Technological Innovation Process Research Articles

Elements of Innovation Culture Influencing Individual Research and Development (R&D) Performance in Public Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines

This study explored the elements of innovation culture influencing individual performance of research and development (R&D) personnel. It employed quantitative research wherein innovation culture and R&D performance assessment tools were developed and administered to 115 R&D personnel in public higher education institutions (HEIs). Individual performance in terms of quantity of R&D outputs such as inventions, utility models, other intellectual property (IP) and creations, and scientific publications were assessed. Spearman’s rank-order correlation test showed significant association between inclusivity, continuous improvement, creativity, learning organization, innovativeness, communication system, innovation process, and the innovative teams and groups and performance of R&D personnel. Furthermore, the ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that freedom, orientation to technological innovation, innovation process, creativity, flexibility, openness, continuous improvement, learning organization, innovative teams/groups and individuals can influence individual performance of R&D personnel in public HEIs. This study added to our understanding of innovation culture in public or government organizations by providing empirical information on its validity and applicability, which can help analyse its elements in relation to individual performance. It gave insights on how each element of innovation culture can influence individual performance, particularly the production of R&D outputs in public HEIs.

Upcycling to a circular food system

Upcycling to a circular food system

Consumer innovativeness and perception about innovative processing technologies: A case study with sliced Prato cheese processed by ultraviolet radiation

Brazilian consumers' innovativeness and motivation to eat new foods were evaluated using a new scale and conventional or UV‐C‐treated sliced Prato cheeses with or without a labelled claim in the package. The proposed scale (16 statements) showed discriminant (heterotrait–monotrait ratio values <0.85) and convergent (average variance extracted >0.6) validity and adequate reliability (composite reliability >0.8). Consumers (n = 395) tend to show neophilic attitudes and innovativeness towards new foods or familiar foods with new ingredients if new sensory characteristics and quality assurance were provided. It is found that the highest acceptance, purchase intention and perceived safety and quality can be achieved with UV‐C‐treated cheese with labelled claim.

Effect of innovative food processing technologies on microbiological quality, colour and texture of fresh‐cut potato during storage

SummaryThe objective of this work was to find the optimal conditions that extend the shelf life of fresh‐cut potatoes using innovative food processing technologies. Potato cultivar, Longshu No. 10, was treated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) with 200 MPa (HHP 200) for 2, 6 and 10 min, and HHP with 400 MPa (HHP 400) for 1, 2 and 6 min; electrolysed water with pH 5.2 (EW 5.2) for 2, 5 and 10 min of soaking; and ultrasonic (US) with 200 W (US 200) for 5 and 10 min, and US with 500 W (US 500) for 5, 10 and 15 min. Microbiological quality, colour and textural changes and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity were determined during 12 days of storage at 4 °C. Processing technologies showed an effect on reducing the microbial load of fresh‐cut potatoes with respect to control. EW (5 min) and US (500 W for 15 min) were the best treatments in terms of colour, and these treatments did not modify the texture of the fresh‐cut potato, which make them promising for extending the shelf life of fresh‐cut potatoes. Also, the US treatment showed the lowest PPO activity.

Preserving the legacy – Why do professional soccer clubs (not) adopt innovative process technologies? A grounded theory study

Technologies such as Robotic Process Automation or Artificial Intelligence are becoming increasingly recognized as essential elements and engines of digital transformation in businesses today. However, especially in the professional sports industry, the adoption of these technologies appears to be lagging behind. This paper aims to provide a deeper perspective and understanding of the drivers and inhibitors of the adoption and use of innovative process technologies in professional sports. To this end, we conducted a grounded theory study of data collected from two German professional soccer clubs: one from the first league (Bundesliga) and one from the third league (3. Liga). Our study shows that adoption depends upon expected efficiency and effectiveness gains, perceived ease of use, perceived (positive) market pull, and perceived (negative) supporter perception. While the first three constructs are well-known in the technology acceptance literature, the latter two are comparably new in this research stream. Therefore, we discuss especially the impact of perceived positive market pull (i.e., a pull from clubs’ sponsors and competition) and perceived negative supporter perception (i.e., the fear that customers might lose loyalty due to increasing process digitalization) on the adoption and use of innovative process technologies in professional sports.

Transformational Steam Infusion Processing for Resilient and Sustainable Food Manufacturing Businesses.

Here we show how food and beverage manufacturers report more incisive sustainability and product fulfilment outcomes for their business enterprises when innovative processing technologies are used. The reported steam infusion technology heats food materials within a Vaction Pump device so that steam is directed into the food material within a much reduced volume, reducing the use of steam and processing time. This study reports how such technological interventions will enable supply chain stakeholders to demonstrate responsible consumption by connecting assessments for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with consumer-focused outcomes such as product quality. The technology reported in this research not only improves operational agility by improving processing speed, but also improves the responsiveness of factory production to changes in demand. Heating procedures are systemic processes in the food industry that can be used to pasteurize, achieve commercially viable shelf-life, and provide cleaning in place. The reported research defines how these technologies can reduce the carbon footprint of products, improve quality attributes, and lower operating costs across supply chains. They provide an important step in developing distributed manufacturing in the food system because the technologies reported here are modular and can be installed into existing operations. The specific technology can reduce energy consumption by 17.3% compared to basic direct steam heating, with a reduction of 277.8 processing hours and 8.7 tonnes GHG emissions per kettle production line each year. Food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly required to report across the sustainability, nutrition, and product quality outcomes of their business enterprises more incisively so that supply chain stakeholders can demonstrate responsible production and consumption. The steam infusion technologies assessed in this research enable alignment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG12, Responsible Production and Consumption, using in situ data logging in factory trials for novel heating procedures used to process foods.

Technologies to improve efficiency

How to do it better is a question that holds a special interest for the human being. It is not enough to carry out a task, it is necessary to carry it out in an optimal way. Technology has played an important role in this search, generating tools to support the operations, analyze the data and automate processes. Technological development has permeated almost all areas of work, from the medical field, through the industrial and commercial sectors and even in the social sciences, seeking to improve current processes or creating new strategies.
 In the industry, optimization is focused on saving time, resources, and costs. Historically the major evolutions in the industry have all been linked to technological change. The accelerated and growing changes in technology have ushered in the fourth revolution. Industry 4.0 is the digital transformation of manufacturing, production, and the industrial value chain [1].
 In the business world to find the best technology solution, managers are thinking of introducing cloud computing, mobile technology, and computer networking to improve efficiency. Information technologies allow building business processes in a new way, namely, they provide automation of the working space of employees and business processes, reduction of production and service times, connectivity between employees and customers, inventory management, and others [2]. Concerning the management of quality control, the introduction of information technology increases the effectiveness of the information process of all stakeholders in the field of quality assurance.
 In the environmental field, optimization is therefore very critical since this relates to environmental deterioration, economic expenditure, and human health. Green technology innovation efficiency (GTIE) reflects the efficiency of an industry’s use of resources in the green technology innovation process [3]. Studies have demonstrated that the efficiency of global renewable energy generation (REG) is improving [4]. REG inputs are defined as the installed capacity of solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, and bio-fuel production and define electricity from renewable energy as an output indicator. Then, the optimization, in this case, consists in maximize the electric energy with adequate use of renewable resources.
 The application of emerging health technologies and digital practices in health care, such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine or telehealth, mobile health, big data, 5G, and the Internet of Things, have become powerful “weapons” to fight against the pandemic and provide strong support in pandemic prevention and control [5]. Likewise, advances in technologies have allowed the development of new treatments and drugs, the analysis of the human body from cell level to the physiological level, and the access to health services has improved.
 Technological development has become a fundamental tool to improve efficiency in the processes implemented in different areas. It is important to preserve a balance in the elements that are being optimized, such as time, energy, precision, and speed, to get the best out of them. Researches in electronic and computational sciences are making a continuous effort to achieve greater efficiency with optimization of resources.

Green process innovation, green product innovation and its economic performance improvement paths: A survey and structural model

Green technology innovation is an important driving force for high-quality development in China. Recently, much attention has focused on the connotation, influencing factors and mode selection of green technology innovation, yet few studies have systematically tested the transmission paths between green technology innovation and economic performance. Green technology innovation can be divided into green process innovation and green product innovation, both of which can improve the environmental and economic performance of enterprises. Drawing on previous research, this study constructs a model of economic performance transmission for green technology innovation and upgrading, and conducts an empirical analysis based on data from 642 industrial enterprises in China. The results show that green process innovation and green product innovation can effectively improve the economic performance of enterprises. The environmental performance and market competitiveness of enterprises are important mediating variables in the paths of economic performance improvement. An enterprise's green process innovation can positively promote green product innovation, and there is also room for technological innovation upgrading. There are two main differences in the transmission paths for different types of green technology innovation: (1) Green process innovation can improve economic performance directly, whereas green product innovation can only do this indirectly; (2) In most cases, the path from green product innovation to economic performance is more important than that from green process innovation to economic performance. This study deepens understanding of the green technology innovation process and has implications for optimizing policy design for green development.

Sustainability assessment of mobile juice processing unit: Farmers perspective

Downscaling of food processing with application of innovative technologies is becoming a viable and sustainable strategy for efficient utilization of agricultural unconditional materials and by-products. Application of mobile and modular units could lead to more flexible approaches for food processing at the place of biomass cultivation. Environmental impact of such production approaches and technologies are not quite known and should be thoroughly analyzed to define the feasible scope of application and potential hotspots. The current study reports an environmental sustainability assessment of a mobile and modular system (FOX system), and a stationary juice production system using conventional treatment, on an example of apple juice production. Based on primary data collected in an industrial environment, the study identified FOX system including innovative processing technologies for juice extraction (spiral filter press) and preservation (Pulsed Electric Fields) to be environmentally beneficial compared to traditional stationary counterpart. The scenario analysis revealed that it is more beneficial from the environmental perspective to transport the mobile unit and thus decrease the distance for apple transportation.

Technological change or process innovation – An empirical study of implemented energy efficiency measures from a Swedish industrial voluntary agreements program

The implementation of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) is the primary means of improving industrial energy efficiency (IEE). Almost 69% of industrial electricity use emanates from motor systems. IEE has traditionally been explained with technology-diffusion models. According to these models, increased diffusion of more effective motors and drives onto the market leads to improved efficiency. Electric motor systems are represented by three levels: electric motor, core motor system, and total motor system. The first and second levels are related to stand-alone technology measures while the third has a more operational character. Based on a unique dataset of implemented energy-efficiency motor system measures from the 100 most electricity-intensive industrial companies in Sweden, the aim of this paper is to study whether technology diffusion is a valid model for understanding improved energy efficiency in electricity-intensive industries. Results show that 59% of the implemented EEMs from the dataset go beyond technology diffusion models, implying a need for revised models to understand how energy efficiency and technology diffusion occur in energy-intensive industry.

Investments in innovations of social and technological enterprises

The modern literature extensively considers the process of technological innovations and the results of the activities of market-oriented organizations. However, there are no studies of the process of technological innovations and the results of socio-technological enterprises that are formed to create social value through the use of technologies. The paper presents a conceptual model of how the investments of socio-technological enterprises in technological innovations implemented in the process of innovation implementation affect their market and social strategic orientation. The author considers these investments in innovations at four levels of analysis: founders, innovations, organization, and the external environment. The presented model and proposals promote and enrich the current literary sources regarding the factors that affect the balance of the strategic orientation of socio-technological enterprises between the social and market orientation.

Transferring Knowledge by Transferring Individuals: Innovative Technology Use and Organizational Performance in Multiunit Firms

Transferring individuals who possess relevant knowledge from one organizational unit to another—a form of resource redeployment—may help to overcome impediments to knowledge transfer. Despite the promise of this mechanism, which often occurs through intrafirm geographic mobility, relatively little research has examined how the knowledge and expertise of individuals interacts with the organizational resources of the units to which individuals move. This study examines whether intrafirm geographic mobility improves organizational performance by providing a conduit for the transfer of knowledge while accounting for the interaction between individual knowledge and factors at the organization-unit level of analysis. We analyze the performance effects of the transfer of engineers who have expertise in innovative process technologies. The results from a large multinational company show that the innovative process technology-related expertise of an individual engineer who moves to a new organizational unit is positively associated with the performance of that unit, suggesting that intrafirm geographic mobility improves organizational performance by providing a conduit for the transfer of knowledge. The results also show that the technology-related knowledge of engineers is a substitute for organization-level factors when a unit uses only technologies with which it is already familiar, whereas the technology-related knowledge of engineers is a complement to organization-level factors when units introduce new technologies. Thus, individuals who bring novel expertise to their organizational units through intrafirm mobility may be important vehicles for organizational learning and building new competences, helping to diffuse best practices.

Effectiveness of atmospheric cold plasma technology on physicochemical and functional characteristics of ST25 fragrant rice (Oryza sativa L.) flour

Vietnam is one of the leading rice export countries in the world. ST25 fragrant rice (Oryza sativa L.) won the top prize for best rice in the world in 2019 and the second at World's Best Rice Contest 2020. Plasma has been considered as an innovative food processing technology. The aim of this study demonstrated the impact of time (4, 6, 8, 10, 12 min), power (160, 180, 200, 220, 240 W) and oxygen flow rate (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 ml/min) to the physicochemical and functional qualities of ST25 fragrant rice flour. Results showed that under plasma treatment time at 10 minutes, power 200 W, oxygen flow rate 0.8 ml/min, the amylose content (16.67±0.01 %), pasting temperature (83.21±0.02 oC), water absorption index (14.54±0.00 gm/gm sample), water solubility index (10.31±0.02 gm/100 gm sample), swelling power (14.96±0.00 gm/gm sample) were recorded. Under plasma treatment, surface of the ST25 fragrant rice flour became more hydrophilic to absorb more water resulting to shorter cooking time. Plasma treatment provides environmentally friendly processing of rice grain to limit pesticide abuse towards ecological farming.

The driving process of technological innovation in construction: a firm-level CDM analysis

PurposeInnovation has been acknowledged as the key for modern industries. However, the construction industry is criticised for being poor in innovation performance compared to other industry sectors. Large construction firms are the main contributor to technological innovation in the construction industry, but the driving process of their technological innovation has not yet been fully investigated in previous studies. The purpose of this paper is to provide quantitative analysis of the technological innovation driving process of large construction firms.Design/methodology/approachAn extended crépon, duguet and mairesse (CDM) model has been developed to analyse the key influencing factors for technological innovation in construction firms. The sample data are selected from the world’s largest construction market, China, and include 129 listed construction firms.FindingsThe results show significant positive correlation between R&D investment and innovation output and also between innovation output and performance. The effect of influencing factors on the R&D investment, innovation output and performance are also revealed by the empirical study. The underlying reasons are discussed and suggestions are given for the construction industry to improve the technological innovation capacity of construction firms.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature of construction innovation and benefits practitioners by providing a quantitative approach to demonstrate the driving process of innovation in construction firms.

The current issues of using innovative solutions in waste-free management systems

The purpose of the article. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the theoretical foundations and practical innovative solutions for the reuse of waste resources with a proposal for improved waste management technology with prospects for implementation in Ukraine. Research methodology: theoretical and practical aspects of the introduction and implementation of eco-management, because for Ukraine such an approach to the introduction of innovative processing technologies in enterprises is completely new. Methodical toolkit of substantiation of innovative decisions of reuse of resources from waste, structure of prime cost of the improved system for the Goloseevsky area. Kiev. Scientific novelty. It is proposed to optimize the existing garbage problem in most regions and replace waste trucks based on the method of the pneumatic system manufactured by Envac. The system allows you to reduce the cost of moving cargo over time sorting or disposal points. Conclusions. The introduction of innovative systems in Ukraine for the year saves UAH 34 billion 499 million, in addition, the sorting of household waste is gaining popularity, recycling tanks are being installed in cities, the population is beginning to treat waste with understanding, and a behavioral strategy has been introduced to stimulate waste recycling. In addition, the proposed technology of sorting raw materials allows you to sort up to 97% of household waste, and the rest to burn for energy. All this makes the development of the processing industry in Ukraine promising. Keywords: innovations, waste-free systems, secondary raw materials, energy, technology.

The importance of large firms for generating economic value from subsidized technological innovation: A regional perspective

This study investigates the relationship between government subsidies and the commercial value obtained from a region's scientific and technological achievements, and argues that this relationship will depend on the average size of the firms present in that region. Using panel data on the high-tech industry in 27 provinces and autonomous regions in China from 2009 to 2019, we show that government subsidies have a significant double threshold effect on the commercial/economic value obtained from scientific and technological achievements. When the average size of enterprises in a region is small, government subsidies have a negligible effect on the commercial/economic value obtained from technological innovation. As the average firm size reaches a first threshold value, the impact of government subsidies becomes significant and positive. This impact increases further when the average firm size in a region exceeds a second threshold value. These findings improve our understanding of the role of government subsidies for the commercialization stage of the technological innovation process and have important implications for policy makers.

FEATURES OF THE ASSORTMENT CONCEPT WHEN CHOOSING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DEMANDED PRODUCTS.

FEATURES OF THE ASSORTMENT CONCEPT WHEN CHOOSING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DEMANDED PRODUCTS.

Personalized medicine in Brazil: a new paradigm, old problems

PurposePersonalized medicine (PM) encompasses a set of procedures, technologies and medications; the term became more prominent from the 2000s onwards and stems from the mapping of the human genome. The purposes of this study were to analyse the development stage of the process of technological innovation for PM and the obstacles that prevent PM from being adopted in the public health system in Brazil.Design/methodology/approachAs a research method, this paper opts for a case study carried out at the Hospital das Clínicas, which belongs to São Paulo Medical School. In total, 22 in-depth interviews were carried out at the hospital to identify current practices in PM, future prospects and barriers imposed to the adoption of PM technologies in public health.FindingsPersonalized or precision medicine is already a reality for a small portion of the Brazilian population and is gradually gaining ground in public health care. One finding is that such changes are occurring in a disjointed manner in an incomplete and under development health innovation system. The analysis pointed out that the obstacles identified in Brazil are the same as those faced by high-income countries such as regulation, lack of clinical studies and need to adapt clinical studies to PM. They appear in all stages of the innovation cycle, from research to widespread use.Research limitations/implicationsThe research method was a case study, so the findings cannot be extrapolated to other contexts. A limited number of professionals were interviewed, their opinions may not reflect those of their organizations.Originality/valueThere are several studies that discuss how health-care systems in high-income countries could incorporate these new technologies, but only a few focuses on low or middle-income countries such as Brazil.

The beet sugar factory of the future

The beet sugar industry is facing several challenges for the future. The climate change is requiring a transition from the traditional fossil fuel to a greenhouse gas neutral energy source. The available possibilities for this purpose will be outlined in this paper. The recent EU sugar market reform has markedly increased the competition between sugar companies and the resulting lower sugar price has a significant impact on the profit margin of sugar production. In order to keep up with these challenges it is key to make an appropriate use of the available opportunities to improve the cost-efficiency of sugar beet processing. The different means to advance the sugar business are better asset utilization, continuous process improvement, introducing innovative process technologies and further developing a sugar factory into a biorefinery with a further valorisation of (co-)products and wherein synergy is obtained between different on-site process operations. Why and how these different available tools can improve the competitiveness of sugar factories will be discussed in detail. A proper combination and choice of the suggested changes and opportunities will enable sugar factories to get prepared for the future.

Theoretical substantiation of integration of innovative technological processes into educational activity

The article shows that the introduction of innovative teaching methods makes it possible to transfer a large amount of knowledge in a fairly short period of time, to ensure a high level of mastery by students of the studied material and to consolidate it in practice. The paper considers an innovative teaching technology - the method of specific situations (Case-study).