title: Clusters and regional development: Some cautionary observations from the semiconductor industry

authors: McCann, Philip

subjects: clustering

abstract: In this paper, we investigate the transactions-costs assumptions which are embedded in different understandings of industrial clustering. By carefully examining these assumptions we then proceed to investigate the extent to which industrial structure is related to questions of innovation. In order to do this we examine the case of the global semiconductor industry. After describing in detail the structure of the industry, we then employ a Geographical Information System in order to map the locations of the various plants and establishments which are part of three major multinational semiconductor producers. These unique mappings allow us to challenge some widely held views concerning the nature of the relationship between industrial structures, firm types and regional development.

text: Clusters and regional development: Some cautionary observations from the semiconductor industry In this paper, we investigate the transactions-costs assumptions which are embedded in different understandings of industrial clustering. By carefully examining these assumptions we then proceed to investigate the extent to which industrial structure is related to questions of innovation. In order to do this we examine the case of the global semiconductor industry. After describing in detail the structure of the industry, we then employ a Geographical Information System in order to map the locations of the various plants and establishments which are part of three major multinational semiconductor producers. These unique mappings allow us to challenge some widely held views concerning the nature of the relationship between industrial structures, firm types and regional development.

year: 2006

title: Coastal hypoxia and the importance of benthic macrofauna communities for ecosystem functioning

authors: Gammal, Johanna

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Coastal ecosystems are important because of the vital ecosystem functions and services they provide, but many are threatened by eutrophication and hypoxia. This results in loss of biodiversity and subsequent changes in ecosystem functioning. Consequently, the need for empirical field studies regarding biodiversity-ecosystem functioning in coastal areas has been emphasized. The present field study quantified the links between benthic macrofaunal communities (abundance, biomass, and species richness), sediment oxygen consumption, and solute fluxes (NO₃ ⁻ + NO₂⁻, NH₄⁺, PO₄³⁻, SiO₄, Fe, Mn) along a 7.5-km natural gradient of seasonal hypoxia in the coastal northern Baltic Sea. Sampling was done in late August 2010 in the middle archipelago zone of the Hanko peninsula, Finland. As predicted, the macrofaunal communities were decimated with increasing hypoxia, and the nutrient transformation processes were changed at the sediment-water interface, with notably higher effluxes of phosphate and ammonium from the sediment. Solute fluxes varied even during normoxia, which implies a high context-dependency, and could be explained by even small variations in environmental variables such as organic matter and C/N ratios. Importantly, the low diversity benthic macrofaunal communities, which were dominated by Macoma balthica and the invasive Marenzelleria spp., had a large influence on the solute fluxes, especially under normoxia, but also under hypoxia.

text: Coastal hypoxia and the importance of benthic macrofauna communities for ecosystem functioning Coastal ecosystems are important because of the vital ecosystem functions and services they provide, but many are threatened by eutrophication and hypoxia. This results in loss of biodiversity and subsequent changes in ecosystem functioning. Consequently, the need for empirical field studies regarding biodiversity-ecosystem functioning in coastal areas has been emphasized. The present field study quantified the links between benthic macrofaunal communities (abundance, biomass, and species richness), sediment oxygen consumption, and solute fluxes (NO₃ ⁻ + NO₂⁻, NH₄⁺, PO₄³⁻, SiO₄, Fe, Mn) along a 7.5-km natural gradient of seasonal hypoxia in the coastal northern Baltic Sea. Sampling was done in late August 2010 in the middle archipelago zone of the Hanko peninsula, Finland. As predicted, the macrofaunal communities were decimated with increasing hypoxia, and the nutrient transformation processes were changed at the sediment-water interface, with notably higher effluxes of phosphate and ammonium from the sediment. Solute fluxes varied even during normoxia, which implies a high context-dependency, and could be explained by even small variations in environmental variables such as organic matter and C/N ratios. Importantly, the low diversity benthic macrofaunal communities, which were dominated by Macoma balthica and the invasive Marenzelleria spp., had a large influence on the solute fluxes, especially under normoxia, but also under hypoxia.

year: 2017

title: A critical race analysis of Māori representation in university strategic documents in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Waitoki, Waikaremoana

subjects: critical race theory

abstract: Following the recent claims lodged at two universities in Aotearoa New Zealand alleging the existence of racism, there has been scepticism towards the professed commitments by universities to create an inclusive and safe environment for Indigenous Māori. As a Kaupapa Māori-informed study, we (a group of Māori and Tauiwi scholars) employed tenets of Critical Race Theory to examine how the representation of Māori is racialised and subordinated in university strategic documents. We located five predominant discourses portraying different mechanisms that reify whiteness in university practices such as the selective interpretation of Te Tiriti articles, targeted recruitment of Māori, framing of Māori as dependent on the Crown to succeed, commodification of mātauranga Māori, and avoidance of conversations about structural racism, colonisation, and racial equity. Our findings suggest that university strategic goal statements need to incorporate a critical race analysis, or else risk perpetuating practices that fall short of challenging the status quo.

text: A critical race analysis of Māori representation in university strategic documents in Aotearoa New Zealand Following the recent claims lodged at two universities in Aotearoa New Zealand alleging the existence of racism, there has been scepticism towards the professed commitments by universities to create an inclusive and safe environment for Indigenous Māori. As a Kaupapa Māori-informed study, we (a group of Māori and Tauiwi scholars) employed tenets of Critical Race Theory to examine how the representation of Māori is racialised and subordinated in university strategic documents. We located five predominant discourses portraying different mechanisms that reify whiteness in university practices such as the selective interpretation of Te Tiriti articles, targeted recruitment of Māori, framing of Māori as dependent on the Crown to succeed, commodification of mātauranga Māori, and avoidance of conversations about structural racism, colonisation, and racial equity. Our findings suggest that university strategic goal statements need to incorporate a critical race analysis, or else risk perpetuating practices that fall short of challenging the status quo.

year: 2024