Technology Synergy Research Articles

Evolution of digital transformation in traditional enterprises: evidence from China

ABSTRACT The rapid development of digital technology and its ease of use has changed the competitive environment for traditional manufacturing. The study focuses on the central issues of the evolution of the digital transformation (DT) process. This paper proposes a theoretical framework of digital transformation in traditional manufacturing based on environment, people, organisation, and technology synergy. We chose a large textile company in China as a case to explore the process of DT practices in the traditional manufacturing industry. The results of the study showed that data accessibility has a positive impact on a strategic responsiveness during organisation’s DT, driven by data, information, knowledge and wisdom synergy. In the process of DT, the availability of information positively impacts the industry and the social well-being of an organisation. DT has a negative impact on individual willingness to share outlier knowledge and employee role perceptions. This study is both a complement to the deconstruction of the mechanism of DT in the manufacturing industry, and a new attempt to tap the laws of digital technology in the knowledge age.

Assessment Dimensions and Items for the Evaluation of the Technological Maturity of Applied R&D Organizations

Applied research and development (R&D) organizations strive to develop technological solutions that translate results from research and science into state-of-the-art products and services. This can only be achieved when technological resources and competences are effectively and efficiently used to build up competitive advantages. Therefore, the assessment of the technological capability can provide applied R&D organizations with information on strengths and weaknesses in their specific technology areas, on the basis of which technology strategies can be derived to contribute to the development and training of substantial (core) competences, which in turn improve the quality of unique and differentiating products and services. In this context, the main aim of this paper is to describe crucial assessment dimensions and the respective items within those dimensions. Therefore, it must be focused on the technology basis of the applied R&D organization to identify important evaluation items. The technological base serves as input, as both technologies and competencies that are used for the execution of R&D activities need to be analyzed and evaluated. Additionally, the results of the R&D activities need to be focused as outputs. In this regard, technologies that result in products or technological services need to be considered. Lastly, assessment items in the field of cooperation must be taken into account as technological synergies through partnerships are important success factors for R&D organizations. In this context, partners who support the execution of R&D activities must be focused.

Research on the influence of talent ecosystem on firm innovation performance: Based on the mediating role of collaborative innovation

This paper extends previous studies on the organizational innovation by analyzing the impact of talent ecosystem on firm innovation performance in innovative enterprises. In addition, the mediating effect of collaborative innovation on the relationship between talent ecosystem and firm innovation performance is analyzed. Grounded in the Resource -Based View (RBV) theory, this paper develops an integrative research model which analyzes those relations using structural equation modeling on a dataset of 176 innovative enterprises. Results suggest that talent competence, organizational environment and regional environment of talent ecosystem have a significant positive impact on collaborative innovation, and organizational environment has a stronger effect on collaborative innovation; talent ecosystem can influence innovation performance to different degrees through the mediating role of collaborative innovation (technology synergy and capability synergy); technology synergy in collaborative innovation positively affects innovation performance, while Technology synergy in collaborative innovation positively affects innovation performance, while capability synergy has no significant effect on innovation performance. The findings of the study provide new ideas for enterprises to improve talent ecosystem and enhance innovation performance.

Preparing the Community Based Education of Socio-Cultural Oriented for Children in the Industrial Revolution Era of 4.0

This paper aimed to explore the preparation of community-based education of socio-cultural oriented for children in the Industrial Revolution Era of 4.0 as a new model in Pariaman City. This study reveals the importance of a positive correlation between education and the people's behavior to remain the socio-cultural norms. This model can be constructed through cooperative and collaborative education strategy based online learning. Preparation of this educational model built through cooperation with society as a stakeholder of education. This model allows the role of society and technology synergy gave birth to quality education without neglecting the social and local cultural values of the nation. Implementation of this idea can give the two sides to be achieved that is shaping the noble personality of the Indonesian children especially based cultured supreme divinity is one, civilized humanity and smart in technology to the advanced Indonesian community in the field of science and culture by nine steps are, character education, student-oriented learning system, teachers' learning skill improvement, collaborate with community organizations, social process-oriented education system, support from local government policy and community, build social and cultural coherence and set up diverse teaching materials from a variety of perspectives studies.

Knowledge for a warmer world: A patent analysis of climate change adaptation technologies

Technologies can help strengthen the resilience of our economy against existential climate-risks. We investigate climate change adaptation technologies (CCATs) in US patents to understand (1) historical patterns and possible drivers of innovation; (2) scientific and technological requirements to develop and use CCATs; and (3) CCATs’ potential technological synergies with mitigation. First, in contrast to mitigation, innovation in CCATs only slowly takes off, indicating a relatively low awareness of investors for solutions to cope with climate risks. We discuss how historical trends in environmental regulation, energy prices, and public support may have contributed to patenting in CCATs. Second, CCATs form two main clusters: science-intensive ones in agriculture, health, and monitoring technologies; and engineering-intensive ones in coastal, water, and infrastructure technologies. Analyses of technology-specific scientific and technological knowledge bases inform directions for how to facilitate advancement, transfer and use of CCATs. Lastly, CCATs show strong technological complementarities with mitigation as more than 25% of CCATs bear mitigation benefits. While not judging about the complementarity of mitigation and adaptation in general, our results suggest how policymakers can harness these technological synergies to achieve both goals simultaneously.

The Field of Cell Competition Comes of Age: Semantics and Technological Synergy.

Stem cells experience many selective pressures which shape their cellular populations, potentially pushing them to skew towards dominance of a few break-through clones. An evolutionarily conserved answer to curb these aberrant selective pressures is cell competition, the elimination of a subset of cells by their neighbours in a seemingly homogenous population. Cell competition in mammalian systems is a relatively recent discovery that has now been observed across many tissue systems, such as embryonic, haematopoietic, intestinal, and epithelial compartments. With this rapidly growing field, there is a need to revisit and standardize the terminology used, much of which has been co-opted from evolutionary biology. Further, the implications of cell competition across biological scales in organisms have been difficult to capture. In this review, we make three key points. One, we propose new nomenclature to standardize concepts across dispersed studies of different types of competition, each of which currently use the same terminology to describe different phenomena. Second, we highlight the challenges in capturing information flow across biological scales. Third, we challenge the field to incorporate next generation technologies into the cell competition toolkit to bridge these gaps. As the field of cell competition matures, synergy between cutting edge tools will help elucidate the molecular events which shape cellular growth and death dynamics, allowing a deeper examination of this evolutionarily conserved mechanism at the core of multicellularity.

Developing technological synergies between deep-sea and space research

Recent advances in robotic design, autonomy and sensor integration create solutions for the exploration of deep-sea environments, transferable to the oceans of icy moons. Marine platforms do not yet have the mission autonomy capacity of their space counterparts (e.g., the state of the art Mars Perseverance rover mission), although different levels of autonomous navigation and mapping, as well as sampling, are an extant capability. In this setting their increasingly biomimicked designs may allow access to complex environmental scenarios, with novel, highly-integrated life-detecting, oceanographic and geochemical sensor packages. Here, we lay an outlook for the upcoming advances in deep-sea robotics through synergies with space technologies within three major research areas: biomimetic structure and propulsion (including power storage and generation), artificial intelligence and cooperative networks, and life-detecting instrument design. New morphological and material designs, with miniaturized and more diffuse sensor packages, will advance robotic sensing systems. Artificial intelligence algorithms controlling navigation and communications will allow the further development of the behavioral biomimicking by cooperating networks. Solutions will have to be tested within infrastructural networks of cabled observatories, neutrino telescopes, and off-shore industry sites with agendas and modalities that are beyond the scope of our work, but could draw inspiration on the proposed examples for the operational combination of fixed and mobile platforms.

The logical essence and practical path of collaborative innovation governance between universities and communities in the new era

Under the background of "promoting the modernization of national governance system and governance capacity", collaborative innovative governance between universities and communities has become a future paradigm of modern social governance and an important part of governance innovation. Starting from the theoretical logic of collaborative governance between universities and communities, this paper analyzes the requirements of collaborative innovative governance between universities and communities in the new era by examining the reality of collaborative governance. On this basis, it is proposed that the collaborative innovation governance between universities and communities should form a collaborative governance practice path in terms of mechanism synergy, resource synergy, technology synergy and external environmental forces.

Energy of the Future: Technological Synergy

Energy of the Future: Technological Synergy

Restoring clinical information system operations post data disaster: the role of IT investment, integration and interoperability

PurposeDelay in the clinical information system (CIS) restoration overseeing critical health-care operations after an unexpected data loss can be fatal for patients under care. Investment in information technology (IT) capabilities and synergy between various computerized systems has been argued as the resilient information system's enablers. The purpose of this study is to empirically quantify the influence of IT investment, integration and interoperability in recovering the CIS from a data disaster.Design/methodology/approachAn archival dataset sourced from a European Commission-sponsored survey of 773 hospitals across 30 countries in Europe is utilized to study the relationships. The study adopts a quasi-experimental research design approach where sample observations are weighted based on their propensity to be selected in treatment groups. The artificial weighing allows attaining a pseudo-random sample to counter the effects of selection bias.FindingsThe study finds that hospitals with more than 5% of the budget dedicated to IT have 100% higher odds of recovering immediately from a critical data loss in comparison to those that have less than 1% investment in IT. The greater extent of IT integration significantly reduces the time to recover the CIS, while interoperability problems at the organizational level lessen the odds of immediate recovery by 19%. Interoperability problems at the technical and semantic levels do not significantly impact recovery times of the CIS.Originality/valueThe study proposes several empirically quantified and scientifically tested recommendations for health-care providers for faster restoration of critical CIS operations post data loss. The differential impact of the interoperability problems at the technical, semantic and organizational levels has also been highlighted.

Bottlenecks and potentials for the gasification of lignocellulosic biomasses and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: A case study on the production of advanced liquid biofuels in Brazil

Brazil is one of the major players in the biofuels market worldwide, and its existing biorefining infrastructure can be used as the basis to support the implementation of new advanced biofuel production routes at a large scale. This paper demonstrates the benefits of the integration of both biochemical and thermochemical processes and how this configuration has the potential to overcome the main barriers that the Biomass-to-Liquids (BtL) route currently faces. Important bottlenecks such as the high equipment costs, low industrial process efficiency, and high feedstock prices were studied in detail by assessing a series of production scenarios that take into account the Brazilian context for building new biorefinery plants. By carrying out a techno-economic analysis aided by a simulation framework (the Virtual Sugarcane Biorefinery), we evaluated the potential technological synergies of a BtL plant processing sugarcane bagasse and straw integrated into a first-generation sugarcane ethanol distillery. Results in this paper indicate that it is possible to achieve economic feasibility with the implementation of the BtL route in the country. Under a base scenario, a greenfield plant would be very close to the range of economic viability (IRR from 10 to 12% per year), whereas more optimistic economic conditions (e.g., lower CAPEX and higher fuel prices) would induce even better results (IRR greater than 16% per year). Doubling the milling capacity also favors the BtL process, with IRR reaching 20% per year if the best economic conditions are achieved in the Brazilian context.

SIMULATION OF LIFE CYCLE INTERVALS FOR EVALUATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORK DEVELOPMENT

Introduction. Each stage of the life cycle of the enterprise is characterized by features in the provision of tangible and intangible resources, potential, and areas of its use, which causes differences in determining the prospects for the development of network enterprises. The article aims to determine the features of managing the development of business networks depending on their stage of the life cycle. Results. An econometric approach to determining the quantitative criteria for identifying each phase of the life cycle of network enterprises has been developed using questionnaire methods, fuzzy sets, and integrated estimation. The approbation of the proposed approach was carried out based on network enterprises of the machine-building industry of the Kharkiv region for 2015-2019. By building linear multifactor regression models, key factors-components of synergetic effect, social synergy have been defined, affecting network enterprises' efficiency. Conclusions. According to the study results, determined that at the growth stage, the priority factors of the development of network enterprises are the achievement of the synergy of strategic management, labor potential management, information, and communication synergy. At the maturity stage, enterprises' development is ensured by the positive synergetic effect of strategic management, innovation-technological and information-communication synergy. At the stage of decline by restoring the solvency of enterprises is the development of synergies of strategic management, synergies of labor potential management, innovation, and technological synergies. The emphasis on the development of these components of the synergetic effect of network interaction forms the priority areas for managing the development of network enterprises depending on their stage of the life cycle. Keywords: network enterprises, entrepreneurial network, synergetic effect, development, life cycle.

Valuing technological synergies in mergers

Technological synergy in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) is achieved when there is an increase in value generated by combining the stock of complementary technologies of acquirers and targets, as well as utilizing target’s patents to initiate or defend lawsuits against competitors. Using U.S. patent data, we provide quantitative measures of these two sources of technological synergy. We find that these measures of technological synergy are important considerations of acquiring firms and capital market in valuing target firms’ innovative assets, as the measures are positive determinants of merger premium and total synergy gain. The expected total gains of acquirers’ and targets’ shareholders from technological synergy decrease with the difficulties of post-merger integration as proxied by geographical distance between acquirer and target. Our technological synergy measures are also good predictors of post-merger realized synergy, i.e., increase in patent outputs in the overlapped technology classes and market share.

The advancing mycelial frontier of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

This article is a Commentary on Hagenbo et al. (2021), 230: 1609–1622.

Converging Robotic Technologies in Targeted Neural Rehabilitation: A Review of Emerging Solutions and Challenges.

Recent advances in the field of neural rehabilitation, facilitated through technological innovation and improved neurophysiological knowledge of impaired motor control, have opened up new research directions. Such advances increase the relevance of existing interventions, as well as allow novel methodologies and technological synergies. New approaches attempt to partially overcome long-term disability caused by spinal cord injury, using either invasive bridging technologies or noninvasive human–machine interfaces. Muscular dystrophies benefit from electromyography and novel sensors that shed light on underlying neuromotor mechanisms in people with Duchenne. Novel wearable robotics devices are being tailored to specific patient populations, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, and amputated individuals. In addition, developments in robot-assisted rehabilitation may enhance motor learning and generate movement repetitions by decoding the brain activity of patients during therapy. This is further facilitated by artificial intelligence algorithms coupled with faster electronics. The practical impact of integrating such technologies with neural rehabilitation treatment can be substantial. They can potentially empower nontechnically trained individuals—namely, family members and professional carers—to alter the programming of neural rehabilitation robotic setups, to actively get involved and intervene promptly at the point of care. This narrative review considers existing and emerging neural rehabilitation technologies through the perspective of replacing or restoring functions, enhancing, or improving natural neural output, as well as promoting or recruiting dormant neuroplasticity. Upon conclusion, we discuss the future directions for neural rehabilitation research, diagnosis, and treatment based on the discussed technologies and their major roadblocks. This future may eventually become possible through technological evolution and convergence of mutually beneficial technologies to create hybrid solutions.

Synergy in the Development of Modern Forms of Life Activity

The Davos Forum of 2021 highlighted the most important trends that in the coming years will determine the "Great Reset" - the sustainable recovery of the world economy after the pandemic and the rethinking of world politics. For a reboot, the author offers a synergistic approach to a reboot. The article discusses the synergy of various forms of social development. First, the spiritual and moral synergy of the formation of a culture of peace of transnational communication is considered. Secondly, the scientific and educational synergy of training creative personnel for creative activities is described. Thirdly, the financial and organizational synergy of economic environment development is briefly considered. Fourth, the project-innovative synergy of integration processes in innovation activities for the development of scientific, technical, technological, production, investment and personnel potential is discussed, as well as on the growth of labor productivity, improvement of structures and competitive ability of industries. Fifthly, industrial and technological synergy between technology and industry is proposed for the effective adjustment of the labor market and the formation of effective principles for the work of our economic system. Sixth, the health environmental synergy health saving nation and ecological development of living spaces is discussed. The Davos Forum of 2021 highlighted the most important trends that in the coming years will determine the "Great Reset" - the sustainable recovery of the world economy after the pandemic and the rethinking of world politics. For a reboot, the author offers a synergistic approach to a reboot. The article discusses the synergy of various forms of social development. First, the spiritual and moral synergy of the formation of a culture of peace of transnational communication is considered. Secondly, the scientific and educational synergy of training creative personnel for creative activities is described. Thirdly, the financial and organizational synergy of economic environment development is briefly considered. Fourth, the project-innovative synergy of integration processes in innovation activities for the development of scientific, technical, technological, production, investment and personnel potential is discussed, as well as on the growth of labor productivity, improvement of structures and competitive ability of industries. Fifthly, industrial and technological synergy between technology and industry is proposed for the effective adjustment of the labor market and the formation of effective principles for the work of our economic system. Sixth, the health environmental synergy health saving nation and ecological development of living spaces is discussed.

Sustaining the Family Business through Open Innovation: The Role of Technological Acquisitions in Shareholder Value Creation

Although technological acquisitions have attracted much attention as a prominent means of open innovation that allows firms to complement internal innovation, their shareholder value creation effects should be influenced by whether the acquiring family businesses can successfully realize technological synergies. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate whether market participants perceive family businesses to create more value when undertaking technological acquisitions. Using a sample of 614 acquisitions by 71 family businesses between 2000 and 2014 in South Korea, an event study methodology is adopted. Empirical analysis yields strong support for the prediction that the stock market does not perceive family businesses to be able to create superior synergy through technological acquisitions compared to when they undertake nontechnological acquisitions. The competitive landscape also has implications for the shareholder value creation effects of technological acquisitions by family businesses. Overall, the findings of this paper provide insight into the shareholder wealth implications of technological acquisitions undertaken by family businesses.

Product‐market competition and resource redeployment in multi‐business firms

AbstractResearch summaryThis article investigates how diversified firms reallocate internal non‐scale free resources when one of their product business units (BUs) experiences increased exposure to international competition driven by a sharp decrease in trade tariffs. On average, firms tend to fight, by reallocating resources toward the BU affected by the trade shock and away from other BUs within the same firm. Two variables moderate this first‐order effect with opposite signs. The level of sunk costs of the assets allocated to the BU affected by the shock is a positive moderator of resource reallocation to it. The presence of technological synergies between the BU affected and the rest of BUs instead moderates the relationship negatively. This negative moderation seems to only take place when competition increases the value of technology as a competitive resource.Managerial summaryAn important question in the strategic decision‐making process of diversified firms is how to react to competitive threats that affect one business unit but not the others. Should managers allocate more resources to the affected business or should they instead reduce their commitment and use the same resources in the remaining operating sectors? In this article, we examine firms’ reallocation decisions following increases in foreign competition due to import tariff cuts. Our results show that firms tend to allocate more resources to the business affected by the tariff cut and less to the businesses unaffected. Furthermore, we find evidence that this behavior is positively associated with performance.

Design Index and Empirical Analysis of the Evaluation Index System for the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements of Universities in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei

Promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities and colleges in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei is an important measure to enhance the level of scientific and technological development in universities, enhance the scientific and technological synergy of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, practice the coordinated development strategy of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, and promote the construction of Xiong’an New District. Based on the scientific and technological input of colleges and universities, the development of science and technology and the output of science and technology, this paper uses Delphi and AHP to construct a Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei University Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Performance Evaluation System from the perspectives of transformation potentials, scientific research activities and achievements transformation of university scientific and technological achievements. An empirical analysis was carried out to provide reference for the government’s efficient decision-making and improvement of strategies for transforming scientific and technological achievements in universities.

The Healthcare and Technology Synergy (HATS) Model for Practice and Research

Background: Research models that include a focus on technologies or products are critical in today,s healthcare environment. The Healthcare and Technology Synergy (HATS) model represents a synergy between three major variables, patient, product and practice, with each one affecting and being affected by the other. These variables exist within a total healthcare environment and are applicable to research in the professions of allied health, medicine and nursing. Problem: To understand and review the use of the Healthcare and Technology Synergy (HATS) model in research and practice. Approach: Models that include products can aid in evidence-based research that is translatable to patient care, patient outcomes and cost effectiveness. Outcome: In the past 5 years, five countries (Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, United States) showed interest in the model, with 143 total views of the seminal article, and 5 research studies from medicine and nursing have used the HATS model. Conclusion: Patient, product, and practice are of paramount importance in many areas of research such as bloodstream infections, urinary infections, ventilator assisted pneumonia, safety, and patient and product outcomes. Using the HATS model can strengthen research outcomes, aid in the prioritization of research agendas, establish evidencebased practice guidelines, and help in evaluating patient care outcomes.