Business planning and progress of small firms engaged in technology development through the advance technology program

Machine vision technology has attracted a strong interest among Finnish research organizations, which has resulted in many innovative products for industry. Despite this goal users were very skeptical towards machine vision and its robustness in harsh industrial environments. Therefore the Technology Development Centre, TEKES, which funds technology related research and development projects in universities and individual companies in Finland, decided to start a national technology program, "Machine Vision 1992–1996". Led by industry, the program boosts research in machine vision technology and seeks to put the research results to work in practical industrial applications. The emphasis is on nationally important, demanding applications. The program will create new business for machine vision producers and encourage the process and manufacturing industry to take advantage of this new technology. So far 60 companies and all major universities and research centers in Finland are working on our forty different projects. The key themes are Process Control, Robot Vision and Quality Control.

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Configuration E-7 Supersonic Fighter/Attack Technology Program

Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power ◽

10.1115/1.2906164 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 112 (2) ◽

pp. 212-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. E. Jenista ◽

D. S. Bodden

Keyword(s):

Wind Tunnel ◽

Technology Development ◽

Full Scale ◽

Test Program ◽

Technology Program ◽

Design Considerations ◽

Initial Design ◽

Vertical Lift ◽

Propulsion Concept

The program covering the design and early technology development of Configuration E-7, a supersonic STOVL Fighter/Attack aircraft, is described. This aircraft uses the ejector principle to augment engine fan air for vertical lift. The initial design objectives selected in 1980 are listed and discussed. Some design considerations applicable to the propulsion concept and the chosen configuration are mentioned. The test program accomplished thus far, including wind tunnel models plus other test articles and activities, is outlined. The program has proceeded without major technological obstacles and a full-scale engine-powered model will soon be ready for testing.

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Coopetition among nascent craft breweries: a value chain analysis

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development ◽

10.1108/jsbed-05-2017-0173 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 2-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

David J. Flanagan ◽

Douglas A. Lepisto ◽

Laurel F. Ofstein

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

Small Firms ◽

Technology Development ◽

Study Data ◽

Relationship Building ◽

Future Research ◽

Chain Model ◽

Value Chain Analysis ◽

Process Technology ◽

Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to employ an inductive approach to explore how small, nascent, firms in the craft brewing industry use cooperative behaviours with direct competitors to achieve their goals. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from interviews with the founders of seven small, newly established, craft brewers in a Midwestern city in the USA for this exploratory study. Data analysis followed the general tenants of inductive coding. Porter’s value chain model was used as a framework to organise and conceptualise the coopetitive behaviour uncovered. Findings The firms engage in cooperative behaviours with their direct competitors in areas such as process technology development, procurement, inbound logistics and marketing. A particularly interesting and common collaborative activity was breweries recommending/promoting competing breweries to their own customers. Practical implications This study provides clear examples of how relationship building with competitors could be advantageous and help small, nascent firms overcome the liabilities of newness and smallness. Originality/value Research on coopetition has called for a greater understanding of the nature of cooperative behaviours in small firms, start-ups and firms outside of high-technology industries. Moreover, research has called for finer-grained approaches to conceptualising coopetition. This paper fills these gaps and shows how Porter’s value chain is a useful tool for organising the types of collaborative behaviours that can be part of coopetition. The findings enhance understanding and facilitate future research by illustrating a broad array of cooperative activities that occur between direct competitors.

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No Simple Relationship between Technological Improvements and Employment Generation in a Large Developing Country like China: Thoughts Stimulated by Sjöholm and Lundin

Asian Economic Papers ◽

10.1162/asep_a_00017 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 35-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Changwen Zhao

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Small Firms ◽

Technology Development ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Spillover Effects ◽

Middle Level ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Simple Relationship ◽

Level Of Economic Development ◽

Technological Improvements

Fredrik Sjöholm and Nannan Lundin (this issue) have found that China's science and technology (S&T) activities had no effect on employment growth. I disagree with their conclusion and attribute it to the neglect of important factors like the S&T upgrading by small firms, the spillover effects from S&T activities, differences across industries, and differences in the stage of economic development. I used macroeconomic and cross-regional data in China to estimate the effect of technology development on job creation and found that technology innovation did have a positive impact on employment in the eastern region of China. This suggests that a positive relationship between technological improvement and employment creation is reliably seen only after the economy has reached a middle-level of economic development.

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