The real options-based conceptual framework for alliance-making presented here responds to the challenge of developing a new metrics for managing strategic partnerships in the face of uncertainty. Such a framework involves: mapping (and selecting one of) the various staged paths envisioned for the start-up and development of the alliance in terms of strategic options exercisable over the lifetime of the cooperative venture; assessing the incremental, synergistic value of those options (if exercised on the net, tangible and intangible, assets of the venture); anticipating the potential impact of risks on the success/failure of the venture and associated synergistic value erosion; defining the optimal option map for implementing the strategic alliance via potential, successive adjustments to the initial strategy (information loop is closed).

Economics of private equity (PE). Empirical evidence on Italian manufacturing firms resorting to internal equity only to finance investments with positive NPV. Normative framework providing guidelines on how their entrepreneurial model (governance, gearing, growth) would be favourably influenced by conventional PE actions. Policy recommendations on how to expedite PE ownership expansion in Italy and other European countries.

Sustainable Energy Systems on Ships is a comprehensive technical reference for all aspects of energy efficient shipping. The book discusses the technology options to make shipping energy consumption greener, focusing on the smarter integration of energy streams, the introduction of renewable resources and the improvement of control and operability. Chapters not only describe each technology individually, but also analyze their interconnections when implemented onboard, and compare them in terms of suitability for different vessels and economic viability. Readers of Sustainable Energy Systems on Ships will find an invaluable reference suitable for researchers, professionals, and managers involved in the shipping industry and those working on related energy efficiency technologies, fuel cells, and in the transport industry generally. Students of maritime engineering will also be well served by this reference.