Innovative Supply Research Articles

Exploring the potentialities of emergy accounting in studying the limits to growth of urban systems

Cities are important urban productive systems whose main goal could be considered the supply of innovation to generate economic growth. However, as well as all social organization managed by scale economies, cities eventually tend to reduce or even stop growth. In this scenario, public policies are essential to avoid the potential collapse of society. The sustainability of cities has been studied through different methodological approaches, but few scientific works assessed the limits of their growth. This paper explores the potentialities of emergy accounting in contributing to the discussions about the limits of growth for urban productive systems. The cities of Araraquara, Bragança Paulista, Campinas, São Paulo and Taubaté were considered as case study due to their socio-economic importance in São Paulo State, Brazil. The time period ranges from 1999 to 2011. Results from the dynamics of “empower” (in seJ/yr) indicate that all assessed cities have the same development pattern, and differences are related to their current development degree. All assessed cities showed an efficiency increase estimated by the conversion of input materials and energy (measured in seJ) into outputs of goods and services (measured in $). However, a stabilization of efficiency was not observed along the studied period. This result suggests that the hypothesized limits to growth do not exist, were not reached, or even the time period considered was not long enough to allow for observing a stabilization pattern. The methodological approach used in this work contributes to assess urban productive systems through a macro-perspective approach using an input-output model of systems functioning.

Integrated supply of stemwood and residual biomass to forest-based biorefineries

ABSTRACTThe demand for forest biomass as raw material for a wide range of products in the developing bioeconomy is expected to increase. Along with a constant pressure on forestry to increase its productivity, this development has led to the search for new procurement methods and new assortments. The present study assessed innovative supply chain practices, with a particular focus on the integrated supply of stemwood and residual tree parts. The assortments considered included tree sections, long tops, saw logs with stump cores and small whole trees from thinnings. The assessment included geographically explicit modelling of the supply chain operations and estimation of supply cost and energy use for three industrial locations in Northern Sweden. The innovative supply chains were compared to conventional, separate, harvest of stemwood and logging residues. We conclude that integrated harvest of tops and branches with stemwood assortments, as well as whole-tree harvest in early thinnings, has a significant potential to reduce the supply cost for the non-stemwood assortments. Stump wood generally remains the most expensive assortment. The energy use analysis confirms earlier research showing that the energy input is relatively small compared to the energy content of the harvested feedstock.ABBREVIATIONSBWT, bundled whole trees; CTL, cut-to-length; ET, energy thinning; FF, final felling; FT, first thinning; LR, logging residues; LT long tops; ORN, Örnsköldsvik; PCT, pre-commercial thinning; PL, pulpwood; RS, roughly delimbed tree sections; SEK, Swedish currency; SFA, Swedish Forest Agency; SL, sawlogs; SNFI, Swedish National Forest Inventory; SP, stumps; SPC stump core; ST, second thinning; STO, Storuman; UME Umeå; WT, whole small trees;

Clean Energy -- Bridging to Commercialization: The Key Potential Role of Large Strategic Industry Partners

This white paper explores a range of potentially attractive partnerships, including those between established US industry members, the entrepreneurial CE (clean energy) community, and the financial industry. These partnerships, include those that can leverage a wide range of entrepreneurial and industry resources that are needed to promote the development and commercialization of innovative new technologies - partnerships that in turn can lead to accelerated, global utilization of CE, as well as US global leadership for the CE industry. The need for these partnerships is discussed within the context of the growing interest in CE, driven in large part by the anticipated strong, global growth in energy demand, as well as by the need for a spectrum of other long term (e.g. environmental) benefits from CE. The impacts of the rapidly changing investment and the market environment for innovative CE technologies, are also explored. The strong need for multifaceted enabling partnerships and resources are found to go well beyond those corresponding to financing, and includes for example, expertise on markets and market creation, and product development. In addition, deep resource levels are often especially needed in the pursuit of high potential, next generation CE innovative supply technologies that require costly technology development. Such is the case for example, where sophisticated manufacturing approaches are needed to exploit promising, and high performance, material combinations along with novel and complex technology based hardware. Further, access to adequate resources for the needed, high cost, technology development is increasingly less likely to be available from traditional partners such as VCs and their limited partners. Of the key potential partners explored, Strategic Industry Partners (SIPs) are found to be particularly intriguing - they have the most robust range of appropriate resources to potentially benefit from these partnerships while also helping to fill the void in the commercialization food chain for technology development, where VC funding is not available. SIPs also play a broad enabling role for the growth of the entrepreneurial US based, CE industry. Moreover, SIPs also have the required stature and influence to impact global markets as well as to promote global US leadership in CE, while also contributing to the dialogue around public-private partnerships. While SIPs have stringent requirements for partnering, as well as intense competition for their resource investments, successfully pursuing mutually attractive partnerships with SIPs should be well worth the required effort.

Collaboration with Suppliers and Lead Users in New Product Development and Open Innovation: Empirical Evidence from Jordanian Companies

<p>This study aims to investigate the effects of collaboration with suppliers and lead users in new product development on open innovation in Jordanian manufacturing companies. Data was collected from 132 companies in two industries; machinery and electronics, and hierarchical regression analysis used to test the study hypotheses, with control variables of company age, company size, and length of relationship applied to avoid their potential bias. The results show that supplier collaboration in new product development does not significantly affect open innovation, while collaboration with lead users positively and significantly affects open innovation.</p>

Early stage cluster development: a manufacturers-led approach in the aircraft industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the early stage of development of a cluster. The literature on early stage of cluster development shows that there are often random effects such as an entrepreneur and spin-off companies, and in this study, a coordinated approach for cluster development is described. Design/methodology/approach – A single exploratory case study approach is followed. The aerospace cluster in the Spokane region, State of Washington, is described. Data from a variety of sources are triangulated to enhance the credibility of the case study findings. Findings – It was found that although there are many types of collaborations occurring in the region, which involve policy and government organizations, the main driver of the early-stage cluster development is manufacturers-led coordinating mechanism. Individual manufacturers are too small to be successful in the aerospace industry, and they are collaborating to present a united “front” to out-of-the-region customers. Once customers place an order, then within this coordinating mechanism, the work is divided among different manufacturers. Research limitations/implications – The research has two main limitations. First, it is a single case study, and therefore, the results may not be generalizable. Second, the cluster is in an early stage of development, so it is not (yet) clear whether this manufacturers-led coordinated approach will have long-term success. Practical implications – The studies offer potential for cluster development that go beyond relying on a single entrepreneur or on mostly government- or policy-driven initiatives. Instead, this is an approach that can be used by industry to lift the overall competitiveness of their region. Social implications – This cluster development approach offers potential for economic development of smaller regions which mainly consist of small- and medium-sized companies without endowment benefits or a large local customer base. Originality/value – This study adds to the existing knowledge on clusters and cluster types. The identified cluster approach does not fit with the main types of clusters that have been identified in the literature. The companies involved are mainly small- to medium-sized companies, but by coordinating their capabilities, they are able to present core capabilities in a much more attractive manner to customers. This cluster development approach is not driven by or achieved through advantages in innovation, vertical or horizontal supply chain competition and advantages, creation of spin-off firms, or a regional demand base as customers are located outside the region. It deviates in terms of the types of companies involved and, mostly, in a sense that it acts as one unit to customers who are located outside the region.

Knowledge spillovers in the supply chain: Evidence from the high tech sectors

In addition to internal R&D, external knowledge is widely considered as an essential lever for innovative performance. This paper analyzes knowledge spillovers in supply chain networks. Specifically, we investigate how supplier innovation is impacted by buyer innovation. Financial accounting data is combined with supply chain relationship data and patent data for U.S. firms in high tech industries. Our econometric analysis shows that buyer innovation has a positive and significant impact on supplier innovation. We find that the duration of the buyer–supplier relationship positively moderates this effect, but that the technological proximity between the two firms does not have a significant effect on spillovers.

Effects of firm and environmental characteristics on supplier integration in new product development

In this paper, we explore how environmental and firm characteristics affect supplier integration in new product development, i.e. timing and depth of supplier integration. We examine such environmental and firm characteristics as market and technological turbulence, supplier innovativeness, and supplier knowledge intensity. Using the data from surveys of Korean Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), we conduct a structural equation modelling. The results indicate that the market turbulence speeds up the supplier integration, but the technological turbulence delays it. Knowledge intensity makes the depth of supplier integration greater. Finally, integration timing and depth affect the performance of new product development differently. Rapid supplier integration affects the performance negatively, whereas deep supplier integration improves it. We explain the logic behind the analysis result and suggest managerial implications.

Supplier innovation and involvement in customer firms A matter of learning and exhaustion? (WITHDRAWN)

This paper analyses the relation between suppliers’ involvement in their customers, with a particular emphasis on involvement in customers’ development activities, and the suppliers’ own product in...

Interorganizational Innovation: The Role of Suppliers in Enhancing Buyer Innovation Performance

Are buyers able to leverage the innovations of their upstream suppliers to improve their own innovation performance? Grounded in the Knowledge-Based View and Organizational Learning Theory, we develop and test a model investigating the relationship between supplier and buyer innovation. Previous literature suggests firms are able to utilize external sources of knowledge to drive internal innovation, but these studies are largely focused on R&D partnerships and alliances with universities or specialist firms. We examine the ability of firms to positively impact their innovation performance by leveraging suppliers’ innovation. We then consider how different relationship characteristics of the supply chain dyad moderate this relationship. Combining archival data on manufacturing supply chain relationships with US patent data, we use econometric methods to empirically demonstrate the positive impact a supplier’s level of innovation has on a downstream buyer firm’s innovation performance. Furthermore, we find ...

Management dilemmas in innovative supplier networks

This paper focuses on the challenges in managing innovation within supply networks. We present an empirical study on innovation collaboration between a focal company and its supply network of small and medium sized enterprises. By analysing the case from the viewpoints of the focal company, the suppliers and investors we point out three controversial issues in innovation management within the supply network: intellectual property rights, partnering versus competition, and commitment versus independency. Furthermore, we analyse the suppliers' positions with a purchasing portfolio model and present implications for innovation management practices in supply chains.

Renewability and emergy footprint at different spatial scales for innovative food systems in Europe

Food production is increasingly being challenged by limited resources of energy and land as well as by growing demand for food. In a future with less availability of fossil fuels, land area will become very important for capturing the flow-limited renewable resources. Emergy assessment has been applied to calculate scale dependent indicators, which account for the land area needed, if agricultural systems were to be supported solely on renewable sources. These indicators are designated emergy footprints (EmFs) and expand the concept of support area defined previously in emergy accounting. The EmF (in ha) is calculated based on renewable empower densities which convert resource use into area equivalents able to capture renewable flows. The spatial division between on-site, local and non-local land areas applied in this study, identifies where the support area is located in order to apply a site-specific renewable empower density. A new indicator applying the EmF is the emergy overshoot factor, which estimates the ratio between EmF and the geographical system boundary (in ha). We apply this approach on three innovative food supply systems in Europe located at farms characterised by combining high diversity, reduced use of resources, nutrient cycling and local sales. The question is whether this type of food system may be considered sustainable from a resource use point of view measured as resource use efficiency by means of unit emergy value (UEV), renewability (Ron-site and Rglobal), direct and indirect occupation of land on different spatial scales (EmF and Emergy overshoot factor) and productivity per ha of the directly observed areas and the EmF area, respectively. Labour inputs constituted between 13 and 80% of the total emergy flow. The proportion of resource use from renewable sources was between 31 and 60% when excluding the inputs of direct labour. The food system with the lowest UEV, excluding direct labour, had the highest emergy overshoot factor, which even exceeded the global average of seven. However, this system had the highest productivity. The system with the highest UEV, excluding direct labour, had the lowest overshoot factor. In conclusion, each food system strategy has its pros and cons and it depends on the priorities, which is judged the most sustainable from an emergy point of view.

Reinventing Supplier Innovation Relationships

OVERVIEW:IRI firms constantly strive to improve their innovative capacity. Accessing external innovation is a central theme of this activity. While much has been made of accessing technology from universities, small high technology firms, and other non-affiliated entities, IRI executives are looking to a historical source of support: the supplier community. The purpose of this article is to describe nine better practices that help IRI customer and supplier firms bring more and more effective innovation to market. The nine practices were identified by interviewing both the R&D manager and procurement manager in eight customer firms and both the R&D manager and sales manager in eight supplier firms through workshops and individual interviews.

Mapping and Measuring European Local Governments’ Priorities for a Sustainable and Low-Carbon Energy Future

The main objective of this article is to assess the priorities of local governments (LGs) in Europe regarding climate change mitigation technologies evaluation in the electricity sector and to provide important insights for energy policy design. The study applies a hybrid weighting methodology to elicit LGs’ preferences in a constructive and iterative way regarding the evaluation criteria of low-carbon energy technologies. Furthermore, the study employs three data collection and preference elicitation methods, namely: survey, workshop, and webinar. The study was conducted across thirty one (31) European LGs that were categorized according to three variables: population size, geographical region and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. The analysis shows that “CO2 emissions” is the most important criterion among European LGs, followed by “mortality and morbidity” and “ecosystem damages”. The results illustrate the potential synergies of climate and energy policies for addressing both CO2 emissions and air pollution. It was also found, based on a correlation analysis, that LGs with higher GDP per capita tend to provide higher weights to criteria related to security of energy supply and technological innovation. The current study provides insights on the actual LGs’ priorities that are important to consider during low-carbon energy technologies evaluation and energy policy design. Interestingly, the results of the European LGs’ preferences clearly show that the EU climate policy objectives have reached different levels of governance—and at this particular case, the local level. Furthermore, the developed methodology could be applied at different geographical regions to map other regions’ LG priorities, but also at a group decision making context to elicit relevant stakeholders’ preferences regarding low-carbon energy technologies and policy objectives.

Le filiere corte auto-organizzate dai consumatori: il modello dei Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale

Consumers’ decisions are increasingly influenced by ethical issues. In the food domain it has led to the spread of alternative food supply chains. These innovative food networks, deaply embedded in the local domain, are characterized by a strong focus on food sustainability. Among them, the initiatives promoted and selforganized by consumers are particularly interesting as they disclose a high potential of fostering wider social changes. In this context, Solidarity Purchase Groups (called gas after the Italian acronym) emerge as spontaneous associations of consumers with strong ethical motivations including environmental, economic and social issues, which are fast-spreading in Italy. The aim of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, looking at consumers, we analyze the profile of the Italian consumers who participate to gass, in order to more precisely identify the target of these experiences, on the base of a large survey held in Italy on short food chain consumers; on the other hand, from a strategic and operational level, we discuss how these innovative supply chain models are organized, drawing from data retrieved for the 117 gas s operating in the city of Rome. The results show that gas participants have some specific features compared to consumers shopping in other alternative food chains, both in the socio-demographic profile and in their purchasing behavior, which is characterized by a strong ethical motivation. Looking at the organizational models of the gas s of Rome, the results of the survey confirm that the social dimension is very important in the management of these groups, as well as the principles at the base of their constitution, which very often refer to environmental concerns about farming techniques, social commitment to the local community and trust-based relations with the producers. Nevertheless, beside the social and environmental concerns, the economic dimension is still very important, as shared purchases most of the time results in a significant reduction in prices. The evidences confirm that the gas model represents a very interesting object of analysis for economists. Indeed, gas s are an unique example of completely demand-pull innovative food chain. Besides, they are able to involve consumers with specific needs and a strong ethical motivation underpinning the food purchase.

Supplier Innovation Drivers: Enabling the creative supplier to award the entire supply chain a competitive edge

The importance of added value stemming from supplier involvement during the innovation process of New Product Development has been highlighted by academics, press releases, and expert opinions. For businesses it is relevant to know how the innovation potential of their supplier can be accessed and developed. The focus of this paper, hence, is to provide a closer examination of the factors that buying firms can apply to encourage their suppliers to contribute value during the innovation process. A theoretical framework based on the findings of previous studies on the topic is developed. The model depicts what happens on both sides of the buyer-supplier relationship. A case study is designed and applied in order to investigate how the hypothesized factors and outcomes relate to reality. For this purpose a dual case design is chosen and implemented with a pair of firms which find themselves in a vivid buyer-supplier relationship with innovation efforts at the time of the study. Following a close examination it is reflected on the findings of the case study in order to transfer the results into managerial as well as research implications. The case study depicts trust as an essential component of the investigated partnership. Trust is seen as the basis for granting autonomy, for sharing information and for investing in the relationship in order to develop long term commitment and for providing lasting value to both parties. Furthermore, formally ensuring commitment as well as providing communication and feedback devices have proven as vitally shaping the relationship of the two cases examined. The resulting innovations have the potential to provide a source of competitive advantage and to improve the cost structure of the entire supply chain.

When Buyer‐Driven Knowledge Transfer Activities Really Work: A Motivation–Opportunity–Ability Perspective

While supplier development has become a prominent strategy, it has also been shown to not always be successful. We take a contingency perspective in the present research to investigate why this may be the case. Unlike most prior studies, we examine the issue from the viewpoint of the supplier as the recipient of buyer‐driven knowledge transfer, and assess factors that may attenuate or hamper its effect on the supplier's operational performance. We suggest, basing our arguments on the theoretical framework of motivation–opportunity–ability (MOA), that while buyer‐driven knowledge transfer activities provide an opportunity for enhancing the supplier's operational performance, the degree to which this opportunity is realized depends upon both the relative absorptive capacity (ability), as well as the supplier's trust in the buyer, and the supplier's innovativeness (motivation). Specifically, we theorize that the supplier's perceived overlapping knowledge and its perceived cognitive congruence with the buyer (reflective of the supplier's relative absorptive capacity) and the supplier's trust in the buyer serve as positive moderators, and the supplier's own innovativeness as a negative moderator. We assess these hypotheses within a unique context, namely that of small‐ and medium‐sized suppliers of large South Korean conglomerates (so‐called chaebols), using hierarchical linear modeling. Our findings extend the academic literature in supplier development by providing insight into important contingencies influencing the effectiveness of buyer‐driven knowledge transfer activities for improved operational performance of suppliers, based on the MOA framework, and offer valuable lessons for practitioners in crafting more effective supplier development strategies.

An Era of Many Options: Future Energy Planning Must Take into Account Unprecedented Numbers of Options

GLOBALLY, POWER SECTORS HAVE ENTERED AN ERA of unprecedented optionality that transcends supply, transport, and demand. Renewables are increasingly penetrating power systems; greater effi ciency in lighting has been achieved; manufacturing capability for energy storage technologies is expanding, smart grid technologies have evolved, and emissions technology has advanced; energy effi ciency and demand response adoption rates are rising; and distributed resources are increasingly competing with central station supply even as central station technologies have themselves become more effi cient and diverse. Today, the savvy prosumer has a choice between utility supply and self-supply or can opt for a combination of both. Just as important, innovative supply, transport, and demand options have led to an emerging array of complementary policy and regulatory approaches.

Lime stabilisation for earthworks: a UK perspective

Lime stabilisation is a versatile technique applied during earthworks operations. Modern soil recycling units are much more efficient at pulverising fill material and intermixing the added binder/water than machinery available 20 years ago. While supplier innovation adds flexibility to the site working method, specifications have not been sufficiently updated to permit optimal application. This review paper details the physico-chemical changes instigated through the lime–clay soil reaction, updating previous reviews. It aims to assist scientific debate, current practitioners and future specification changes. For example, the application of the minimum 24 h mellowing periods (mandatory to UK specifications) with high reactivity, quicklime powders is concluded to cause increased air voids in the compacted fill. Increased air voids are associated with reduced long-term strength and potential volume change from water ingress, which is of particular concern for sulfate swelling. Shorter mellowing periods and/or use of hydrated lime may lesson this issue; however, a ‘one size fits all' approach is discouraged in preference to site-specific methodologies refined to suit the fill material and project requirements. The discussion also summarises working methods which may lower the risk of sulfate swell and defines areas requiring further practical research.

Supplier Innovation Strategy: Transactional Hazards and Innovation in the Automotive Supply Chain

Over the last few decades, innovation has doubled automobile performance at a time when outsourcing has increased. But outsourcing is subject to well-known contracting hazards that would also afflict outsourcing for innovation. In this paper, we examine how supplier firms generate innovation in the presence of such hazards, using a recent survey of the US automotive supply chain that contains new measures of innovative activity. Taking the supplier perspective on the traditionally buyer-framed make-or-buy problem pays surprising dividends. First, we identify three supplier innovation strategies — distinct combinations of various innovative activities. Next, we find evidence that each strategy represents a response to the transactional hazards associated with innovating in this environment. Finally, the coexistence of heterogeneous supplier strategies enhances our understanding of the buyer’s make-or-buy problem, providing a more complex picture of the various approaches to transactional hazards that buyers employ simultaneously.

Research on Relationship Between VC and Innovation Based on a European Panel of VC Investments

In this paper we search for evidence signifying whether VC activity is demand or supply stimulated. Namely, we examine whether innovation and entrepreneurship are fostered by Venture Capital (VC) investments or whether innovative entrepreneurship is a precondition of a VC involvement. Based on a European panel of VC investments, we test the direction of causality between VC and innovation (provide by annual patent applications at the European Patents Office). We present evidence indicating that causality runs from patents to VC suggesting that, in Europe, innovation seems to create a demand for VC and not VC a supply of innovation. In this sense, innovative ideas seem to lack more than funds in Europe. We explain our findings on the basis of information asymmetry issues and irreversibility considerations of VC investments.