Development Of Technological Capabilities Research Articles

The business models of tech hubs in Africa: implications for viability and sustainability

ABSTRACT The paper draws from two case studies of tech hubs in Nigeria and Kenya to investigate the importance of business models to the hubs’ viability and sustainability as economic and social agents. Adopting the triple-layered business model of economic, social and environmental value creation, the study finds that the advanced, and growing, technological capabilities of the hubs are not matched with enough attention on innovative business models that can enable them to better capture value, expand the domestic markets, and compete at the international stage. We argue that a triple-layered orientation can be a win-win, integrated and mutually reinforcing model in which the hubs’ social and environmental impact can enable them to better capture economic value through the development and deployment of advanced technological capabilities and innovative business models.

Technological outcome achievements by start-ups at university-based incubators: an empirical analysis in the Indian context

ABSTRACT Incubators have garnered the attention of policy makers globally to encourage technology-based new venture development. In this article, we look at the start-ups developing new products/services, which are supported at university-based incubators located in the two Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We firstly understand the distinct motivations of start-ups to join these incubators. Given these motivations, we then take forward a quantitative exploratory analysis to understand the effects of utilisation of incubator services on achieving technological outcomes by the start-ups. The resources made available to start-ups through incubators at universities do not directly convert to firm-level advantages. Rather they help incubated start-ups to derive intermediary benefits like technology development capability using the resources. We use a composite indicator that indirectly measures this capability. We find that specialisation of incubators, alignment to university knowledge base and the extent of utilisation of the networking services provided by the incubator are the significant factors in helping start-ups achieving technological outcomes. We then draw implications for practice, for early-stage start-ups developing technology and university-based incubators.

Impact of customer focus on technology leadership via technology development capability – a moderated mediation model

PurposeThis study aims to develop and empirically examine a model that investigates the mediating role of technology development capability (TDC) on the relationship between customer focus (CF) and technology leadership (TL).Design/methodology/approachThe analysis and interpretation of a partial least square model include the following two stages: the first stage focuses on assessing the reliability and validity of the measurement model, while the second pertains to evaluating the structural model.FindingsThe general understanding prevailing in practice and literature is that management sponsorship (MS) has a positive impact on the relationship between CF and TDC. It is also generally understood that MS has a positive impact on TL initiatives. However, the findings of this study contradict these assumptions. Specifically, the study indicates that MS has a negative moderating effect on CF and technology development capabilities, and has no impact on CF and TL relationships.Originality/valueCF, TDC and MS, and their interplay and impact in enhancing firms’ TL position, have not been explored thus far in an integrated manner in the context of the automobile industry in developing countries. The research relating to CF, technology development capabilities, technology innovation capabilities, MS and TL reported in the literature has drawn inferences from case studies, anecdotal evidence and experiences of industry leaders, experts and consultants. This study attempts to fill the gaps mentioned above by presenting and testing a new moderated mediation model that shows the relationship between CF, TDC, MS and TL.

Strategies on technology management for coffee smallholder to promote the smart farming implementation

Smart farming is becoming increasingly important in providing technology infrastructure for the coffee agribusiness to develop a competitive value chain. On the other side, most coffee smallholders are characterized by limited access to technology and low technology adoption. As development and exploitation of technological capabilities, technology management would be a strategic way to promote smart farming implementation. Hence, this study aims twofold: (1) to identify the constraints in smart farming implementation, and (2) formulate technology management strategy in supporting smart farming for the coffee smallholder. The study was conducted in West Lampung, and the analysis method used pairwise comparison by using Saaty’s scale. The analysis reveals that respondents’ constraints related to knowledge and skills, technology, information, capital, organizational, and resources aspects. The results of this study provide useful information about technoware, humanware, inforware, orgaware, and cysnetware, as components of technology management, to support smart farming for the coffee smallholder.

Development of Technological Capabilities through the Internet of Things (IoT): Survey of Opportunities and Barriers for IoT Implementation in Portugal’s Agro-Industry

The agro-industrial sector consumes a significant amount of natural resources for farming and meat production. By 2050, population growth is expected, generating more demand and, consequently, more consumption of scarce resources. This challenging scenario is a concern of the European Commission, revealed in the Green Deal commitment and by the United Nations’ 12th goal of sustainable development. Thus, organizations must increase productivity and be more sustainable as soon as possible. Internet of Things (IoT) is introduced as a solution to facilitate agro-food companies to be more eco-efficient, mainly facing difficulties on farms, such as food loss and waste, best efficiency in management of resources, and production. The deployment of this technology depends on the stage of maturity and potential of implementation. To assess and characterize companies, with respect of IoT implementation, a survey was applied in 21 micro, small and medium agro-food companies, belonging to milk, honey, olive oil, jams, fruticulture, bakery and pastry, meat, coffee, and wine sectors, in the central region of Portugal. As results, this paper reveals the stage of maturity, level of sophistication, potential, opportunities, solutions, and barriers for implementation of IoT. Additionally, suggestions and recommendations to improve practices are discussed.

On the origin of technological acquisition strategy: The interaction between organizational plasticity and environmental munificence

AbstractResearch SummaryWhy do some firms routinely acquire more than others? I contribute to the study of technological acquisitions and capability development more broadly by documenting how the interaction between organizational plasticity and environmental munificence can create one demarcation point for some technology firms to become more acquisitive than others. Using a novel dataset on 1,201 firms that went public between 1983 and 2007, I find evidence of a persistent divergence even 20 years after initial public offering (IPO). Additional tests rule out alternative explanations and explore potential mechanisms.Managerial SummaryThere has been much evidence to suggest that mature innovative firms tend to have a preferred mode for accessing new technology: either by making it internally or buying it from other firms. However, we do not know very well how firms develop these preferences. This article investigates how financial market conditions affect young firms around the time of going public, and shows that recently IPO'd firms that experience depressed M&A markets go on to rely less on acquisitions when they mature. Conversely, these firms seem to develop more technologies in‐house. These findings suggest that some early events in a firm's life may have long‐lasting consequences, which may be difficult to change later.

Technological development of E&P companies in developing countries: An integrative approach to define and prioritize customized elements of technological capability in EOR

The present study focuses on the Technological Capability development of Exploration and Production companies of developing countries in Enhanced Oil Recovery. EOR is one of the most important issues that the Oil industry faces, and improving TC of oil-rich developing countries which have large oil and gas reserves is of great importance to the future of the world's energy. Some new approaches were used in this study to raise the practicality of the research: Elements of TC were extracted in a customized way using Thematic Analysis and integration of TC and EOR functions and then, as for resource constraints of developing countries for managing technological change, the customized elements were prioritized using the fuzzy AHP method. Upstream oil experts of Iran were used since Iran, as a developing oil-producing country with large oil and gas resources and long history in the oil industry, is considered as a perfect case for this research. The priorities showed the following are the most essential elements of improving TC in the EOR sector: training, the expertise of geophysics specialists and reservoir engineers, environmental considerations, R&D in designing the best method of EOR, governmental policies and incentives, linkage with suppliers and global value chain of oil, geological and reservoir data processing ability, suitable seismic equipment, reservoir and production engineering knowledge stock, and inward technology and knowledge transfer.

Concurrent changes in latecomer capability-building and learning: Firm-level evidence from the Thai biogas industry

Abstract The localisation of clean-tech industries allows developing countries to align their economic growth aspirations with efforts to reduce the associated environmental impacts. A key issue in this regard is the development of technological capabilities at local firms in these countries. Although much research has been conducted on this topic, we currently have only limited understanding of how the learning mechanisms that these so-called latecomer firms engage in change as they deepen their capability stocks. In the present paper, we offer insights into this issue by means of a comparative analysis of nine technology-supplying firms in the Thai industry for industrial-scale biogas systems over a period of about twenty years. Our results suggest that there are indeed shifts in the relative importance of different types of learning mechanisms as firms deepen their capabilities. The paper finds that such shifts tend to follow a co-evolutionary pattern involving shifts within and across learning mechanisms that involve different sources of knowledge. Based on our analysis, we provide examples of how decision-makers can adopt targeted interventions for the support of clean-tech firms and industries that are at particular levels of development.

ПРАВО ГРАЖДАНИНА НА НЕПРИКОСНОВЕННОСТЬ ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЯ: АНАЛИЗ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ПРАВОПРИМЕНИТЕЛЬНОЙ ПРАКТИКИ ПРИ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИИ КРИТЕРИЕВ НЕПРАВОМЕРНОСТИ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ

The article examines the problems of protecting the image of a citizen as one of the intangible benefits protected by the civil legislation of the Russian Federation. The authors draw attention to the need to improve civil legislation in the field of protecting the personal image of a citizen and methods for restoring violated rights, since in connection with the development of technological capabilities and the emergence of new Internet platforms, aspects that have not been considered earlier appear, and therefore legal gaps arise. Analyzing the criteria for the illegality of using the image of citizens, the authors studied judicial practice, highlighted the main problems and established the basic conditions necessary for the effective protection of the violated right. Based on the analysis of the current civil legislation and judicial practice, proposals were formulated to improve the legislation, which will help stabilize the institution of protecting the image of a citizen, prevent the occurrence of such violations, and also expand the possibilities of restoring violated rights.

A Study of the Impact of Cloud Computing Alignment on the Enterprise Technological Capability Based on Environmental Turbulence

One of the most current concerns in the field of information system is whether cloud computing technology can deliver the desired improvement of capability and value to enterprises. This paper studied the enterprise technology development capability of the enterprises in Beijing Zhongguancun Technology Park, the first national high-tech industrial development zone in China, from the perspective of the breadth and depth of the alignment of cloud computing and enterprise. It proposed a theoretical model to study how the breadth and depth of alignment affects the enterprise technology development capability in a turbulent environment and considers the intermediary role of the enterprise technology absorption capability and the moderation role of environmental turbulence in it. The model was tested empirically by questionnaires and structural equation model (SEM). Empirical results showed that both the deep and wide alignment of cloud computing can enhance the enterprise technology development capability by improving the enterprise technology absorption capability.

Governing the progress of internet-of-things: Ambivalence in the quest of technology exploitation and user rights protection

This paper discusses the dynamics between the pursuit of competitiveness and governance of data security in strengthening the Internet of Things (IoT) readiness in developing economies using Malaysia as a case study. It explores the potential of the IoT regulatory framework in guarding the privacy and interests of IoT users. This paper also reveals the collaborative model of technology push-market pull for technological capabilities development as well as the measures that uphold the principles of good privacy practice. The model incorporates privacy-by-design measures that would result in higher user confidence in this emerging technology, which is vital to a healthy IoT ecosystem. Through the collaborative model of Penang as evidence, our findings indicate that Malaysia seeks to create a structure that fosters technology push-market pull forces for IoT technological capabilities development. While the model paves a co-evolutionary path for diffusion and upgrading of IoT, several issues related to the volatility of online data and databases were identified as well as the lack of responsibility and accountability of corporations in handling the sensitive personal data of customers. We see that it is essential for the regulators to play a (more) significant role in safeguarding the interests of IoT users. In this regard, the privacy-by-design, a citizen-centric regulatory framework should be considered in policy reviews in deploying IoT-based competitive promotion initiatives. This paper breaks new ground by elaborating on the common route of IoT technology capabilities development, which is typical in the developing context. While it highlights the common issues that emerge as technology advances, we propose a regulatory framework that features embedded privacy-by-design to protect the interests of the IoT users.

Strategic Approach, Advances, and Challenges in the Development and Application of the SIT for Area-Wide Control of Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes in Reunion Island.

Simple SummaryAedes albopictus is a well-established competent arbovirus vector in Reunion Island, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, occurring in a range of natural to urban environments where it represents a major threat to public health. Following the 2006 Chikungunya outbreak and periodic occurrence of dengue epidemics, the sterile insect technique (SIT) emerged as the most environment-friendly option for integration with the current vector control strategy that relies mainly on the elimination of breeding sites and insecticide applications. This paper describes the trajectory that has been followed in assessing the feasibility of SIT against Ae. albopictus in Reunion Island, and reviews some of the main achievements since 2009. These include essential scientific information so far obtained on the biology and ecology of Ae. albopictus, and the development of the requisite technological capabilities for the production and release of sexually competitive sterile males. Furthermore, it also draws attention to the strategies established to streamline the decision-making process, including an awareness campaign to enhance public understanding, efforts to secure public acceptance and regulatory validation of SIT pilot testing for small-scale suppression of wild Ae. albopictus in selected urban sites on the island.The global expansion of Aedes albopictus, together with the absence of specific treatment and vaccines for most of the arboviruses it transmits, has stimulated the development of more sustainable and ecologically acceptable methods for control of disease transmission through the suppression of natural vector populations. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is rapidly evolving as an additional tool for mosquito control, offering an efficient and more environment-friendly alternative to the use of insecticides. Following the devastating chikungunya outbreak, which affected 38% of the population on Reunion Island (a French overseas territory in the southwest of the Indian Ocean), there has been strong interest and political will to develop effective alternatives to the existing vector control strategies. Over the past 10 years, the French Research and Development Institute (IRD) has established an SIT feasibility program against Ae. albopictus on Reunion Island in collaboration with national and international partners. This program aimed to determine whether the SIT based on the release of radiation-sterilized males is scientifically and technically feasible, and socially acceptable as part of a control strategy targeting the local Ae. albopictus population. This paper provides a review of a multi-year and a particularly broad scoping process of establishing the scientific and technological feasibility of the SIT against Ae. albopictus on Reunion Island. It also draws attention to some prerequisites of the decision-making process, through awareness campaigns to enhance public understanding and support, social adoption, and regulatory validation of the SIT pilot tests.

Big data, technology capability and construction project quality: a cross-level investigation

PurposeEmbracing big data has been at the forefront of research for project management. Although there is a consensus that the adoption of big data has significantly positive impact on project performance, far less is known about how this innovative information technology becomes an effective driver of construction project quality improvement. This study aims to better understand the mechanism and conditions under which big data can effectively improve project quality performance.Design/methodology/approachAdopting Chinese construction enterprises as samples, the theoretical framework proposed in this paper is verified by the empirical results of the two-level hierarchical linear model. The moderated mediation analysis is also conducted to test the hypotheses. Finally, the empirical findings are validated by a comparative case study.FindingsThe results show that big data facilitates the development of technology capability, which further produces remarkable quality performance. That is, a project team's technology capability acts as a mediator in the relationship between organizational adaptability of big data and predictive analytics and project quality performance. It is also observed that two types of project team interdependence (goal and task interdependence) positively moderate the mediation effect.Research limitations/implicationsThe questionnaire study from China only represents the relationship within a short time interval in the current context. Future studies should apply longitudinal designs to properly test the causality and use multiple data sources to ensure the validity and robustness of the conclusions.Practical implicationsThe value of big data in terms of quality improvement could not be determined in a vacuum; it also depends on the internal capability development and elaborate design of project governance.Originality/valueThis study provides an extension of the existing big data studies and fuels the ongoing debate on its actual outcomes in project management. It not only clarifies the direct effect of big data on project quality improvement but also identifies the mechanism and conditions under which the adoption of big data can play an effective role.

Determinants of national innovation capacity in developing countries: An empirical survey

Abstract. National innovation capacity is seen as the main source of sustainable growth and prosperity of countries. National innovation capacity, being both an economic and political asset, is defined as the potential of a country to produce innovation. At the same time, measuring the capacity of national innovation provides important information about the dynamics of innovation in the field of economics. Also, it is seen that most of the studies on national innovation capacity have focused on developed countries. In this study, it is aimed to make an empirical analysis of the determinants of national innovation capacity in developing countries in comparison with developed countries. For this purpose, variables considered to be determinants of national innovation capacity are classified under three headings as national technological capability and infrastructure factors, external factors, and institutional factors. In most studies in the literature, national innovation capacity is represented only by the number of patents in the empirical analysis. However, in most of these studies, the disadvantages and deficient aspects of representing national innovation capacity only with the number of patents are mentioned and almost no alternative methods have been suggested. Based on the suggestions and methods in empirical studies, the national innovation capacity index is calculated and represented as a new output variable representing the national innovation capacity in the effort to fill the relevant gap in the literature. In the study, data in the period of 1996-2016 are analyzed by the panel data analysis method for 18 developing countries and 31 developed countries. The effects of national technological capabilities and infrastructure factors of national innovation capacity in developing countries are seen to be weak. At the same time, it is seen that external factors have a positive effect on national innovation capacity in these countries and this indicates the dependence on foreign technologies in the development of technological capabilities. Keywords. National Innovation Capacity, National Technological Capability, Developing Countries, Panel Data Analysis. JEL. O32, O33, C23.

Access to medicines after TRIPS: Is compulsory licensing an effective mechanism to lower drug prices? A review of the existing evidence

While Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) was expected to hike up prices of patented medicines, there was no consensus on its likely final impact on access, because the agreement housed instruments to address this challenge. For instance, compulsory licensing, through the facilitation of price reductions, was considered to be an important countermeasure. However, little is known about the extent to which compulsory licensing has actually been effective in reducing prices of much-needed patented drugs. To fill this gap, this paper undertakes a systematic-review of the existing evidence on the impact of compulsory licensing on drug prices. Retrieval and analysis of 51 observations of pre- and post-compulsory licensing prices indicate that a compulsory licensing event is likely to reduce the price of a patented drug, albeit with some caveats. Moreover, compulsory licensing procurement from the international market is likely to be more effective in reducing drug prices than contracts to local companies. These findings are reconfirmed in the race to improve access to Remdesivir for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Clearly, the future incidence and impact of compulsory licensing will depend on further possible procedural refinements to ease its implementation, the development of technological and manufacturing capabilities in developing countries, and the importance of biologics among life-saving drugs.

Social capital and core competencies, enablers developing electronic design technological capabilities in Guadalajara, Mexico

The electronics industry in Guadalajara, Mexico, experienced significant growth dur­ing the 1990s. However, the development of electronic design technological capabilities in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (GMA) is reduced compared to the growth of the electronics sector. Furthermore, in local small and medium-sized businesses (SMBS) performing electronic design activi­ties the number of employees working in this type of work is low, compared to the size of the local electronics sector. This paper tries to understand how social capital and core competencies contrib­ute to developing electronic design capabilities in SMBS in this region. A multiple case study of seven local businesses that execute or provide electronic design services in the GMA was conducted. The findings include the role social capital plays in attracting talent, acquiring knowledge and creating a network of customers, along with its longevity; they also include the importance of identifying core capabilities that generate sustained technological advantage and the role played by Regional Innovation Systems (RIS).

A tale of two technological capabilities: economic growth revisited from a technological capability transition perspective

This study revisits economic growth from the perspective of technological capability types and the transition related to growth slowdowns in middle-income countries. The objectives of this study are twofold. First, we reveal the development pattern of national technological capabilities in the global market by means of two capability indices. Second, we investigate the heterogeneous contribution of these indices to economic growth by income level. To this end, we first propose an analytical framework that evaluates two types of technological capabilities, that is, implementation capability and design capability, developed by different knowledge types and learning modes. Using the calculated indices with a sample of 42 countries from 1996 to 2016, we conduct econometric analysis via Granger causality testing between the two capability indices, a dynamic panel regression of the global connections on the capability development, and a panel quantile regression on income per capita. Our results show that: (1) the sequential pattern of national technological capability development from the implementation-based to the design-based; (2) a positive influence of higher global connections on the capability development; and (3) an increasing contribution of design capability towards economic growth but a decreasing contribution of implementation capability when approaching the higher quantiles of the income level. Finally, our study’s implications concern the process of sustained economic growth and the fundamental cause of the middle-income trap—specifically, the need for capability transition.

THE EVOLUTION OF BUILDING DESIGN STANDARDS

Rationing of the construction industry is currently one of the most important components. Today, absolutely all parts of houses, buildings and structures are subject to rationing, which are considered as a complex architectural, construction and engineering system that must meet the basic functions: safe operation, reliability, architectural andaesthetic, functional, comfortable, energy efficient. The evolution of design rules and regulations from ancient times is connectedwith the provision of these requirements and has been constantly improved with the development of technological capabilities andthe emergence of new building materials and structures.The paper considers the process of evolution of building regulations from ancient times to the present day in Europe and Ukraine, which allows a more complete understanding of the processes that affect thecreation of the regulatory framework and requirements for it. If at first these were mostly aspects of the legal responsibility of builders for their work, then over time, there were requirements for planning andarchitecture, utilities and networks, and much later requirements for the reliability of building structures and buildings in general.Examples of the first sources of standards and technical requirements of the construction industry are given. The issues of formation anddevelopment of estimated rationing due to the need to regulate economic relations between customers of construction and installationworks and contractors are considered. Today, building codes cover virtually the entire range of issues related to the provision: performance,reliability, architectural, aesthetic and functional requirements, comfort, energy efficiency.Knowledge of the history and evolution of building standards will allow you to most accurately predict the direction of its development and improvement. The process of improving building codes continues constantlywith the development and scientific and technological progress, the emergence of new functional and aesthetic requirements, newproducts and materials.

Research on the Coupling and Coordinated Development of Marine Technological Innovation and Marine Ecological Economic Development

Wang, Y.; Deng, Q., and Zhang, Y., 2020. Research on the coupling and coordinated development of marine technological innovation and marine ecological economic development. In: Zheng, C.W.; Wang, Q.; Zhan, C., and Yang, S.B. (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction and Coastal Environments of the Maritime and Polar Silk Roads. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 99, pp. 419–427. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The development of modern marine ecological economy relies heavily on scientific and technological progress. The level of development of marine scientific and technological innovation capabilities can to some extent reflect the level of marine ecological economic development in a certain region and future innovation directions and space. Fujian Province is selected as the research object to construct an evaluation index system for marine technological innovation capabilities and marine ecological economic development. Based on the sample of Fujian marine technological innovation capabilities and marine ecological economic data from 2007 to 2016, a coupling model is established to calculate the coupling coordinated development status and changing trend of marine technological innovation ability and ecological economy. The results show that the coordination of marine technological innovation and marine ecological economic development in Fujian has gradually improved in the past decade, marine technological innovation provides growth momentum for marine ecological economic development, marine ecological economic development provides basic guarantee for marine technological innovation. Through the joint development of the two, the coordination degree of the two is improved, and the healthy and sustainable development of marine economy is promoted.

Technology Assessment in Indonesian Construction Industry

In the last decades the Indonesian construction sector has experienced significant shift in both the size and complexity. The ever-growing size and complexity of construction and infrastructure works often required the employment of non-traditional construction methods and technology. Responding to such needs, however, there remain questions on whether the construction industry is able to respond to such challenges. This paper is to put forward the concept for assessing the technological capability of the Indonesian construction industry. Particularly, it aims to describe how the construction companies evolve in their technological management capability. The assessment will encompass three aspects: technological capacity, development of technology capability and acquisition and adoption of technology. A technology management assessment concept was proposed to determine key factors that influence the way construction companies select and utilize technology to enhancement their performance. Although they appear to agree on general path for technology capability development, large contractors seem to be more prepared in formulating the strategies for the utilization and development of technology in the company’s strategic plans than those of medium-sized contractors.