofilin-1 through a specific cluster of residues on its surface. Therefore, a specific cofilin isoform with high affinity for ATP-actin evolved to regulate actin dynamics in thin filaments of sarcomeres. The roles of other muscle-specific proteins are under particular interest and subject of future research. In summary, the findings of this study reveal the mechanisms by which CAP regulates actin dynamics together with cofilin, profilin and twinfilin. Furthermore, this study elucidates yet rather unknown actin regulation by muscle-specific cofilin-2.Monet solun toiminnot kuten liikkuminen, aineiden sisäänotto ja jakautuminen ovat riippuvaisia aktiinista ja sen kyvystä muodostaa dynaamisia verkostoja. Aktiinilla on lisäksi erityinen rooli lihassoluissa, joissa se muodostaa yhdessä myosiinin kanssa hyvin järjestäytyneitä rakenteita, sarkomeereja, jotka mahdollistavat lihaksen supistumisen. Aktiinimonomeerit voivat liittyä yhteen muodostaen dynaamisia aktiinisäikeitä. Säikeiden toisesta päästä irtoaa jatkuvasti aktiinimonomeereja jotka liittyvät säikeen vastakkaiseen päähän. Näin aktiinisäie kasvaa ja solukalvoa vasten työntyessään mahdollistaa solun liikkeen. Aktiinimonomeerit liittyvät aktiinisäikeisiin ja irtoavat niistä itsestäänkin, mutta tämä tapahtuu hyvin hitaasti ja siksi soluissa on paljon aktiinimonomeereja sääteleviä proteiineja, kuten syklaasiin liittyvä proteiini (cyclase-associated protein, CAP), kofiliini, profiliini ja twinfiliini. Tässä väitöskirjassa osoitetaan että CAP:n vuorovaikutukset kofiliinin, profiliinin ja aktiinin kanssa ovat samantapaisia sekä hiivalla että nisäkkäällä. Erona kuitenkin on, että nisäkkään CAP sitoo ATP-muotoisia aktiinimonomeerja paljon voimakkaammin kuin hiivan CAP ja että nisäkkään CAP:ssa on kaksi profiliinin sitoutumiskohtaa kun taas hiivan CAP:ssa on vain yksi. Lisäksi tässä väitöskirjassa tutkittiin malariaa levittävän parasiitin CAP-proteiinia, josta puuttuu monia nisäkkään ja hiivan CAP:sta löytyviä alueita. Osoitimme että malariaparasiitin CAP kiihdyttää nukelotidinvaihtoa aktiinimonomeereissa, joka saattaa siten olla kaikkien CAP-proteiinien tärkein tehtävä. Tämän väitöskirjan vielä julkaisemattomassa aineistossa näytetään myös ensimmäistä kertaa että CAP, twinfiliini ja aktiini vuorovaikuttavat keskenään, joskin tämän vuorovaikutuksen laajempaa merkitystä ei vielä tiedetä. Monilla aktiinia sitovilla proteiineilla on myös erityiset lihaksissa esiintyvät muotonsa. Tässä työssä tutkittiin lihassoluissa esiintyvää kofiliinia, josta löydettiin uusia biokemiallisia aktiivisuuksia joiden osoitettiin olevan tärkeitä sarkomeerien järjestäytymiselle. Yhdessä tämän väitöskirjan tulokset selventävät miten CAP säätelee aktiiniverkostoja yhdessä kofiliinin, profiliinin ja twinfiliinin kanssa. Lisäksi tässä työssä selvitettiin, miten lihaksissa esiintyvä kofiliini osallistuu aktiinin säätelyyn

The competitive advantage of a peripheral university town: Human and social capital perspectives from Joensuu, Finland

The positive impacts of social and human capital on individual, firm and geographical level are well known. Accordingly, the literature on social capital has advocated the impacts of social networks, norms and trust in securing individual and mutual benefits. Already, the early literature on human capital was concentrated on the economic advantage of individuals, that is, on the impact of education on wage levels. Recent economic studies underline the importance of human capital in creating firm-level innovations and fostering regional economic development. The role of universities has been highlighted in this discussion. However, it seems that this educated human capital is geographically concentrated on the largest urban regions. Whether, this imposes difficulties for firms located in more peripheral regions is discussed here with a case study from a small university town of Joensuu situated in peripheral Eastern Finland. The proposition presented here is that the negative impacts of locational factors, in the periphery, and having a small labour pool will be partially compensated with close social ties and worker immobility. First, the question is approached through official statistics showing that the mobility of educated workforce is smaller in more rural and peripheral regions compared to that of the capital and other densely-populated regions of Finland. Second, the tentative picture drawn from the statistics is deepened with data from semi-structured thematic interviews conducted in Joensuu. The main stakeholders interviewed were chosen, according to the framework of regional innovation systems, from both public and private organizations (n = 15). The results confirm that although a peripheral location of firms does impose limitations to the availability of human capital at hand, the negative impact is compensated with low outmigration of educated workers due to existing well-knit social ties. Furthermore, employee loyalty to their employers is high in Joensuu, that is, the thinner possibilities for other employment renders the educated workforce in Joensuu relatively immobile even in intraregional scale. Although, worker immobility can be seen as a drawback for a region it can also be considered as a regional asset for firms that have decided to locate their activities in Joensuu, as it saves the firms from the mandatory allocation of resources to the training and introductory procedures of new employees. Accordingly, a local university both attracts and supplies educated workers in the region for the benefit of local enterprises and is an important partner in cooperation for local firms

Mobiilijohtamisen vaikutukset organisaatioon sitoutumiseen : case: Rosendahl Digital Networks Oy

Opinnäytetyö on tehty toimeksiantona Rosendahl Digital Networks Oy:lle (RDN). RDN on Hollolassa toimiva ohjelmisto- ja mediatalo. Työn tarkoituksena on tuottaa uutta materiaalia liittyen mobiilijohtamiseen, sillä mobiilijohtamisen vaikutuksia organisaatioon ei ole suoranaisesti tutkittu. RDN:llä käytetään jo mobiilijohtamista, ja heillä oli mielenkiintoa saada lisätietoa aiheesta organisaation murroskauden aikana. Aihe työhön syntyi opinnäytetyöntekijän työharjoittelun aikana keväällä 2010 Rosendahl Digital Networks Oy:n toimitusjohtajan Markus Rosendahlin ehdotuksesta. Teoriaosuudessa käsitellään johtamista, sitoutumista, organisaatiota, luottamusta sekä mobiilijohtamista, mobiilityötä ja ICT:tä. Teorian lähdemateriaalina on käytetty aiheeseen liittyvää kirjallisuutta sekä elektronisia lähteitä. Teoriaosuuden tavoitteena on antaa riittävä tieto lukijalle mobiilijohtamisesta, jotta lukija pystyy ymmärtämään sen vaikutuksia organisaatioon. Empiriaosuudessa tutkitaan, miten mobiilijohtaminen vaikuttaa organisaatioon sitoutumiseen, miten valta/vastuu -suhteet muuttuvat mobiilissa työympäristössä sekä miten mobiilijohtaminen muuttaa organisaatiokulttuuria. Tutkimusaineisto on kerätty haastattelujen avulla. Empiriaosuudessa käsitellään RDN:ää yrityksenä, sen nykytilannetta, mobiilijohtamisen vaikutuksia, työvälineitä ja –ohjelmistoja sekä mobiilijohtamisen mahdollisuuksia, uhkia sekä hyötyjä. Tutkimuksen tuloksena on, että mobiilijohtamisen vaikutukset organisaatioon sitoutumiseen ovat yksilöllisiä, koska vastausvaihtelut olivat suuria. Huomattavaa haastattelujen tuloksissa on johdon ja työntekijöiden erilainen suhtautuminen mobiilijohtamiseen. Johtopäätöksenä haastatteluista voidaan todeta, että mobiilijohtamista harjoittavien organisaatioiden tulee kiinnittää rekrytoinnissa erityistä huomiota hakijan suhtautumiseen mobiilijohtamista kohtaan.This thesis was commissioned by Rosendahl Digital Networks Oy (RDN). RDN is a software and media company located in Hollola. The purpose of this thesis is to produce new material related to mobile management. Literature from mobile management can be found, but the effects of mobile management on organization have not been previously examined. RDN already practices mobile management and they had the interest to receive more information on the organization's transition period. Topic of the thesis was formed during the author's internship in the spring of 2010 at Rosendahl Digital Networks Oy by the Managing Director Markus Rosendahl's proposal. The theoretical part deals with leadership, commitment, organization, trust and mobile management, mobile working and ICT. Sources include literature related to topic and electronic sources. The purpose of the theoretical part is to provide sufficient information to the reader for mobile management, in order the reader to be able to understand its effects on the organization. Empirical part of the study explores how mobile management affects organizational commitment, how power / liability relations are changing in the mobile environment, and how mobile management changes organizational culture. The research material was gathered through interviews. Empirical part deals RDN as a company, its current situation, the effects of mobile management, tools and software, mobile management opportunities, threats and benefits. The result of the study shows that the effects of mobile management's commitment to the organization are unique, because the response variation was high. A significant result of interviews was that managers and employees have different attitudes towards mobile management. In conclusion, the interviews show that, when organizations that practices mobile management are recruiting new staff, they should focus on the applicant’s attitude towards mobile management

Knowledge-based urban development of cross-border twin cities

Knowledge-based urban development (KBUD) has recently emerged as a central topic of discussion among scholars and practitioners interested in urban development tools and policies. However, what has rarely been discussed before is whether KBUD can be achieved in a cross-border context. This paper sets out to propose an analytical framework for empirical studies on the shared KBUD processes of cross-border twin cities, based on indicators adapted from the literature on cross-border regional innovation systems. The proposed framework was tested with two cases: Helsinki-Tallinn and Copenhagen-Malmö. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the framework, guide potential further studies on KBUD and twin cities and raise relevant suggestions for urban policy-makers in border regions

Decision modelling tools for utilities in the deregulated energy market

This thesis examines the impact of the deregulation of the energy market on decision making and optimisation in utilities and demonstrates how decision support applications can solve specific encountered tasks in this context. The themes of the thesis are presented in different frameworks in order to clarify the complex decision making and optimisation environment where new sources of uncertainties arise due to the convergence of energy markets, globalisation of energy business and increasing competition. This thesis reflects the changes in the decision making and planning environment of European energy companies during the period from 1995 to 2004. It also follows the development of computational performance and evolution of energy information systems during the same period. Specifically, this thesis consists of studies at several levels of the decision making hierarchy ranging from top-level strategic decision problems to specific optimisation algorithms. On the other hand, the studies also follow the progress of the liberalised energy market from the monopolistic era to the fully competitive market with new trading instruments and issues like emissions trading. This thesis suggests that there is an increasing need for optimisation and multiple criteria decision making methods, and that new approaches based on the use of operations research are welcome as the deregulation proceeds and uncertainties increase. Technically, the optimisation applications presented are based on Lagrangian relaxation techniques and the dedicated Power Simplex algorithm supplemented with stochastic scenario analysis for decision support, a heuristic method to allocate common benefits and potential losses of coalitions of power companies, and an advanced Branch-and-Bound algorithm to solve efficiently non-convex optimisation problems. The optimisation problems are part of the operational and tactical decision making process that has become very complex in the recent years. Similarly, strategic decision support has also faced new challenges. This thesis introduces two applications involving multiple criteria decision making methods. The first application explores the decision making problem caused by the introduction of 'green' electricity that creates additional value for renewable energy. In this problem the stochastic multi-criteria acceptability analysis method (SMAA) is applied. The second strategic multi-criteria decision making study discusses two different energy-related operations research problems: the elements of risk analysis in the energy field and the evaluation of different choices with a decision support tool accommodating incomplete preference information to help energy companies to select a proper risk management system. The application is based on the rank inclusion in criteria hierarchies (RICH) method.reviewe