Technology park as an element of innovative infrastructure- its role in internationalization support.

The Thesis concentrates on two central terms – Technology park and the resource-based view of the organization. General attention is devoted to competencies and capabilities of organizations that operate in foreign environment. It is difficult to go abroad without any experience and support from local government, especially for small or medium company. Technology and Science parks are the main sources of competitive advantage for this kind of organizations. They provide a huge range of services as well as business consultations and financial support on different stages of companies’ development. The Thesis was made with the assistance of Technopolis Oy in Lappeenranta. During the research companies in Finland and Russia were interviewed. Based on empirical findings important capabilities for entering foreign market were identified and some recommendations for the Technology park were given.

From reactive to proactive banking : connecting with customers with context-aware mobile technology

Mobile technology has been employed in banking for already two decades. However, its significance this far has been modest. It is expected that the industry will change a lot in the future. Elements of this change include tightening of competition, considering customer’s individual and changing needs, becoming involved in customer’s life and being where customers are. The goal of this study is to explore these fields with regard to Finnish banking as well as investigate selected consumers’ views towards this kind of new service approach. It can be divided into three questions: • What kinds of mobile services does the Finnish banking industry currently offer for consumers and what expectations do experts and consumers have towards them? o What is consumers’ attitude towards a context-aware service approach in the banking industry and what are the suggested tools for it? o What factors define clients’ adoption intentions towards the new context-aware service approach? Which factors do they consider most important? In order to create the framework for the study, both Finnish and foreign scientific and professional literature considering evolution of the industry and innovation adoption has been used. The empirical part of the study consists of 11 interviews, including 6 expert interviews and 5 consumer interviews. The results show that the selected consumers reacted very positively to the suggested new service approach that considers them as a person and aims at simplifying their banking. The consumers appreciated especially solutions that simplified their everyday banking. Also proactive actions from a bank was considered important especially in everyday banking, as long as the customer was able to define the amount and way of contacts he received. According to the findings banks should aim at supporting their customers more than they do now. However, they also need to pay attention to not irritate their customers by excessive contacts. Banks should also open-mindedly introduce new technologies to their customers. Key words

Exploring the value creation in service ecosystem context: the case of the information technology sector

This thesis examines customer value creation in a service ecosystem context. The objective of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive view of value creation processes in a service ecosystem context and an understanding on the roles of the stakeholders involved in these processes, focusing on the information technology industry. The novelty of the two central concepts of this thesis, systemic customer value and service ecosystem, as well as the gap in the literature of empirical research on value creation in an ecosystem-level, opened an interesting research topic. The empirical study is conducted as a single case analysis, utilizing Group Decision Support System (GDSS) and also Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The findings suggest that customer value is created by a complex combination of interactions among different actors of the ecosystem. Thus, value is not created by a single offering directed to the customer, but by an integration of services from different parts of the ecosystem as well as the active participation of customer in this process.

Features of a Ziegler-Natta catalyst prepared with the Sirius emulsion-based catalyst production technology

Traditionellt har man ansett att Ziegler-Natta katalysatorer för framställning av polypropen bör ha stor inre yta och hög porositet för att ge hög aktivitet och bra polymerpartikelmorfologi. Den av Borealis utvecklade Sirius emulsionsbaserade katalysatortillverkningsteknologin ger katalysatorer utan mätbar inre yta och porositet. Katalysatorn ger, trots sin kompakthet, polymerpartiklar med utmärkt morfologi och har hög aktivitet. Sirius katalysatorns prestanda, beträffande polymerisationskinetik och polymerstruktur, undersöktes i detta doktorsarbete. En jämn och kontrollerad tidig fragmentering av katalysatorn är av största vikt för att uppnå bra partikelmorfologi i en kommersiell process. Det visades att fragmenteringen av Sirius katalysatorn under de första sekunderna och minuterna av reaktionen framskred på ett homogent sätt. Oligomerhalten i den slutliga produkten är viktig i många applikationer, tex. i applikationer där polymeren kommer i kontakt med mat. Polymerer producerade med Sirius katalysatorn hade en låg oligomerhalt på grund av den smala molekylviktsfördelningen. Analys av kedjeändorna avslöjade att Sirius katalysatorn hade en hög frekvens av kedjeöverföring till monomer, vilket förklarade Sirius katalysatorns något begränsade förmåga att producera polymerer med hög molekylvikt. Sampolymerer av propen och eten producerade med Sirius uppvisade jämnare eten fördelning mellan långa och korta kedjor samt en mera randomiserad fördelning av eten längs med kedjorna än med den konventionella referenskatalysatorn. Tillsammans med den smala molekylviktsfördelningen indikerade resultaten att fördelningen av typer av aktiva centrum i Sirius katalysatorn är smal. Då man producerar polypropen med hög slagseghet skall polymerpartiklarna ha hög porositet för att kunna ackumulera eten/propen gummit. SiO2 nanopartiklar tillsatta under framställningen av Sirius katalysatorn ökade polymerpartikelns porositet, vilket möjliggjorde en dramatisk ökning av gummihalten.

Laser-TIG hybrid welding process

Joining processes and techniques need to meet the trend of new applications and the development of new materials. The application in connection with thick and thin plates in industrial fields is wide and the joining technology is in very urgent need. The laser-TIG hybrid welding technology can play the respective advantages of both of them. One major advantage of the hybrid laser-TIG welding technology is its efficient use of laser energy. Additionally, it can develop into a high and new advanced welding technology and become a hot spot in both the application and research area. This thesis investigated laser –TIG hybrid welding with the aim of enlightening the reader on its advantages, disadvantages and future areas of improvement. The main objective is to investigate laser-TIG hybrid on the welding of various metals (steels, magnesium, aluminium etc.). In addition, it elaborates on various possible combinations on hybrid laser-TIG welding technology and their benefits. The possibility of using laser-TIG hybrid in welding of thick materials was investigated. The method applied in carrying out this research is by using literature review. The results showed that hybrid laser-TIG is applicable to almost all weldable metals. Also it proves to be effective in welding refractive metals. The possibility of welding with or without filler materials is of economic advantage especially in welding of materials with no filler material. Thick plate’s hybrid laser-TIG welding is showing great prospects although it normally finds its used in welding thin materials in the range of 0.4 to 0.8 mm. The findings show that laser-TIG hybrid welding can be a versatile welding process and therefore will be increasingly used industrially due to its numerous advantages and the development of new TIG arc that enhances its capabilities.

E-tailer business model creation: an information technology perspective

This research analyzes e-tailer business model formulation and the role of information technology in enabling value creation from the point of view of an e-tailer. The thesis explains the value creation dynamics and the components of an e-tailer business model and further illustrates how information technology enables value creation throughout the different components of e-tailer business models. The theoretical part of the thesis describes the sources of value creation in virtual markets through evaluating the explanatory value of traditional strategic management theories. The theoretical part advances to present an integrated model of the value creation mechanisms in the virtual markets and further describes the components of an e-tailer business model. The role of information technology in e-tailer business models are represented by illustrating how it is able to add value throughout the activities and processes of the e-tailer business model. The empirical descriptive qualitative single-case research focuses on demonstrating how a global retailer of consumer goods operates the different components in its business model. The findings indicate that information technology plays a considerable role in all the components of an e-tailer business model and should not be treated solely as a supporting business function, but rather as one of the most valuable assets in enabling successful e-tailing operations.

Self-assessment report for international accreditation - Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Information Technology

Lappeenrannan teknillisen yliopiston Tietotekniikan kandidaatin ja maisterin tutkinto-ohjelmien itsearviointi toteutettiin v. 2012 kansainvälistä akkreditointia varten. Itsearviointiraportissa kuvataan tutkinto-ohjelmien tavoitteet, toteutus ja arviointimenettelyt sekä tulokset.

The Role of Universities in the Triple Helix model of innovation management within the biotechnology industry, Case example: Turku Science Park Network

Biotechnology has been recognized as the key strategic technology for industrial growth. The industry is heavily dependent on basic research. Finland continues to rank in the top 10 of Europe's most innovative countries in terms of tax-policy, education system, infrastructure and the number of patents issued. Regardless of the excellent statistical results, the output of this innovativeness is below acceptable. Research on the issues hindering the output creation has already been done and the identifiable weaknesses in the Finland's National Innovation system are the non-existent growth of entrepreneurship and the missing internationalization. Finland is proven to have all the enablers of the innovation policy tools, but is lacking the incentives and rewards to push the enablers, such as knowledge and human capital, forward. Science Parks are the biggest operator in research institutes in the Finnish Science and Technology system. They exist with the purpose of speeding up the commercialization process of biotechnology innovations which usually include technological uncertainty, technical inexperience, business inexperience and high technology cost. Innovation management only internally is a rather historic approach, current trend drives towards open innovation model with strong triple helix linkages. The evident problems in the innovation management within the biotechnology industry are examined through a case study approach including analysis of the semi-structured interviews which included biotechnology and business expertise from Turku School of Economics. The results from the interviews supported the theoretical implications as well as conclusions derived from the pilot survey, which focused on the companies inside Turku Science Park network. One major issue that the Finland's National innovation system is struggling with is the fact that it is technology driven, not business pulled. Another problem is the university evaluation scale which focuses more on number of graduates and short-term factors, when it should put more emphasis on the cooperation success in the long-term, such as the triple helix connections with interaction and knowledge distribution. The results of this thesis indicated that there is indeed requirement for some structural changes in the Finland's National innovation system and innovation policy in order to generate successful biotechnology companies and innovation output. There is lack of joint output and scales of success, lack of people with experience, lack of language skills, lack of business knowledge and lack of growth companies.

On Energy Efficient Computing Platforms

In accordance with the Moore's law, the increasing number of on-chip integrated transistors has enabled modern computing platforms with not only higher processing power but also more affordable prices. As a result, these platforms, including portable devices, work stations and data centres, are becoming an inevitable part of the human society. However, with the demand for portability and raising cost of power, energy efficiency has emerged to be a major concern for modern computing platforms. As the complexity of on-chip systems increases, Network-on-Chip (NoC) has been proved as an efficient communication architecture which can further improve system performances and scalability while reducing the design cost. Therefore, in this thesis, we study and propose energy optimization approaches based on NoC architecture, with special focuses on the following aspects. As the architectural trend of future computing platforms, 3D systems have many bene ts including higher integration density, smaller footprint, heterogeneous integration, etc. Moreover, 3D technology can signi cantly improve the network communication and effectively avoid long wirings, and therefore, provide higher system performance and energy efficiency. With the dynamic nature of on-chip communication in large scale NoC based systems, run-time system optimization is of crucial importance in order to achieve higher system reliability and essentially energy efficiency. In this thesis, we propose an agent based system design approach where agents are on-chip components which monitor and control system parameters such as supply voltage, operating frequency, etc. With this approach, we have analysed the implementation alternatives for dynamic voltage and frequency scaling and power gating techniques at different granularity, which reduce both dynamic and leakage energy consumption. Topologies, being one of the key factors for NoCs, are also explored for energy saving purpose. A Honeycomb NoC architecture is proposed in this thesis with turn-model based deadlock-free routing algorithms. Our analysis and simulation based evaluation show that Honeycomb NoCs outperform their Mesh based counterparts in terms of network cost, system performance as well as energy efficiency.

Virtual technology and haptic interface solutions for design and control of mobile working machines

Commercially available haptic interfaces are usable for many purposes. However, as generic devices they are not the most suitable for the control of heavy duty mobile working machines like mining machines, container handling equipment and excavators. Alternative mechanical constructions for a haptic controller are presented and analysed. A virtual reality environment (VRE) was built to test the proposed haptic controller mechanisms. Verification of an electric motor emulating a hydraulic pump in the electro-hydraulic system of a mobile working machine is carried out. A real-time simulator using multi-body-dynamics based software with hardware-in-loop (HIL) setup was used for the tests. Recommendations for further development of a haptic controller and emulator electric motor are given.

Deregulation’s Impact on the Railway Freight Transport Sector’s Future in the Baltic Sea Region

The European transport market has confronted several changes during the last decade. Due to European Union legislative mandates, the railway freight market was deregulated in 2007. The market followed the trend started by other transport modes as well as other previously regulated industries such as banking, telecommunications and energy. Globally, the first country to deregulate the railway freight market was the United States, with the introduction of the Staggers Rail Act in 1980. Some European countries decided to follow suit already before regulation was mandated; among the forerunners were the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany. The previous research has concentrated only on these countries, which has provided an interesting research gap for this thesis. The Baltic Sea Region consists of countries with different kinds of liberalization paths, including Sweden and Germany, which have been on the frontline, whereas Lithuania and Finland have only one active railway undertaking, the incumbent. The transport market of the European Union is facing further challenges in the near future, due to the Sulphur Directive, oil dependency and the changing structure of European rail networks. In order to improve the accessibility of this peripheral area, further action is required. This research focuses on topics such as the progression of deregulation, barriers to entry, country-specific features, cooperation and internationalization. Based on the research results, it can be stated that the Baltic Sea Region’s railway freight market is expected to change in the future. Further private railway undertakings are anticipated, and these would change the market structure. The realization of European Union’s plans to increase the improved rail network to cover the Baltic States is strongly hoped for, and railway freight market counterparts inside and among countries are starting to enhance their level of cooperation. The Baltic Sea Region countries have several special national characteristics which influence the market and should be taken into account when companies evaluate possible market entry actions. According to thesis interviews, the Swedish market has a strong level of cooperation in the form of an old-boy network, and is supported by a positive attitude of the incumbent towards the private railway undertakings. This has facilitated the entry process of newcomers, and currently the market has numerous operating railway undertakings. A contrary example was found from Poland, where the incumbent sent old rolling stock to the scrap yard rather than sell it to private railway undertakings. The importance of personal relations is highlighted in Russia, followed by the railway market’s strong political bond with politics. Nonetheless, some barriers to entry are shared by the Baltic Sea Region, the main ones being acquisition of rolling stock, bureaucracy and needed investments. The railway freight market is internationalizing, which is perceived via several alliances as well as the increased number of mergers and acquisitions. After deregulation, markets seem to increase the number of railway undertakings at a rather fast pace, but with the passage of time, the larger operators tend to acquire smaller ones. Therefore, it is expected that in a decade’s time, the number of railway undertakings will start to decrease in the deregulation pioneer countries, while the ones coming from behind might still experience an increase. The Russian market is expected to be totally liberalized, and further alliances between the Russian Railways and European railway undertakings are expected to occur. The Baltic Sea Region’s railway freight market is anticipated to improve, and, based on the interviewees’ comments, attract more cargoes from road to rail.