Toward a peripheral view of manufacturing networks

This doctoral thesis unfolds into a collection of three distinct articles that share an interest in supply firms, or “peripheral firms”. The three studies offer a novel theoretical perspective that I call the peripheral view of manufacturing networks. Building on the relational view literature, this new perspective identifies the supplier-based theoretical standpoint to analyze and explain the antecedents of relational rents in manufacturing networks. The first article, the namesake of the dissertation, is a theoretical contribution that explains the foundations of the “peripheral view of manufacturing networks”. The second article “Framing The Strategic Peripheries: A Novel Typology of Suppliers” is an empirical study with the aim to offer an interpretation of peripheries’ characteristics and dynamics. The third article, “What is Behind Absorptive Capacity? Dispelling the Opacity of R&D” presents an example of general theory development by using data from peripheral firms.

Development of an X-ray spectrometric system and feasibility tests of Silicon Drift Detector for medical and space applications

The thesis work concerns X-ray spectrometry for both medical and space applications and is divided into two sections. The first section addresses an X-ray spectrometric system designed to study radiological beams and is devoted to the optimization of diagnostic procedures in medicine. A parametric semi-empirical model capable of efficiently reconstructing diagnostic X-ray spectra in 'middle power' computers was developed and tested. In addition, different silicon diode detectors were tested as real-time detectors in order to provide a real-time evaluation of the spectrum during diagnostic procedures. This project contributes to the field by presenting an improved simulation of a realistic X-ray beam emerging from a common X-ray tube with a complete and detailed spectrum that lends itself to further studies of added filtration, thus providing an optimized beam for different diagnostic applications in medicine. The second section describes the preliminary tests that have been carried out on the first version of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), integrated with large area position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) to be used on board future space missions. This technology has been developed for the ESA project: LOFT (Large Observatory for X-ray Timing), a new medium-class space mission that the European Space Agency has been assessing since February of 2011. The LOFT project was proposed as part of the Cosmic Vision Program (2015-2025).

Historic and modern alloys: atmospheric corrosion and development of accelerated ageing methodologies

The atmospheric corrosion of modern and historic alloys used in cultural heritage has been investigated by applying specific accelerated ageing methods. Three main research lines were carried out, involving different materials. In the first part, the atmospheric corrosion of a modern Cu-3Si-1Mn bronze was investigated through accelerated ageing tests simulating outdoor runoff conditions. The corrosion processes were evaluated through different analyses, and the results obtained were compared to those of a traditional quaternary bronze. The second line was carried out to characterise historic aluminium alloys used in aeronautics to develop and apply innovative protection strategies for their conservation. Historic wrecks were identified and characterised through micro and macroscale observations. Moreover, accelerated ageing tests were performed on both historic and modern alloys to compare their behaviour and select the best modern substrate to be used for the development of effective coatings. The third research line aimed to develop accelerate sampling and ageing methods to investigate the role of particulate matter (PM) in the atmospheric corrosion of bronzes and metals in general. The first approach consisted in the fine-tuning of an efficient accelerated method for ambient PM sampling on bronze specimens followed by their accelerated ageing, in order to establish a correlation between the PM and the substrate’s corrosion. After the accelerated ageing of the specimens, the corrosion was evaluated by surface characterisation and correlated to the PM features. The second approach consisted in the development of a synthetic PM formulation and of an artificial deposition method, which was performed by spraying mixtures containing the main PM inorganic fractions on a G-85 bronze with an airbrush. The deposition efficiency was assessed, and the effect of synthetic PM on the bronze corrosion was evaluated. The results were compared to those obtained by ambient PM deposition.