Social Capital and Effective Innovation in Industrial Districts: Dual Effect of Absorptive Capacity

This paper deals with the factors that affect the heterogeneity in the access to knowledge and its exploitation through innovation in firms located in industrial districts. The aim of the study is to analyze the moderating role of the components of the absorptive capacity – identification and combination – in the process that leads firms in industrial districts with social capital to obtain effective innovations through the knowledge acquisition. We have developed the empirical analysis on a sample of 166 firms located in the industrial districts of the footwear industry in Spain. Findings suggest that the firms in industrial districts improve the acquisition of novel and valuable knowledge from external networks of information when they have identification capabilities to explore their potential. The results also indicate combinative capability strengthens the acquired new knowledge to develop and exploit successful innovations.     

Innovation in Industrial Districts: Evidence from Italy

The aim of this paper is to show that Italian manufacturing firms belonging to Marshallian industrial districts carry out a higher innovative effort than is usually acknowledged. The empirical analysis makes use of a panel of 1,218 district and non-district firms belonging to traditional sectors. Data refers to the years 1992 and 1995. We have estimated an augmented Cobb-Douglas production function. The estimates make it possible to empirically identify three different determinants of firms' productivity: (i) the intentional innovative activity; (ii) the “district effect”; and (iii) the joint district and innovation effect. The results show that firms' membership in industrial districts and product innovations are key factors in explaining the productivity of firms working in traditional Italian sectors.     

Patterns of Innovation in Industrial Districts: An Empirical Analysis

Research has proved how the industrial district model can deliver sustained economic growth and sustains firms' competitiveness. Studies have also shown how spatial proximity helps in the process of knowledge generation and diffusion. Indeed, the literature on industrial districts since the earliest studies has stressed how districts are “loci” where sustained innovation activity is undertaken. However, this innovative dimension of districts' activities has not yet been fully explored. Sufficient theoretical background and empirical evidence as to whether the peculiar socio-economic characteristics of the industrial district model influence firms' innovation performance and the way innovation activity is carried out is lacking. The aim of this paper is thus to explore the determinants of innovation activities in firms located inside and outside industrial districts in the Italian region of Lombardy, investigating whether the district provides a favourable environment for the development of innovations and identify possible competitive advantages.     

Technology strategies,innovation without R&D

The key to the success of Italian industrial districts lies in their flexibility and innovation. Yet except for a few rare cases, investments in R&D have been very limited. The paper explores this apparent conundrum. Even though there are alternative methods to introduce innovations (for example, the supply of machinery), it still remains difficult, from a traditional point of view, to adequately explain the widespread creation of original knowledge that is no doubt present in these enclaves, and that is able to bring about effective product and process innovation in order to maintain competitiveness. By using evolutionary theories and numerous empirical examples, the paper outlines the mechanisms for generating knowledge, the learning patterns and the specialisation processes that appear to characterise the most dynamic Italian districts.     

Symposium: Italian Industrial Districts In The I99Os

This paper reviews the scholarship concerning the rise to economic prominence of the Italian industrial districts, and the causes of some of the difficulties in which some districts have found themselves since the mid-1980s. The paper develops the main lines of the economic advantages that districts enjoyed during a period of rapid growth, resulting from the operation of a market in common which blends competition and cooperation. The effects of globalisation are changing this somewhat ‘idyllic’ picture, as the structure of linkages between firms comes under pressure. Prospects for the Italian districts in these new circumstances are discussed.     

How proximity matters in interactive learning and innovation: a study of the Venetian glass industry

Drawing on the literature on proximity within industrial agglomerations, the authors develop a model to explain how social, cognitive and personal proximity influences interactive learning and innovation in industrial districts. A qualitative study of the Murano glassmaking district shows that interactive learning in an industrial district occurs on both horizontal and vertical dimensions, along which proximity plays different roles. Horizontal learning takes place through social and cognitive proximity and personal distance. Vertical learning occurs through personal proximity and social and cognitive distance. This study contributes to the literature on the proximity within industrial districts by highlighting the role of personal proximity, which is largely unexplored. This paper also considers the coevolution between the proximity dimensions and provides empirical evidence of two mechanisms of coevolution: a compensation mechanism between social and cognitive proximity and a substitution mechanism between personal proximity, and cognitive and social proximities.     

基于真实世界隐喻的虚拟现实用户界面范式研究及应用

目的 基于真实世界隐喻,研究虚拟现实用户界面范式,并指导应用实践。方法 通过整理虚拟现实和用户界面的相关文献资料,以基于真实世界的交互（RBI框架）作为指导,引出真实世界隐喻4个方面的要素,对比WIMP范式各个基础元件所承载的作用,研究虚拟现实用户界面范式。结论 提出了虚拟现实用户界面SOMM范式,分析了SOMM范式每一个要素,描述了用户在虚拟现实中的三维交互过程,并应用于工业机器人VR岗位实训系统用户界面当中,验证了SOMM范式的可行性。SOMM范式能让用户在虚拟现实环境中执行自然人机交互,减少了用户认知转换负荷,为其他研究者和设计师提供了指导和思路。     

A conceptual framework for the ubiquitous factory

To cope with today's industrial demands requiring (1) coverage of the whole product life cycle, (2) environmentally conscious manufacturing, (3) competitive sustainability manufacturing, etc., a new manufacturing paradigm should be developed. In this paper, we develop a conceptual framework for a new paradigm called ubiquitous factory (u-Factory) by applying ubiquitous computing technology to the manufacturing system. The u-Factory is based on our previously developed paradigm, called UbiDMR [1], meaning product design, manufacturing, and recycling via ubiquitous computing technology. The essence of u-Factory can be represented by three key phrases: (1) information transparency, (2) autonomous control, and (3) sustainable manufacturing. This paper comprises two parts. In the first part, we show the derivation procedure for the framework of the u-Factory using problem analysis of the current manufacturing system, design consideration and derivation of the architecture for the ubiquitous factory. In the second part, to demonstrate the validity and impact of the derived architecture, we develop the TO-BE model for manufacturing resource management. This is followed by a comparison with the AS-IS model.     

上海非中心城区住宅用地出让的数学模型及分析

目前我国房价总体呈上升势态,而土地出让是影响房价的主要因素．通过对上海某些区的规划进行分析并和土地管理局官员进行访谈,本文提出了住宅用地出让数学模型的基本假定,建立了上海非中心城区住宅用地出让的数学模型．基于上海2004--2015年非中心城区的住宅用地出让、地区生产总值（GDP）、区长任期、地铁站、高速公路、大学、重点高中、公园和工业园等数据,并通过ArcGIS得到了每块住宅用地的位置以及地块到市中心、区中心、最近地铁站、最近高速公路出入口、最近大学、最近重点高中、最近公园和最近工业园的距离数据．最终分析出上海非中心城区的区政府出让住宅用地的影响因素,以及这些因素是如何影响住宅用地价格及政府做出住宅用地出让的决定．可以看出,住宅用地面积、容积率、出让方式、是否用于建设安置房,以及住宅用地到市中心、区中心、最近地铁站、最近大学、最近公园和最近工业园的距离等因素对区政府做出住宅用地出让的决定以及住宅用地价格有影响．     

A Paradigm for the Scheduling of a Continuous Walking Beam Reheat Furnace Using a Modified Genetic Algorithm

The paper discusses the application of a paradigm for creating scheduling systems for steel reheating furnaces. The proposed paradigm utilizes a modified version of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to optimize such schedules via new ways of realizing the crossover and mutation operations. The work was conducted in collaboration with the Thrybergh Combination Mill owned by CORUS- Sheffield (UK). The outcome of this research work is a novel scheduling system which links together the scheduling and furnace controls and is also able to accept new and already established mill heuristics. The proposed methodology is 'flexible' as well as 'generic' as it can be augmented easily in order to suit other industrial set-ups.     

A structured approach for customised production in SME collaborative networks

This research aims to provide a model for SMEs to address needs and expectations of specific target groups – such as elderly, obese, disabled, or diabetic persons – to customise functional and fashionable clothes and footwear of high quality, affordable price and eco-compatible. This will be achieved by the development of a new framework for the textile, clothing and footwear industry (TCFI) based on methods and tools for (co-)design, development, configuration, production, and distribution of small order quantities in collaborative networks. The aim of this paper is to describe the reference model depicting its structure and the related tools for collaborative networks enabling products to stay as long as possible digital in order to be produced on-demand.     

A review of sociotechnical systems theory: a classic concept for new command and control paradigms

Command and control is the management infrastructure for any large, complex, dynamic resource system (Harris, C.J. and White, I., 1987. Advances in command, control and communication systems. London: Peregrinus). Traditional military command and control is increasingly challenged by a host of modern problems, namely, environmental complexity, dynamism, new technology and competition that is able to exploit the weaknesses of an organisational paradigm that has been dominant since the industrial revolution. The conceptual response to these challenges is a new type of command and control organisation called Network Enabled Capability (NEC). Although developed independently, NEC exhibits a high degree of overlap with concepts derived from sociotechnical systems theory, a fact that this paper aims to explore more fully. Uniquely, what sociotechnical theory brings to NEC research is a successful 50 year legacy in the application of open systems principles to commercial organisations. This track record is something that NEC research currently lacks. The paper reviews the twin concepts of NEC and sociotechnical systems theory, the underlying motivation behind the adoption of open systems thinking, a review of classic sociotechnical studies and the current state of the art. It is argued that ‘classic’ sociotechnical systems theory has much to offer ‘new’ command and control paradigms. The principles of sociotechnical systems theory align it exceptionally well with the challenges of modern organisational design. It is also reflective of a wider paradigm shift in ergonomics theory away from ‘industrial age’ modes of thought to systems-based ‘information age’ thinking.     

Modeling and monitoring methods for spatial and image data

ABSTRACT

Intelligent sensing and computerized data analysis are inducing a paradigm shift in industrial statistics applied to discrete part manufacturing. Emerging technologies (e.g., additive manufacturing, micro-manufacturing) combined with new inspection solutions (e.g., non-contact systems, X-ray computer tomography) and fast multi-stream high-speed sensors (e.g., videos and images; acoustic, thermic, power and pressure signals) are paving the way for a new generation of industrial big-data requiring novel modeling and monitoring approaches for zero-defect manufacturing. Starting from real industrial problems, some of the main challenges to be faced in relevant industrial sectors are discussed. Viable solutions and future open issues are specifically outlined.     

Application of additive manufacturing techniques in sports footwear

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables faster prototype development for design visualisation, performance studies and personalisation in the sports footwear industry. Among the available AM techniques, stereolithography (SLA), PolyJet (PJ), selective laser sintering (SLS) and three-dimensional printing (3DP) have been used for sports footwear prototyping. A five-point scoring system was used to rate the performance of AM techniques in four important characteristics namely accuracy, surface finish, range of materials supported and building time. Key elements of AM-based footwear personalisation and customisation methodology were also discussed.     

The firms that feed industrial districts: A return to the Italian source

Italian industrial districts comprise a great variety of firmsand are criss-crossed by various networks and business groups.Although the vast majority of industrial district firms arerelatively small, it is a mistake to assume that they are organizationallysymmetrical and that they mimic the supposedly dominant normsof the communities in which they are located. Larger firms frequentlyorganize production among groups of smaller firms, introducetechnological innovations and expand existing markets.     

鞋类产品的大规模定制及其技术体系

分析了鞋类产品的需求特点,给出了鞋类产品大规模定制的四种基本类型,构造了鞋类产品大规模定制的技术体系,重点讨论了鞋子大规模定制的开发设计技术,为制鞋企业实施大规模定制生产方式提供了一个途径。     

ICT in Industrial Districts: An Empirical Analysis on Adoption, Use and Impact

The aim of this study is to analyse the main determinants of the adoption and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the relationship between ICT and the patterns of innovation in an Italian industrial district. The analysis is carried out on a database of 118 textile enterprises located in Biella, a well-known industrial district specialized in medium to high quality woollen yarns and textiles, that have been interviewed following a structured questionnaire. On the whole, the rate of adoption and use of ICT in Biella is rather low and this confirms the results of other studies on industrial districts that are specialized in traditional sectors. Nevertheless, our analysis also shows that considering ICT as a general technology may be misleading. Instead, it is useful to disentangle the different ICT; in particular, there are significant differences between IT involving production, administration and logistic processes and the communication technologies (CT). Moreover, on a smaller sample of 50 firms we have tested the hypothesis that adoption and use of ICT may positively influence innovation. In this case, we find that different types of innovations, for instance, product, process and organizational innovations, are influenced by very different variables.     

Evaluation of value stream mapping in manufacturing system redesign

The value stream mapping (VSM) technique, developed within the lean production paradigm, was presented as an innovative graphic technique to help practitioners redesign production systems. This paper presents the results of a project whose main purpose is to evaluate the real applicability of VSM to redesign disconnected flow lines based on manufacturing environments with a diversity of logistical problems. The research was developed using multiple case study methodology in six industrial companies. The experiences have served to highlight the following results: (1) the validity of VSM as a redesign tool is confirmed; (2) resources required for the application process are established; and (3) the differences between theoretical concepts proposed by VSM and their real-world practical applications are indicated and analyzed. These results have led to conclusions relating to: (1) communication solutions for practitioners to obtain maximum efficiency when using VSM; and (2) definitions of theoretical development points for VSM to become a reference among redesign techniques.     

先进制造系统中的敏捷产品开发模式

论述了生产方式与产品开发模式间的关系,分析了大规模定制设计模式的原理和方法特征,提出了一种面向产品族的工业设计程序。这种方法产生的产品结构为用户的定制和参与设计提供了可能,同时也有助于设计的并行化和敏捷化。