The Anticipation Of Converging Industries

The blurring of boundaries between hitherto distinct scientific disciplines, technologies or markets is a common and powerful phenomenon. Subjects of this convergence often change consumer behaviours, favouring products and platforms with multiple functions. The Anticipation of Converging Industries provides a detailed focus on the triggers, drivers and consequences of convergence to create a more concise definition of convergence. This detailed analysis includes a specifically developed toolbox for ‘convergence foresight’, creating a forecasting method for convergence trends. With the focus on the chemical, biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries, several indicators of convergence in the areas of Nutraceuticals/Functional Foods, Cosmeceuticals and ICT are derived from samples including over 1million patents and scientific publications. By supporting this methodical approach with real world data, The Anticipation of Converging Industries is perfect for industry practitioners looking for a competitive edge in the present and for the future. Similarly, academics will find a comprehensive theoretical concept for better understanding the underlying rationale of convergence at their disposal

This book deals with both the understanding of, and the explanation of, knowledge about the causes, processes, and patterns of convergence innovation. It argues that the process of convergence innovation is a continuous disequilibrium between reference technology and its matching technology, adjusting the optimal balance between the functions of the two technologies. Contributors describe how convergence innovation is a learning process that requires both vertical and horizontal convergence, and case studies explore the different types of convergence innovation such as outside-in and inside-out. Convergence innovation has been taking place mainly by applying IT technologies to vast areas of conventional technologies, so that individuals or firms reap the benefits of the convergence between IT and conventional technologies. Such innovations are made possible by convergence, and they ultimately improve the welfare of human beings as companies solve diverse problems and increase employment. Examples in this book include biochemical companies in Indonesia, who were able to increase their market shares in bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide products through bio-based technological convergence; and textile machinery firms in South Korea who have been survived by achieving convergence innovation on their core competences. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Asian Journal of Technology Innovation.

Nutraceuticals and Natural Product Pharmaceuticals analyzes the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical research published over the last decade, paying particular attention to applications and recovery effects. The book emphasizes the great need for both nutritionists and pharmacologists to understand how these drugs can benefit human health. Topics explore innovative sources, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, translating novel pathways and mechanisms of action into their clinical use, personalized nutrition and natural product medicine, the convergence between nutraceuticals and western medicine, interactions between drugs, nutrients, the microbiome and lifestyles, industrial applications and commercialization, metabolomics, nano-delivery systems and function, and more. Nutritionists and pharmacists working with natural products, food scientists, nutrition researchers and those interested in the development of innovative products, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and functional foods are sure to benefit from this thorough resource. Connects research from the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries Promotes further communication and cooperation between pharmacologists and nutritionists by analyzing nutraceutical and pharmaceutical research in particular applications and recovery efforts Explores the health effects of target compounds and the development of applications in both sectors

This research anthology explores the concept of food production and supply, from farm gate to plate, bringing together contemporary thinking and research on local, national, and global issues from a stakeholder perspective. A Stakeholder Approach to Managing Food includes a number of sections to represent these challenges, opportunities, conflicts, and cohesions affecting relevant stakeholder groups within food production and supply and their reaction to, engagement with, and co-creation of the food environment. For some, local, national, and global interests may seem at odds. We are in an era of growing and pervasive multi-national corporations, and these corporations have significant influence at all levels. Rapidly growing economies such as China are a focus for the global brand, but is this a scenario of adaptation or homogenization of food? Alongside this trend toward national and global development in food, this volume presents the counter-reaction that is taking place (especially in developed countries) toward local speciality and culturally bound foods, with emphasis on the importance of the inter-connection of local communities and agri-food culture and economy. With an in-depth analysis of agricultural businesses, this book shows that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in rural communities with often renewed and engaged connection with consumers and imaginative use of new media. This book will be of interest to students, researchers and policy-makers concerned with agriculture, food production and economics, cultural studies.

Philipp Herzog develops a theoretical framework arguing that Open Innovation and Closed Innovation cultures need to be distinguished. The findings help firms cope with the challenges experienced in implementing the Open Innovation concept.

This book provides an interdisciplinary and comprehensible introduction to bioeconomy. It thus provides basic knowledge for understanding a transformation process that will shape the 21st century and requires the integration of many disciplines and industries that have had little to do with each other up to now. We are talking about the gradual and necessary transition from the age of fossil fuels, which began around 200 years ago, to a global economy based on renewable raw materials (and renewable energies). The success of this transition is key to coping with the challenge of climate change. This book conceives the realization of bioeconomy as a threefold task – a scientific, an economic and an ecological one. · Where does the biomass come from that we need primarily for feeding the growing world population but also for future energy and material use? How can it be processed in biorefineries and what role does biotechnology play in this regard? · Which aspects of innovation economics need to be considered, which economic aspects of value creation, competitiveness and customer acceptance are important? · What conditions must a bioeconomy fulfil in order to enable a sustainable development of life on earth? May it be regarded as a key to further economic growth or shouldn’t it rather orient itself towards the ideal of sufficiency? By dealing with these questions from the not necessarily consistent perspectives of proven experts, this book provides an interdisciplinary overview of a dynamic field of research and practice that raises more questions than answers and thus may nurture the motivation of many more people to seriously engage for the realization of a bioeconomy.

In order to establish and maintain a successful company in the digital age, managers are digitally transforming their organizations to include such tools as disruptive technologies and digital data to improve performance and efficiencies. As these companies continue to adopt digital technologies to improve their businesses and create new revenues and value-producing opportunities, they must also be aware of the challenges digitalization can present. Business Transformations in the Era of Digitalization is a collection of innovative research on the latest trends, business opportunities, and challenges in the digitalization of businesses. Highlighting a range of topics including business-IT alignment, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), business sustainability, small and medium-sized enterprises, and digital entrepreneurship, this book is ideally designed for managers, professionals, consultants, entrepreneurs, and researchers.

As the use of remote work has recently skyrocketed, digital transformation within the workplace has gone under a microscope, and it has become abundantly clear that the incorporation of new technologies in the workplace is the future of business. These technologies keep businesses up to date with their capabilities to perform remote work and make processes more efficient and effective than ever before. In understanding digital transformation in the workplace there needs to be advanced research on technology, organizational change, and the impacts of remote work on the business, the employees, and day-to-day work practices. This advancement to a digital work culture and remote work is rapidly undergoing major advancements, and research is needed to keep up with both the positives and negatives to this transformation. The Research Anthology on Digital Transformation, Organizational Change, and the Impact of Remote Work contains hand-selected, previously published research that explores the impacts of remote work on business workplaces while also focusing on digital transformation for improving the efficiency of work. While highlighting work technologies, digital practices, business management, organizational change, and the effects of remote work on employees, this book is an all-encompassing research work intended for managers, business owners, IT specialists, executives, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how digital transformation and remote work is affecting workplaces.