The innovation process is the most important of all business processes. Innovation is the means by which value is constructed and efficiencies are created. It is the source of sustainable competitive advantage. This book shows how the innovation process is changing profoundly. Part of the change results from the application of new technologies to the innovation process itself. A new category of technology has emerged which we call 'innovation technology'. This includes simulation and modelling, visualization, and rapid prototyping technologies. When used effectively, innovation technology makes the innovation process more economical and ameliorates some of its uncertainties. These technological changes are accompanied by changing organization structures and skills requirements. The technologies are used in fast moving, creative environments and are suited to project-based organization. They also require the development of new 'craft' skills to realize the possibilities created by the new 'code'. The book outlines a new way of thinking about innovation. Traditional definitions of 'research', 'development' and 'engineering', imply a progressive linearity which doesn't exist in reality. They are also associated with organizational departments, which are breaking down where once they existed, and are in any case non-existent in the vast majority of firms. They also fail to capture the central importance of design in innovation. We propose a new schema for the innovation process: Think, Play, Do. Innovation requires creating new ideas and thinking about new options, playing with them to see if they are practical, economical and marketable, and then doing: making the innovation real. This new schema captures the emerging innovation process using a more contemporary idiom. The book reports in-depth studies from a number of companies and sectors. Major case studies of Procter and Gamble and Arup Partners are presented. It reports on the use of innovation technology in a range of other companies and organizations, from pharmaceuticals in GSK, to engineering design in Ricardo engineering , and welding in TWI. We describe how innovation technology is used in traditional industries, such as in mining, and in public projects, such as the development of London's traffic congestion charge and the stabilization of the leaning tower of Pisa.

This book provides insight into research and development of key aerospace materials that have enabled some of the most exciting air and space technologies in recent years. The stories are shared with you by the women who experienced them, those engineers and scientists in the labs, on the shop floors, or on the design teams contributing to the realization of these technologies. Their work contributes to the world in the challenging and vital field of aerospace materials, and their stories seethe with a pride and a passion for the opportunity to make these important contributions. As an important part of the Women in Science and Engineering book series, the work highlights the contribution of women leaders in Aerospace Materials, inspiring women and men, girls and boys to enter and apply themselves to secure our future in an increasingly connected world.

This book demonstrates that innovative ideas are systematically constructed in the creative space spanned by the dimensions of systems thinking and knowledge management. Readers will be introduced to this proposition in the final chapter, after learning about the key innovation theories, design thinking, systems thinking, and idea creation methods in systems science and knowledge science. The content provided throughout the book supports knowledge creation in various fields, the management of research and business projects, and the creation of promotion stories for products and services. Practitioners who are seeking to create innovative ideas can systematically learn the minimum theories and methods required, while graduate students will be equipped to link their research to innovation by learning the essence of systems science and knowledge science and considering selected issues. Lastly, the book includes suggestions for future research directions in knowledge science.

This book presents the proceedings of the IDEAS Conference, which is intended as a forum for a new generation of researchers. IDEAS is an arena that encourages researchers to defy their field's boundaries, leveraging disciplinary mindset into contributions to broad domains within the Science, Technology, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Management. Further, IDEAS explores novel questions and challenges existing policies and practices on how to apply science and technology as an input to design more innovative and sustainable systems that promote human well-being.

Original ideas start in a persons mind, but the environment where they operate is crucial for the capture and development of these ideas. Equally important is the interaction with others in developing and evaluating ideas, as a brilliant idea only influences the world if it is put into use. This book hopes to inspire the team leader, innovation manager or research group leader. It deals with the delicate balance of managing and controlling intellectual property in a collaborative environment. Insights on how new inventions can be evaluated are offered. Following the whole cycle of innovation from a creative idea to where a product or service can be put on the market, examples illustrate how an innovative environment can be created and maintained. Strategies and solutions based on the science of team development are presented and leadership models for the different phases of group development are provided. The book will be of interest to researchers, academics, product developers, entrepreneurs, and advanced students in the fields of technology and innovation management and entrepreneurship and small business management but also for leadership.

Management is a constellation of concepts and ideas. Its many definitions span the boundaries of leadership and strategy on the one hand and business administration on the other; from people management to P&L accounts, to both change and stability, sometimes simultaneously. There are few concepts that have attracted as much business interest as the management of organisations. Presenting a wide, deep and engaged body of research about management, this book explores how management competencies have developed over time and whether these are still relevant to the management of contemporary organizations. The author addresses this question by tracing the evolution of management competencies from the First to the Fourth Industrial revolution, investigating the role and style of managers in each 'revolution' and in multiple geographies. Ultimately, this book suggests that that five 'core management competencies; will be relevant as the Fourth Industrial Revolution gathers momentum.

This book explores the principles of supply-side structural reform and current practices in the Chinese steel industry. Focusing on the general requirements for high-quality development, it reviews the evolution of the global and Chinese steel industries with regard to reduction, innovation, and transformation. It also summarizes industrial development law from a transfer route perspective, analyzes major challenges and opportunities for the steel industry in the new era, and proposes strategic orientation and implementation measures for the future development of the steel industry. The book contends that high-quality development of the steel industry must be driven by innovation, and it is essential to promote integrated development based on several aspects - greenness, coordination, quality, standardization, differentiation, service, intelligence, diversification, and internationalization - in order to reshape the industrial value chain and continuously improve industrial competitiveness. This concept is essential to help Chinese steel companies prepare development plans for transformation and upgrading. Combining thorough analysis, unique insights, and many practical cases, the book offers a guide to and inspiration for future implementation approaches.

This book discusses supply chain issues and models with examples from actual case studies. Recent advances in sustainability, supply chains and technologies have brought promising potential for the management of sustainable global and local supply chains. While most of the current literature seem to consider developments in the field of sustainable supply chains and in the field of Industry 4.0 as two distinct entities, this book attempts to explore the synergy in bringing these two distinct fields together. The book features chapters on management of sustainability and industry 4.0 on supply chains as a whole, with several case studies on issues related to the application of sustainable supply chains in specific application sectors. They employ mathematical modeling and statistical analyses, as well as descriptive qualitative studies. They cover a range of application areas including multiple sectors (restaurant, manufacturing, logistics, furniture, food and insurance), domains (supply chains, logistics, marketing, and reverse logistics) and multiple country contexts (UK and India). The potential links between sustainability and the recent technological innovations from Industry 4.0 have been explored in detail. The book offers a valuable tool for managerial decision-making on the current practice and future potential on the use of Industry 4.0 tools for sustainable supply chains to facilitate competitive advantage with case studies in various industry sectors. In addition, some intriguing mathematical models will appeal to students and researchers interested in modeling the logistics process and the application of evolutionary game theory for integrating the social and economic aspects of sustainable supply chains. Some of these supply chain issues have been addressed in a previous book by the Editors.

This book features research presented and discussed during the Research & Innovation Forum (Rii Forum) 2020. As such, this book offers a unique insight into emerging topics, issues and developments pertinent to the fields of technology, innovation and education and their social impact. Papers included in this book apply inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches to query such issues as technology-enhanced teaching and learning, smart cities, information systems, cognitive computing and social networking. What brings these threads of the discussion together is the question of how advances in computer science - which are otherwise largely incomprehensible to researchers from other fields - can be effectively translated and capitalized on so as to make them beneficial for society as a whole. In this context, Rii Forum and Rii Forum proceedings offer an essential venue where diverse stakeholders, including academics, the think tank sector and decision-makers, can engage in a meaningful dialogue with a view to improving the applicability of advances in computer science.

This book provides a broad overview of the current research on various aspects of development, with a focus on India. The content and treatment of the subject of development in this volume is distinctive in many ways. It is a balanced mix of theory and practical elements, dealing with a number of issues at micro as well as macro levels. The analyses of the current socio-economic problems are attempted in an elegant yet simple manner which makes it equally useful for an aspiring researcher in economics or any inter disciplinary field. The methodologies of the articles include analytical verbal argumentative logic, theoretical constructs or different versions of statistical, econometric or programming techniques. It also contains well written survey articles, which are useful in grasping the fundamental research issues and in tracing the progress of research in an area. The general scope of the book is very wide as the readership can include researchers, scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, policy makers and practitioners. Though the contributors are primarily scholars in the field of Economics or Statistics, the book contains useful takeaways for those working in the area of Development. It will also be of interest to policy makers and practitioners interested in development issues, and to post graduate students in Economics or any field, in social science, management or development.

This book provides a comprehensive and effective exchange of information on current developments in the management of manufacturing systems and Industry 4.0. The book aims to establish channels of communication and disseminate knowledge among professionals working in manufacturing and related institutions. In the book, researchers, academicians and practitioners in relevant fields share their knowledge from the sectors of management of manufacturing systems. The chapters were selected from several conferences in the field, with the topics including management of manufacturing systems with support for Industry 4.0, logistics and intelligent manufacturing systems and applications, cooperation management, and its effective applications. The book also includes case studies in logistics, RFID applications, and economic impacts in logistics, ICT support for industry 4.0, industrial and smart logistics, intelligent manufacturing systems and applications

This volume contains the genuine proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on the Strategic Approaches to the Assessment and Management of Manufacturing Technology Innovation, Bled, Slovenia, June 3-5, 1997. The word 'genuine' is used as the content of this book has arisen from ideas and reflections which arose during and after the workshop itself. It contains no pre-prepared papers or articles. The workshop was designed to create a forum for dialogue and debate. The essence of that debate is contained here. We acknowledge the support of NATO in making this possible. Because of the peculiar nature of these proceedings, we acknowledge all workshop participants as co-authors of different parts of the book and we pay tribute to them all. The proceedings have taken a while to prepare, as the reflection process has been long and varied! 1 Technosophy: Strategic Approaches to the Assessment and Management of Manufacturing Technology Innovation Paul Levy Mihael Junkar Location: Bled, Slovenia Date: June 3-5 1997 A 3-day workshop "Though our smoke may hide the Heavens from your eyes, It will vanish and the stars will shine again, Because, for all our power and weight and size, We are nothing more than children of your brain. " Rudyard Kipling 1. Introduction This is not a long book.

We are living in the middle of a Fourth Industrial Revolution, with new technology leading to dramatic shifts in everything from manufacturing to supply chain logistics. In a lively, developing field of academic, procurement is often neglected. Despite this, procurement plays a vital role, connecting the organization with its ecosystem. At a time of change and economic crisis, a new business model is called for, which this book aims to define. Based on the applications of Industry 4.0 concepts to procurement, this book describes Procurement 4.0 as a method and a set of tools, helping businesses to improve the value of their products, reduce waste, become more flexible, and address the business needs of the future. It will appeal to academics in the area, as well as practitioners.

Provides a blueprint for your company's sustained and profitable growth. Let's face it: sustained business growth doesn't just happen. Growth must be planned for and executed, cultivated from a strategic standpoint and applied tactically at the frontline, led by the right people, and focused on the right objectives. The Growth Advantage provides a blueprint for sustained and profitable growth for any business. It is designed to help companies build the ultimate competitive edge. The book is broken into three parts that outline the Planning Advantage, the Execution Advantage, and the Company Advantage, which will help you align your company with its goals. The Growth Advantage cracks open the business secrets that teach companies how to achieve that dream of steady, predictable growth through effective planning and solid execution. Readers learn how their company can develop and sustain a blueprint for growth that guides company actions on a daily and weekly basis. Combining elements of culture, strategy, planning, execution, talent acquisition, training, motivation, accountability, and brand differentiation into one book with clear, actionable steps, Bob Lisser brings readers along a journey that starts with a plan and ends with success.

The book presents a comprehensive and incisive analysis of Structural transformation which is among the most relevant and crucial themes of contemporary economics. Structural transformation is the edifice that is the basis of the next phase of economic transformation. The book demonstrates that structural transformation cannot be shoe horned into a single point formula, it is not merely about achieving a double-digit growth rate, nor it is achieved by an overarching emphasis on rapid technological advancement. Based on empirical evidence pertinent to developed and developing nations and present imperatives the book provides a comprehensive elucidation that structural transformation will be profoundly determined by the empirics of investment, Innovation and Institutions.

This book analyses various models of value creation in projects and businesses by applying different forms of Artificial Intelligence in their products and services. First presenting the main concepts and ideas behind AI, Wodecki assesses different models of technology-based value creation based upon the analysis of over 400 case studies. This framework shows how AI may influence both value creation and competitive advantage (efficiency, creativity and flexibility) within a modern organization. Finally, a conceptual model is formulated to evaluate AI-supported in-company projects and new ventures and identify the key managerial and technical competencies required.

Knowledge intensive entrepreneurship lies at the core of the structural shift necessary for the growth and development of a knowledge based economy, yet research reveals that the EU has fewer young leading innovators, and Europe's new firms do not adequately contribute to industrial growth. This is especially true in the high R&D intensive, high-tech sectors. This structural malaise, undermining Europe's growth potential, is well diagnosed, but poorly understood. This volume fills this important gap by exploring new firms that have significant knowledge intensity in their activity and develop and exploit innovative opportunities in diverse sectors. Through an evolutionary and systemic approach to entrepreneurship, focusing on knowledge intensive entrepreneurship as both a micro and a macro phenomena and analyzing firms in the context of various socio-economic models, the authors explore firms creation and origins around the world, their organization, strategies and business models as well as the role of innovation systems and institutions in their formation and growth. This comprehensive research text is vital reading for academics, researchers and students of high-tech and knowledge intensive entrepreneurship as well as those with an interest in industrial dynamics, innovation management and public policy.

This book introduces concepts of business incubation and suggests a learning process. This process begins with prior knowledge at the opportunity identification phase, progresses through the acquisition of new skills and knowledge necessary to develop an opportunity and concludes with a transformation phase where new knowledge is acted upon. The book draws on extensive qualitative data and documentary evidence from a range of stakeholders associated with a University Business Incubator known as Innospace. The process of opportunity development within the business incubator is explored by combining experiential and social learning theories as heuristic tools. Presented implications for policy-makers and incubator managers are that attention and scarce resources should be focused on providing relevant information and encouraging an atmosphere of learning and mutual support. Recruitment practices should be revised to include a more holistic appreciation of potential incubatees contribution to the Business Incubation learning community as well as an assessment of their business plans. For policy makers the book suggests that successful business incubators do not necessarily require a large financial investment in state-of-the-art premises and technology. Appropriate management training together with carefully selected incubatees can create an effective learning community where opportunities are developed and transformed into enterprises and individuals into entrepreneurs.

This book examines the ways in which cultural and creative industries can drive entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and overall regional development. It will address such issues as (1) the technical (tangible) components of creative and cultural industries in relation to innovation; (2) the intangible components of creative and cultural industries in relation to services provided; (3) the relationship between tangible and intangible components and economic and social innovation; and (4) the ways in which creative and cultural industries effect and influence regional sustainability and development. Cultural and creative industries and the creative economy as a whole have been increasingly prevalent in research literature because of their role in driving economic and social development. Cultural and creative industries also enable other forms of entrepreneurship and innovation beyond the traditional, technology-based focus of innovation, thereby enhancing regional growth and development through these channels. The contributions presented in this book discuss the main issues, challenges, opportunities and trends of cultural and creative industries through conceptual analysis and cases studies from different world regions. Featuring research from industries such as art, health care, beer and wine and education, this book provides researchers, academics, professionals and policy makers with a detailed examination of the development and potential of cultural and creative industries in regional and global economies.

The emergence of new firm-level data, including the European Community Innovation Survey (CIS), has led to a surge of studies on innovation and firm behaviour. This book documents progress in four interrelated fields: investigation of the use of new indicators of innovation output; investigation of determinants of innovative behavior; the role of spillovers, the public knowledge infrastructure and research and development collaboration; and the impact of innovation on firm performance. Written by an international group of contributors, the studies are based on agriculture and the manufacturing and service industries in Europe and Canada and provide new insights into the driving forces behind innovation.

Blockchain technology may have first emerged with bitcoin but its significance extends far beyond the financial sector: it is ushering in a whole new techno-economic paradigm. This book provides the first critical, in-depth examination of blockchain's transformative impact on the creative industries, including music, media, art and gaming. Drawing on interviews with 10 leading start-ups and a comprehensive review of the literature, the author examines blockchain's impact on business models, addresses the barriers and risks, and concludes with policy recommendations that will help unlock value in the UK's creative economy.

This book presents new approaches to logistics solutions in global environments, with a special focus on collaborative logistics and intermodality. Contributions in this book are linked to two major initiatives in global logistics - H2020 MSCA-RISE-EU project EC-Asia Research Network on Integration of Global and Local Agri-Food Supply Chains Towards Sustainable Food Security (GOLF), and the International Conference on Logistics & Supply Chain (CiLOG). Topics covered in this book are: global logistics environments in manufacturing industries, key logistic decision-making parameters, global logistics management and its impact on container logistics processes, logistic market clusters and many more.

The aim of this edited book is to provide a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and challenges related to innovation for sustainability. Combining work from both emerging and established scholars in different academic fields, this book provides an integrated understanding of the topic from four perspectives. First, the big picture: frameworks, types, and drivers; second, strategy and leadership; third, measurement and assessment and fourth, tools, methods and technologies. Chapter 11 of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com. The editors donate their remuneration for this book to conservation organisation the WWF.

As an initial attempt to understand innovation in fashion, this volume focuses on product innovations, realizing that this industry is truly an innovative sector in which diverse technologies, science, art, and tradition have been merged, synthesized, and utilized to solve the needs and concerns of the end-users. In doing so, this book categorizes product innovation into three levels-materials, style and product development-and aims to present the broader scope of innovation in the global fashion industry with the hope that other sectors can learn from these developments and be inspired.

This textbook characterizes the economics of telecommunication services from an engineering perspective. The authors bring out the fundamental drivers of the industry and characterize networks from a graph theoretic perspective, including random, small world, and scale free networks. The authors relate the topology of a telecommunication network using circuit and packet switched architectures to throughput and other performance parameters. The pricing model proposed in this book is based on the cost of displaced opportunity as opposed to the cost of the elements of the network engaged in delivering a service. The displaced opportunity is characterized by the revenue associated with the service that the network could have alternatively delivered most efficiently using an identical level of resources. The book addresses other topics such as regulation in legacy networks, and net neutrality. Finally, the book introduces the application of game theory in a multi-vendor, multi-services competitive marketplace. The book aims to bridge the gap between the science of economics as practiced by economists and practice of pricing from a telecommunication engineer's perspective. This book is suitable for use by senior undergraduate or graduate students of telecommunication engineering or researchers and practitioners in telecommunication engineering.