Allocating resources to research and development projects in a competitive environment

Firms who are involved in R&D activities are often “racing” against competitors to become the lirst to attain the desired breakthrough. The goal might indeed be to beat the competitors in as many such R&D races as possible. However, when resources are limited, and competitors' budget allocation to these R&D activities unknown, the challenge becomes to devise a method of allocating R&D budgets to activites in a strategically “optimal” way. We model the decision problem of a firm wishing to allocate a fixed budget among several activities, so as to maximize the expected profit from the activities it captures. The probability of capturing an activity is an increasing function of one's allocation to it, and a decreasing function of the competitor's allocation. For a specific plausible capture-probability function, we find the optimal allocation between two activities conditional on the competitor's allocation (the “reaction curve”). Nash and Stackelberg equilibria for that model are then characterized. Wc also briefly explore the implications of more general, or different, capture-probability functions.     

A computerized system for measuring engineering-laser parameters

Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 8, pp. 19–20, August, 1991.     

ISO 9000质量体系与ISO 14000环境管理体系结合研究

五、环境成本的核算１、自然资源耗减费用的核算资源产品生产企业中的自然资源,是为了消耗而处于生产过程之中,经过一次生产过程后就改变其实物形态,它与企业中的原材料一样具有存量的性质。将自然资源作为一项资产核算,被认为是对环境资产存量的核算,而将自然资源的耗减作为一项费用核算,被认为是环境资产流量的核算。存量和流量是彼此相关的,流量的核算总是要受到存量计价的影响,而流量的计价又影响到存量的现存价值。具体到自然资源耗减费用的计量,主要受环境资产计价的影响,或者说在环境资产计量的基础上进行自然资源耗减费用…     

ISO 9000质量体系与ISO 14000环境管理体系结合研究

本研究报告分为两部分:第一部分,体系结合研究,包括体系结合问题的由来、ISO 9000质量体系与ISO 14000环境管理体系的推动因素比较、对国家有关政策的建议、企业实施ISO 9000和ISO 14000建立质量和环境综合管理体系的方式和程序;第二部分,环境成本研究,包括环境成本现状分析、环境成本核算的必要性和理论基础、环境成本的基本内容和分类、环境成本的核算方法.     

ISO 9000质量体系与ISO 14000环境管理体系结合研究

四、环境成本的基本内容及其分类下面以矿产资源的开发来说明环境成本的特点。空气　　·臭氧层空洞·温室效应·气候变化·粉尘污染及危害人类健康矿业　　清除植被生态平衡　　·矿产资源数量减少·植被数量减少·水资源数量减少·水生动物变形土地水　　·河底抬升及淤积·水面污染及水质退化·溢流·洪水及干旱　·土壤侵蚀·肥力丧失·沙漠化·土地利用冲突图５　矿产资源开发对环境的有害影响　　从上图可以看出,矿产品生产所耗用的环境成本是多种多样的,从性质上可分为四类：（１）矿产资源、植被、水等数量减少均属于自然资源耗减…     

Integrated model for supplier selection and negotiation in a make-to-order environment

The paper deals with the development of an integrated supplier selection and negotiation process for multiple parts/materials procurement. The main objective is to integrate decisions in the internal supply chain of a make-to-order manufacturer. Two main decisions during the negotiation process are considered: (1) the manufacturing planning decision responsible for determining the production schedule and fabrication lot size and (2) the supplier selection decision concerning which suppliers are selected for company business and the order volume allocated to each selected supplier. The model is designed to support the negotiation process by generating a set of effective alternatives in each negotiation period. Its structure is multi-objective and non-linear. The combination of the interactive weighted Tchebycheff method and Benders decomposition method is applied to generate a set of effective alternatives to support the decision-maker in each negotiation period.     

A computerized measuring system for certification of phase calibrators

Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 2, pp. 41–43, February, 1991.     

Price negotiation for capacity sharing in a two-factory environment using genetic algorithm

Uncertain and lumpy demand forces capacity planners to maximize the profit of individual factory by simultaneously taking advantage of outsourcing to and/or being outsourced from its supply chain and even competitors. This study develops a resource-planning model of a large manufacturer with two profit-centered factories. The proposed model enables a collaborative integration for resource and demand sharing which is highly attractive to the high-tech industries against the challenges of short product life cycle, intensive capital investment and decreasing marginal profit. Each of the individual factories applies an economic resource-planning model and a genetic algorithm to improve its objective while purchasing extra capacity requirement from its peer factory or selling extra capacity of resources to the others through a negotiation algorithm. This study makes a contribution in successfully building a mutual negotiation model for a set of customer tasks to be realized by the negotiating parties, each with private information regarding company objectives, cost and price. Experimental results reveal that near-optimal solutions for both of the isolated (a single factory) and negotiation-based (between two factories) environments are obtained.     

A computerized system for friction-surface temperature measurement with thermocouples

Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 5, pp. 41–42, May, 1990.     

Distribution of academic research funds: a case of Japanese national research grant

Drawing on a database of the competitive research funds in the Japanese academia, this study examines the distribution of research grants at the university and individual levels. The data indicates high inequality at the university level and slightly lower inequality at the individual level. Over the last three decades, the total grant budget has greatly increased and an increasing number of researchers have received the funds. Simultaneously, large-size grants have become more common and multiple awarding (i.e., one researcher receives more than one grant simultaneously) has become more frequent. These changes taken together, the level of inequality has not been changed substantially. The extent of inequality largely differs between scientific fields; especially high in basic natural sciences and relatively low in social sciences. A close examination of inequality over researchers’ career indicates different patterns of transition between fields and cohorts. Finally, both at the university and individual levels, the funding distribution is found more unequal than the distribution of publications as an output indicator.     

Bibliometric indicators and the competitive environment of R&D laboratories

The R&D laboratory organization attempts to shape and is influenced by complex and changing environments. New contexts affect the types of evaluation required. Traditional approaches to the R&D laboratory evaluation are thus to be questioned. The changing competitive contexts of R&D organization suggest four worlds of innovation: (i) technology races, (ii) efficiency in technological systems, (iii) technical parity and (iv) market contests. In the emerging competitive arena, the R&D laboratory is evolving toward a network type of organization linked to many different partners and acting as a semi-autonomous business unit. New roles are expected from these kinds of laboratories. They have to develop core strategic competencies, offer competitive outputs, meet clients specifications, create new technology standards and maintain or increase their leadership positions. Bibliometric analysis need to be used in complement with many other methods.     

A computerized data acquisition system for fatigue crack growth studies in polymers

A new method for automatic fatigue crack growth measurement in polymers using electrical conductive surface grids and a micro-computer is developed. The grid pattern is made from a graphite ink and transferred to the specimen surface using a screen printing technique. The computer scans each bar individually and counts the elapsed fatigue cycles using a simple interface. Experimental results for crack length and elapsed cycles are produced in a form suitable for further computer analysis to establish the Paris power law for fatigue crack growth. The usefulness and accuracy of this computerized automatic method are compared to the conventional optical method. Fatigue crack growth results are obtained for several polymers using this computerized technique.     

Optimal resource assignment through negotiation in a multi-agent manufacturing system

Research studies on multi-agent systems have been recently boosted by manufacturing and logistics with deep motivations like the presence of independent human deciders with individual goals, the aspiration to dominate the complexity of decision-making in large organizations, the simplicity and robustness of self-reacting distributed systems. After a survey of the multi-agent paradigm and its applications, the paper introduces the notion of hybrid holonic system to study the effect of supervision on a system whose elements negotiate and cooperate in a rule-settled environment to obtain resources for system operation. The supervisor can spur or disincentive agents by assigning/denying resources to them. A simple single-decider optimization model referred to a real application is described, and solution methodologies for optimal resource allocation fitting different scenarios (centralized, distributed, multi-agent) are discussed, identifying ranges of autonomy, quantifying rewarding and defining a negotiation protocol between the agents and the supervisor. Aim of the paper is to describe through an example a general methodology for quantitative decision-making in multi-agent organizations.     

ISO 9000质量体系与ISO 14000环境管理体系结合研究

二、ＩＳＯ９０００和ＩＳＯ１４０００的推动ＩＳＯ９０００和ＩＳＯ１４０００都是工业和市场经济发展产物。ＩＳＯ９０００和ＩＳＯ１４０００产生和发展的推动力有市场因素、管理者因素和社会法制因素。１ＩＳＯ９０００的推动（１）推动ＩＳＯ９０００的市场因素主...     

A ring transducer system for medical ultrasound research.

An ultrasonic ring transducer system has been developed for experimental studies of scattering and imaging. The transducer consists of 2048 rectangular elements with a 2.5-MHz center frequency, a 67% -6 dB bandwidth, and a 0.23-mm pitch arranged in a 150-mm-diameter ring with a 25-mm elevation. At the center frequency, the element size is 0.30lambda x 42lambda and the pitch is 0.38lambda. The system has 128 parallel transmit channels, 16 parallel receive channels, a 2048:128 transmit multiplexer, a 2048:16 receive multiplexer, independently programmable transmit waveforms with 8-bit resolution, and receive amplifiers with time variable gain independently programmable over a 40-dB range. Receive signals are sampled at 20 MHz with 12-bit resolution. Arbitrary transmit and receive apertures can be synthesized. Calibration software minimizes system nonidealities caused by noncircularity of the ring and element-to-element response differences. Application software enables the system to be used by specification of high-level parameters in control files from which low-level hardware-dependent parameters are derived by specialized code. Use of the system is illustrated by producing focused and steered beams, synthesizing a spatially limited plane wave, measuring angular scattering, and forming b-scan images.     

A computerized data acquisition system for measuring planarity deviations with electronic levels

Design principles are considered for a data-acquisition system for checking for deviations from planarity by the use of electronic levels. Signal filtration algorithms are proposed for determining the equivalent plane, which reduce the effects of external factors and provide the maximum accuracy under industrial conditions.Translated from Izmeritelnaya Tekhnika, No. 11, pp. 15–18, November, 2004.     

A magnet system design for reduced gravity environment

Simulating a reduced gravity environment experienced in spaceships in a laboratory setting for studying different technical aspects (fluid transfer or propellant behavior, for example) is a primordial step prior to extraterrestrial explorations. We first present some results on boiling heat transfer in helium under reduced gravity using a commercial magnet and point out the limitations in volume and magnetic force homogeneity to perform reduced gravity experiments with such a non ad hoc magnet. Then, we present a new magnetic design to create a reduced gravity environment in large volume suitable for boiling test experiments in oxygen. Based on a modified design we present the magnetic configurations that allow compensating gravity for different elements such as hydrogen, water or helium but in smaller volumes. We detail the different aspects of winding techniques to achieve the requirements on magnetic force.