Return Migration, Self-Selection and Entrepreneurship in Mozambique

Does return migration affect entrepreneurship? This question has important implications for the debate on the economic development effects of migration for origin countries. The existing literature has, however, not addressed how the estimation of the impact of return migration on entrepreneurship is affected by double unobservable migrant self-selection, both at the initial outward migration and at the final inward return migration stages. This paper uses a representative household survey conducted in Mozambique in order to address this research question. We exploit variation provided by displacement caused by civil war in Mozambique, as well as social unrest and other shocks in migrant destination countries. The results lend support to negative unobservable self-selection at both and each of the initial and return stages of migration, which results in an under-estimation of the effects of return migration on entrepreneurial outcomes when using a ‘naïve’ estimator not controlling for self-selection. Indeed, ‘naïve’ estimates point to a 13 pp increase in the probability of owning a business when there is a return migrant in the household relative to non-migrants only, whereas excluding the double effect of unobservable self-selection, this effect becomes significantly larger - between 24 pp and 29 pp, depending on the method of estimation and source of variation used.

Enrichment of a PHA producing microbial community in a continuous bioreactor setup

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biosynthetic polyesters, biodegradable and biocompatible making them of great interest for industrial purposes. The use of low value substrates with mixed microbial communities (MMC) is a strategy currently used to decrease the elevated PHA production costs. PHA production process requires an important step for selection and enrichment of PHA-storing microorganisms which is usually carried out in a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). The aim of this study was to optimize the PHA accumulating culture selection stage using a 2-stage Continuous Stirrer Tank Reactor (CSTR) system. The system was composed by two separate feast and famine bioreactors operated continuously, mimicking the feast and famine phases in a SBR system. Acetate was used as carbon source and biomass seed was highly enriched in Plasticicumulans acidivorans obtained from activated sludge. The system was operated under two different sets of conditions (setup 1 and 2), maintaining a system total retention time of 12 hours and an OLR of 2.25 Cmmol/L.h-1. An average PHB-content of 3.3 % wt was obtained in setup 1 and 4.8% wt in setup 2. Several other experiments were performed in order to better understand the continuous system behaviour, using biomass from the continuous system. With the fed-batch experiment a maximum of 8.1% PHB was stored and the maximum substrate uptake and specific growth rates obtained in the growth experiment (1.15 Cmol Cmol-1.h-1 and 0.53 Cmol Cmol-1.h-1) were close to the ones from continuous system (1.12 Cmol Cmol-1.h-1 and 0.59 Cmol Cmol-1.h-1). The microbial community was characterized trough microscopic visualization, Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis and Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The last studied performed mimicked the continuous system by building up a SBR system with all the same operational conditions while adding an extra acetate dosage during the 12 h cycle, simulating the substrate passing from the feast to the famine reactors under continuous operation. It was shown that possibly the continuous system was not able to efficiently select for PHB storing organisms under the operational conditions imposed, although the selected culture was capable of consuming the substrate and grow fast. This main conclusion might have resulted from two major factors affecting the system performance: the ammonium concentration in the Feast reactor and the amount of substrate leaching from the Feast to the Famine reactor.

Internationalization strategy for MyHelpster.com with a focus on international market selection

International Market Selection is an important step towards a successful internationalization strategy. This is no different for startup companies like MyHelpster. This work project was intended to help MyHelpster with their internationalization process by completing the IMS portion of it. The IMS process presented in this paper lead to the conclusion that MyHelpster’s next market for expansion should be the USA. In order to find as much success as possible the author suggests being patient and only expanding when the company has the necessary capital, experience and credibility. Both primary and secondary data were used to compile the qualitative and quantitative analyses.

International market selection of Carrefour

Carrefour has been internationalizing into many countries and would like to continue growing. This study focuses on the potential future international market selection of Car-refour, comparing countries from the EU and South America, in a quantitative and qual-itative analysis. The purpose of the project is to help Carrefour to find the right market and the right mode to entry. Through semi-structured interviews and a literature research we found out that Sweden has the highest potential to entry with a Venture (Marketing), followed by Austria

Polyhydroxyalkanoates production by photosynthetic mixed cultures

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural biologically synthesized polymers that have been the subject of much interest in the last decades due to their biodegradability. Thus far, its microbial production is associated with high operational costs, which increases PHA prices and limits its marketability. To address this situation, this thesis’ work proposes the utilization of photosynthetic mixed cultures (PMC) as a new PHA production system that may lead to a reduction in operational costs. In fact, the operational strategies developed in this work led to the selection of PHA accumulating PMCs that, unlike the traditional mixed microbial cultures, do not require aeration, thus permitting savings in this significant operational cost. In particular, the first PHA accumulating PMC tested in this work was selected under non-aerated illuminated conditions in a feast and famine regime, being obtained a consortium of bacteria and algae, where photosynthetic bacteria accumulated PHA during the feast phase and consumed it for growth during the famine phase, using the oxygen produced by algae. In this symbiotic system, a maximum PHA content of 20% cell dry weight (cdw) was reached, proving for the first time, the capacity of a PMC to accumulate PHA. During adaptation to dark/light alternating conditions, the culture decreased its algae content but maintained its viability, achieving a PHA content of 30% cdw. Also, the PMC was found to be able to utilize different volatile fatty acids for PHA production, accumulating up to 20% cdw of a PHA co-polymer composed of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV) monomers. Finally, a new selective approach for the enrichment of PMCs in PHA accumulating bacteria was tested. Instead of imposing a feast and famine regime, a permanent feast regime was used, thus selecting a PMC that was capable of simultaneously growing and accumulating PHA, being attained a maximum PHA content of 60% cdw, the highest value reported for a PMC thus far. The results presented in this thesis prospect the utilization of cheap, VFA-rich fermented wastes as substrates for PHA production, which combined with this new photosynthetic technology opens up the possibility for direct sunlight illumination, leading to a more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable PHA production process.

International partner selection Indian technical textile market

Due to a combination of a vast agricultural industry and a tremendously growing technical textile industry, Ludvig Svensson identified India as target market for possible expansion through domestic production and supply. However, Svensson needed additional information about the industry structure and key players. Therefore, this project focused on a detailed analysis of the technical textile market and its players by following the international partner selection process. Thereby, five key players were identified as potential partners, as well as the need for additional research to determine alternative entry modes, as the market does not currently seem to be receptive for Svensson products.