Incubator efficiency vs survival of start-ups

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge on the efficiency of the incubators in Mexico, from a double-managerial approach (incubator and start-ups) measuring the efficiency oriented to the survival growth in the employment. Design/methodology/approach The efficiency of 25 business incubators of a university in a Mexico was analyzed from 2012 to 2014. Through the envelope data analysis (DEA) technique, composed of five inputs and three outputs, which help to determine the decision-making units (DMUs) that are in the best practice border, being able to know the factors relevant and how they have been managed in the different incubators. Findings One of the three years observed was identified as the most efficient, with 13 start-ups at the most efficient border. The projection shows some entries that must be modified to maximize the creation of new incubated business with a focus on survival and growth. The authors propose the resources that must be modified to adopt efficient management practices for incubators and start-ups small size. Research limitations/implications This analysis recognizes the size and restriction of resources as a determinant in the efficiency of intermediate technology business incubators. However, an obvious limitation is the non-standardized sample of 25 incubators does not allow generalizing the results. Practical implications The special support received by start-ups linked to a university with strong financial and non-financial support. Originality/value Dual management (incubator and incubated start-ups) approach to efficiency analysis and the use of the DEA for the incubation topic and to fill a gap persists in the understanding of creation of new business in intermediate technology.

The Next Generation of Train Control for Canadian Heavy Haul Systems

Heavy Haul Rail Transport in Canada has not advanced as in other countries. This gives these railways a chance to leap over intermediate technology in Train Control, Asset Management and levels of RAMS not offered in previous designs. Train Control is part of a System of Systems (SoS) that provides the basis of safety for operations, while allowing other non-vital systems to be implemented cheaper and faster than systems currently being modified to perform these tasks. This paper performs several tasks. First, it will update the reader on work being performed under the auspices of the Railway Association of Canada for Enhanced Train Control, and then it will describe how Train Control will interact with other systems to provide the overall functionality for safe train movement. Finally, the base requirements for a Train Control System meeting the requirements for Enhanced Train Control will be described. The initial concepts and designs will be presented to show how the requirements will be met. In addition, the pilot project that is underway for proof of concept and operational readiness will be detailed. Test cases will be illustrated and portions of an Operational Concept, Requirements Analysis and Form Fit ad Function (F3) specifications will be documented. All of this will be the stepping stone for other systems to lead in advanced functionality and operation on Canadian Railways of the future.

PENGUATAN PRODI PENGEMBANGAN MASYARAKAT ISLAM BERBASIS PENDIDIKAN LIFE SKILLS DAN TEKNOLOGI TEPAT GUNA DI BALAI LATIHAN KERJA DAN INDUSTRI KABUPATEN JEMBER

The Reinforcement of Islamic Community Development Study Program through community empowerment based on Life Skills Education and Intermediate Technology can be one solution to overcome unemployment while preparing prospective Community Development graduates. Moreover, life skills education and other intermediate technologies can serve as an alternative program which is able to provide appropriate basic training for students about the values of life and daily survival tips so that they are able and skilled to carry out the required things in life when they return to the society. From the description of the aforementioned issue, the researcher was intrigued to conduct a study by formulating the research objectives to achieve which were summarized in the general research problem namely The Empowerment of Community Development Study Program through Life Skills Education and Intermediate Technology. In order to achieve the research objectives, a research method was required as a concept and the base for analyzing and summarizing the research results. The current study employed a qualitative approach, while the type of the research was field research which can also be considered as a broad approach in qualitative research or as a method for collecting qualitative data. The reinforcement process of Islamic Community Development Study Program students in Faculty of Da'wah, IAIN Jember by BBLKI Jember Regency through life skills education included activities to foster activeness and to motivate students in choosing methods and media for life skills education accompanied with: Practical Activities and Evaluations. Meanwhile, for the tangible activities, there were small industries, small and medium scale entrepreneurship development, monitoring, life skills education, and intermediate technology. The Work and Industrial Training Empowerment Model in Jember was divided into three levels, namely micro, meso, and macro in which the approach was a combination of a task-centered approach, the use of groups as an intervention medium, and an empowerment directed at a broader environmental system.

E. F. SCHUMACHER AND THE MAKING OF “BUDDHIST ECONOMICS,” 1950 – 1973

Until around 1950, the German émigré Ernst Friedrich Schumacher (1911–1977) was a relatively conventional economist, believing in progress based on economic growth and developments in science and technology. Then, as he turned forty, he went through a period of prolonged self-examination and spiritual quest, which, amongst other things, led him to become critical of Western modernity. Developing a great interest in Buddhist spirituality and culture, in 1955 he travelled to Burma, where he spent three months as a United Nations consultant. His encounter there with the encroachment of Western development upon a traditional society proved pivotal for him, confirming his skepticism about modernity and stimulating him to write a renegade essay, “Economics in a Buddhist Country.” This experience in Burma shaped his work thereafter, as contributor to debates on development both East and West, as promoter of intermediate technology, and as author of the prophetic, popular book of 1973 Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as if People Mattered.