On Innovative Search: the use of internal and external sources of innovation among Finnish innovators

This dissertation explores the use of internal and external sources of knowledge in modern innovation processes. It builds on a framework that combines theories such as a behavioural theory of the firm, the evolutionary theory of economic change, and modern approaches to strategic management. It follows the recent increase in innovation research focusing on the firm-level examination of innovative activities instead of traditional industry-level determinants. The innovation process is seen as a problem- and slack- driven search process, which can take several directions in terms of organizational boundaries in the pursuit of new knowledge and other resources. It thus draws on recent models of technological change, according to which firms nowadays should build their innovative activities on both internal and external sources of innovation rather than relying solely on internal resources. Four different research questions are addressed, all of which are empirically investigated via a rich dataset covering Finnish innovators collected by Statistics Finland. Firstly, the study examines how the nature of problems shapes the direction of any search for new knowledge. In general it demonstrates that the nature of the problem does affect the direction of the search, although under resource constraints firms tend to use external rather than internal sources of knowledge. At the same time, it shows that those firms that are constrained in terms of finance seem to search both internally and externally. Secondly, the dissertation investigates the relationships between different kinds of internal and external sources of knowledge in an attempt to find out where firms should direct their search in order to exploit the potential of a distributed innovation process. The concept of complementarities is applied in this context. The third research question concerns how the use of external knowledge sources – openness to external knowledge – influences the financial performance of firms. Given the many advantages of openness presented in the current literature, the focus is on how it shapes profitability. The results reveal a curvilinear relationship between profitability and openness (taking an inverted U-shape), the implication being that it pays to be open up to a certain point, but being too open to external sources may be detrimental to financial performance. Finally, the dissertation addresses some challenges in CISbased innovation research that have received relatively little attention in prior studies. The general aim is to underline the fact that comprehensive understanding of the complex process of technological change requires the constant development of methodological approaches (in terms of data and measures, for example). All the empirical analyses included in the dissertation are based on the Finnish CIS (Finnish Innovation Survey 1998-2000).

Active sulphide mine tailings impoundments as sources of contaminated drainage: controlling factors, methods of characterisation and geochemical constraints for mitigation

Low quality mine drainage from tailings facilities persists as one of the most significant global environmental concerns related to sulphide mining. Due to the large variation in geological and environmental conditions at mine sites, universal approaches to the management of mine drainage are not always applicable. Instead, site-specific knowledge of the geochemical behaviour of waste materials is required for the design and closure of the facilities. In this thesis, tailings-derived water contamination and factors causing the pollution were investigated in two coeval active sulphide mine sites in Finland: the Hitura Ni mine and the Luikonlahti Cu-Zn-Co-Ni mine and talc processing plant. A hydrogeochemical study was performed to characterise the tailingsderived water pollution at Hitura. Geochemical changes in the Hitura tailings were evaluated with a detailed mineralogical and geochemical investigation (solid-phase speciation, acid mine drainage potential, pore water chemistry) and using a spatial assessment to identify the mechanisms of water contamination. A similar spatial investigation, applying selective extractions, was carried out in the Luikonlahti tailings area for comparative purposes (Hitura low-sulphide tailings vs. Luikonlahti sulphide-rich tailings). At both sites, hydrogeochemistry of tailings seepage waters was further characterised to examine the net results of the processes observed within the impoundments and to identify constraints for water treatment. At Luikonlahti, annual and seasonal variation in effluent quality was evaluated based on a four-year monitoring period. Observations pertinent to future assessment and mine drainage prevention from existing and future tailings facilities were presented based on the results. A combination of hydrogeochemical approaches provided a means to delineate the tailings-derived neutral mine drainage at Hitura. Tailings effluents with elevated Ni, SO₄ ^2- and Fe content had dispersed to the surrounding aquifer through a levelled-out esker and underneath the seepage collection ditches. In future mines, this could be avoided with additional basal liners in tailings impoundments where the permeability of the underlying Quaternary deposits is inadequate, and with sufficiently deep ditches. Based on the studies, extensive sulphide oxidation with subsequent metal release may already initiate during active tailings disposal. The intensity and onset of oxidation depended on e.g. the Fe sulphide content of the tailings, water saturation level, and time of exposure of fresh sulphide grains. Continuous disposal decreased sulphide weathering in the surface of low-sulphide tailings, but oxidation initiated if they were left uncovered after disposal ceased. In the sulphide-rich tailings, delayed burial of the unsaturated tailings had resulted in thick oxidized layers, despite the continuous operation. Sulphide weathering and contaminant release occurred also in the border zones. Based on the results, the prevention of sulphide oxidation should already be considered in the planning of tailings disposal, taking into account the border zones. Moreover, even lowsulphide tailings should be covered without delay after active disposal ceases. The quality of tailings effluents showed wide variation within a single impoundment and between the two different types of tailings facilities assessed. The affecting factors included source materials, the intensity of weathering of tailings and embankment materials along the seepage flow path, inputs from the process waters, the water retention time in tailings, and climatic seasonality. In addition, modifications to the tailings impoundment may markedly change the effluent quality. The wide variation in the tailings effluent quality poses challenges for treatment design. The final decision on water management requires quantification of the spatial and seasonal fluctuation at the site, taking into account changes resulting from the eventual closure of the impoundment. Overall, comprehensive hydrogeochemical mapping was deemed essential in the identification of critical contaminants and their sources at mine sites. Mineralogical analysis, selective extractions, and pore water analysis were a good combination of methods for studying the weathering of tailings and in evaluating metal mobility from the facilities. Selective extractions with visual observations and pH measurements of tailings solids were, nevertheless, adequate in describing the spatial distribution of sulphide oxidation in tailings impoundments. Seepage water chemistry provided additional data on geochemical processes in tailings and was necessary for defining constraints for water treatment.

Removal of Cadmium, Lead and Arsenic from Water by Lactic Acid Bacteria

A number of contaminants such as arsenic, cadmium and lead are released into the environment from natural and anthropogenic sources contaminating food and water. Chronic oral ingestion of arsenic, cadmium and lead is associated with adverse effects in the skin, internal organs and nervous system. In addition to conventional methods, biosorption using inactivated biomasses of algae, fungi and bacteria has been introduced as a novel method for decontamination of toxic metals from water. The aim of this work was to evaluate the applicability of lactic acid bacteria as tools for heavy metal removal from water and characterize their properties for further development of a biofilter. The results established that in addition to removal of mycotoxins, cyanotoxins and heterocyclic amines, lactic acid bacteria have a capacity to bind cationic heavy metals, cadmium and lead. The binding was found to be dependent on the bacterial strain and pH, and occurred rapidly on the bacterial surface, but was reduced in the presence of other cationic metals. The data demonstrates that the metals were bound by electrostatic interactions to cell wall components. Transmission electron micrographs showed the presence of lead deposits on the surface of biomass used in the lead binding studies, indicating involvement of another uptake/binding mechanism. The most efficient strains bound up to 55 mg Cd and 176 mg Pb / g dry biomass. A low removal of anionic As(V) was also observed after chemical modification of the cell wall. Full desorption of bound cadmium and lead using either dilute HNO₃ or EDTA established the reversibility of binding. Removal of both metals was significantly reduced when biomass regenerated with EDTA was used. Biomass regenerated with dilute HNO3 retained its cadmium binding capacity well, but lead binding was reduced. The results established that the cadmium and lead binding capacity of lactic acid bacteria, and factors affecting it, are similar to what has been previously observed for other biomasses used for the same purpose. However, lactic acid bacteria have a capacity to remove other aqueous contaminants such as cyanotoxins, which may give them an additional advantage over the other alternatives. Further studies focusing on immobilization of biomass and the removal of several contaminants simultaneously using immobilized bacteria are required.

A Large-Sized Multiwire Proportional Counter for Radiological Survey of Large Areas and Surfaces

Työn tavoitteena oli selvittää, miten eri parametrit vaikuttavat monilankaisen verrannollisuuslaskurin laskennallisiin ominaisuuksiin sekä voidaanko suurikokoista monilankaverrannollisuuslaskuria käyttää tehokkaasti suurien pintojen ? - ja ?- kontaminaation mittaamiseen. Ensin selvitettiin EU:n nykyistä clearing-käytäntöä sekä hahmoteltiin tulevia materiaalivirtoja, esiteltiin verrannollisuuslaskurin ja sen monilankamallin toimintaperiaate sekä käytettävien materiaalien ominaisuudet. Kootun teorian pohjalta selvitettiin tärkeimpien parametrien vaikutus ilmaisimen laskennallisiin ominaisuuksiin. Lopuksi suoritettiin rakenteilla olevan monilankaverrannollisuuslaskurin alustava testaus. Tulevien vuosien aikana eri puolilla maailmaa suljettavat erityyppiset ydinlaitokset luovat suuren tarpeen tehokkaiden kontaminaatiomittauslaitteistojen kehittämiselle. Tällä hetkellä mittaukset suoritetaan lähinnä noin 1 dm2 käsi-instrumentein, joten suurikokoinen, automatisoitu mittauslaitteisto sekä tehostaisi mittausprosessia suuresti sekä säästäisi runsaasti miestyötunteja. Jatkotoimenpiteiksi ehdotetaan laitteiston jatkotestausta, liikkeen ja nopeuden testausta sekä lopulta paikkaherkkyystoiminnon toteuttamisperiaatteen valintaa ja testausta.

Describing innovative business models and evaluating their wealth potential – Cases Stora Enso and E-bay

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli analysoida liiketoimintamalleihin liittyviä teorioita ja erilaisten mallien pohjalta rakentaa selkeä teoria, jota yritykset voivat käyttää määritellessään ja analysoidessaan liiketoimintamalleja. Tutkimuksen kohteena olleet yritykset voitiin jaotella sisäisesti fokusoituneisiin ja ulkoisesti suuntautuneisiin. Jaottelun pohjalta oli mahdollista tehdä johtopäätöksiä koskien liiketoimintamallien potentiaalia. Tutkimus oli luonteeltaan kvalitatiivinen. Tutkimuksen tuloksena on liiketoimintamallien rakentamiseen ja analysointiin sopiva työkalu, jota voidaan käyttää yrityksen strategisessa suunnittelussa.

Animals in an Urban Context. A Zooarchaeological study of the Medieval and Post-Medieval town of Turku

The aim of this study is to explore the role and importance of different animal species in Turku through an analysis of osteological data and documentary evidence. The osteological material used in this study is derived from two town plots in Turku dating from the 13th century to the 19th century. The osteological material deposited in Turku represents animals bred both in the town and in the surrounding landscape. Animal husbandry in SW-Finland can also be examined through a number of historical documents. The importance of animals in Turku and its hinterland are closely connected and therefore the roles of the animals in both urban and rural settings are examined. The study has revealed the complexity of the depositional patterns in medieval and post-medieval Turku. In the different areas of Turku, characteristic patterns in the osteological material and different deposit types were evident. These patterns are reflections of the activities and therefore of the lifestyles practiced in Turku. The results emphasise the importance of context- awareness in the study of material culture from archaeological sites. Both the zooarchaeological and historical sources indicate that cattle were important in animal husbandry in Turku from the Middle Ages up to the 19th century. Sheep were the second most common species. When taking into consideration the larger size of cattle, the dominance of these animals when it come to meat consumption seems clear even in those phases where sheep bones are more abundant. Pig is less abundant in the material than either cattle or sheep and their importance for subsistence was probably fairly modest, albeit constant. Goats were not abundant in the material. Most of the identified goat bones came from low utility body parts (e.g. skulls and lower extremities), but some amount of goat meat was also consumed. Wild species were of minor importance when it came to consumption practices in Turku. The changes in Turku’s animal husbandry patterns between the medieval and post medieval periods is reflected in the change in age of the animals slaughtered, which was part of a wider pattern seen in North- and Central Europe. More mature animals are also present in the assemblages. This pattern is related to the more pronounced importance of cattle as a manure producer and a draught animal as a result of the intensification of crop cultivation. This change seems to occur later in Finland than in the more Southerly regions, and indeed it did not necessarily take hold in all parts of the country.

IN DUBIO PRO NATURA? A Philosophical Analysis of the Precautionary Principle in Environmental and Health Risk Governance

In this book, I apply a philosophical approach to study the precautionary principle in environmental (and health) risk decision-making. The principle says that unacceptable environmental and health risks should be anticipated, and they ought to be forestalled before the damage comes to fruition even if scientific understanding of the risks is inadequate. The study consists of introductory chapters, summary and seven original publications which aim at explicating the principle, critically analysing the debate on the principle, and constructing a basis for the well-founded use of the principle. Papers I-V present the main thesis of this research. In the two last papers, the discussion is widened to new directions. The starting question is how well the currently embraced precautionary principle stands up to critical philosophical scrutiny. The approach employed is analytical: mainly conceptual, argumentative and ethical. The study draws upon Anglo-American style philosophy on the one hand, and upon sources of law as well as concrete cases and decision-making practices at the European Union level and in its member countries on the other. The framework is environmental (and health) risk governance, including the related law and policy. The main thesis of this study is that the debate on the precautionary principle needs to be shifted from the question of whether the principle (or its weak or strong interpretation) is well-grounded in general to questions about the theoretical plausibility and ethical and socio-political justifiability of specific understandings of the principle. The real picture of the precautionary principle is more complex than that found (i.e. presumed) in much of the current academic, political and public debate surrounding it. While certain presumptions and interpretations of the principle are found to be sound, others are theoretically flawed or include serious practical problems. The analysis discloses conceptual and ethical presumptions and elementary understandings of the precautionary principle, critically assesses current practices invoked in the name of the precautionary principle and public participation, and seeks to build bridges between precaution, engagement and philosophical ethics. Hence, it is intended to provide a sound basis upon which subsequent academic scrutiny can build.

Drivers and Barriers of Collaboration in the Value Chain of Paperboard-Packed Consumer Goods

Value chain collaboration has been a prevailing topic for research, and there is a constantly growing interest in developing collaborative models for improved efficiency in logistics. One area of collaboration is demand information management, which enables improved visibility and decrease of inventories in the value chain. Outsourcing of non-core competencies has changed the nature of collaboration from intra-enterprise to cross-enterprise activity, and this together with increasing competition in the globalizing markets have created a need for methods and tools for collaborative work. The retailer part in the value chain of consumer packaged goods (CPG) has been studied relatively widely, proven models have been defined, and there exist several best practice collaboration cases. The information and communications technology has developed rapidly, offering efficient solutions and applications to exchange information between value chain partners. However, the majority of CPG industry still works with traditional business models and practices. This concerns especially companies operating in the upstream of the CPG value chain. Demand information for consumer packaged goods originates at retailers' counters, based on consumers' buying decisions. As this information does not get transferred along the value chain towards the upstream parties, each player needs to optimize their part, causing safety margins for inventories and speculation in purchasing decisions. The safety margins increase with each player, resulting in a phenomenon known as the bullwhip effect. The further the company is from the original demand information source, the more distorted the information is. This thesis concentrates on the upstream parts of the value chain of consumer packaged goods, and more precisely the packaging value chain. Packaging is becoming a part of the product with informative and interactive features, and therefore is not just a cost item needed to protect the product. The upstream part of the CPG value chain is distinctive, as the product changes after each involved party, and therefore the original demand information from the retailers cannot be utilized as such – even if it were transferred seamlessly. The objective of this thesis is to examine the main drivers for collaboration, and barriers causing the moderate adaptation level of collaborative models. Another objective is to define a collaborative demand information management model and test it in a pilot business situation in order to see if the barriers can be eliminated. The empirical part of this thesis contains three parts, all related to the research objective, but involving different target groups, viewpoints and research approaches. The study shows evidence that the main barriers for collaboration are very similar to the barriers in the lower part of the same value chain; lack of trust, lack of business case and lack of senior management commitment. Eliminating one of them – the lack of business case – is not enough to eliminate the two other barriers, as the operational model in this thesis shows. The uncertainty of the future, fear of losing an independent position in purchasing decision making and lack of commitment remain strong enough barriers to prevent the implementation of the proposed collaborative business model. The study proposes a new way of defining the value chain processes: it divides the contracting and planning process into two processes, one managing the commercial parts and the other managing the quantity and specification related issues. This model can reduce the resistance to collaboration, as the commercial part of the contracting process would remain the same as in the traditional model. The quantity/specification-related issues would be managed by the parties with the best capabilities and resources, as well as access to the original demand information. The parties in between would be involved in the planning process as well, as their impact for the next party upstream is significant. The study also highlights the future challenges for companies operating in the CPG value chain. The markets are becoming global, with toughening competition. Also, the technology development will most likely continue with a speed exceeding the adaptation capabilities of the industry. Value chains are also becoming increasingly dynamic, which means shorter and more agile business relationships, and at the same time the predictability of consumer demand is getting more difficult due to shorter product life cycles and trends. These changes will certainly have an effect on companies' operational models, but it is very difficult to estimate when and how the proven methods will gain wide enough adaptation to become standards.

Calculation of the carbon footprint of Finnish barley products - methodology and possible applications

The purpose of this thesis was to define how product carbon footprint analysis and its results can be used in company's internal development as well as in customer and interest group guidance, and how these factors are related to corporate social responsibility. From-cradle-to-gate carbon footprint was calculated for three products; Torino Whole grain barley, Torino Pearl barley, and Elovena Barley grit & oat bran, all of them made of Finnish barley. The carbon footprint of the Elovena product was used to determine carbon footprints for industrial kitchen cooked porridge portions. The basic calculation data was collected from several sources. Most of the data originated from Raisio Group's contractual farmers and Raisio Group's cultivation, processing and packaging specialists. Data from national and European literature and database sources was also used. The electricity consumption for porridge portions' carbon footprint calculations was determined with practical measurements. The carbon footprint calculations were conducted according to the ISO 14044 standard, and the PAS 2050 guide was also applied. A consequential functional unit was applied in porridge portions' carbon footprint calculations. Most of the emissions from barley products' life cycle originate from primary production. The nitrous oxide emissions from cultivated soil and the use and production of nitrogenous fertilisers contribute over 50% of products' carbon footprint. Torino Pearl barley has the highest carbon footprint due to the lowest processing output. The reductions in products' carbon footprint can be achieved with developments in cultivation and grain processing. The carbon footprint of porridge portion can be reduced by using domestically produced plant-based ingredients and by making the best possible use of the kettle. Carbon footprint calculation can be used to determine possible improvement points related to corporate environmental responsibility. Several improvement actions are related to economical and social responsibility through better raw material utilization and expense reductions.

Defining the art of grammar: Ancient perceptions of γραμματική and grammatical

The subject of this dissertation, which belongs to the field of Classical Philology, are the definitions of the art of grammar found in Greek and Latin sources from the Classical era to the second century CE. Definitions survive from grammarians, philosophers, and general scholars. I have examined these definitions from two main points of view: how they are formed, and how they reflect the development of the art itself. Defining formed part of dialectic, in practice also of rhetoric, and was perceived as important from the Classical era onwards. Definitions of grammar seem to have become established as part of preliminary discussions, located at the beginning of grammatical manuals (tékhnai, artes). These discussions included certain principal notions of the art; in addition to the definition, a list of the parts of the art was also typically included. These lists were formed by two different methods: division (diaíresis, divisio) and partition (merismós, partitio). Many of the grammarians may actually have been unfamiliar with these methods, unlike the two most important scholars of the Late Republic, Varro and Cicero. Significant attention was devoted to the question whether the art of grammar is based on lógos or empeiría. This epistemological question had its roots in medical theories, which were prominent in Alexandria. In the history of the concept of grammatiké or grammatica, three stages become evident. In the Classical era, the Greek term is used to refer to a very concrete art of letters (grámmata); from the Hellenistic era onwards it refers to the art developed by the Alexandrian scholars, a matter of textual and literary criticism. Towards the end of the Hellenistic era, the grammarian also becomes involved with the question of correct language, which gradually begins to appear in the definitions as well.

Viral marketing in a Finnish medium sized gaming company: discovering, analyzing and building an improved management process for viral marketing campaigns, case: Nitrogames

The goal of this thesis is to build a viral marketing management framework for a Finnish medium sized gaming company. This is achieved by first finding and building a theoretical five step management process framework based on literature, analyzing current model and giving recommendations for the case company to develop its own management process. In addition, viral marketing research is still in early stage resulting this study to propose its own take on the definition in the theory part. Empirical part is based on qualitative interviews, campaign material and secondary sources and is aimed to find out and analyze the case company’s current viral marketing state and to give recommendations to it. The final outcome of the study is a general, theoretical management framework for viral marketing campaigns and specified recommendations for the case company.

Along-scan radiometric gradient in Landsat images: understanding the relation between floristic and remote sensing information in tropical forests

The along-scan radiometric gradient causes severe interpretation problems in Landsat images of tropical forests. It creates a decreasing trend in pixel values with the column number of the image. In practical applications it has been corrected assuming the trend to be linear within structurally similar forests. This has improved the relation between floristic and remote sensing information, but just in some cases. I use 3 Landsat images and 105 floristic inventories to test the assumption of linearity, and to examine how the gradient and linear corrections affect the relation between floristic and Landsat data. Results suggest the gradient to be linear in infrared bands. Also, the relation between floristic and Landsat data could be conditioned by the distribution of the sampling sites and the direction in which images are mosaicked. Additionally, there seems to be a conjunction between the radiometric gradient and a natural east-west vegetation gradient common in Western Amazonia. This conjunction might have enhanced artificially correlations between field and remotely-sensed information in previous studies. Linear corrections may remove such artificial enhancement, but along with true and relevant spectral information about floristic patterns, because they can´t separate the radiometric gradient from a natural one.

Innovation Process and Organizational Adoption of Disruptive Innovation: Empirical Evidence from Finnish Bio-Economy Companies.

The thesis aims to build a coherent view and understanding of the innovation process and organizational technology adoption in Finnish bio-economy companies with a focus on innovations of a disruptive nature. Disruptive innovations are exceptional hence in order to create generalizations and a unified view of the subject the perspective is also on less radical innovations. Other interests of the thesis are how ideas are discovered and generated and how the nature of the innovation and size of the company affect the technology adoption and innovation process. The data was collected by interviewing six small and six large Finnish bio-economy companies. The results suggest companies regardless of size consider innovation as a core asset in the competitive markets. Organizations want to be considered innovators and early adopters yet these qualities are limited by certain, mainly resource-based factors. In addition the industry, scalability and Finland’s geographical location when seeking funding provide certain challenges. The innovation process may be considered relatively similar whether the idea or technology stems from an internal or external source suggesting the technology adoption process can in fact be linked to the innovation process theories. Thus the thesis introduces a new theoretical model which based on the results of the study and the theories of technology adoption and innovation process aims on characterizing how ideas and technology from both external and internal sources generate into innovations. The innovation process is in large bio-economy companies most often similar to or a modified version of the stage-gate model, while small companies generally have less structured processes. Nevertheless the more disruptive the innovation, the less it fits in the structured processes. This implies disruptive innovation cannot be put in a certain mould but it is rather processed case-by-case.

Khrushchev's Beau Geste: the Return of Porkkala and its Global Significance

The return of the Porkkala naval base, which was leased to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II was unexpectedly returned in early 1956, 42 years before the USSR's lease on the area was to expire. There is no commonly accepted reason, and therefore the purpose of this work is to study the possible motives behind the return of Porkkala. These seem to have been reflected in the new foreign policy after the death of Stalin, which went far beyond returning Porkkala to Finland. The Soviet Union's courting of the non-aligned powers during this time, into which category Finland was assigned, also seems to be more than coincidence. However, the greater events of 1956, and the fact that Porkkala is remembered almost exclusively in Finland may have conspired to trap the events around Porkkala into the smaller narrative of Finnish-Soviet relations and the rise of Kekkonen to the presidency, due in no small part to his presence in negotiating the return of Porkkala. However this does not negate the message that Porkkala was intended to broadcast the USSR's new approach to neutrality. Through primary and secondary sources, gleaned from archives in Finland, memoirs of people involved, and historical literature, this thesis hopes to broaden the view that Porkkala's main and only significance lay in the changes it brought to Finnish-Soviet relations.

Uuden liiketoimintaympäristön määrittäminen teollisessa yrityksessä kan-sainvälisen markkinointitutkimuksen avulla, Case: Finnsementti Oy

Tämän tutkimuksentavoitteena on selvittää, millä tavoin teollinen yritys voi kansainvälisen markkinointitutkimuksen avulla määrittää ja analysoida uutta liiketoimintaympäristöä. Teolliset markkinat, teollinen markkinointi-tutkimus sekä yrityksien kohtaamatmikro- ja makroympäristöt ovat erityi-sen tarkastelun kohteena. Tutkimuksen keskeisin aineisto on saatu haastattelujen ja sekundaaristen lähteiden kautta. Tutkimuksen olennaisimpiin tuloksiin liittyy malli, jolla teollinen yritys voi määrittää kohtaamansa toimintaympäristön eri tekijöitä. Mallissa mikro- ja makroympäristön eri tekijät ovat keskeisessä roolissa. Tutkimuksen empiirisen osan tuloksista merkittävin on Pietarin ja Venäjän sementtimarkkinoiden ominaispiirteiden löytäminen ja analysointi. Pietarin ja Venäjän taloudellinen kasvu jatkuu lähivuosinakin voimakkaana, ja markkina-alue on suomalaisille yrityksille tulevaisuudessa tärkeässä asemassa, kuten myös esimerkkiyrityksenä olleelle sementtitehtaalle. Myös suurin osa tutkimuksessa selvinneistä alueen toimintaympäristön tekijöistä puoltaa teollisen yrityksen vientitoiminnan aloittamista alueelle.