1,720,987 research outputs found
COVID-19 firms’ fast innovation reaction analyzed through dynamic capabilities
No full textDuring the COVID-19 emergency, several companies have been able to rapidly reconfigure their innovation and production processes to help support health and other services to cope with the shortage of needed supplies. Using the dynamic capability perspective, this work aims to understand which capabilities enable companies to have fast innovation reactions when they are not pursuing a competitive advantage but they are responding to a societal requirement. A multiple case study approach was used and results reveal that the use of internal and external sources is fundamental. In particular, the Italian companies with a fast innovation reaction to COVID-19 are not the ones that possess all the competencies internally but are rather those able to orchestrate internal and external resources by means of ‘fast’ and flat management. Internal commitment and a culture of continual renewal are essential to rapidly reach a performing product
A measure of innovation performance: the Innovation Patent Index
No full textPurpose: The measure of companies' Innovation Performance is fundamental for enhancing the value and decision-making processes of firms. The purpose of this paper is to present a new measure of Innovation Performance, called Innovation Patent Index (IPI), which makes it possible to quantitatively summarize different aspects of firms' innovation. Design/methodology/approach: In order to define the IPI, a secondary source, i.e. patent data, has been used. The five dimensions of IPI, i.e. efficiency, time, diversification, quality and internationalization have been defined both analyzing the literature and applying three different machine learning algorithms (regularized least squares, deep neural networks and decision trees), considering patent forward citations as a proxy of the innovation performance. Findings: Results show that the IPI index is a very useful tool, simple to use and very promptly. In fact, it is possible to get important results without making time consuming analysis with primary sources. It is a tool that can be used by managers, businessmen, policymakers, organizations, patent experts and financiers to evaluate and plan future activities, to enhance the innovation capability, to find financing and to support and improve innovation. Research limitations/implications: Patent data are not widely used in all the sectors. Moreover, the pure number of forward citations is not the only forward looking indicator suggested by the literature. Originality/value: The demand for a useable Innovation Performance tool, as well as the lack of tools able to grasp different aspects of the innovation, highlight the need to develop new instruments. In fact, although previous studies provide several measures of Innovation Performance, these are often difficult for managers to use, do not appreciate different aspects of the innovation and are not forward looking
An Industry and Public Research Organization joint effort for ITER construction: Evaluating the impact
No full textParticipation in Big Science projects, such as ITER, and the exchange of technology and knowledge with science-based partners are fruitful environments for industry. By integrating the use of quantitative and qualitative data and methods of analyses applied to a sample of Italian industries, the present work illustrates how participation in ITER, through the European Agency Fusion for Energy, allows firms to increase their financial performance, enhance their brand image, extend the network of collaborations, improve internal processes, acquire new standards and have a new vision of the company. Moreover, ITER allows for employing new people and investing in the local and regional territories. The study leads to new implications for managers and researchers in terms of new tools to be used to manage the involvement in Big Science projects and policy makers in terms of incentives to be provided, particularly for SMEs, in order to enhance knowledge dissemination and avoid business discontinuities
Rilevamento degli elementi di pericolosità geomorfologica nelle Bocche di Bonifacio e nel margine sud-occidentale sardo - Progetto MAGIC
No full textCarta geomorfologica costiera e marina. Isola di San Pietro (Sardegna sud-occidentale) - Scala 1:25.000 (SELCA - Firenze)
No full textSuccessfully managing SMEs collaborations with public research institutes: the case of ITER fusion projects
No full textThis work investigates the obstacles that arise in the collaboration between Public Research Institutes (PRIs) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), when they are involved in Big Science projects. PRIs are valuable scientific partners for industry and even more for SMEs. However, sometimes the collaboration with PRI is not as profitable as expected and the existing literature often focuses on university as scientific partners, without studing the peculiarities of PRIs. Specifically, the setting of our study is the collaboration between the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) and three SMEs, all involved in the ITER project (i.e., the main Big Science project in the field of nuclear fusion reaction). Thanks to an explorative multiple case study, our work enriches the evidence about the technology transfer practices by considering the entire process of collaboration (i.e., pre-transfer, development, post-transfer) and it suggests that the obstacles and the consequent solutions should be analysed according to the different phases of the process itself. Moreover, from a practical point of view, we illustrate how to shape some managerial levers in order to overcome the obstacles in the different phases of the collaboration process, for example adopting tools or practices such as roadmaps or exchange of personnel
Note della Carta geomorfologica costiera e marina. Isola di San Pietro (Sardegna sud-occidentale). Scala 1:25.000
No full textThe Island of San Pietro, situated on the SW coast of Sardinia, covers an area of
roughly 51 square kilometres. Geologically, the island is composed almost entirely of
volcanic rock, with minor outcrops of Tyrrhenian fossil-bearing sandy conglomerates,
of eolian sandstones, ancient and recent alluvial deposits, dunal sands and sediments
deposited in palustrine and marshy environments.
In spite of its small size, the island boasts a wealth of geodiversity, with the occurrence
of a variety of effusive magmatic rocks formed during the Oligo-Miocene volcanic
cycle that affected the whole of Sardinia. During this cycle numerous units were
emplaced as well as various, easily distinguishable types of volcanic rocks, namely
lava (rhyolite, rhyolitic ignimbrite, comendite, retinite, diaspore, etc.) and tuff (tuff,
pyroclastite, cinerite, pumiceous cinerite, red and yellow ochre), sometimes with spectacular
domes (for instance at Capo Sandalo and Cala Fico) manganese bearing mineralizations,
emission centres, lava flow surface structures (comendite lava at Bricco
di Nasca and Montagna di Ravenna), convolute flow structures (comendite lava at
Cala Fico) and spectacular columnar fracturing.
Detailed field surveys and laboratory investigations conducted using aerial photographs,
orthophotographs and satellite images allowed to examine and classify those
landforms attributable to geomorphological processes associated with water, weathering,
wind and coastal dynamics.
The marine environment was geologically-geomorphologically interpreted chiefly by
examining the Side Scan Sonar data, supplemented with direct observations during
underwater surveys. For the pericoastal areas (between 0 and -15 m), photograms and
recently acquired satellite imagery were analysed. Side scan sonograms together with
direct underwater observations were used to determine lithology of submerged rock
outcrops, to reconstruct boundaries between different rock types, to detect evidence of
tectonic lines, to determine the evolution of coastal and underwater relief forms, to
identify the main sedimentary facies and evidence of sea level stand (palaeo shore
line). Interpretive hypothesis of the side scan sonar data were validated by means of
underwater surveys.
Data from land and sea surveys were interpreted in CAD and GIS environments
Studying innovation with patents and machine learning algorithms: A laboratory for engineering students
No full textTeaching innovation management to engineers is becoming increasingly relevant. However, it can be difficult to involve engineers in a discipline in which technical competences do not represent the core whereas professional and soft skills play a critical role. For this reason, adopting the proper teaching approach is key to capture the students' attention and interest. In our study, we propose a laboratory for teaching innovation based upon two elements that are very closed to the engineering mindset: patents and machine learning algorithms. The laboratory proposes the application of machine learning approaches to patents data, for studying the innovation activity of companies. Three machine learning algorithms, Least Squares, Deep Neural Networks and Decision Trees are exploited. Their application is proposed to capture the relationships between relevant patents output variables (such as, for example, the number of forward citations, as proxy of the company's innovation capability) and the related input features (such as, for example, the number and type of patent technological classes). By practically using this approach, students can be introduced to some relevant topics in innovation management, such as investments, protection, market identification, cumulation of knowledge
Private equity, venture capital and patents: a bibliometric review and future research
No full textPatents are the most important tool to protect innovation and support the value creation process in early-stage financing as well as in Private Capital investments. This work studies the growing body of academic literature concerning the relations between Private Equity, Venture Capital and patents and formulates a theoretical framework and an agenda for future research. We review the specific body of research resulting from the entwining of corporate finance and innovation management. Through a bibliometric analysis of the literature, we adopt a quantitative approach to develop a content analysis on the 292 articles found. We present the open debate related to the improvement of the metrics to proxy the technological value of a company’s innovation, especially in relation to startups and venture capital investments. We assess the key contributions, thematic clusters and emerging themes, formulating a theoretical framework grounded on the state of research. Additionally, we highlight the lack of integration of findings on signalling before the investment and the strategic use of Intellectual Property Protection Mechanisms assets by the investor to create value during the holding period. Finally, we outline future venues of research in the study of the relations between investments in innovative companies and positive socio-economic externalities
The late-Quaternary submerged palaeo-landforms of the continental shelf of the Tremiti Islands (northern Apulia)
No full textThe Tremiti Islands archipelago, located north of Gargano promontory’s coast, is part of a complex geological area within the Adriatic basin, facing the junction between central and southern Apennines. This area is well known for Neogenic-Quaternary stratigraphic, tectonic and seismologic aspects and is crucial for the definition of Late Quaternary Adriatic basin evolution. This work gives a contribution of geomorphological data concerning the inner continental shelf around the islands. It incorporates bathymetrical analysis and side scan sonar survey, focused on the recognition of main submerged landforms, from coastline down to about 70 m b.s.l. Geophysical acquisitions were improved with direct observations, carried out by means of a two year scuba-dive geomorphological survey. The study of continental shelf outlines a geomorphologic setting that includes marine and coastal features, but also tectonic, fluvial, karst and slope landforms. The correlation of the below sea level geomorphological features, with landforms and deposits of above sea level areas, provide a contribution to the reconstruction of Late Quaternary landscape and geomorphological evolution, as the result of tectonics, sea-level fluctuations and marine, coastal, and continental geomorphological processes
- …
