Building Successful, Open Repository Software Ecosystems: Technology and Community

Panel at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Jisc: Building a Cohesive Repository Shared Services Infrastructure for the UK

Panel at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Building Dynamic Data Centers for Fast Delivery of New Data and Data Updates

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Hydramata: Building a Nimble Solution with Hydra to Transcend the Institutional Repository

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

RCAAP: Building and maintaining a national repository network

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Building the ‘Digital’ Library: Routes to Managing our Institutional Digital Learning, Teaching and Research Assets Together

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Building a Research Data Registry for the UK

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Chemical derivatization of galactoglucomannan for functional materials

In the framework of the biorefinery concept researchers aspire to optimize the utilization of plant materials, such as agricultural wastes and wood. For most of the known processes, the first steps in the valorisation of biomass are the extraction and purification of the individual components. The obtained raw products by means of a controlled separation can consecutively be modified to result in biofuels or biogas for energy production, but also in value-added products such as additives and important building blocks for the chemical and material industries. Considerable efforts are undertaken in order to substitute the use of oil-based starting materials or at least minimize their processing for the production of everyday goods. Wood is one of the raw materials, which have gained large attention in the last decades and its composition has been studied in detail. Nowadays, the extraction of water-soluble hemicelluloses from wood is well known and so for example xylan can be obtained from hardwoods and O-acetyl galactoglucomannans (GGMs) from softwoods. The aim of this work was to develop water-soluble amphiphilic materials of GGM and to assess their potential use as additives. Furthermore, GGM was also applied as a crosslinker in the synthesis of functional hydrogels for the removal of toxic metals and metalloid ions from aqueous solutions. The distinguished products were obtained by several chemical approaches and analysed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope SEM, among others. Bio-based surfactants were produced by applying GGM and different fatty acids as starting materials. On one hand, GGM-grafted-fatty acids were prepared by esterification and on the other hand, well-defined GGM-block-fatty acid derivatives were obtained by linking amino-functional fatty acids to the reducing end of GGM. The reaction conditions for the syntheses were optimized and the resultant amphiphilic GGM derivatives were evaluated concerning their ability to reduce the surface tension of water as surfactants. Furthermore, the block-structured derivatives were tested in respect to their applicability as additives for the surface modification of cellulosic materials. Besides the GGM surfactants with a bio-based hydrophilic and a bio-based hydrophobic part, also GGM block-structured derivatives with a synthetic hydrophobic tail, consisting of a polydimethylsiloxane chain, were prepared and assessed for the hydrophobization of surface of nanofibrillated cellulose films. In order to generate GGM block-structured derivatives containing a synthetic tail with distinguished physical and chemical properties, as well as a tailored chain length, a controlled polymerization method was used. Therefore, firstly an initiator group was introduced at the reducing end of the GGM and consecutively single electron transfer-living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) was performed by applying three different monomers in individual reactions. For the accomplishment of the synthesis and the analysis of the products, challenges related to the solubility of the reactants had to be overcome. Overall, a synthesis route for the production of GGM block-copolymers bearing different synthetic polymer chains was developed and several derivatives were obtained. Moreover, GGM with different molar masses were, after modification, used as a crosslinker in the synthesis of functional hydrogels. Hereby, a cationic monomer was used during the free radical polymerization and the resultant hydrogels were successfully tested for the removal of chromium and arsenic ions from aqueous solutions. The hydrogel synthesis was tailored and materials with distinguished physical properties, such as the swelling rate, were obtained after purification. The results generated in this work underline the potential of bio-based products and the urge to continue carrying out research in order to be able to use more green chemicals for the manufacturing of biorenewable and biodegradable daily products.

The role of emotional branding in building brand personality from a consumer perspective

The purpose of this exploratory research is to study the role of emotional branding in building brand personality. The research is conducted from the perspective of the consumer, more specifically the Finnish Generation Y females. The aim of the thesis is to gain insights and understanding on the key concepts and contribute to the Generation Y literature. In addition, the research examines the effect of certain cultural implications on the process of building brand personality. The research was conducted as an embedded single-case study, in which qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of six consumers and personal observation within one of the concept stores of the case company. In order to triangulate the data, secondary sources were utilized to gain more information about the case company. The results indicated a connection between emotional branding and the formulation of brand personality, which can be manipulated according to the brand personality drivers. Congruence with consumer self-conceptualization and set of values were discovered to strengthen the emotional bonding. As the end result, the research was able to clarify the process-thinking behind emotional branding.

Building a Roadmap for a Market Intelligence function in a Global B2B company

Tämän diplomityötutkimuksen tarkoituksena on luoda markkinaälyyn (MI) erikoistunut funktio suurelle, globaalisti toimivalle B2B-yritykselle. Tämän päivän muut-tuvilla markkinoilla, teollisuusyrityksen on oltava markkinalähtöinen selviytyäkseen. Markkinatiedon tehokas hyödyntäminen ei pelkästään luo tietoa markkinoista, vaan tuottaa kilpailukykyistä tietoa ja toimii strategisen päätöksenteon tukena pitkällä aikavälillä. Tämä tutkimus on kvalitatiivinen toimintatutkimus, joka sisältää kirjallisuuskat-sauksen, yritystapaustutkimuksen sekä syväanalyysin yrityksen MI-ympäristöstä. Kirjallisuuskatsaus pitää sisällään teoriaa liittyen markkinaälyyn useassa eri kon-tekstissa, asiakassuhteeseen, sekä prosessinmallintamiseen. Empiiriseen osaa seuraa tutkimusmenetelmäkappale, joka sisältää kaksivaiheisen tutkimuksen mukaan lu-kien 20 päällikkötason haastattelua sekä yhden laaja-alaisen työryhmätapaamisen. Työn tuloksena syntyy kolmivaiheinen tiekartta, jonka tarkoitus on toimia pohjana uuden MI-funktion rakentamiselle Case-yrityksessä. Tuloksen mukaan MI-funktio tulisi sijoittaa yrityksen asiakasrajapintaan sekä tukea yksiköiden välistä integraa-tiota. Markkinaälyn jakaminen yrityksen sisällä vaatii käytäntöjen, tarpeiden ja ta-voitteiden systemaattista viestintää eri organisaatiotasoille, jotta yritys voi edelleen saada asiakkaalta tarpeeseen vastaavaa tietoa. Viestintä yrityksen ja asiakkaan välil-lä on oltava molemminpuolista, jotta tulokset voisivat parantaa asiakassuhdetta. Kun asiakassuhde paranee, yritys voi oppia asiakkaalta arvokasta tietoa, markkinaälyä.

A Phase Model for Building a Customer Value Based Sales Tool – Case Mining and Metals Industry

The objective of this research is to observe the state of customer value management in Outotec Oyj, determine the key development areas and develop a phase model with which to guide the development of a customer value based sales tool. The study was conducted with a constructive research approach with the focus of identifying a problem and developing a solution for the problem. As a basis for the study, the current literature involving customer value assessment and solution and customer value selling was studied. The data was collected by conducting 16 interviews in two rounds within the company and it was analyzed by coding openly. First, seven important development areas were identified, out of which the most critical were “Customer value mindset inside the company” and “Coordination of customer value management activities”. Utilizing these seven areas three functionality requirements, “Preparation”, “Outotec’s value creation and communication” and “Documentation” and three development requirements for a customer value sales tool were identified. The study concluded with the formulation of a phase model for building a customer value based sales tool. The model included five steps that were defined as 1) Enable customer value utilization, 2) Connect with the customer, 3) Create customer value, 4) Define tool to facilitate value selling and 5) Develop sales tool. Further practical activities were also recommended as a guide for executing the phase model.

Intensification of hemicellulose hot-water extraction from spruce wood by parameter tuning

The growing population on earth along with diminishing fossil deposits and the climate change debate calls out for a better utilization of renewable, bio-based materials. In a biorefinery perspective, the renewable biomass is converted into many different products such as fuels, chemicals, and materials, quite similar to the petroleum refinery industry. Since forests cover about one third of the land surface on earth, ligno-cellulosic biomass is the most abundant renewable resource available. The natural first step in a biorefinery is separation and isolation of the different compounds the biomass is comprised of. The major components in wood are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, all of which can be made into various end-products. Today, focus normally lies on utilizing only one component, e.g., the cellulose in the Kraft pulping process. It would be highly desirable to utilize all the different compounds, both from an economical and environmental point of view. The separation process should therefore be optimized. Hemicelluloses can partly be extracted with hot-water prior to pulping. Depending in the severity of the extraction, the hemicelluloses are degraded to various degrees. In order to be able to choose from a variety of different end-products, the hemicelluloses should be as intact as possible after the extraction. The main focus of this work has been on preserving the hemicellulose molar mass throughout the extraction at a high yield by actively controlling the extraction pH at the high temperatures used. Since it has not been possible to measure pH during an extraction due to the high temperatures, the extraction pH has remained a “black box”. Therefore, a high-temperature in-line pH measuring system was developed, validated, and tested for hot-water wood extractions. One crucial step in the measurements is calibration, therefore extensive efforts was put on developing a reliable calibration procedure. Initial extractions with wood showed that the actual extraction pH was ~0.35 pH units higher than previously believed. The measuring system was also equipped with a controller connected to a pump. With this addition it was possible to control the extraction to any desired pH set point. When the pH dropped below the set point, the controller started pumping in alkali and by that the desired set point was maintained very accurately. Analyses of the extracted hemicelluloses showed that less hemicelluloses were extracted at higher pH but with a higher molar-mass. Monomer formation could, at a certain pH level, be completely inhibited. Increasing the temperature, but maintaining a specific pH set point, would speed up the extraction without degrading the molar-mass of the hemicelluloses and thereby intensifying the extraction. The diffusion of the dissolved hemicelluloses from the wood particle is a major part of the extraction process. Therefore, a particle size study ranging from 0.5 mm wood particles to industrial size wood chips was conducted to investigate the internal mass transfer of the hemicelluloses. Unsurprisingly, it showed that hemicelluloses were extracted faster from smaller wood particles than larger although it did not seem to have a substantial effect on the average molar mass of the extracted hemicelluloses. However, smaller particle sizes require more energy to manufacture and thus increases the economic cost. Since bark comprises 10 – 15 % of a tree, it is important to also consider it in a biorefinery concept. Spruce inner and outer bark was hot-water extracted separately to investigate the possibility to isolate the bark hemicelluloses. It was showed that the bark hemicelluloses comprised mostly of pectic material and differed considerably from the wood hemicelluloses. The bark hemicelluloses, or pectins, could be extracted at lower temperatures than the wood hemicelluloses. A chemical characterization, done separately on inner and outer bark, showed that inner bark contained over 10 % stilbene glucosides that could be extracted already at 100 °C with aqueous acetone.

Legitimacy Building in Public Disclosures on Strategic Energy Investments

Renewable energy investments play a key role in energy transition. While studies have suggested that social acceptance may form a barrier for renewable energy investments, the ways in which companies perceive and attempt to gain the acceptance have received little attention. This study aims to fill the gap by exploring how large electric utilities justify their strategic investments in their press releases and how do the justifications differ between renewable and non-renewable energy investments. The study bases on legitimacy theory and aims at contributing to the research on legitimation in institutional change. As its research method, the study employs an inductive mixed method content analysis. The study has two parts: a qualitative content analysis that explores and identifies the themes and legitimation strategies of the press releases and a quantitative computer-aided analysis that compares renewable and non-renewable energy investments. The sample of the study consists of 396 press releases representing the strategic energy investments of 34 electric utilities from the list of the world’s 250 largest and financially most successful energy companies. The data is collected from the period of 2010–2014. The study reveals that most important justifications for strategic energy investments are fit with the strategy and environmental and social benefits. Justifications address especially the expectations of market. Investments into non-renewable energy are justified more and they use more arguments addressing the proprieties and performance of power plants whereas renewable energy investments are legitimized by references to past actions and commonly accepted morals and norms. The findings support the notion that validity-addressing and propriety-addressing legitimation strategies are used differently in stable and unstable institutional settings.

Enhancing business-to-business relationship through value co-creation in traditional business sector: A case of building services engineering

This study discusses the significance of having service as a business logic, and more specifically, how value co-creation can be seen as an enhancing phenomenon to business-to-business relationships in traditional business sector. The purpose of this study is to investigate how value cocreation can enhance a business-to-business relationship in the heating, ventilation and airconditioning (HVAC) industry of building services engineering, through three sub-objectives: to identify what is value in the industry, how value is co-created in the industry, and what is value in a business-to-business relationship in the industry. The theoretical part this study consists of academic knowledge and literature related to the concepts of value, value co-creation and business-to-business relationships. In order to research value co-creation and business-to-business relationships in HVAC industry of building services engineering both, metaphorical and conceptual thinking of service dominant (S-D) logic and more managerial approach of service logic (SL), contributed to the theoretical part of the study. The empirical research conducted for this study is based on seven semi-structured interviews, which constituted the holistic, qualitative single case study method chosen for the research. The data was collected in September 2014 from CEOs, managers and owners representing six building services engineering firms. The interviews were analysed with the help of transcriptions, role-ordered matrices and thematic networks. The findings of this study indicate that value in HVAC industry consists of client expertise and supplier expertise. The result of applying client expertise and supplier expertise to the business-to- business relationship is characterized as value-in-reputation, when continuity, interaction, learning and rapport of the business relationship are ensured. As a result, value co-creation in the industry consists of mutual and separate elements, which the client and the supplier apply in the process, in addition to proactive interaction. The findings of this study, together with the final framework, enhance the understanding of the connection existing between value co-creation and business-to-business relationship. The findings suggest that value in the HVAC industry is characterized by both value-in-use and value-inreputation. Value-in-reputation enhances the formation of value-in-use, and consequently, value cocreation enhances the business-to-business relationship. This study thus contributes to the existing knowledge on the concepts of value and value co-creation in business-to-business relationships.