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The purpose of this study is to extend a sensitivity-based reliability technique for the processors deployed in industrial drive (ID).

The processor provides flexible operation, re-configurability, and adaptable compatibility in industrial motor drive system. A sensitivity-based model allows a robust tool for validating the system design. Sensitivity is the probability of a partial failure rate for a distributed variable; sensitivity and failure rates are also complementary. Conversely, traditional power electronic components reliability estimating standards have overlooked it, and it is essential to update them to account for the sensitivity parameter. A new sensitivity-based reliability prediction methodology for a typical 32-bit microprocessor operating at 30ºC deployed in ID is presented to fill this gap. The proposed techniques are compared with the estimated processor reliability values obtained from various reliability standards using the validated advanced logistics development tool. The main contribution of this work is to provide a sensitivity extended reliability method over the conventional method directing toward improving reliability, availability, and maintainability in the design of ID.

The analysis shows that the sensitivity of the processor’s circuit increases due to increases in complexity of the system by reducing the overall mean time between failure upon comparing among conventional reliability standards.

The significance of this paper lies in the overall, sensitivity-based reliability technique for processors in comparison to the traditional reliability complexity in IDs.

This paper narrates a case study on design thinking-based education work in an industrial design honours program. Student projects were developed in a multi-disciplinary setting across a Computing and Engineering faculty that allowed promoting technologically and user-driven innovation strategies.

A renewed culture and environment for industrial design (ID) students emphasised seeking functionality and fidelity, user and society value over beauty and form factors alone. The pedagogical approach sought to determine the new industrial products reality with an increasing contribution by design thinking, and its associated methodologies that are currently advancing typical ID.

In conclusion, the authors propose a number of reflections as recommendations, which may be useful for educational institutions contemplating similar curriculum makeovers to their design degrees.

Our research provides valuable lessons to other design courses that wish to invigorate their curriculum with technical and design thinking-based advances.

This paper aims to explore if firms located in industrial districts (IDs) have different adoption paths concerning Industry 4.0 technologies and get different results with respect to other similar firms located outside IDs.

The study is based on a quantitative analysis related to an original data set of 206 Italian manufacturing firms specializing in made in Italy industries and adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. A case study of a district firm is also presented to explain the rationale of investment strategies and results obtained.

The analysis shows that there are differences between district and non-district firms when Industry 4.0 technology investments are concerned (higher investment rate in big data/cloud and augmented reality for district firms than non-district ones). In contrast to a breakthrough view of the fourth industrial revolution, the study suggests that 4.0 technologies emphasize the peculiarities and competitiveness factors typical of the district model in terms of customization and flexibility. There are differences in the motivations of adoption (product diversification for district firms vs productivity enhancement for non-district firms) and in the results achieved.

The paper is one of the first attempts to empirically explore the technological innovation paths related to Industry 4.0 within IDs, therefore, contributing to the debate on the possible evolution of the district model

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

Defined as local manufacturing systems, industrial districts have been recognized as particularly important for the location of firms’ manufacturing activities intertwined with innovation processes. The debate on the internationalization of production has stressed the low value related to manufacturing within value chain activities (smile framework), emphasizing the need to focus on high value-added activities (R&D or marketing). Following multinational enterprises’ internationalization strategies, also district firms have progressively offshored their production phases in the past years. However, recent studies focused on backshoring have revamped the attention on the domestic control of production for firms’ competitiveness. This chapter explores district firms’ location choices for manufacturing activities between local and global. Based on an empirical analysis of about 260 Italian district firms specialized in mechanics, furniture, and fashion and supported by a case study investigation, our results show that despite district internationalization processes, a non-negligible amount of firms still carry out – in-house or through outsourcing – production activities at district level. Larger firms couple district production and long-term upstream outsourced internationalization activities. The district system confirms its role of pooling specialized competences and product know-how, being decisive for firms’ innovation and responsiveness to national and international markets. Backshoring, instead, is a very limited phenomenon and linked to upgrading strategies.

The recent transformations brought about by the globalisation of markets have increased the competitive pressure for firms operating in traditional sectors, and in particular for those in industrial districts. The authors' aim is to understand the extent to which firms responded to these new challenges. More particularly, they investigate the determinants of innovation at firm level focusing on the role of firm's outsourcing strategies.

Drawing on an original firm‐level dataset, the authors analyse the determinants of innovation in a typical Italian industrial district, i.e. the hosiery district of Castel Goffredo in the Third Italy. They apply econometric techniques, in particular OLS and Tobit models.

The authors' findings suggest that industrial districts are evolving towards a differentiated organisational structure in which innovation is driven by firms, which are focused on core competences and high valued added activities.

The authors' results should be interpreted with some caution, since the cross‐sectional design of their data does not allow them to fully control for potential reverse causation effects, which might be relevant for some of the explanatory variables. Their data do not allow them to include additional instrumental variables, thus they cannot control for endogeneity. Therefore, their interpretation is limited to comment the extent and regularity of the relation between dependent and explanatory variables.

The evidence presented in this study corroborates some arguments highlighted in the current debate about the evolution of industrial districts. A network‐based organisation is the dominant organisational structure. The authors have some evidence on the importance of size as driver of innovation.

The authors find original evidence at firm level on the relation between organisational change, in the form of outsourcing, and innovation in the context of an industrial district. They also find empirical support to arguments debated in the recent policy debates on whether small firms can be regarded as engines of innovation in industrial districts.

The debate about university technology transfer policy would benefit from increased attention to two parts of the technology transfer equation: the societal purpose of basic scientific research and the characteristics of scientific researchers.11This Chapter was prepared for the Colloquium on University Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer hosted by the Karl Eller Center of the University of Arizona and sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. I am grateful to them for their support. I am also grateful to the participants in the Colloquium for helpful comments. Finally, I thank my research assistant, David Zelner, for assistance with this project. One purpose of curiosity-driven research is to provide a demand function that can serve as a proxy for the socially optimal (but unknowable) demand function for the unpredictable research that is necessary for long-term technological progress. Preserving the curiosity-driven research peer review “market” is thus important for that progress. This analysis highlights the importance of adequate funding for curiosity-driven research. A model of typical university scientists’ preferences can be used to assess how technology transfer policies may affect the social norms of the research community and the long-term viability of the curiosity-driven research endeavor. The analysis suggests that patenting will be an ineffective technology transfer mechanism unless researchers are precluded from using patenting to maintain control over follow-on research.

Ethernet continues to evolve as a viable fieldbus technology for industrial automation. This paper seeks to discuss the development of the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) for Ethernet and standards with particular reference to time synchronisation, real time motion control and safety.

The CIP is introduced, with an overview of four network adaptations: CompoNet, DeviceNet, ControlNet, and EtherNet/IP. Developments in the EtherNet/IP implementation are discussed, along with key features. These include CIP Safety to meet the requirements for safety‐related control, CIP Sync for time synchronisation across CIP networks and CIP motion for real‐time closed loop motion control.

Standard, unmodified Ethernet will support time synchronisation, real time motion control and safety‐related applications with the CIP adaptation EtherNet/IP. The CIP enables complete integration of control with information, multiple CIP networks and internet technologies. CIP provides seamless communication from the plant floor throughout the enterprise, with a scalable and coherent architecture, incorporating functionality, such as safety, time synchronisation and motion control, hitherto only available with specialised or incompatible networks.

The implementations of CIP Sync, CIP Motion and CIP Safety and the corresponding standards provide functionality and flexibility not available from disparate specialist networks. The ability to fully integrate internet technologies and safety, synchronisation, motion and safety together is a distinguishing feature. Industrial Ethernet technologies vary in the ability to integrate to the same level of functionality and offer similar flexibility.

The development of CIP technology and the use of open standards are described. The opportunity to use the combination of an established automation protocol and standard, unmodified Ethernet provides potential cost benefits, flexibility, and innovative solutions, whilst providing integration, performance and cost advantages.

This study advocates the importance of taking an evolutionary perspective in the strategic configuration of closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) in the transition to a circular economy. Building on the supply chain management and industrial dynamics research domains, an evolutionary analytical framework was developed and applied in the empirical context of the ongoing industrial transition to e-mobility.

This study is designed as an in-depth exploratory case study to capture the multi-layer dynamic complexities and their interplay in CSLC development. The empirical investigation was based on two-year interactions between the authors and various departments in a leading European heavy vehicle manufacturer. The proposed evolutionary analytical framework was used for investigating the dynamics of four CLSC configurations through ten possible trajectories.

The findings demonstrate that the evolution of each CLSC configuration comes with multiple challenges and requirements and point out the necessity for the co-development of technologies, product design and production, and infrastructure through long-term relationships among key supply chain actors. However, this evolutionary journey is associated with multiple dilemmas caused by uncertainties in the market and technology developments. All these factors were properly captured and critically analyzed, along with their interactions, thanks to the constructs included in the proposed evolutionary analytical framework.

The proposed evolutionary framework is applicable for examination of SC transformation in the context of market and technology development, and is particularly relevant for transitioning from linear SC to CLSC. The framework offers a single actor perspective, as it does not directly tackle dynamics and effects of actions taken by SC actors.

The developed framework can support SC managers in identifying, framing, and comparing alternative strategies for CLSC configuration in the transition process.

This study proposes the framework for understanding and guiding the evolutionary process of CLSC development. Its uniqueness lies in the integration of concepts from innovation and evolutionary theories coming from industrial dynamics and SCM literature streams.

Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and shows that these are in many, differing, areas across management research from: retail finance; precarious jobs and decisions; methodological lessons from feminism; call centre experience and disability discrimination. These and all points east and west are covered and laid out in a simple, abstract style, including, where applicable, references, endnotes and bibliography in an easy‐to‐follow manner. Summarizes each paper and also gives conclusions where needed, in a comfortable modern format.