Towards input/output-free modelling of linear infinite-dimensional systems in continuous time

This dissertation describes a networking approach to infinite-dimensional systems theory, where there is a minimal distinction between inputs and outputs. We introduce and study two closely related classes of systems, namely the state/signal systems and the port-Hamiltonian systems, and describe how they relate to each other. Some basic theory for these two classes of systems and the interconnections of such systems is provided. The main emphasis lies on passive and conservative systems, and the theoretical concepts are illustrated using the example of a lossless transfer line. Much remains to be done in this field and we point to some directions for future studies as well.

Solving Leontief Input-Output Model with Trapezoidal Fuzzy Numbers and Gauss-Seidel Algorithm

In this work a fuzzy linear system is used to solve Leontief input-output model with fuzzy entries. For solving this model, we assume that the consumption matrix from di erent sectors of the economy and demand are known. These assumptions heavily depend on the information obtained from the industries. Hence uncertainties are involved in this information. The aim of this work is to model these uncertainties and to address them by fuzzy entries such as fuzzy numbers and LR-type fuzzy numbers (triangular and trapezoidal). Fuzzy linear system has been developed using fuzzy data and it is solved using Gauss-Seidel algorithm. Numerical examples show the e ciency of this algorithm. The famous example from Prof. Leontief, where he solved the production levels for U.S. economy in 1958, is also further analyzed.

Stiffness based trajectory planning and feedforward based vibration suppression control of parallel robot machines

The dissertation proposes two control strategies, which include the trajectory planning and vibration suppression, for a kinematic redundant serial-parallel robot machine, with the aim of attaining the satisfactory machining performance. For a given prescribed trajectory of the robot's end-effector in the Cartesian space, a set of trajectories in the robot's joint space are generated based on the best stiffness performance of the robot along the prescribed trajectory. To construct the required system-wide analytical stiffness model for the serial-parallel robot machine, a variant of the virtual joint method (VJM) is proposed in the dissertation. The modified method is an evolution of Gosselin's lumped model that can account for the deformations of a flexible link in more directions. The effectiveness of this VJM variant is validated by comparing the computed stiffness results of a flexible link with the those of a matrix structural analysis (MSA) method. The comparison shows that the numerical results from both methods on an individual flexible beam are almost identical, which, in some sense, provides mutual validation. The most prominent advantage of the presented VJM variant compared with the MSA method is that it can be applied in a flexible structure system with complicated kinematics formed in terms of flexible serial links and joints. Moreover, by combining the VJM variant and the virtual work principle, a systemwide analytical stiffness model can be easily obtained for mechanisms with both serial kinematics and parallel kinematics. In the dissertation, a system-wide stiffness model of a kinematic redundant serial-parallel robot machine is constructed based on integration of the VJM variant and the virtual work principle. Numerical results of its stiffness performance are reported. For a kinematic redundant robot, to generate a set of feasible joints' trajectories for a prescribed trajectory of its end-effector, its system-wide stiffness performance is taken as the constraint in the joints trajectory planning in the dissertation. For a prescribed location of the end-effector, the robot permits an infinite number of inverse solutions, which consequently yields infinite kinds of stiffness performance. Therefore, a differential evolution (DE) algorithm in which the positions of redundant joints in the kinematics are taken as input variables was employed to search for the best stiffness performance of the robot. Numerical results of the generated joint trajectories are given for a kinematic redundant serial-parallel robot machine, IWR (Intersector Welding/Cutting Robot), when a particular trajectory of its end-effector has been prescribed. The numerical results show that the joint trajectories generated based on the stiffness optimization are feasible for realization in the control system since they are acceptably smooth. The results imply that the stiffness performance of the robot machine deviates smoothly with respect to the kinematic configuration in the adjacent domain of its best stiffness performance. To suppress the vibration of the robot machine due to varying cutting force during the machining process, this dissertation proposed a feedforward control strategy, which is constructed based on the derived inverse dynamics model of target system. The effectiveness of applying such a feedforward control in the vibration suppression has been validated in a parallel manipulator in the software environment. The experimental study of such a feedforward control has also been included in the dissertation. The difficulties of modelling the actual system due to the unknown components in its dynamics is noticed. As a solution, a back propagation (BP) neural network is proposed for identification of the unknown components of the dynamics model of the target system. To train such a BP neural network, a modified Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm that can utilize an experimental input-output data set of the entire dynamic system is introduced in the dissertation. Validation of the BP neural network and the modified Levenberg- Marquardt algorithm is done, respectively, by a sinusoidal output approximation, a second order system parameters estimation, and a friction model estimation of a parallel manipulator, which represent three different application aspects of this method.

JNK regulates dendrite and spine architecture in the central nervous system influencing spatial learning and motor tasks

JNK1 is a MAP-kinase that has proven a significant player in the central nervous system. It regulates brain development and the maintenance of dendrites and axons. Several novel phosphorylation targets of JNK1 were identified in a screen performed in the Coffey lab. These proteins were mainly involved in the regulation of neuronal cytoskeleton, influencing the dynamics and stability of microtubules and actin. These structural proteins form the dynamic backbone for the elaborate architecture of the dendritic tree of a neuron. The initiation and branching of the dendrites requires a dynamic interplay between the cytoskeletal building blocks. Both microtubules and actin are decorated by associated proteins which regulate their dynamics. The dendrite-specific, high molecular weight microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) is an abundant protein in the brain, the binding of which stabilizes microtubules and influences their bundling. Its expression in non-neuronal cells induces the formation of neurite-like processes from the cell body, and its function is highly regulated by phosphorylation. JNK1 was shown to phosphorylate the proline-rich domain of MAP2 in vivo in a previous study performed in the group. Here we verify three threonine residues (T1619, T1622 and T1625) as JNK1 targets, the phosphorylation of which increases the binding of MAP2 to microtubules. This binding stabilizes the microtubules and increases process formation in non-neuronal cells. Phosphorylation-site mutants were engineered in the lab. The non-phosphorylatable mutant of MAP2 (MAP2- T1619A, T1622A, T1625A) in these residues fails to bind microtubules, while the pseudo-phosphorylated form, MAP2- T1619D, T1622D, Thr1625D, efficiently binds and induces process formation even without the presence of active JNK1. Ectopic expression of the MAP2- T1619D, T1622D, Thr1625D in vivo in mouse brain led to a striking increase in the branching of cortical layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal neurons, compared to MAP2-WT. The dendritic complexity defines the receptive field of a neuron and dictates the output to the postsynaptic cells. Previous studies in the group indicated altered dendrite architecture of the pyramidal neurons in the Jnk1-/- mouse motor cortex. Here, we used Lucifer Yellow loading and Sholl analysis of neurons in order to study the dendritic branching in more detail. We report a striking, opposing effect in the absence of Jnk1 in the cortical layers 2/3 and 5 of the primary motor cortex. The basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons close to the pial surface at L2/3 show a reduced complexity. In contrast, the L5 neurons, which receive massive input from the L2/3 neurons, show greatly increased branching. Another novel substrate identified for JNK1 was MARCKSL1, a protein that regulates actin dynamics. It is highly expressed in neurons, but also in various cancer tissues. Three phosphorylation target residues for JNK1 were identified, and it was demonstrated that their phosphorylation reduces actin turnover and retards migration of these cells. Actin is the main cytoskeletal component in dendritic spines, the site of most excitatory synapses in pyramidal neurons. The density and gross morphology of the Lucifer Yellow filled dendrites were characterized and we show reduced density and altered morphology of spines in the motor cortex and in the hippocampal area CA3. The dynamic dendritic spines are widely considered to function as the cellular correlate during learning. We used a Morris water maze to test spatial memory. Here, the wild-type mice outperformed the knock-out mice during the acquisition phase of the experiment indicating impaired special memory. The L5 pyramidal neurons of the motor cortex project to the spinal cord and regulate the movement of distinct muscle groups. Thus the altered dendrite morphology in the motor cortex was expected to have an effect on the input-output balance in the signaling from the cortex to the lower motor circuits. A battery of behavioral tests were conducted for the wild-type and Jnk1-/- mice, and the knock-outs performed poorly compared to wild-type mice in tests assessing balance and fine motor movements. This study expands our knowledge of JNK1 as an important regulator of the dendritic fields of neurons and their manifestations in behavior.

Structural dynamics in the global pulp and paper industry

The pulp and paper industry is currently facing broad structural changes due to global shifts in demand and supply. These changes have significant impacts on national economies worldwide. Planted forests (especially eucalyptus) and recovered paper have quickly increased their importance as raw material for paper and paperboard production. Although advances in information and communication technologies could reduce the demand for communication papers, and the growth of paper consumption has indeed flattened in developed economies, particularly in North America and Western Europe, the consumption is increasing on a global scale. Moreover, the focal point of production and consumption is moving from the Western world to the rapidly growing markets of Southeast Asia. This study analyzes how the so-called megatrends (globalization, technological development, and increasing environmental awareness) affect the pulp and paper industry’s external environment, and seeks reliable ways to incorporate the impact of the megatrends on the models concerning the demand, trade, and use of paper and pulp. The study expands current research in several directions and points of view, for example, by applying and incorporating several quantitative methods and different models. As a result, the thesis makes a significant contribution to better understand and measure the impacts of structural changes on the pulp and paper industry. It also provides some managerial and policy implications.

Uncertainty of Efficiency Measurements in Electric Drives

The two central goals of this master's thesis are to serve as a guidebook on the determination of uncertainty in efficiency measurements and to investigate sources of uncertainty in efficiency measurements in the field of electric drives by a literature review, mathematical modeling and experimental means. The influence of individual sources of uncertainty on the total instrumental uncertainty is investigated with the help of mathematical models derived for a balance and a direct air cooled calorimeter. The losses of a frequency converter and an induction motor are measured with the input-output method and a balance calorimeter at 50 and 100 % loads. A software linking features of Matlab and Excel is created to process measurement data, calculate uncertainties and to calculate and visualize results. The uncertainties are combined with both the worst case and the realistic perturbation method and distributions of uncertainty by source are shown based on experimental results. A comparison of the calculated uncertainties suggests that the balance calorimeter determines losses more accurately than the input-output method with a relative RPM uncertainty of 1.46 % compared to 3.78 - 12.74 % respectively with 95 % level of confidence at the 93 % induction motor efficiency or higher. As some principles in uncertainty analysis are open to interpretation the views and decisions of the analyst can have noticeable influence on the uncertainty in the measurement result.

Power semiconductor nonlinearities in active du/dt output filtering

This doctoral thesis introduces an improved control principle for active du/dt output filtering in variable-speed AC drives, together with performance comparisons with previous filtering methods. The effects of power semiconductor nonlinearities on the output filtering performance are investigated. The nonlinearities include the timing deviation and the voltage pulse waveform distortion in the variable-speed AC drive output bridge. Active du/dt output filtering (ADUDT) is a method to mitigate motor overvoltages in variable-speed AC drives with long motor cables. It is a quite recent addition to the du/dt reduction methods available. This thesis improves on the existing control method for the filter, and concentrates on the lowvoltage (below 1 kV AC) two-level voltage-source inverter implementation of the method. The ADUDT uses narrow voltage pulses having a duration in the order of a microsecond from an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) inverter to control the output voltage of a tuned LC filter circuit. The filter output voltage has thus increased slope transition times at the rising and falling edges, with an opportunity of no overshoot. The effect of the longer slope transition times is a reduction in the du/dt of the voltage fed to the motor cable. Lower du/dt values result in a reduction in the overvoltage effects on the motor terminals. Compared with traditional output filtering methods to accomplish this task, the active du/dt filtering provides lower inductance values and a smaller physical size of the filter itself. The filter circuit weight can also be reduced. However, the power semiconductor nonlinearities skew the filter control pulse pattern, resulting in control deviation. This deviation introduces unwanted overshoot and resonance in the filter. The controlmethod proposed in this thesis is able to directly compensate for the dead time-induced zero-current clamping (ZCC) effect in the pulse pattern. It gives more flexibility to the pattern structure, which could help in the timing deviation compensation design. Previous studies have shown that when a motor load current flows in the filter circuit and the inverter, the phase leg blanking times distort the voltage pulse sequence fed to the filter input. These blanking times are caused by excessively large dead time values between the IGBT control pulses. Moreover, the various switching timing distortions, present in realworld electronics when operating with a microsecond timescale, bring additional skew to the control. Left uncompensated, this results in distortion of the filter input voltage and a filter self-induced overvoltage in the form of an overshoot. This overshoot adds to the voltage appearing at the motor terminals, thus increasing the transient voltage amplitude at the motor. This doctoral thesis investigates the magnitude of such timing deviation effects. If the motor load current is left uncompensated in the control, the filter output voltage can overshoot up to double the input voltage amplitude. IGBT nonlinearities were observed to cause a smaller overshoot, in the order of 30%. This thesis introduces an improved ADUDT control method that is able to compensate for phase leg blanking times, giving flexibility to the pulse pattern structure and dead times. The control method is still sensitive to timing deviations, and their effect is investigated. A simple approach of using a fixed delay compensation value was tried in the test setup measurements. The ADUDT method with the new control algorithm was found to work in an actual motor drive application. Judging by the simulation results, with the delay compensation, the method should ultimately enable an output voltage performance and a du/dt reduction that are free from residual overshoot effects. The proposed control algorithm is not strictly required for successful ADUDT operation: It is possible to precalculate the pulse patterns by iteration and then for instance store them into a look-up table inside the control electronics. Rather, the newly developed control method is a mathematical tool for solving the ADUDT control pulses. It does not contain the timing deviation compensation (from the logic-level command to the phase leg output voltage), and as such is not able to remove the timing deviation effects that cause error and overshoot in the filter. When the timing deviation compensation has to be tuned-in in the control pattern, the precalculated iteration method could prove simpler and equally good (or even better) compared with the mathematical solution with a separate timing compensation module. One of the key findings in this thesis is the conclusion that the correctness of the pulse pattern structure, in the sense of ZCC and predicted pulse timings, cannot be separated from the timing deviations. The usefulness of the correctly calculated pattern is reduced by the voltage edge timing errors. The doctoral thesis provides an introductory background chapter on variable-speed AC drives and the problem of motor overvoltages and takes a look at traditional solutions for overvoltage mitigation. Previous results related to the active du/dt filtering are discussed. The basic operation principle and design of the filter have been studied previously. The effect of load current in the filter and the basic idea of compensation have been presented in the past. However, there was no direct way of including the dead time in the control (except for solving the pulse pattern manually by iteration), and the magnitude of nonlinearity effects had not been investigated. The enhanced control principle with the dead time handling capability and a case study of the test setup timing deviations are the main contributions of this doctoral thesis. The simulation and experimental setup results show that the proposed control method can be used in an actual drive. Loss measurements and a comparison of active du/dt output filtering with traditional output filtering methods are also presented in the work. Two different ADUDT filter designs are included, with ferrite core and air core inductors. Other filters included in the tests were a passive du/dtfilter and a passive sine filter. The loss measurements incorporated a silicon carbide diode-equipped IGBT module, and the results show lower losses with these new device technologies. The new control principle was measured in a 43 A load current motor drive system and was able to bring the filter output peak voltage from 980 V (the previous control principle) down to 680 V in a 540 V average DC link voltage variable-speed drive. A 200 m motor cable was used, and the filter losses for the active du/dt methods were 111W–126 W versus 184 W for the passive du/dt. In terms of inverter and filter losses, the active du/dt filtering method had a 1.82-fold increase in losses compared with an all-passive traditional du/dt output filter. The filter mass with the active du/dt method was 17% (2.4 kg, air-core inductors) compared with 14 kg of the passive du/dt method filter. Silicon carbide freewheeling diodes were found to reduce the inverter losses in the active du/dt filtering by 18% compared with the same IGBT module with silicon diodes. For a 200 m cable length, the average peak voltage at the motor terminals was 1050 V with no filter, 960 V for the all-passive du/dt filter, and 700 V for the active du/dt filtering applying the new control principle.

Effect of dietary crude protein and energy content on nitrogen utilisation, water intake and urinary output in growing pigs

Selostus: Rehun valkuais- ja energiapitoisuuden vaikutus sikojen typen hyväksikäyttöön, veden kulutukseen ja virtsan eritykseen

Implementation of an Integrated Activity-Based Costing in a Holistic Database Management System and its Implications for Operations Management

Diplomityössä on tutkittu reaaliaikaisen toimintolaskennan toteuttamista suomalaisen lasersiruja valmistavan PK-yrityksen tietojärjestelmään. Lisäksi on tarkasteltu toimintolaskennan vaikutuksia operatiiviseen toimintaan sekä toimintojen johtamiseen. Työn kirjallisuusosassa on käsitelty kirjallisuuslähteiden perusteella toimintolaskennan teorioita, laskentamenetelmiä sekä teknisessä toteutuksessa käytettyjä teknologioita. Työn toteutusosassa suunniteltiin ja toteutettiin WWW-pohjainen toimintolaskentajärjestelmä case-yrityksen kustannuslaskennan sekä taloushallinnon avuksi. Työkalu integroitiin osaksi yrityksen toiminnanohjaus- sekä valmistuksenohjausjärjestelmää. Perinteisiin toimintolaskentamallien tiedonkeruujärjestelmiin verrattuna case-yrityksessä syötteet toimintolaskentajärjestelmälle tulevat reaaliaikaisesti osana suurempaa tietojärjestelmäintegraatiota.Diplomityö pyrkii luomaan suhteen toimintolaskennan vaatimusten ja tietokantajärjestelmien välille. Toimintolaskentajärjestelmää yritys voi hyödyntää esimerkiksi tuotteiden hinnoittelussa ja kustannuslaskennassa näkemällä tuotteisiin liittyviä kustannuksia eri näkökulmista. Päätelmiä voidaan tehdä tarkkaan kustannusinformaatioon perustuen sekä määrittää järjestelmän tuottaman datan perusteella, onko tietyn projektin, asiakkuuden tai tuotteen kehittäminen taloudellisesti kannattavaa.

Optimisation of data analysis method for a fluidized bed combustion test rig

Nowadays the used fuel variety in power boilers is widening and new boiler constructions and running models have to be developed. This research and development is done in small pilot plants where more faster analyse about the boiler mass and heat balance is needed to be able to find and do the right decisions already during the test run. The barrier on determining boiler balance during test runs is the long process of chemical analyses of collected input and outputmatter samples. The present work is concentrating on finding a way to determinethe boiler balance without chemical analyses and optimise the test rig to get the best possible accuracy for heat and mass balance of the boiler. The purpose of this work was to create an automatic boiler balance calculation method for 4 MW CFB/BFB pilot boiler of Kvaerner Pulping Oy located in Messukylä in Tampere. The calculation was created in the data management computer of pilot plants automation system. The calculation is made in Microsoft Excel environment, which gives a good base and functions for handling large databases and calculations without any delicate programming. The automation system in pilot plant was reconstructed und updated by Metso Automation Oy during year 2001 and the new system MetsoDNA has good data management properties, which is necessary for big calculations as boiler balance calculation. Two possible methods for calculating boiler balance during test run were found. Either the fuel flow is determined, which is usedto calculate the boiler's mass balance, or the unburned carbon loss is estimated and the mass balance of the boiler is calculated on the basis of boiler's heat balance. Both of the methods have their own weaknesses, so they were constructed parallel in the calculation and the decision of the used method was left to user. User also needs to define the used fuels and some solid mass flowsthat aren't measured automatically by the automation system. With sensitivity analysis was found that the most essential values for accurate boiler balance determination are flue gas oxygen content, the boiler's measured heat output and lower heating value of the fuel. The theoretical part of this work concentrates in the error management of these measurements and analyses and on measurement accuracy and boiler balance calculation in theory. The empirical part of this work concentrates on the creation of the balance calculation for the boiler in issue and on describing the work environment.

Lämmöntalteenotto kosteasta poistoilmasta prosessiteollisuudessa

Tämän diplomityön päämääränä on tehdä prosessiteollisuuden tarpeisiin Excel-taulukkolaskentaohjelmassa toimiva putkilämmönsiirtimen mitoitusohjelma. Prosessiteollisuudessa lämmönvaihtimien toimintaympäristöt ja olosuhteet vaihtelevat merkittävästi ja niinpä jokaisen vaihtimen suunnittelu ja mitoitus on toteutettava tapauskohtaisesti. Työssä käsitellään rekuperatiivisen ristivirtaputkilämmönvaihtimen yleinen lämpötekninen mitoitus sisältäen putken sisäpinnalle tapahtuvan mahdollisen lauhtumisen. Mitoitettava vaihdinkoostuu pystysuorista putkista, joissa lämmin ja kostea ilma virtaa putkien sisäpuolella ja kylmä kuiva ilma vaippapuolella vaakasuoraan. Vaihdinmateriaalina käytetään ruostumatonta AISI 304 -tai haponkestävää AISI 316 terästä. Kuuman ilman tila vaihtelee tarkasteltavan kohteen mukaan. Paperiteollisuuden kuivausyksiköiltä poistuva ilma on usein lämmintä ja kosteaa, ja infrakuivaimilta poistuva ilma on kuumaa. Mitoitettavalle lämmönvaihtimelle tulevan kuuman ilman lämpötila tapauksesta riippuen voi vaihdella 30°C, maksimissaan +300°C:een saakka, vesisisällön ollessa välillä 0,010...0,200 kg/kg ki tai jopa tämän ylikin. Vaihtimen mitoitus perustuu energiataseyhtälöiden käyttöön. Laskennassa määritetään vaihtimen pintalämpötila sekä mahdollinen kostean ilman lauhtuminen putken sisäpinnalle. Lisäksi teoria käsittää molempien virtausten tilanmuutosten laskennan. Työssä on esitetty esimerkkilaskelma, jossa on laskettu ilma- kostea ilma lämmönsiirrinkonstruktio. Esimerkissä on tarkasteltu vaihtimen hyötysuhdetta, virtausten lämpö- ja kosteuskäyttäytymistä ulkoilman lämpötilan funktiona. Ohjelmasta saadaan tulostettua mitoitettavanvaihtimen dimensiot; putkien lukumäärät syvyys- ja pituussuunnassa sekä kokonaisputkilukumäärä, putkien väliset etäisyydet toisiinsa nähden sekä syvyys, että pituussuunnassa, putkipituus ja putken sisä- ja ulkohalkaisijat. Nämä tiedot suunnittelija itse syöttää ohjelmalle alkuarvoina. Laskettuna tietona ohjelma antaa molempien virtausten poistolämpötilat, kuuman ilman poistuvan absoluuttisen kosteuden, kondenssivesimäärän, vaihtimen tehon ja painehäviöt vaippa- ja putkipuolelle. Lisäksi ohjelma laskee kuuman ilman ominaisentalpiat vaihtimen sisään- ja ulostulossa. Tämä mahdollistaa ilman tilapisteiden piirtämisen Mollier-piirrokseen.

Converter-flux-based current control of voltage source PWM rectifiers - analysis and implementation

Pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) rectifier technology is increasingly used in industrial applications like variable-speed motor drives, since it offers several desired features such as sinusoidal input currents, controllable power factor, bidirectional power flow and high quality DC output voltage. To achieve these features,however, an effective control system with fast and accurate current and DC voltage responses is required. From various control strategies proposed to meet these control objectives, in most cases the commonly known principle of the synchronous-frame current vector control along with some space-vector PWM scheme have been applied. Recently, however, new control approaches analogous to the well-established direct torque control (DTC) method for electrical machines have also emerged to implement a high-performance PWM rectifier. In this thesis the concepts of classical synchronous-frame current control and DTC-based PWM rectifier control are combined and a new converter-flux-based current control (CFCC) scheme is introduced. To achieve sufficient dynamic performance and to ensure a stable operation, the proposed control system is thoroughly analysed and simple rules for the controller design are suggested. Special attention is paid to the estimationof the converter flux, which is the key element of converter-flux-based control. Discrete-time implementation is also discussed. Line-voltage-sensorless reactive reactive power control methods for the L- and LCL-type line filters are presented. For the L-filter an open-loop control law for the d-axis current referenceis proposed. In the case of the LCL-filter the combined open-loop control and feedback control is proposed. The influence of the erroneous filter parameter estimates on the accuracy of the developed control schemes is also discussed. A newzero vector selection rule for suppressing the zero-sequence current in parallel-connected PWM rectifiers is proposed. With this method a truly standalone and independent control of the converter units is allowed and traditional transformer isolation and synchronised-control-based solutions are avoided. The implementation requires only one additional current sensor. The proposed schemes are evaluated by the simulations and laboratory experiments. A satisfactory performance and good agreement between the theory and practice are demonstrated.

Essays on Innovativeness and its Evaluation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Tutkimus koostuu neljästä artikkelista, jotka käsittelevät suomalaisten pienten ja keskisuurten teollisuusyritysten (PKT-yritysten) innovatiivisuutta, sen attribuutteja (ominaispiirteitä) sekä indikaattoreita. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan sekä kirjallisuudessa esitettyjä että PKT-johtajien ja PKT-yritystenkehityshankkeiden rahoituspäätöksiin osallistuvien yritystutkijoiden haastatteluissa esittämiä innovatiivisuuden määritelmiä. Innovatiivisuusindikaattoreista tarkastellaan PKT-yritysten kehittämishankkeille sovellettavia rahoitus- ja arviointikriteerejä sekä yritysten ulkopuolisten rahoittajien että PKT-johtajien näkökulmasta. Erityistä huomiota kohdistetaan sovellettuihin laadullisiin ja ei-numeerisiin innovatiivisuuden arviointikriteereihin. Sekä kirjallisuudessa että kymmenen yritystutkijan ja kuuden esimerkkiyrityksen johtajan haastatteluissa innovaation uutuus yhdistetään innovatiivisuuteen. Muita tärkeitä innovatiivisuuteen liitettyjä ominaisuuksia olivat markkinat, muista yrityksistä erottuminen ja yksilöiden luovuus. Ihmisläheiset ja yksilöihin liittyvät näkökulmat korostuvat yritystutkijoiden ja PKT-johtajien innovatiivisuuden määritelmissä, kun taas kirjallisuudessa annetaan enemmän painoa ympäristölle, tuotteille ja markkinoille. Yritystutkijat pitivät yritykseen ja sen johtajaan liittyviä tekijöitä tärkeinä rahoitettavien kehittämishankkeiden panosten arviointikriteereinä. Tuotteiden kaupallinen menestys oli rahoittajan kannalta tärkein tulostekijä. Tarkastelluissa esimerkkiyrityksissä kehityshankkeista päättäminen ja hankkeiden arviointi on toisaalta intuitiivista ja saattaa olla tiedostamatontakin, koska yritysten kehittämistoiminta on vähäistä. Pienyritysten johtajat korostavat arvioinnissa rahallisiamittareita, vaikka sekä numeerisia että laadullisia kriteereitä sovelletaan. Todennäköisin syy tälle on pienyritysten rajalliset taloudelliset voimavarat. Toinen mahdollinen syy rahoituksellisten tekijöiden painottamiseen on, että tämän päivän ihannejohtaja ymmärretään analyyttiseksi ja mm.rahavirtoja valvovaksi. Kuitenkin innovatiiviset yritysjohtajat pitävät innovaatioiden luomista yhtenä elämän hauskoista puolista. Innovatiiviset esimerkkiyritykset ovat tulevaisuuteen ja kasvuun suuntautuneita strategisella tasolla. Operationaalisella tasolla ne tuottavat keksintöjä ja innovaatioita. Patentteja tarkastelluilla yrityksillä on kuitenkin vähän. Sekä innovatiiviset että vähemmän innovatiiviset esimerkkiyritykset ovat voimakkaasti asiakassuuntautuneita ja erikoistuneita tiettyihin tuotteisiin ja asiakkaisiin. Asiakkaiden tarpeita tyydytetään kehittämällä niitä vastaavia tuotteita. Tästä johtuu, että valtaosa yritysten kehittämistoiminnasta kohdistuu tuotteisiin tai tuotantoon.