Product Upgrading Research Articles

Unveiling the reaction mechanism of photocatalytic H2 evolution coupled with selective bio-mass monosaccharide upgrading over single palladium atom-engineered carbon-rich graphitic carbon nitride.

Unveiling the reaction mechanism of photocatalytic H2 evolution coupled with selective bio-mass monosaccharide upgrading over single palladium atom-engineered carbon-rich graphitic carbon nitride.

Technological knowledge and performance in technology-intensive service firms

PurposeService organizations are increasingly using technology to respond to consumer needs, necessitating the development of technological knowledge in their workforce, especially in technology-intensive service firms (TISFs). Technological knowledge is conceptualized as the technology-related specialized knowledge, expertise and skills possessed by the firm’s workforce. Research on technological knowledge has been sparse, and even less research has examined the technological knowledge–firm performance relationship in TISFs. Using the knowledge-based view (KBV) perspective, our study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the role of technological knowledge as a driver of firm performance in TISFs. We also examine the moderating role of environmental hostility and employee autonomy on the above relationship.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data are obtained using a questionnaire from a sample of 85 TISFs. We conduct statistical tests for common method bias and validity and reliability of our constructs and use hierarchical regression to test our hypotheses.FindingsOur analysis shows that technological knowledge and employee autonomy are positively associated with TISF performance, while environmental hostility has a negative relationship with it. Further, environmental hostility enhances the relationship between technological knowledge and TISF performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe relationship between technological knowledge and performance may not hold for other service sectors. However, there is a need to address different types of service firms in research studies. Hence, our focus on TISFs and our research findings add to our knowledge about an important service sector such as TISFs. Finally, a larger sample size, drawn from a nationwide or global TISF population, will provide additional validity to our results.Practical implicationsManagers need to manage the linkages between technological knowledge and performance in light of moderating factors such as environmental hostility and employee autonomy. Our results on the positive relationship between technological knowledge and employee autonomy with firm performance are consistent with the practitioner-oriented literature. Our research suggests that managers should go beyond measuring “hard” technology aspects of TISFs such as R&D spending, investment in technology, product upgrades, patents, etc. and assess the “soft” technology aspects that are more employee oriented (such as technological knowledge), as they can also enhance firm performance.Originality/valueThis study focuses on technological knowledge but conceptualizes this construct based on the perceptions of the service value chain’s members (the focal organization, vendors, suppliers and customers). Further, it contributes to the sparse research on technological knowledge and highlights the role of technological knowledge of the firm’s employees in driving performance in TISFs. Managers interested in enhancing TISF performance may consider going beyond an emphasis on “hard technology” and also focus on the “soft technology” aspects (such as employee autonomy), necessary for understanding and utilizing technology to better satisfy customer needs. They also need to manage the linkages between technological knowledge and performance in light of moderating factors such as environmental hostility and employee autonomy.

Climbing the Value Chain: The Critical Role of Innovation Routines in Korean SMEs’ Global Competitiveness

This study examines how systematically managed innovation routines drive value chain upgrading and competitive performance among Korean manufacturing SMEs. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities view and routines-based perspective, a conceptual model was developed to analyze the relationships among three innovation routines (technological innovation systematization, product development, and manufacturing), two dimensions of upgrading (product and process), and overall competitiveness. Survey data from 131 SMEs reveal that technological innovation systematization routines strongly enhance both product development and manufacturing routines. Product development routines, in turn, significantly boost both product upgrading and process upgrading, whereas manufacturing routines significantly affect only process upgrading. Further, both types of upgrading are shown to improve a firm’s competitive advantage, with process upgrading emerging as particularly impactful in cost-sensitive, subcontracting contexts. These findings highlight the importance of cross-functional integration, open innovation, and balancing product-focused and process-focused strategies. By clarifying how resource-limited SMEs can systematically build and leverage innovation routines, this research offers novel theoretical insights and practical guidelines for firms seeking to ascend global value chains under competitive pressures.

Agile conceptual design and validation based on multi-source product data and large language models: a review, framework, and outlook

The ability to rapidly and accurately identify high-value requirements and complete the conceptual design and performance validation of iterative products is crucial for companies to achieve swift product upgrades and enhance market competitiveness. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest methods and practices reported in the literature, covering various aspects such as requirement mining, scheme generation, and scheme validation in conceptual design. Furthermore, it proposes a framework for agile conceptual design and validation based on multi-source product data and Large Language Models (LLMs). The specific research focus areas include requirement mining using product usage data, AI-based conceptual scheme generation, and rapid conceptual scheme validation facilitated by physics-informed data-driven approaches. Finally, the paper discusses the challenges and future research prospects of agile conceptual design based on multi-source product data and Large Language Models.

Engineering Asymmetric Electronic Structure of Co─N─C Single-Atomic Sites Toward Excellent Electrochemical H2O2 Production and Biomass Upgrading.

To advance electrochemical H2O2 production and unravel catalytic mechanisms, the precise structural coordination of single-atomic M-N-C electrocatalysts is urgently required. Herein, the Co─N5 site with an asymmetric electronic configuration is constructed to boost the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e- ORR) compared to symmetric Co─N4, effectively overcoming the trade-off between activity and selectivity in H2O2 production. Both experimental and theoretical analyses demonstrate that breaking the symmetry of Co─N sites promotes the activation of O2 molecules and moderates the adsorption of the key *OOH intermediate by disrupting the linear scaling relationship for intermediatesadsorption. This modulation enables efficient H₂O₂ production and its effective retention for subsequent applications. As a proof of concept, Co─N5 achieves a H2O2 production rate as high as 16.1molgcat -1h-1 in a flow cell, outperforming most recently reported counterparts. Furthermore, the coupling of 2e- ORR with the oxidation of cellulose-derived carbohydrates accomplishes high formic acid yields (84.1% from glucose and 62.0%-92.1% from other substrates), underpinning the sustainable electro-refinery for biomass valorization at ambient conditions. By elucidating the intrinsic relationship between 2e⁻ ORR and the asymmetry of single-atomic sites, this work paves the way for high-performance electrosynthesis.

On Promotion Approach of ICH Tourism Resources in the Context of Digital Humanities: A Case Study of Shaoxing

Shaoxing, an important historical and cultural city and tourist destination in southern China, boasts rich ICH resources, including Shaoxing Opera, traditional brewing techniques of yellow rice wine, rural community theater performances, production of black felt hats, clay sculpting, tie-dyeing, the sacrifice to Yu the Great, and Shaoxing Pinghu tune. With the rapid development of the digital economy, Shaoxing is actively leveraging digital technology to promote the transformation and upgrading of ICH tourism resources, thereby fostering the integration and innovation of the cultural tourism industry. However, the preservation and transmission of traditional ICH face challenges such as limited dissemination channels and an aging audience. Amid the rise of digital humani-ties technology, this project provides new platforms and means for the promo-tion of ICH culture through digital acquisition and analysis, field visits and the construction of industry chains for research and study tours, and digital dis-semination. Specifically, the project utilizes big data to store and organize ICH resources, establishing an ICH database; they produce bilingual promotional videos through field visits and interviews, which are widely disseminated on new media platforms; simultaneously, adopting a combination of Chinese and English short videos and VR videos to present ICH to the public in a more vivid and intuitive manner, enhancing its visibility and accessibility. Moreover, this project emphasizes integrating ICH into cultural tourism products to drive in-novation and upgrading of such products. By establishing ICH research camps, creating ICH tour.

The Effect of Digital Transformation on Export Upgrading: Firm-Level Evidence from China

ABSTRACT This paper constructs the export product upgrading indicator based on export product quality and export technological sophistication, and examines the impact of digital transformation on export product upgrading of Chinese industrial enterprises from 2001 to 2013 using the multidimensional fixed effects model. The results show that digital transformation promotes firm export upgrading. We also find that the positive effects of digital transformation on export upgrading are more pronounced among domestic-funded firms and firms in regions with stronger development capabilities and more favorable social environments. Mechanism tests suggest that digital transformation exerts a positive effect on export product upgrading through innovation incentives, cost regulation and labor efficiency improvement. In addition, we find that domestic digital factor inputs are more conducive to export upgrading than foreign digital factor inputs. Finally, we find that digital transformation facilitates export product upgrading more by increasing the export technological sophistication.

Improving product circularity through circular economy strategies for small domestic appliance design in China

China is the world’s largest home appliance producer, and the rising manufacturing of small domestic appliance (SDA) is creating high carbon emissions worldwide. Due to China’s high carbon emissions, the country needs to improve its SDA design and production. This study aims to investigate the critical improvement of product circularity through circular economy strategies for SDA design. This desktop study analyses 37 journal articles from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases from 2019 to 2024. This study explores the current circular economy strategies used by SDA to reduce carbon footprint and the gap in the application of circular economy strategies in SDA manufacturing. It also recommends the best circular economy strategies for SDA design to reduce carbon footprint. Key findings indicate that product disassembly, upgradability, and integrity are pivotal in extending product lifespans, reducing resource consumption, conserving materials, and reducing waste. In addition to directing future empirical and theoretical research in the circular economy, these findings can aid designers, researchers, stakeholders, and manufacturers in updating their knowledge of enhanced product circularity.

Coupling coordination and spatiotemporal dynamic evolution between culture and tourism industry in Japan

In order to adapt to the needs of tourism industry transformation and tourism product upgrades, it is increasingly urgent to deeply research the relationship between culture and tourism. This study examines the integrated development level of the cultural and tourism industry in the spatial and temporal dimensions based on the coupling coordination degree, using data on the industry in 46 prefectures in Japan from 2009 to 2019. It also uses spatial kernel density estimation and spatial cluster analysis methods to gain insight into the patterns of spatial association between the industry and its data. The following two points were found: (1) From the time perspective, while the development of other regions has been rather stable, Tokyo and Osaka have demonstrated a particularly notable rising tendency in the total development level of Japan’s culture and tourism industry. Moreover, the relationship between culture and tourism industry has strengthened over time, showing a positive development trend overall, and the spatial distribution shows an unbalanced development pattern of high in the middle and low on both sides; (2) From the perspective of spatial correlation pattern, Japan’s cultural and tourism industry exhibits a notable positive spatial agglomeration pattern, particularly in economically advanced regions like Tokyo and Osaka, indicating a high level of concentration. Certain distant regions in the northern and southern parts exhibit a low-low agglomeration pattern.

Research on the Development Strategy of Rural E-commerce Empowered by New Productive Force

The rural e-commerce sector has entered the stage of high-quality development known as "Digital Commerce Promating Agriculture" and it has emerged as a key driver of rural economic growth. As an advanced production momentum, New Productive Force drives the development of rural e-commerce with innovation, intelligence and efficiency. The acceleration of new productive force development serves as a crucial approach to promote the high-quality advancement of rural e-commerce, thereby facilitating their sustainable growth and further driving the transformation and upgrading of rural economy. Starting from the new productive force, this paper analyzes the development status quo, opportunities and challenges faced by rural e-commerce, and explores the basic path of new productive force enabling rural e-commerce to flourish, focusing on the development of new productive force from four aspects, including product upgrading, logistics intelligence, talent training and information security, to build a smart and efficient rural e-commerce platform.

Bio-Stimulated Lower Limb Rehabilitation Robot Semantic Analogy Fit Design.

In order to solve the problem of insufficient design applicability in the field of lower limb rehabilitation, such as interaction, experience comfort, and modeling color, a biological excitation function system was used to guide the solution of the functional scheme of lower limb rehabilitation products, and the transformation of lower limb rehabilitation products in functional interaction, experience, and morphological color design driven by biological information-driven cross-domain mapping was improved. We used patent knowledge mining to study the product functional requirements of lower limb rehabilitation products. The results were used to screen the required biological prototypes, and the biological incentives were used to guide the design problems. According to the principle of analogy and similarity calculation, the similarity matrix was obtained, and then the strategy was analyzed. Through the analogy of functional system-product technology engineering systems, the engineering relationship between multi-biological and multi-design elements was determined. We realized the biological replacement and upgrading of product functions under biological stimulation to guide the design of lower limb rehabilitation products. The accurate quantitative biological information of multi-biological analogy fit has the significance of optimizing the training effect, improving the operation efficiency, and improving the morphology and modeling of the lower limb rehabilitation product engineering transformation and design. The acquisition rate of the functional design requirements of lower limb rehabilitation products based on text mining reached 95%, and the accuracy of the biological design prototype obtained through similarity calculation was higher than 79%, which verified the feasibility of the accurate bioinformatics design method and improved the rigor of the bioinformatics biomimetic design method.

Delegation Versus Control Mechanism: Impacts on Second-Hand Markets With Product Upgrades

The second-hand market (SM) trades used products from the reverse channel. In practice, manufacturers such as Apple Inc. collect used products and sell refurbished products in the SM. However, third-party firms (TPFs) such as Gazelle independently manage the SM. Alternatively, the manufacturer may delegate the responsibility of managing the SM to a TPF under a contract or choose to operate in the SM with a TPF serving as a competitor. The optimal strategy to manage the SM is an important operations issue for the manufacturer as well as the TPF. This decision becomes even more critical when the manufacturer plans to sell the upgraded version, markdown version, and remanufactured version of the product concurrently. In the presence of product competition, SM selling can affect the prices and sales of the markdown product as well as the upgraded product. Therefore, in this study, we analyze impacts of the manufacturer’s choice of delegation. Our analytical findings reveal that the SM selling strongly influences the equilibrium price and the demand for the markdown product offered by the manufacturer under all the mechanisms. However, demand cannibalization of the markdown product is most severe under the delegation mechanism. Additionally, we counter-intuitively reveal that the manufacturer is better-off under the delegation mechanism when the sales commission is low and remanufacturing cost is high. In fact, the delegation mechanism is found to be the most profitable arrangement for the manufacturer as well as the TPF. Interestingly, demand for the upgraded version product remains unaffected by SM sales under the independent TPF mechanism, allowing the manufacturer to launch the upgraded version product without any fear of demand cannibalization. Furthermore, we discover that consumers secure the maximum surplus under the competitive scenario owing to intense price competitiveness. For robustness checking, we further extend our model to consider the cases with variable remanufacturing cost, differential emission cost, environmental cost, and collection rate of used product.

Digital transformation: how digital infrastructure impacts urban livability in China

ABSTRACT Building livable cities is a global urban development goal, but existing research has largely neglected the role of digital infrastructure in the construction of livable cities. Utilizing fixed effects models, instrumental variable, staggered difference-in-differences models, propensity score matching difference-in-differences models, and dynamic panel models, this paper examines the impact of digital infrastructure on urban liveability in 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2021. The research finds that digital infrastructure can improve urban liveability by enhancing green total factor productivity and digital technology upgrading. The impact is particularly significant in improving urban convenience, environmental comfort, and urban safety and stability. Further research indicates that the effect is moderated by economic growth and green finance. Heterogeneity tests reveal that the impact of digital infrastructure on urban liveability is more pronounced in central, northeastern, and western regions compared to eastern regions. These conclusions hold true after addressing endogeneity and conducting robustness tests. The findings provide empirical support for policies aimed at improving urban liveability.

Hybrid model of multimodal based on data enhancement and lumped reaction kinetics: Applying to industrial ebullated-bed residue hydrogenation unit

Hybrid model of multimodal based on data enhancement and lumped reaction kinetics: Applying to industrial ebullated-bed residue hydrogenation unit

Enhancing Product UpgradaProduct Modular Enhancement Framework (PMEF): A New Approach to Product Upgradationtion: A Study on theModular Enhancement Framework (MEF)

Background In today’s rapidly evolving and highly competitive market, the ability to upgrade existing products is essential for companies to maintain their market position and meet changing customer needs. By discovering new methods, we can implement changes more swiftly and with fewer resources, minimizing the risk of widespread issues and ensuring that upgrades are more manageable. Objective The objective is to develop a simple product enhancement framework for product upgradation. This framework aims to offer greater flexibility, faster implementation, and efficient resource allocation, making it an attractive option for companies looking to enhance their product offerings. Methods An analysis was conducted on the data provided by leading manufacturers worldwide regarding their recent product upgrades. This analysis encom- passed the product upgradation process, the outcomes of these upgrades, market research reports, competitor analysis, customer feedback, and internal company documents. From the data gathered, we identified gaps in the product upgradation process and the reasons for failures, leading to the development of a universal framework. Results The proposed Product Modular Enhancement Framework (PMEF) provides notable benefits in terms of flexibility, efficiency, and scalability. Its modular structure allows for independent upgrades, minimizing the risk of widespread issues and facilitating quicker implementation. Conclusion The PMEF represents a promising approach to product upgradation, offering a structured and innovative solution to meet the demands of a dynamic market. While the framework presents several benefits, it also requires meticulous planning and execution to address challenges such as module integration and resource allocation.

Mitigating Supply Disruption Risks: Impact of Product Upgrading Strategy

Supply disruption is one of the crucial risks faced by supply chains in the changing external environment. To mitigate supply disruption risk and enhance resilience, product upgrading with Research and Development (R&D) investment is widely adopted by firms. In this paper, we establish a game-theoretic model to study the operation decisions and product upgrading strategies for a supply chain. Specifically, Firm 1 faces supply disruption risks when selling a normal product with a key component sourced from an unreliable supplier. To achieve supply resilience, the firm has an incentive to replace the unreliable supplier with product upgrading supported by R&D. It has an option to make high or low investments in R&D projects, indicating a high or low success rate. Our findings reveal that Firm 1 prefers to make investments in R&D for the upgraded product at a high investment level when the additional production cost of the upgraded product is relatively low or both the upgrading cost and supply disruption risk are relatively high. Extending our model to a duopoly scenario, we investigate the impact of competition on the product upgrading strategy selection. It is shown that a firm with a sufficiently large market share can drive its competitor out of the market by making R&D investments. Compared to the monopoly scenario, Firm 1 has a stronger incentive to upgrade the product under the duopoly scenario if its market share is relatively low. Finally, we identify the conditions where consumers get benefits from product upgrading. Our findings shed light on the importance of product upgrading strategy in a volatile business environment and provide insights into how firms can effectively mitigate supply disruption risk through R&D investments.

Tripartite Evolutionary Game Analysis for Manufacturing Firms, Service Providers and Consumers in Collaborative Innovation Systems

With global economic growth and intensifying market competition, Chinese manufacturing firms are under pressure to enhance product competitiveness and adapt to changing consumer demands, requiring continuous product innovation and upgrading. This study introduces a tripartite evolutionary game model involving manufacturing firms, service providers and consumers to analyze the strategic stability and the impact of various factors on decision-making within this system. The results indicate that the decisions of these actors are interdependent, with a fair distribution of innovation benefits and costs being key to stimulating innovation enthusiasm and participation. The presence of free-riding behavior affects strategic choices, and a robust system of rewards and penalties can mitigate this problem. The cost of obtaining market information also influences service providers’ participation in innovation, with high costs potentially suppressing their involvement. This research provides insights to guide collaborative innovation efforts during industrial transformation, highlighting the direct impact of service providers and consumers on the success of manufacturing upgrades.

Why do upgrades worsen consumers’ experience with their possessions?

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how product upgrades influence consumers’ hedonic responses to currently owned products, focusing on the underlying attentional mechanism.Design/methodology/approachSix experiments were conducted, including one pilot study and five main studies, employing various stimuli and methodologies. These experiments used longitudinal designs, manipulated upgrade awareness and measured hedonic decline over time. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed to test the proposed attentional mechanism.FindingsThe studies demonstrate that awareness of product upgrades induces consumers to experience a faster hedonic decline with their current possessions. This effect occurs because upgrades prompt consumers to shift their attention away from the currently owned product. The research provides both mediation-based and moderation-based evidence for this attentional mechanism.Research limitations/implicationsThe study primarily focused on product upgrades, and future research could explore this effect in nonproduct domains and investigate potential boundary conditions.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for both consumers and companies in managing product enjoyment and upgrade cycles. Consumers can make more informed decisions about upgrades, while companies can develop strategies to maintain customer satisfaction with current products.Originality/valueThis work offers a novel perspective on the influence of upgrades on consumer behavior by introducing an attention-based account of hedonic adaptation and the consequent upgrade phenomenon, contrasting with previous research that relied on justifiability or contrast effects.

Deep Learning Algorithm-Based Appearance Detection of Cigarette Strip Packs

Each local feature in the appearance image of cigarette packs is a key element to reflect the corresponding brand information. If only a single convolutional neural network is used, the context information of sequence data may be lost, resulting in an insufficient grasp of the overall information. In order to realize the deep-level feature extraction of the appearance of cigarette packs and realize the appearance detection of cigarette packs with higher accuracy and speed, a new method for the appearance detection of cigarette packs was proposed by combining the convolutional neural network and the cyclic neural network methods in the deep learning algorithm. The image acquisition card is used to collect the appearance images of cigarette packs, and contrast enhancement and rotation correction are performed on the collected images to effectively improve their quality and provide a good guarantee for subsequent feature extraction and detection. The preprocessed cigarette package image is input into the convolutional neural network to realize the deep-level feature extraction of the cigarette package appearance image. The cigarette package appearance features’ output from the convolutional neural network is input into the short-term and long-term memory unit, as well as the gate-controlled cyclic unit, of the corresponding recurrent neural network, in order to process time sequence information based on the efficient extraction of details from the image, retain the sequence and context information of the input data, and ultimately achieve accurate detection of the cigarette package appearance. Through experimental analysis, this method can effectively identify the appearance defects of cigarette packs, mark them immediately, and present them in an intuitive way, so that staff can quickly locate the problem and take corresponding measures. The method can detect appearance defects larger than [Formula: see text] with high accuracy. For various appearance defects, the detection rate can be guaranteed to be over 98%, providing strong support for quality control and product upgrading in the tobacco industry.

Integrating internal electric field in PdRh-Cu2O/Cu nanorods: Revolutionizing low-energy hydrogen production and biomass upgrading

Integrating internal electric field in PdRh-Cu2O/Cu nanorods: Revolutionizing low-energy hydrogen production and biomass upgrading