FORMATION AND MANAGEMENT OF REGIONAL AGRI-FOOD CLUSTERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: CASE OF “AGROTRANSILVANIA” (ROMANIA)

Business clusters are considered to be more applicable in countries classified as developed. However, in modern times developing countries take risks of establishing business clusters and get the expected economic and social rewards. The work observes peculiarities of regional agri-food cluster formation and management in developing countries in the frames of the Romanian “AgroTransilvania” cluster. Based on the empirical analysis and the “CIPM” (“Cluster Initiative Performance Model”) technique, author conducts an expert assessment and finds out how the cluster’s members combine cooperation and competition in order to achieve outstanding results. The research paper encompasses practice-oriented models, including a diamond model for the Romanian agri-food market, a target board of the observed cluster, as well as a map of its members.

The Economic Analysis on the Competitiveness of Small Towns with Sports Characteristics under the Guidance of “Diamond Model” Theory

The sunrise industry of sports characteristic town under the transformation of economic development and the change of social demand contradiction is also a new growth point of sports industry economy. If we avoid homogeneous competition and improve the comprehensive competitiveness of small towns with sports characteristics, it will be a hot issue studied by scholars at home and abroad. The “Diamond Model” theory finds out the shortcomings of the development of sports characteristic towns by analyzing the factors of production, demand conditions, relevant supporting industries, and development strategies and puts forward the corresponding countermeasures. MATLAB simulation results show that the “Diamond Model” theory can improve the comprehensive competitiveness of sports characteristic towns, reduce the consumption of existing resources, and make a good prediction of the future development trend. Therefore, Porter’s “Diamond Model” theory can provide guidance for the improvement of the comprehensive competitiveness of sports characteristic towns, and this study can provide theoretical and case support for relevant domestic research.

Using the Double Diamond model to co-design a dementia caregivers telehealth peer support program

We aimed to develop a telehealth peer support program for isolated dementia caregivers. This paper reports the co-design process by telehealth and the impact and experiences of participants. The Double Diamond model guided the co-design process, which has four phases, with participants reflecting on their caregiving experiences. Group meetings were recorded, notes compiled with inductive thematic analysis undertaken for phases one to three. Each phase findings were presented to the group for verification and refinement. Semi-structured interviews with participants were completed at the end of the project. Six dementia caregivers were recruited from dispersed locations with diverse characteristics. The process identified eight key topics to be included in a program to be delivered by telehealth. Participants reported the technology did not detract from the co-design and at times aided it, despite some technical problems. All reported high levels of group connectedness, feeling supported and transfer of knowledge and skills. One participant would have liked more understanding of the process. The group continued to meet without professional input for 2.5 years following the completion of the project. Telehealth can be a mechanism to support diverse populations in participating in co-design projects.

The Appraisal and Countermeasure Analysis of the International Competitiveness of Tourism Service Trade in Henan Province

With the continuous development of the macro-economy and the Internet of transportation and trade worldwide, the status of trade in tourism services is getting higher and higher. Henan has a long history and rich and colorful culture. As the birthplace of Central Plains Civilization, Henan has rich tourism resources. This paper analyzes the export status of the tourism service trade in Henan Province by using relevant data and analyzes the factors influencing the competitiveness of the tourism service trade in Henan Province by using the diamond model; this paper puts forward some suggestions to improve the export competitiveness of tourism service trade in Henan Province.

The Relative Importance of Determinants of the Solar Photovoltaic Industry in China: Analyses by the Diamond Model and the Analytic Hierarchy Process

Within China’s renewable energy industry, the importance of the solar photovoltaic industry has been increasingly recognized. Many Chinese provinces have adopted various measures to develop the solar photovoltaic industry. This study used the diamond model and the analytic hierarchy process to clarify the relative importance of the determinants of the development of the solar photovoltaic industry. A total of 22 determinants in six categories (i.e., factor condition; demand condition; firm strategy, structure, and rivalry; related and support industries; government; and chance) were analyzed. The results show that besides factor condition, demand condition and firm strategy, structure, and rivalry have also had a strong influence on the development of China’s photovoltaic industry. The findings also indicate that some traditional factors, such as labor costs and acquiring land, are very important to the development of the solar photovoltaic industry. The relative importance of the determinants clarified through this study provides a standard for the actions of policymakers and decision makers.

Evaluating the Competitiveness of the Vietnam Textile and Garment Industry

In the context of the country's increasingly innovative and deeply integrated with the world, especially since Vietnam joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995, our country has been competing increasingly fierce in all fields and all economic sectors, including the textile industry. Up to now, the position of these two industries has been increasingly affirmed in the world consumption market. Currently, garment and leather products are present in many countries around the world with increasing export turnover and in which large enterprises play an important role. However, in order to maintain our position and improve our competitiveness, we need to re-evaluate the competitive advantages as well as the limitations of enterprises and Vietnam's textile and garment industry. This paper uses the diamond model method to show the competitiveness ability of Vinatex enterprises through 4 main factors: Firm strategy, structure and rivalry, factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries. From there, we come up with solutions that contribute to solving the difficulties, paving the way for the further development of these two industries. Keywords: Competitiveness, Diamond model, Garment & Textile, Vinatex, Vietnam