Biobased Innovation as a Fashion and Textile Design Must: A European Perspective

Fashion industry investments drive the choice for textile solutions characterized by radical experimentation and a firm commitment to sustainability. In the last five years, textile innovations have been strongly related to biobased textile solutions evolving to become effectively feasible and strategic. The produced qualitative knowledge implementations consider new production patterns, innovative technical and digital know-how, and new consumption scenarios. The directions the industry is tracing may provide new opportunities for future textile development in the circular biobased economy. This paper presents a map of current European practices. It discusses the possible passage through a holistic paradigm that goes beyond the boundaries of the old productive systems to accompany the sector towards a new sustainable and transversal state. It also presents three selected best practices that return the actual context in which the phenomenon occurs. A model is presented to demonstrate how these circular processes of biobased materials production enable more process innovations which are developed through implementing the process itself: companies’ search for rethinking and implementing the traditional practices or designing new ones (as determined by the doctoral research of one of the authors).

Advanced digital transformations for food security

The issues of digital transformation of the modern agricultural economy and the impact of innovative processes on its effective and sustainable functioning in order to ensure food security are analyzed in this article. The key directions for the development of digital production are shown, with the help of which the real prospects for the development of the agrarian sector of the national economy are determined. The current state of digital transformation of the agricultural sector of the economy is analyzed using modeling of the product impact and process innovations on the development of the agricultural economy. The influence of knowledge spreading in the Internet era, the development of network technologies and the use of digital platforms significantly expand the possibilities of both modern network business and business in the agricultural sector of the economy in solving problems related to the implementation of research and development in the field of digital transformation of the agricultural sector of the economy. In the conclusion, it is concluded that the development of rural areas and ensuring of food security in Russia will largely depend on the level of application of information technologies.

Inovação Sustentável: o caso do fruto nativo do cerrado – Cumbaru – no assentamento Andalucia (Mato Grosso do Sul) ## Sustainable Innovation: the case of the cerrado native fruit – Cumbaru – in the Andalucia settlement (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil)

A maior preocupação em promover o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (DS) tem levado à ascensão das inovações sustentáveis, entendidas como as que integram benefícios ambientais, sociais e econômicos, e como diferencial competitivo. Em Mato Grosso do Sul, os abundantes frutos nativos do Cerrado, como o cumbaru, têm sido fonte de renda para famílias, contribuindo para a conservação da biodiversidade. O extrativismo do cumbaru no Assentamento Andalucia, em Nioaque (MS) ocorre desde 2005, onde a sua produção conquistou certificação do Instituto Biodinâmico (IBD) e foi criado o Centro de Produção Pesquisa e Capacitação do Cerrado (CEPPEC). O objetivo desta pesquisa foi descrever como são as caraterísticas das inovações sustentáveis na castanha de cumbaru no Assentamento Andalucia. Por meio de um estudo de caso, apoiado em entrevistas, observação e pesquisa documental, levantaram-se as inovações de produto e processo relacionadas à castanha; verificou-se existência de inovação aberta; identificaram-se inovações referentes à rotulagem ambiental; classificaram-se as inovações identificadas e associaram-se as inovações classificadas às dimensões fundamentais do DS. A extração e produção da castanha de cumbaru é hoje uma das atividades que impulsiona a vida dos assentados como importante complemento de renda. A própria castanha de cumbaru é entendida como uma inovação e o conhecimento adquirido, especialmente na parceria com outras instituições, incluindo universidade, permeou a inovação aberta e sustentável, associada a outros tipos de inovação. O estudo reforça as evidências de outros estudos em organizações rurais do cerrado brasileiro e contribui para o fortalecimento do campo da inovação aberta e sustentável em países em desenvolvimento como o Brasil.ABSTRACTThe growing concern in promoting Sustainable Development (SD) has led to the rise of sustainable innovations, understood as innovations that integrate environmental, social, and economic benefits, as well as a competitive differential. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) (Brazil), abundant native fruits of the Cerrado, such as cumbaru, have been a source of income for families, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity. Cumbaru has been extracted since 2005 in the Andalucia Settlement, Nioaque (MS), where its production was certified by the Instituto Biodinâmico (IBD) and was created the Cerrado Research and Training Production Center (CEPPEC). This study investigated the sustainable characteristics of innovations in cumbaru chestnut in the Andalucia Settlement. We conducted a case study, supported by interviews and observations, to study process innovations related to cumbaru chestnut. The existence of open innovation was observed. Innovations related to environmental labeling were identified, which were classified and associated to the fundamental dimensions of SD. The extraction and production of cumbaru chestnut is currently one of the activities that propels living conditions of settlers of Andalucia, as an important income supplement. The cumbaru chestnut itself is understood as an innovation for the settlers and the knowledge acquired, mainly in partnership with other institutions, such as university, based on open and sustainable innovation, associated with another types of innovation. The study reinforces the results of other studies in rural organizations in Brazilian cerrado and contributes to the strengthening of studies on open and sustainable innovation in developing countries like Brazil.

Process as an innovation

The aim of the chapter is to present key essential aspects of innovation and their species diversity. Basic definition formulations are considered. The emphasis is on business process innovation. One case study of company from Bulgaria that has implemented business process innovations is described, as well as the results of the innovation changes. With the help of various cognitive, analytical, inductive-deductive, case and simulation methods, students achieve the acquisition of new knowledge by combining theoretical statements, including familiarity with some international standards, and practical skills based on the principle of learning by doing. The topic draws students’ attention to the need for a comprehensive examination of the issues of innovative change and the formation of economic thinking, oriented towards the implementation of business solutions for sustainable prosperity based on innovative development.

Instrument policy mix and firm size: is there complementarity between R&D subsidies and R&D tax credits?

Nowadays, a rising number of evaluations investigates a multifaceted concept of the policy mix. Our study specifically focuses on the mix of two most frequently used supply-side instruments–R&D subsidies and R&D tax credits. Drawing on the longitudinal sample of Spanish manufacturing firms, we investigate whether there is a complementary interaction between these policy instruments with respect to product and process innovations. Moreover, by employing a dynamic random-effects probit estimator, we account for the persistence of innovation and endogeneity of public support. The results, that are separately estimated for SMEs and large firms, uniformly show evidence of no interplay between two policy instruments either in SMEs or large firms. However, among factors that influence the propensity to product and process innovations, by far, the largest effect is generated by true state dependence. These findings provide some policy implications for fostering product and process innovations in the long run.

Innovations Creation Process: CEO and Board of Directors Roles

There are innovation creation process, innovations’ classifications, and measures considered in the paper. Recently focus on the literature moving from innovations relationship with financials to the role of people. This review considers board of directors group characteristics and CEO individual characteristics (the part of which impacts only firms from innovative industries) significant for innovation creation. The paper predicts investment in innovation, innovation outcome, and optimal for shareholders’ wealth board of directors’ type in dependence on CEO individual characteristics.

Manufacturing Process Innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Problem definition: Process innovation is commonly claimed to be a major source of competitive advantage for firms. Despite this perceived influence, it has received substantially less attention than product innovation, and much uncertainty remains about its true association with firm performance. We investigate the relationship between a pharmaceutical firm’s portfolio of manufacturing process innovations and its economic performance. Academic/practical relevance: We uniquely conduct a multidimensional evaluation of a firm’s portfolio of manufacturing process innovations at the product level. This allows a quantitative evaluation of both the relative benefit of the different dimensions of a portfolio as well as the potential complementarities between these in different technological landscapes. Methodology: Through a collaboration with expert patent attorneys, we develop a unique longitudinal data set that combines secondary data and evaluations of a firm’s portfolio of process patents along two key dimensions: novelty and scope. We conduct econometric analyses for a large-scale sample of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) whose product patents have expired and for which process innovation is thus the main source of competitive advantage. Results: We find a positive association between the presence of manufacturing process innovation and firm performance. However, although portfolio’s scope appears to always be beneficial to performance, the effect of novelty alone depends on the ruggedness of the technological landscape: negative in smoother landscapes and positive in more rugged landscapes. Results further suggest that novelty and scope of a portfolio of process innovations are complementary across technological landscapes. Managerial implications: Our results provide important practical insights that can inform the organization and execution of the research and development process across high-technology industries. In particular, although process innovations can be economically beneficial, investing in high-novelty process innovations without a corresponding high scope could jeopardize payoffs, especially in technological landscapes that are relatively smooth.

Effects of product and process innovations on the employment growth rate: Evidence for the Colombian manufacturing industry.

This paper estimates the effect of product and process innovation on the employment growth rate in Colombian manufacturing industry between 2007 and 2012. Based on the model forward put by Harrison et al. (2008), employment growth rate is explained by both the introduction of process innovations that have an effect on old products and the product innovations that have a positive effect on the growth of sales. This research uses the firm-level data panel from the Technological Development and Innovation Survey (EDIT) and the Annual Manufacturing Survey (EAM) in Colombia between 2007 and 2012. Given the firm´s production, results show a positive effect of product innovations on the employment growth rate and a negative effect of process innovations on the employment growth rate in manufacturing firms in Colombia.JEL classification: O25, E24, O33

Understanding the relationship between organizational culture and inbound open innovation

PurposeThe relationship between corporate culture and inbound open innovation (OI) has been limited to two sub-constructs: a culture for openness and an innovation culture, but until now a richer conceptualization of corporate culture is missing.Design/methodology/approachThe authors apply Quinn and Rohrbaugh's (1983) competing values framework and regress these together with company internal and external control variables on five measures of inbound OI, reflecting product innovation, process innovation and the sourcing of innovation activities. The authors use data from a survey of more than 250 Swiss companies, primarily SMEs.FindingsThe importance of the firms' market environments suggests that the results are affected by the specific situation in which the firms found themselves at the time of the survey: after a strong currency shock, inbound OI activities seem to be a reaction to external pressure that favored planning and rule-oriented (formal) cultures to implement cost-cutting process innovations.Practical implicationsCompanies should develop a vision and a strategy, ensure open and transparent communication, have suitable reward and support mechanisms in place, adjust structures and processes, and institutionalize and formalize any change whenever they are confronted with a situation that requires a quick reaction and an adjustment to their degree of openness.Originality/valueThe paper clarifies the relationship between cultural traits and inbound OI, using a well-established understanding of corporate culture and differentiating between innovation types. It points to the importance of the external environment in order to understand the role of culture.