Negative Effects of Relative Proximity and Absolute Geography on Open Innovation Practices in High-tech SMEs in the UK

© 2014 IEEE. This exploratory study addresses a gap in management literature by addressing the role of location in the continuously expanding field of open innovation research. In this context, we analyze potential negative effects of absolute geography and relative proximity on open innovation practices in high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom. Drawing upon cluster theory and business ecosystem literature, the analysis from three SME case studies in the East of England suggests that presumed 'favorable' location variables, such as close relative proximity between partners and the presence of economic clusters, can have certain negative effects on open innovation practices.

Exploring knowledge transfer mechanisms: The case of a UK-based group within a high-tech global corporation

Jasimuddin, Sajjad, 'Exploring knowledge transfer mechanisms: The case of a UK-based group within a high-tech global corporation', International Journal of Information Management (2007) 27(4) pp.294-300 RAE2008

High-growth firms : Not so vital after all?

High-growth firms have received considerable interest recently since they create most of the new jobs in the economy. The purpose of our paper is to investigate the characteristics of high-growth firms prior to their growth period, and whether these characteristics differ across industries. Using data on a large sample of limited liability firms in Sweden for the period 2007-2010, we find that high-growth firms do not have the characteristics that we typically associate with successful firms. On the contrary, our results indicate that high-growth firms have low profits and a weak financial position. This might explain why studies have found that high-growth firms are seldom capable of sustaining their high growth rates in subsequent periods, and thus question policies that are targeted towards these companies.

Has China displaced its competitors in high tech trade?

This paper empirically investigated the extent to which China displaced its competitors in high-tech exports using disaggregated data for the period 1992–2013. To address the endogeneity problem, we used a comprehensive set of instruments for Chinese high-tech exports in relevant markets, including China's GDP and distances to those markets. Results of our IV regressions revealed that in most of the high-tech sectors, Chinese exports had displaced the exports of its developing competitors such as India, South American exporters like Brazil and Mexico, and South-East Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, especially in the period prior to the 2007–08 global financial crisis. Yet, Chinese exports had been associated with more high-tech exports of developed exporters like OECD countries, South Korea and Japan. Our findings suggest that while China became the world's top high-tech exporter, its high-tech exported products had been substitutes to those of other developing and emerging economies but complementary to that of developed economies.

Evaluation of neighborhood impacts caused by companies of the high-tech industrial cluster of São Carlos, SP, Brazil

The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology for evaluating neighborhood impacts using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and to apply the procedures to the companies of the High-Technology Industrial Cluster of São Carlos. To this end, an evaluation was made of the neighborhood impacts on the physical environment, urban components, quality of life, and urban infrastructure using impact matrices, and the impacts were assigned scores according to type, order, magnitude and duration. Fifty one companies were examined based on data provided by the companies themselves and on field surveys. The impacts are represented spatially in proportional symbols maps, based on the spatial distribution of the companies in the urban area of the city of São Carlos and the areas of influence of each company. The application of the proposed methodology served to validate it and indicated that the neighborhood impacts caused by the companies of this study are related to each company's type of activity, its size, and its occupation of the area. © 2008 Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering (JUEE). All rights reserved.

High tech garbage can help engineering colleges to improve hands-on education

This paper presents a discussion on the potential use of high tech garbage, including electronic waste (e-waste), as a source of mechanisms, sensors and actuators, that can be adapted to improve the reality of microprocessor systems labs, at low cost. By means of some examples, it is shown that entire subsystems withdrawn of high tech equipments can be easily integrated into existing laboratory infrastructure. As examples, first a precision positioning mechanism is presented, which was taken from a discarded commercial ink jet printer and interfaced with a microprocessor board used in the laboratory classes. Secondly, a read/write head and its positioning mechanism has been withdrawn of a retired CD/DVD drive and again interfaced with the microprocessor board. Students who have been using these new experiments strongly approve their inclusion in the lab schedules. © 2011 IEEE.

Import substitution in high-tech industries: Prebisch lives in Asia!

Includes bibliography

Green supply chain management in local and multinational high-tech companies located in Brazil

The objective of this article is to analyse how green supply chain management (GSCM) practices are being adopted by some high-tech companies located in Brazil. The research was conducted using the case study approach, focusing on eight companies that are representative of this sector. The main results are: (a) the most adopted GSCM practices in the studied high-tech companies located in Brazil are internal environmental management, investment recovery and reverse logistics and (b) Brazilian environmental legislation and international policies are very important in driving the adoption of GSCM practices. The internationalisation of companies was also found to be a variable that interferes with the adoption of GSCM practices. This is one of the first studies that examine the relationship between GSCM and the internationalisation of companies located in Brazil. © 2013 Springer-Verlag London.