Unpacking systemic innovation capacity as strategic ambidexterity: How projects dynamically configure capabilities for agricultural innovation

Problems in agriculture and land use are increasingly recognised as complex, uncertain, operating at multiple levels (field to global value chains) and involving social, economic, institutional, and technological change. This has implications for how projects navigate complexity to achieve impact. However, few studies have systematically evaluated how project actors engage with other actors to configure capabilities and resources across multiple levels in agricultural innovation systems (AIS), from the individual to the network, to mobilise and build systemic innovation capacity. An analytical framework conceptualising the nested configuration of capabilities at multiple levels in the AIS is applied to two projects that successfully tackled agricultural and land management problems of differing complexity: (i) improving lamb survival; and (ii) sustainable land management in New Zealand. Findings indicate that innovation capacity constitutes project actors interacting with other AIS actors to configure capabilities and resources at different levels of the AIS in order to leverage positive project path dependencies and break path dependencies that are created by existing and historical capability configurations. Project actors also balance exploiting existing innovation capabilities, as well as using adaptive capability for exploring and creating new capability configurations to respond to emerging circumstances. This implies that projects should have strategic ambidexterity in terms of how they combine exploiting existing and exploring new networks to access, combine, create, or disconnect certain capabilities to address ‘capability voids’ in AIS. This requires support to projects to constantly scrutinise, through reflexive monitoring by dedicated facilitators, specific agriculture and land use policies connected to major sustainable development models (e.g. climate smart agriculture, urban farming, smart farming). The can help assess whether the AIS provides the right mix of capabilities and whether this is adequately supported by innovation policy, to realize transformative policy objectives.     

我国矿山固体废弃物现状与对策分析

大量矿山固体废弃物的产生既是我国固体矿产资源特点决定的,也是我国千百年矿业开发的历史积累,更是矿产资源利用不合理的结果。通过讨论我国矿山固体废弃物的现状、资源储量及其与矿山生态环境的密切关系,从综合利用、科技创新、优惠扶持政策、产业化道路、加强法制建设、土地复垦方面,做出了相应的对策分析,得出了经济有效的综合利用是矿山固体废弃物综合治理的最关键问题。     

技术创新对现金股利政策的影响——基于企业生命周期理论

企业技术创新对现金股利政策的影响具有生命周期的特征。文章选取2012-2017年创业板上市公司作为研究样本,实证研究企业不同生命周期内,技术创新与现金股利政策之间的影响。研究发现:创业板上市公司技术创新与现金股利之间呈现显著负向关系。与此同时,在企业的成长期,技术创新与现金股利之间呈现显著负相关关系,但是在成熟期和衰退期,这种负相关关系不显著。研究从企业发展的生命周期视角探究技术创新与现金股利之间的关系,深化了对现金股利相关理论的认识,研究结果对于公司治理以及政府监管政策的制定具有一定的现实意义。     

“多伦治沙范式”的体制与机制研究

以浑善达克沙地多伦县防沙治沙可持续发展综合试验示范区建设为例,论述了“多伦治沙范式”的建设基础、技术体系和产业化进程,提出了实施制度和政策创新是推进荒漠化防治的有效手段,强化科技支撑、组织管理是防治土地荒漠化的根本保障。     

Decision Process for Adoption of Innovative Products in the European Seafood Market: The Importance of Supply and Demand Factors

This study proposes a new approach with two-dimensional point of view to test predicting factors that are influencing European trader decisions for the adoption of innovative seafood products in the distributor channels. A combination of two main predicting factors for adoption is investigated in the “supply factors” (4Ps: product, promotion, place, and price) and the “five innovation demand factors” (5IDs: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability). The findings indicate that 4Ps and 5IDs have a significant effect as controlling variables in the decision-making process for innovation adoption. This fact shows a strategic function and illustrates that supply–demand factors have a pressure effect on the innovation adoption process in the market. The results are important both for satisfying consumer expectations and for industrial innovation strategies.     

林业企业技术创新的政策支持系统研究

本文不讨论政府对技术创新的常规支持,如技术创新的税收优惠、技术参与出资的限额等问题,而是从林业企业的特殊性出发,论述林业企业技术创新分类的政策支持、林业科技成果转化和产业化发展的政策支持、林业企业技术创新风险分散的政策支持、林业知识产权和技术产权保护的政策支持。     

An application of optimal control theory to agricultural policy analysis

Since the early 1970s there has been interest in the application of optimal control theory to the management of economic systems. Specifically, optimal control theory prescribes policy strategies which optimise a quantifiable policy preference function subject to market equilibrium conditions. Problems of this kind have been identified among agricultural markets and this paper aims to illustrate the application of optimal control theory to the British potato market. The paper takes evidence from policy makers to derive target values for the producer price, imports, and the changes in the quota area from year to year. The constraints on optimisation are specified in terms of a partial equilibrium econometric model which specifies, demand, supply and trade relationships. The policy preference function is specified as a quadratic and a ‘revealed preference approach’ is employed to estimate the parameters which penalise market equilibria which over or under-shoot policy targets. The resulting optimal control problem is minimised by a dynamic programming routine. The results suggest that policy makers may benefit from taking dynamic effects directly into account when formulating policy strategies.     

大力推进“三化同步”加快江苏省“三农”发展步伐

江苏省在大力推进"三化同步"发展方面取得了突出成果,粮食生产、现代高效农业、农民增收均有突破,农村劳动力转移就业、农村改革、新农村建设取得重要进展。主要做法是大力推进思路创新、科技创新、体制机制创新、政策创新、管理创新。"十二五"时期重点工作是组织实施农业现代化工程,加快城乡发展一体化进程,实施农民收入七年倍增计划,启动村级"四有一责"建设行动计划。     

Strategic Groups of EU Food Manufacturers

Strategic groups of food manufacturers are derived using factor and cluster analysis applied to a survey of European food manufacturers. The aim is to obtain groupings of businesses that are meaningful for industry and policy analysis. Eight strategic groups are derived and profiled. The sources of competitive advantage of the businesses in the eight groups are assessed in relation to expected developments in the European food industry and the implications for industry and policy analysis are introduced. For example, businesses that have developed competencies in international sales linked either to product or process innovation appear better placed than those relying on local or national brand strategies. Countries with a large share of the former types of firms (e.g., Denmark) are better placed than countries with a large share of the latter types (e.g., Finland).     

Testing the induced innovation hypothesis: an error correction model of South African agriculture

This paper applies cointegration techniques to a model of induced innovation based on the two-stage constant elasticity of substitution (CES) production function. This approach results in direct tests of the inducement hypothesis, which are applied to data for South African commercial agriculture for the period 1947–1991. South African data is used because the policy changes have been substantial enough that the factor and price ratios have turning-points, rather than being monotonie. The time series properties of the variables are checked, cointegration is established, and an error correction model (ECM) constructed, allowing factor substitution to be separated from technological change. Finally, the ECM formulation is subjected to causality tests, which show that both the factor price ratios and R&D and extension expenditures are Granger-prior to the factor-saving biases of technological change. Thus, each stage of the analysis corroborates the inducement hypothesis. However, straightforward price-inducement is only part of the explanation of changes in factor ratios. Policy-induced innovation, in response to tax concessions and subsidised credit, is also present.     

林业上市公司科技创新的投入产出分析

基于分位数回归法和最小二乘法,对24家林业上市公司2012—2015年的科技创新投入产出数据构建的多元回归模型进行分析。结果表明:最小二乘法的分析结果显示在林业上市公司中,专利授权所占比例、无形资产所占比例与研发人员数量、研发投入金额、研发人员所占比例、研发投入所占比例之间均不存在显著的相关关系;而分位数回归法的分析结果显示在不同分位点下,自变量对专利授权所占比例、无形资产所占比例存在一定的显著影响。此外,针对部分林业上市公司存在科技创新意识薄弱投入稍显不足、专利授权所占比例和产出成果质量较低、科技创新投入产出效率不足以及研发人员和研发资金投入并不能确保科技创新产出增加的现象,提出增强科技创新意识、强化投入产出监管等建议。     

迈向“无废管理”:内涵、挑战及对策

建设“无废城市”的关键在于实现城市的“无废管理”。国外已有经验表明,作为一种整体性治理方案,无废管理并不寻求模式的统一,而是体现出很强的灵活性和实践导向性。在梳理国外无废管理缘起与进展基础上,分析、总结了无废管理的内涵、特征及面临的挑战。借鉴东京无废管理经验,并结合我国城市废物治理的特殊性,提出从完善政策制度、弥合管理碎片化、鼓励精益生产和循环经济、倡导绿色消费和垃圾分类共识等方面加快国内无废城市建设的政策建议。     

Agricultural technology and land use futures: The UK case

This paper explores how agricultural technology has interacted with recent land use in the UK and how it might do so in the next 50 years. From 1960 to 1985, farmers successfully used technology to increase the output of crop and animal products per unit of land and particularly of labour. This reduced the number of people employed in agriculture, and promoted larger and more specialised farm enterprises. Between 1985 and 2006, food prices were relatively low, and although labour productivity continued to increase, land productivity remained relatively static. However during this period, farmers started to address the effects of agriculture on reduced water quality and habitat loss.For established agricultural products, technological innovation tends to have an incremental effect, working through genetic improvement, the removal of abiotic and biotic stress (e.g. crop nutrition and protection, irrigation and drainage, and animal nutrition, health and housing) and the substitution of labour. Whereas the first two processes tend to be scale-neutral, the substitution of labour is usually easiest to achieve on larger farms. Other key areas for technological innovation include addressing air, soil and water quality, biodiversity, waste reduction, and information management. Over the next 50 years, large step-changes in land use arising from agricultural technology are predicted to arise from the development of new markets for agricultural products. A strong bioenergy sector will strengthen the links between crop commodity and energy prices and will have a major effect on future land use. Climate change and the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions will alter the relative profitability of crop and animal production systems. Lastly, increased public awareness of the links between food, health and the environment could substantially shift the demand for specific agricultural products.Continual improvements in agricultural technology are pivotal to providing society with the flexibility to balance the challenges of improving human well-being with the management of the planet's ecosystem. Increased technological innovation increases the probability that agricultural land can be used for other purposes, but the exact relationship is dependent on trade and environmental policies. The large external effects of agriculture mean that decisions regarding the adoption of future technologies should be taken by farmers working with other stakeholders.     

低碳试点政策对城市土地绿色利用的影响——基于双重差分模型的实证研究

研究目的：探究低碳试点政策对城市土地绿色利用的影响效应与内在机制，以期从环境政策的角度为城市土地绿色利用提供对策建议。研究方法：Super-SBM模型、双重差分模型。研究结果：低碳试点政策对试点城市的土地绿色利用效率具有显著的促进作用，在考虑地区与时间特征以及其他影响因素的情况下，该促进效应为1.16%。机制分析结果显示，首先，低碳试点政策的实施对于当地产业结构转型具有促进作用，并表现为第一、第三产业比重的上升和第二产业比重的下降；其次，低碳城市建设所引致的城市创新能力的增强，通过低碳技术研发与应用，对土地绿色利用效率具有提升效应。研究结论：应通过持续推进低碳试点政策改革、结合本地产业特征引导产业转型、鼓励技术引进与创新等措施促进我国城市土地资源的绿色高效利用。     

Management of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites in Nigeria: Current challenges and future direction

Sites affected by petroleum hydrocarbons from oil exploitation activities have been identified as a major environmental and socio-economic problem in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The current Nigerian regulatory instruments to manage these contaminated sites are fragmented and the roles and responsibilities of government agencies, such as the Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR), and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), are not well defined. This lack of coordination has led to ineffective land contamination policy and poor enforcement more generally. Appropriate, risk-based policy instruments are needed to improve regulatory capacity, and to enhance the regulator's ability to manage new and existing petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated sites. Lessons can be learned from countries like the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States America (USA) that have experience with the management and clean up of historically contaminated land. In this paper, we review the status of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites management in Nigeria and identify the gaps in existing policy and regulation. We review the contaminated land policies and regulation from the UK and the USA, and identify lessons that could be transferred to the Nigerian system. Finally, we provide a series of recommendations (e.g. source – pathway-receptor approach, soil screening criteria, clean-up funding, liability) that could enhance contaminated land legislation in Nigeria.     

Innovation in Agro-Foods: A Comparative Analysis of Value Chains

ABSTRACT

The innovative activity of firms has been linked to the introduction of a new product or process associated with the development or application of new technological knowledge. New products generally contain innovative techniques that increase the quality of goods. New processes are based on the use of new technologies to increase the efficiency of production. However, the exclusive link between technology and innovation has been criticized for various reasons. It provides a restrictive vision considering innovation as part of the manufacturing and services sectors. Innovation in firms affects not only the development and application of new technologies but also the adoption and the reorganization of business processes, internal organization, external relations, and marketing. The literature in the field of management emphasizes the importance of integrating product, process, and organization to translate new ideas into market success. Thus, to obtain a complete picture of the innovative efforts of firms in the agro-food industry, the concept of innovation has been extended to both technological and nontechnological innovations. This analysis provided evidence of innovations used by agro-food firms. It also identified latent demand for future innovation.     

基于PEST模型的中国自然保护区建设与管理探讨

利用PEST分析模型,系统分析国家政策、经济、社会文化和技术层面的新变化以及自然保护区建设管理过程中面临的机遇与挑战。面临的机遇是生态文明建设、生物多样性保护、依法治国等国家战略的实施将为保护区战略地位、区地协同、机制创新、技术创新、治理优化、资金投入创造有利条件;存在的主要问题包括治理结构、管理机制、资源权属不捋顺、规划执行不到位、管理较为粗放、专业水平不高等;面临的挑战包括未来大数据、物联网、云计算等新兴技术对保护区的管理模式和运行方式可能带来重大改变。基于上述分析,认为中国自然保护区进入创新发展阶段,全面推进保护区治理体系建设,加强保护区科学规划、保护管理、科研监测、社区共管和生态经济服务等方面的能力建设和数字化保护区升级建设成为中国自然保护区建设与管理的战略重点。     

开发区土地扩张与经济增长关系研究——以国家级经济技术开发区为例

研究目的:通过研究开发区土地扩张对经济增长的作用,提出不同时期开发区的供地政策和增长方式。研究方法:将土地要素引入到道格拉斯生产函数模型,对国家级经济技术开发区的土地扩张和经济增长进行了实证研究。研究结果:土地要素是开发区经济增长的源泉之一,但土地要素在经济增长中的功能是在变化的,其经济增长源泉功能在经济发展中逐渐弱化,技术和制度要素促进经济增长的贡献在增大。研究结论:开发区经济增长方式的转变建立于土地内涵式扩张的基础之上,其特征是提高土地集约度和减弱土地扩张对经济增长贡献程度,途径是提高技术进步在增长中的作用,加强制度创新和管理变革对经济增长的促进。     

技术创新对木材加工业低碳贸易竞争力的影响

基于39个国家的面板数据,运用个体固定效应模型、面板工具变量法等,考察了技术创新对低碳约束情境下的木材加工业产业国际竞争力的影响。研究结果表明:随着低碳经济时代的到来,由要素驱动的产业发展模式会逐渐成为木材加工业国际竞争力进一步提高的瓶颈,但技术创新可以有效提升木材加工业的国际竞争力,尤其是在低碳约束下,技术创新对木材加工业国际竞争力的促进作用存在"后发优势"。     

我国技术创新能力地区差异研究

创新是一个民族进步的灵魂，是一个国家兴旺发达的不竭动力。结合影响技术创新的因素，构建了评价指标体系。采用因子分析法，找出了影响我国技术创新能力的主要因子。建立技术创新能力计价模型，比较了我国省区之间技术创新能力的差异；提出了建议。