bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting the Introduction of Design Automation Tools into Very Small Manufacturing Companies
Authors: Lewis Alan , Mumby Alan
Published: September 2010

Very small manufacturing companies make up an important element of the UK's manufacturing economy. However, relatively few of these companies make any systematic use of design automation tools. This paper outlines two case studies of very small companies introducing such tools through the agency of formal technology transfer arrangements with a collaborating university. The paper presents a discussion of the issues to be considered by universities and colleges when assisting such companies in the implementation of systems for design automation. The paper also offers an assessment of the effectiveness of the particular technology transfer and training processes used in the studies.
Enhancing the Management Component of Engineers' Knowledge
Authors: Belikov Sergey B. , Boguslayev Vyacheslav A.
Published: September 2010

Science and investigation are pursued in fulfilment of a natural desire to enrich knowledge, and they create the potential for personal and practical achievement in the industrial environment. This has been a key motivating factor for the continuous development and improvement of education systems, especially at the end of the last millennium. The process of transition from an industrial to an information society has seen the introduction and development of computerization, automatic control, information technologies, and artificial intelligence. In this paper, the authors discuss progress in education in one of the newest independent countries, the Ukraine – a country which has to combine rapid development with the complexities of its transition to a market economy. In this context, the paper discusses the importance of education and training, stressing the importance of cooperation between higher education institutions responsible for technical education and industrial enterprises that need engineers with in-depth technical and economic knowledge. They address in particular collaboration between Zaporozhya State Technical University (ZSTU) and the joint stock company Motor Sich, a manufacturer of gas turbine engines. They also discuss ZSTU's involvement in a major regional effort to prepare secondary school pupils more effectively for higher education and training.
Face-to-Face or Distance Training?
Authors: Allan John , O'Dwyer Michele , Lawless Naomi , Ryan Eamon
Published: September 2010

In the past, too many government-sponsored initiatives have presented learning resources that have been wasted because the target small business audience has failed to make use of them. This paper explores the issue of offering learning materials to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a manner that recognizes their working environment, mode of operation and preferred learning methods. It then outlines methods currently being tested in the UK and Ireland, and indicates preliminary findings. The two methodologies are different in that the UK (LSSB – Learning Support for Small Businesses) programme is aimed at distance learning in primarily small businesses, whilst the Irish (University of Limerick and Limerick City Enterprise Board) programme is aimed at face-to-face learning primarily in micro-enterprises. Preliminary findings are presented.
Corporate Training Programmes
Authors: Hughey Aaron W.
Published: September 2010

Employee training programmes have long been considered one of the keys to corporate success. The primary focus of this article is on what higher education professionals can learn from their counterparts in business and industry with respect to training in a collegiate environment. The elements of a successful training programme are discussed along with how the process can be adapted by colleges and universities. The distinction between training and education is explained, with a discussion of why ‘soft skills’ training initiatives are often less effective than skills-based approaches. The critical role of the training coordinator in facilitating a programme is assessed and other important considerations are set out, such as selection of the appropriate training topics and determining how long training should last and how many participants should be permitted to attend.
Technology Transfer and Economic Growth
Authors: Jamison Douglas W. , Jansen Christina
Published: September 2010

This paper presents the economic framework supporting the conclusion that US federal programmes, such as the Bayh–Dole Act of 1980, which increase the pay-off from research and development funding (R&D) can be effective agents of economic growth. A review of the literature in this field provides evidence that links investment in research to economic growth. By modifying the traditional Cobb–Douglas production function to include a research and development input, in addition to the capital and labour input, this study defines how multi-factor productivity (MFP) growth is controlled by the interaction of R&D and its commercialization. The combined contribution to MFP growth is defined as the product of the elasticity of output for R&D and the rate of growth of the R&D input. Evidence supporting the importance of the elasticity component for multi-factor productivity growth is presented, and the study then concludes that programmes to increase the elasticity of output for R&D – what is referred to as increasing the pay-off from R&D – may be an effective means of realizing a larger return on the investment in R&D.
Science Parks from a University Perspective
Authors: Parry Malcolm
Published: September 2010

In the context of the changing role of universities and the increasing emphasis on their function in the regional economy, the author assesses the establishment and development of the UK's science parks from the universities' perspective. Identifying the science park as a key instrument for the successful engagement of a university with its local community, he looks at the impact of parks on the processes of invention, innovation, technology transfer, commercialization and enterprise. He then outlines the three strategies available to a university for involvement in science park development – from high to low cost and high to low control. Finally, the author considers the influences on successful park development of the social, business and technological environments. He concludes that the mission of universities, together with their changing role, requires them to be the cohesive force in the learning region. The science park is a means of turning this concept into reality.
Innovative Universities and Regional Institutional Capacity Building
Authors: Rodrigues Carlos , da Rosa Pires Artur , de Castro Eduardo
Published: September 2010

This paper explores the experience of the University of Aveiro in attempting to promote a favourable environment for innovation in the Portuguese industrial region in which it is located. The authors first discuss the barriers faced by peripheral regions in their attempts to establish the continuous interactive process that feeds innovation. They then highlight the role played in such regions by higher education institutions (HEIs) as the main sources of knowledge, and as crucial agents in fostering the social learning processes needed to sustain regional competitiveness. Against this background, the organizational challenges and requirements associated with the role of HEIs in peripheral regions are explored. Finally, the authors emphasize the need for specifically designed intermediate structures linking academia and society and, using the case of Aveiro, examine the process of institutional innovation and learning.
A Temporal Model of Technology Diffusion into Small Firms in Wales
Authors: Thomas Brychan , Packham Gary , Miller Chris
Published: September 2010

This paper considers technology diffusion and develops a model at the level of the small firm in Wales. Technology diffusion, in the form of new or improved technology, and the transmission of knowledge or technical expertise are considered. This involves spill-overs through formal and informal networks, enabling learning by interacting, and an absorptive capacity to assimilate new technology developed elsewhere. A temporal model of technology diffusion is developed including external sources, channels of technology transfer, and mechanisms involved in the transfer of technology into the innovative small firm. The model is related not only to ‘best practice’ but also to cases in which ‘low’ activity can be improved. The implications for policy relevant to technology and entrepreneurship that arise from the model are also investigated and conclusions are drawn.
Joint European Continuing Engineering Education Courses with Facilitated Open Distance Learning
Authors: Reichl Franz , Payr Sabine , Csanyi Gottfried S. , Vierlinger Ursula E.
Published: September 2010

To cope with new challenges, universities of technology need to team up and complement their continuing engineering education programmes with open distance learning. The European FACILE project provided a starting point for collaboration among universities in providing continuing engineering education with facilitated open distance learning. Facilitated open distance learning combines the flexibility of open learning with support of the learning process through local support centres. Following experiences with FACILE, European centres will form a network acting as a geographically separated virtual centre for continuing engineering education which will offer programmes for an audience located all over Europe.
The VaNTH ERC: A Vehicle for Continuing Education in Bioengineering
Authors: Collins Jerry C. , Harris Thomas R.
Published: September 2010

The Vanderbilt–Northwestern–Texas–Harvard/MIT Engineering Research Center in Bioengineering Educational Technologies is the only such National Science Foundation sponsored Center specifically focused on educational technologies. The Center teams bioengineering, learning science and learning technology specialists in universities and industry to determine what bioengineers should learn, how it should be conveyed, and how learning should be assessed. Potential industrial and practice partners include companies and national laboratories that practise bioengineering, those that provide enabling technologies for construction of learning modules and assembly into courseware, and major publishers and others who will assist in courseware dissemination. Modular design should make Center courseware useful in continuing as well as curricular education. Continuing education marketing strategies include recruiting companies to provide employee, client, customer, and patient groups as test-beds and customers for courseware, and advertising for continuing education through professional societies and advocacy groups.
Teaching in the Factory
Authors: Teng S. Gary , Schreiner Steven , Nelson J. Byron
Published: September 2010

The ‘Teaching in the Factory’ approach goes beyond a simple engineering ‘co-op’ experience, bringing together academic rigour and real-world experiences and generating a winning situation for all constituents. This approach provides teams of engineering students with the opportunity to work on projects in a real factory environment, gives students a solid technical education, and exposes them to significant engineering challenges in a factory/business setting. It also benefits companies by bringing fresh engineering minds to solve problems, obtaining faculty expertise in systematic problem solving and project management, and acquiring help to complete important projects.
A Win—Win Industrial Internship for Academic Staff
Authors: Staus Ralph , Moreau Ron
Published: September 2010

Academics in the engineering and engineering technology disciplines have a storehouse of knowledge and talent that is potentially valuable to small and medium-sized manufacturing firms. These firms' facilities often have a limited number of engineers who must wear many hats. The Pennsylvania-based firm Can Corporation, with a workforce of over 200, has a single mechanical engineer on staff, who is the plant engineer, the maintenance supervisor, and the environmental compliance officer. An internship during 1999–2000 for a member of the local college engineering faculty, affiliated to Penn State University, proved to be a win–win arrangement for both parties. This paper presents a case history, identifies the benefits gained by the academic participant, discusses the benefits to the industrial partner, and provides recommendations for future internships. Penn State University's policies and practices applicable to internships are presented. The intention of the paper is to encourage members of engineering and engineering technology faculties to view an industrially sponsored internship as a method of providing valuable service, an opportunity to refresh engineering skills, and a source of supplemental income.
Physics and Creativity
Authors: Barojas Jorge , Pérez Rafael Pérez y
Published: September 2010

The concepts of a learning cycle and a model teaching strategy described in a previous paper are connected here with problem solving and learning contexts. Then they are applied to the analysis of an introductory course in physics for engineering and basic science students. Finally, ‘creativity’ is considered as a learning methodology implying that students work as coauthors in the development of learning contexts and in the design and solution of problems.
Goodbye Cardinal Newman, Hello David Beckham
Authors: Kelly John
Published: September 2010

In this viewpoint article, Professor John Kelly looks at causes and symptoms of the ever-growing emphasis on vocational education in university curricula. Are traditional notions of academe disappearing for ever? Or should universities take care to retain a critical distance from market-oriented curricula?
Stimulating Manufacturing Excellence through University—Industry Interaction
Authors: Riis Jens O.
Published: September 2010

This paper considers what a university engineering school can do to stimulate manufacturing excellence in industry. Aalborg University with its unique use of problem-based learning methods, is used as a case example. This approach is also embedded in a new research initiative, the Centre for Industrial Production. Examples of industry involvement in research and development projects are given. Such university-industry collaboration will not only benefit the development of competencies in large and small industrial enterprises, but will also provide a laboratory setting for the study of integration and implementation. The engineering problem-solving approach helps to identify university core competencies and suggests a new research agenda.
Helping Smaller Manufacturers Implement Performance Measurement
Authors: Coleman Shirley , Francis John , Hodgson Carol , Stewardson Dave
Published: September 2010

This paper describes the first Business-to-Business mentoring programme, which was conducted in the North East region of England during 2000. This was a pilot for a scheme that is part of the region's overall effort to help small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) improve manufacturing praxis. A large host company mentored nine SMEs in the use of performance measurement with the help of a university-based expert facilitator. The programme lasted eight months, with support provided from the European Regional Development Fund. It was managed by the Regional Technology Centre in Sunderland. The authors show how the programme was initiated, how companies were recruited and how individual projects were selected. They go on to discuss how projects were tackled, how these related to objectives within partner companies and how successful mentoring was achieved. People-related issues, and teamworking, as always, present both a major challenge and an opportunity in schemes like this. Besides solving technical problems within the companies, the programme helped to engage existing staff skills in arriving at the various solutions, often to the surprise of company managers. It is suggested that, in addition to the many practical improvements that can be achieved, the well-known problem of changing patterns of control during small company growth can be facilitated by such schemes. The reasons why some companies benefited substantially and others failed to engage completely in the programme are also discussed.
Wilderness Purism, Willingness to Pay and Management Preferences: A Study of Swedish Mountain Tourists
Authors: Fredman Peter , Emmelin Lars
Published: September 2010

This study combines visitor benefit estimates, by means of the contingent valuation method (CVM), with an application of a wilderness purism index to outdoor recreation management. Swedish summer visitors to a mountainous wilderness area in central Sweden and eastern Norway are surveyed using a mailed questionnaire. Welfare estimates are calculated, including adjustment for preference uncertainty in the willingness-to-pay answer. The expected value of the average visit to the area is estimated at 1,756 SEK, of which almost one-third is a consumer surplus. Three visitor segments are identified, based on preferences relating to wilderness management, restrictions, human impact and other users. Willingness to pay is found to differ significantly between the segments, both in absolute numbers for the trip taken and as a function of proposed management changes. It is shown that total benefits among the Swedish visitors can be increased in the magnitude of one million SEK, by means of a visitor segmentation and spatial differentiation of the management strategy.
Factors Influencing Demand for International Tourism: Tourism Demand Analysis Using Structural Equation Modelling, Revisited
Authors: Turner Lindsay W. , Witt Stephen F.
Published: September 2010

Previous work on the application of structural equation modelling to tourism demand analysis is extended by examining more varied origin–destination pairs, in particular those involving longer travel distances and fewer direct economic ties. The main potential economic determinants of international tourist flows disaggregated into holidays, business visits and visits to friends and relatives (VFR) are examined simultaneously using structural equation modelling. The tourist flows studied are inbound tourism to New Zealand from Australia, Japan, the UK and USA. The empirical results show that international trade plays the major role in influencing business tourism demand, retail sales are the major influence on the demand for foreign holidays, and new private car registrations are the major determinant of VFR tourism demand. Comparison of the previous and current studies demonstrates the consistent importance of international trade in influencing business tourism, and origin income and destination price in influencing VFR tourism.
Benchmarking an Emerging Lodging Alternative in Canada: A Profile of the B&B Sector
Authors: Miciak Alan R. , Kirkland Kent , Ritchie J.R. Brent
Published: September 2010

The bed and breakfast (B&B) option is often viewed as an attractive alternative to the traditional hotel/motel room. Although it is experiencing growing popularity in the Canadian accommodation industry, information on this emerging sector is quite limited. This study seeks to provide a basic understanding of the B&B industry by establishing baseline profiles of guest origin, operating practices, operator characteristics and financial performance of inns throughout Canada. Implications for inn owners and operators are discussed.
Panel Data and Tourism: A Case Study of Tenerife
Authors: Ledesma-Rodríguez Francisco J. , Navarro-Ibáñez Manuel , Pérez-Rodríguez Jorge V.
Published: September 2010

The authors estimate short-run and long-run elasticities for tourists visiting the island of Tenerife. Panel data analysis has rarely been used in previous empirical research. Most of the work in this field takes a price and an income variable to explain tourism demand, and less attention has been given to other variables, such as promotional expenditure. The authors find a significant influence in this variable. They also obtain significant elasticities for income, exchange rate, cost of the trip, and infrastructure.
Middle East and the Mediterranean to 1999, and Preliminary Worldwide Estimates for 2000
Authors: Bar-On Raphael Raymond
Published: September 2010

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) reported 17.6 million international tourist arrivals (excluding day-visits) in its Middle East region in 1999, 17% above 1998, and 220 million in its ‘Mediterranean’ region. Receipts reported from international tourism in the Middle East region totalled US$10.1 billion (including receipts from day-visits, excluding international fares), 18% above 1998 (in current US$). Tourist arrivals, receipts and hotel demand and capacity are presented for 13 countries of the Middle East region and 20 other Mediterranean countries.
Forecasting Tourism Using Univariate and Multivariate Structural Time Series Models
Authors: Turner Lindsay W. , Witt Stephen F.
Published: September 2010

Tourism demand forecasting remains an important research area, as the search for more accurate forecasting methods continues. In particular, there is concern that many methods do not improve upon a simple naïve process. Structural time series models have shown significant potential as both univariate and explanatory forecasting tools. Inbound tourism to New Zealand from Australia, Japan, the UK and the USA disaggregated by purpose of visit is analysed, using both univariate and multivariate structural time series models, and their respective forecasting accuracy is compared. The naïve ‘no change’ model is used for benchmark comparison purposes. The structural time series model outperforms the naïve process, but the causal structural time series model does not generate more accurate forecasts than the univariate model.
Industrial Organization of the Package Tour Industry: Implications for Researchers
Authors: Davies Brian , Downward Paul
Published: September 2010

This paper argues that better understanding and improved research on the tourism industry will be achieved by a clearer methodological basis. This requires an examination of the logic of inference that underlies competing claims about tourism issues. In order to understand competing opinions and to evaluate respective claims some methodological discussion is required. It is suggested that there is a need for an alternative logic of inference than that implied by the ‘positivism’ in statistical methods and that an appropriate alternative would be a combination of generalized statistical analyses and case-specific ‘qualitative’ investigations. This is discussed in the context of the body of theory known in economics as ‘industrial organization’ as applied to the UK package tour industry. For example, rather than imposing generalized theoretical explanations, like the Industrial Organisation paradigm per se, it is important that the intrinsic context of the subject matter in the tourism environment is drawn on. Researchers should work closely with the industry to understand fully the processes at work to develop case-specific knowledge and to generate new theoretical insights.
The Cost—Benefit Model as Applied to Tourism Development in the State of South Carolina, USA
Authors: Hefner Frank , Crotts John C. , Flowers Julie
Published: September 2010

Local governments in the USA offer a variety of economic incentives to attract industry. In 1995, the US state of South Carolina mandated that a cost–benefit analysis be conducted before one type of incentive, the ‘fee-in-lieu of property tax’, was offered. This paper reviews and analyses the South Carolina model. The authors then develop a modified model that incorporates the features which are unique to the tourism industry. They conclude that the method described in the paper is readily transferable to any state or local government and recommend that these governments develop a similar approach using their specific costs and benefits in order to make rational decisions when offering incentives.
Evaluating Public Management in a Tourism Natural Area: An Application to the Cíes Islands
Authors: González-Gómez M. , González-Martínez X.M. , Polomé P. , Prada-Blanco A.
Published: September 2010

This paper describes the application of a cost-benefit analysis to a highly popular tourist area - the Cíes Islands. The goals of the analysis are, first, to determine the social value of the area in terms of attractiveness and, second, to evaluate public intervention in terms of the preservation of the Islands. Non-users as well as users are considered. The results indicate that there is a clear social benefit and potentially valuable information is made available to public decision makers. Taking only users into account, the cost-benefit ratio is an estimated 5.4, which is to say that for each additional monetary unit spent on conservation more than 5 monetary units are earned in terms of social benefit. Moreover, this return increases to 16.8 if users are taken into account in the valuation process.
Economic Valuation of the Benefits of Recreational Fisheries in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
Authors: Chavez-Comparan Juan Carlos , Fischer David W.
Published: September 2010

Recreational fisheries are important economic resources that are affected by conflicts with commercial fisheries. In order to generate information for management support of recreational fisheries, the Contingent Valuation and Travel Cost methods were applied to estimate the economic value of angling billfish (swordfish) in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. The results indicate that recreational fisheries in Manzanillo generate important economic benefits – not only through their economic impact on the local economy, but also the net economic benefits that anglers may experience. Fishery managers in Mexico should consider incorporating into their decisions information on the net economic benefits of recreational resources instead of using only market information.
Seasonal Behaviour of Monthly International Tourist Flows: Specification and Implications for Forecasting Models
Authors: Kim Jae H. , Moosa Imad
Published: September 2010

Recent studies have found that seasonality in international tourist arrivals is more likely to be stochastic than deterministic. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of different specifications of seasonality on forecasting performance. The authors compare forecasts generated from the regression-based model, seasonal ARIMA model, and Harvey's structural time series model, using a number of monthly international tourist arrivals to Australia. They find seasonality to be deterministic using the HEGY test for seasonal unit roots for all cases, while the Caner test finds seasonality to be stochastic for almost all cases. The use of descriptive measures suggests that stochastic seasonality is more appropriate. The authors find evidence that stochastic treatment of seasonality does not improve forecasting performance, regardless of the presence of seasonal unit roots. The regression-based model tends to generate superior forecasts when seasonality is treated as deterministic.
SMES and Innovation
Authors: Ussman Ana , Almeida Anabela , Ferreira João , Mendes Luís , Franco Mário
Published: September 2010

Faced with market globalization, firms need to be able to adapt themselves rapidly to change, and to develop aggressive innovation policies. Innovation is a key factor in firms' competitiveness. However, research to date has focused mainly on larger companies and few studies have considered SMEs. The main purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a research project carried out to identify the main difficulties perceived by Portuguese SMEs in relation to innovation, and to ascertain the behavioural patterns that characterize their responses to these difficulties.
Technological Innovations in Small Firms in the North-East of England
Authors: Subrahmanya M.H. Bala
Published: September 2010

In the north-east of England technological innovations by small firms follow a broad pattern in terms of dimensions, causal factors and sources of innovation. Product innovators owe their innovations largely to management motivation and growth ambition. They perceive the need for a particular product in the market and work towards its development in-house. Internal technical capability is decisive. Thus, product innovations emerge due to internal factors. The innovative products are patented and exhibited in national and international exhibitions and advertised in professional journals. As a result, the firms export a considerable share of their output and grow larger. Such firms are ‘offensive’ or ‘proactive’ innovators. They are innovation leaders. Incremental innovators either substitute a raw material to produce an existing product, or change the product shape/dimension/design on their own initiative or in response to their customers. Some upgrade their existing machinery or acquire new machinery for expansion or product diversification. Others introduce existing products due to customer demand or to enable further growth. They are decisive in their incremental innovations. The companies upgrade their technology or skills and change product shape, dimension or design with external support. In-house R&D is largely absent. Thus, incremental innovators emerge due to external factors. These firms are ‘defensive’ or ‘reactive’ innovators. They are innovation followers.
Professional Competence and its Effect upon Employability Throughout the Career
Authors: van der Heijden Beatrice Isabella Johanna Maria
Published: September 2010

This study describes the relationship between five dimensions of professional expertise and the degrees of employability of individual employees in three different career stages, working in small and medium-sized enterprises. Professional expertise is operationalized by means of five dimensions — knowledge, meta-cognitive knowledge, skills, social recognition, and growth and flexibility. Hypotheses have been tested with original survey data from 233 employees and 217 direct supervisors.
Future Trends in the Management of Livestock Production
Authors: Phillips Clive
Published: September 2010

The intensification of animal production systems proceeded rapidly in the latter part of the twentieth century, often aided by government support. However, only short-term benefits of intensification were realized and consumers started to select animal produce from less intensive production systems in the belief that it would be healthier, kinder to the animals and less likely to cause damage to the environment. Recent research has shown that the production of high quality traditional dairy products will provide an income for more people than intensive dairy production, thus helping to serve as a functional basis for rural land use. It is often argued that extensive production cannot produce enough food for the majority of the population, but such estimates rely on outdated and inadequate levels of output from the traditional systems. Modern organic dairy systems, for example, should produce at least two-thirds of that of intensive systems and should therefore be able to provide for the majority of consumers in the UK. However, it is anticipated that increased global trade in livestock products will further threaten the livelihood of UK producers. Their options are to reduce input costs and develop specialized markets for high quality products ahead of their competitors. For example, the increased potential lifespan of the human population will encourage people to consume products that promote longevity, such as those with minimal contamination by pollutants. In many parts of the world, but particularly in the central continental land masses, livestock production will be challenged by global warming. Traditional production systems are likely to survive better, as they are buffered against variations in weather. It is concluded that livestock production systems have the potential to provide high quality food and employment, especially in marginal areas, and to preserve the land for the benefit of future generations. However, if badly managed, intensive systems may lead to major adverse effects on the environment, damage to human health and a reduction in food supply for those in developing countries.
Family Poultry Research and Development in Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries: Approaches and Prospects
Authors: Guèye E.F.
Published: September 2010

Family poultry (FP), which are still important in low-income food-deficit countries, represent an appropriate system for supplying the rapidly growing human population with high quality protein and providing additional income to resource-poor small farmers, especially women. Although requiring low levels of inputs, FP contribute significantly to food security, poverty alleviation and ecologically sound management of natural resources. FP are also valued in the religious and sociocultural lives of local communities. However, constraints facing FP production systems are related to high mortality (mainly due to Newcastle disease), housing, feeding, breeding, marketing, training, credit and information. Appropriate research and development programmes are those that adopt participatory, holistic and multi- and transdisciplinary approaches. Improvements, which should take sociocultural and economic circumstances into account, must be introduced gradually.
Social Aspects of the Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Agri-Food SMEs in Wales
Authors: Thomas Brychan , Sparkes Adrian , Brooksbank David , Williams Robert
Published: September 2010

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to adapt and change to remain competitive in the rapidly changing business environment of the twenty-first century. As with many other industries this is evident in the agri-food industry in Wales, where agri-food SMEs can obtain a competitive advantage through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), especially the Internet and Websites. It is argued that many of these firms are often inadept at implementing changes that are technology-enabled. Policy makers, including the Welsh Agri-Food Partnership, also recognize that the agri-food culture is adversarial in nature and this needs to be addressed if technical advancement is to be achieved. With the recognition of the importance of e-business in other industries, there is a danger that many agri-food SMEs will be technology-disabled. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to explore the social consequences of the slow adoption of the Internet and Websites by agri-food SMEs in Wales and to consider ways of overcoming this problem. The paper concludes by reporting on ICT assistance provided by support schemes in Wales and on the social, political and cultural implications for farming communities.
Status of Genetically Modified Food Crops in India
Authors: Gahukar R.T.
Published: September 2010

The food situation in India is worsening day by day, mainly due to an ever increasing human population. It is difficult to increase crop productivity with the current availability of land, water resources, labour, finance and crop production technology. Among the newer technologies, the cultivation of genetically modified crops (GMCs) may help in improving food availability, nutritional quality and shelf life of harvested produce and in developing plants resistant to insect pests, disease pathogens and herbicides. However, GMCs have attracted many critics because of their potential impacts on biodiversity, toxicity to non-target organisms, cross-resistance in pests, the higher prices of seeds and foods, monopoly of companies, patent and regulatory approval, and safety to consumers. Some consider that GMCs are unwanted, unsafe and unnecessary, while others favour their introduction and use in India. The debate continues among scientists, policy makers, social activists, farmers and consumers, but this situation may change in the near future because of the impact of World Trade Organization (WTO) policies on globalization and the free market.
Transforming a Production Demonstration Farm into an Agricultural Learning Landscape
Authors: Reith Charles C. , Blakewood E. Griff
Published: September 2010

Education is essential for improving agriculture, both in productivity and environmental performance. Effective education must reach not just farmers, but also the public and policy makers so that the challenge of agricultural sustainability may be widely appreciated. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has implemented a sweeping programme of educational improvements to transform a production demonstration farm into an agricultural learning landscape. Key features include instructional signs at overlooks; a discovery trail with activity stations and research bulletin boards; an ‘environmentally responsive’ home with energy-saving innovations; and a wildlife corridor, nature trail and outdoor classroom. The farm has attracted visitors of all ages and interests to learn about agriculture, stewardship and sustainability, whereby food is produced and economic benefit derived, but with no net degradation of earth resources.
Development of Smallholder Dairy Systems in the Kenya Highlands
Authors: Bebe B.O. , Udo H.M.J. , Thorpe W.
Published: September 2010

Kenya is recognized among developing countries for its success in integrating dairy into smallholder farming systems, particularly in the highland areas. The major determinants of this success were colonial history, its favourable agroecology and supportive agricultural policies, and the importance of milk in rural and urban diets. In response to agricultural policies, market opportunities and human population pressure on land, smallholders have changed their farming systems by introducing the Friesian and Ayrshire breeds, keeping smaller herds with fewer heifers but more cows, increasing stocking rates through stall-feeding, growing fodder, purchasing feeds and becoming more dependent on external inputs and services. As a result, they can sell more milk. This increasing intensification, here defined as the use of external inputs and services to increase the output quantity and/or value per unit input, has ensured that more people are maintained per unit of land through increased returns per ha of family land. Because the level of intensification varies with the agroecological potential for cropping and dairying and with the level of milk market access and household resources, recommendations for production practices supporting intensification will be site-specific. Identifying appropriate recommendations will require a thorough understanding of farmers' objectives for keeping cattle.
Potential of Soy-Cassava Flour Processing to Sustain Increasing Cassava Production in Nigeria
Authors: Ugwu B.O. , Ukpabi U.J.
Published: September 2010

Cassava production is increasing in Nigeria and needs to be sustained. One way of achieving this is to process cassava into high-grade products with positive and high-value elasticity of demand. Soy-cassava flour, a blend of cassava and soy bean flours, was produced and tested for consumer acceptability and economic viability. The results showed that the soy-cassava flour, with 16% protein, compared favourably with gari and cassava flour as food material for the preparation of fufu (the popular local cassava food product). Its production was profitable, with a pre-tax profit of close to N5,000 (equivalent to US$62.5 at a rate of US$1 = N80) per tonne. There are clear prospects for large-scale production and marketing of soy-cassava flour in Nigeria. This would establish a large market for cassava roots, since it takes over 2.5 tonnes of cassava root to produce one tonne of soy-cassava flour. Widespread production of this cassava-based, high-grade product can therefore contribute significantly towards sustaining the increasing trend in cassava production in Nigeria.
Can the Application of Fused Calcium Silicate to Rice Contribute to Sustained Yields and Higher Pest Resistance?
Authors: Esser Kjell B.
Published: September 2010

Trends of declining rice yields observed in Asia and increasing pesticide pollution from rice cultivation are matters of concern. The application of plant-available silicon may alleviate some of these problems, but has not yet become commonplace due to the lack of cheap and soluble silicon compounds. Innovative work suggests that fused calcium silicate ground to a fine powder may provide a soil treatment that will correct the problem of depleted silicon in rice paddies. Fused calcium silicate also shows promising results in sugar cane, barley, wheat and other Gramineae crops. However, there is still a need to determine how fused calcium silicate can be incorporated into the economy and operations of rice cultivation.
Beyond Technology Dissemination: Reinventing Agricultural Extension
Authors: Sulaiman V. Rasheed , Hall Andy
Published: September 2010

This paper examines the challenges in reforming agricultural extension in India to meet the complex and heterogeneous demands of agricultural and rural development. While extension can and should play a much wider role in engaging with these issues, its performance remains restricted to the traditional one of technology dissemination. Fresh theoretical perspectives on the nature of innovation and appropriate institutional reform are opening up new vistas for extension. But the implementation of many of these necessary changes is hampered by outmoded understanding of its role and function, lack of partnerships among the different actors, limited expertise and lack of an explicit agenda on institutional learning.
Strategic Implications of Benchmarking for Agricultural Cooperatives and Farmer-Controlled Enterprises in Wales
Authors: Al-Hasan Said , Thomas Brychan , Haines Mike
Published: September 2010

This paper describes an empirical investigation of the application of benchmarking to cooperative enterprises in Wales to determine whether it was technically feasible, at what cost, and with what results. This entailed close sustained fieldwork with actual cooperatives, which was achieved by investigating the two largest farmer-controlled enterprises (FCEs) in Wales — Clynderwen and Cardiganshire Farmers Ltd, and Wynnstay and Clwyd Farmers Plc, who also collaborated in subsequent management appraisal and remedial action. The paper concludes that benchmarking is strategically feasible, that it has a favourable impact on the perceptions and attitudes of staff and members of participating cooperatives, and that it yields workable priorities and management recommendations, which can be implemented. Wider adoption of the technique by cooperatives is therefore recommended as a viable survival strategy — an alternative to the recent preference for abandonment of cooperative status. This is of particular significance for the marketing/entrepreneurship interface of FCEs in Wales.
Collaboration and Innovation: The State of American Regions
Authors: Henton Douglas , Melville John , Walesh Kimberly
Published: September 2010

The authors argue that regions play a crucial role in the ‘new economy’. They describe the type of leadership required to create ‘innovative’ regions. New challenges demand regional ‘stewardship’ that crosses traditional boundaries and jurisdictions. The authors assess the core characteristics of effective regional stewards and apply this assessment to the critical question of why some regions are more innovative than others. Brief case studies of policies and initiatives in Austin, San Diego, Greater Washington and Silicon Valley show how regional leadership can provide the impetus to outstanding regional development. Successful strategies for regional innovation, the authors conclude, are founded on the desire to create and connect social networks to facilitate and accelerate the innovation process. The deciding factor is not so much the ‘ingredients' as the ‘recipe’ – not so much the assets of a region as how those assets are connected and leveraged.
University—Industry Partnerships, 1990–2000
Authors: Valentín Eva María Mora , Sánchez Juan José Nájera
Published: September 2010

This paper presents a descriptive analysis of articles on university-industry relationships published between 1990 and 2000 in Industry and Higher Education. The results indicate that the case study methodology is the most common approach in such papers. In terms of the geographical context, most of the articles analyse developments in the UK, other parts of Europe, and the USA. The main subject categories analysed relate to successful experiences of interaction, ways of improving relationships between firms and universities, and appropriate public policies to enhance and encourage such relationships.
University—Region Interaction: Managing the Interface
Authors: van der Sijde P.C. , Kekäle J. , Goddard J.
Published: September 2010

European universities have three main tasks: education, research and service to the community. This last element of their mission is becoming more and more important, and the pressure on universities to engage in activities related to regional development is increasing. The creation of knowledge is not something that a university does in isolation: it is a process that depends on cooperation with others. The interaction of university with its region, and with industry based in the region, is vitally important. This introductory article sketches the background to this special issue of Industry and Higher Education, dedicated to the theme ‘The region and its university: European perspectives’.
The City and University of Dortmund: From Coexistence to Partnership
Authors: Gerszewski Stefanie , Krieger Fritz
Published: September 2010

In Germany, the recently launched ‘Dortmund Project’ can be seen as marking the beginning of long-term cooperation between the city of Dortmund and the Universität Dortmund (the University of Dortmund). The development of this strategic cooperation is closely connected with the general development of Dortmund's municipal economic policy It has been the change from a Fordist to a Post-Fordist model that has finally resulted in new approaches towards regional structural policy – as reflected, for example, in the strategy to achieve cluster development. The Dortmund Project, which was initiated by Thyssen-Krupp and the city of Dortmund, aims to strengthen the economic efficiency of Dortmund through the establishment of growth clusters. To this end, the Dortmund Project prioritizes three sectors: information technology; microsystems technology; and logistics – all three of which are core areas of expertise at the Universität Dortmund.
Clusters Crossing Borders
Authors: Villadsen Charlotte
Published: September 2010

In this paper the author describes activities at Aalborg University, Denmark, and gives examples of how a university, together with its regional partners, can actively influence and support the development of new high-technology knowledge-based industry clusters. In order for a region to achieve an internationally recognized cluster that can act as an engine for broader regional development, widespread local support is essential. The author argues that the most effective and long-lasting clusters are those that benefit from the support of a wide range of regional players. With this in mind, she presents two different approaches to cluster development in the region of Northern Jutland through a discussion of its telecommunications and biomedical technology clusters.