Exploring the interaction between incubators and industrial clusters: the case of the itri incubator in Taiwan

This article aims to explore the interaction between incubators and industrial clusters, which is an important linkage for local development but has not been analyzed in the literature. A model is proposed to describe this interaction. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Incubator within the Hsinchu industrial cluster, the core of Taiwan's technology industries, is considered to be an empirical case. This case is investigated with the proposed model and methods including data analysis, in–depth interviews, manager surveys and stakeholder analysis. It was found that the clustering effect in the Hsinchu industrial cluster is main factor in the ITRI Incubator's development. The ITRI Incubator in turn reinforces the cluster in some aspects as feedback. This result confirms the existence and importance of this interaction in local development. It is recommended that government officials and incubator managers take account of this interaction in operating an incubator program and utilize the proposed model to analyze the incubator's contributions to its industrial cluster.     

Integration of the Kano and QFD model in health food development: using black beans as examples

This study applied the Kano two-dimensional quality model and quality function deployment (QFD) to develop the black bean’s reputation as a health food and identify quality attributes of consumers’ needs in order to effectively control the attributes. This study first conducted a literature review and summarized the product’s quality attributes and then carried out expert interviews to determine health food quality attributes and consumer need quality attributes. A questionnaire survey was conducted to discuss which quality attributes of black beans consumers perceived to be important when they were presented as a health food and classify their answers using the quality attributes in the Kano model in order to effectively control consumers’ needs. Consumers’ demand for quality attributes was transformed into a technique of product quality development. In a matrix of the two constructs, quality classification of health food in the Kano model and order of consumers’ satisfaction with eating types of health food products, quality factors were transformed into technical specifications of product development for QFD and the construction of the first-stage of the House of Quality matrix. The results serve as references for companies to effectively distribute resources and establish strategies of product development, enhance product quality and consumer satisfaction, reduce product development time, and increase the success rate of products in the market. The results contribute to the health food enterprises are not only can make profit of product but also meet customers’ need.     

近期国内成品油价格走势分析

8月份，为了贯彻落实国务院关于整顿市场秩序的规定和国家经贸委提出的推动成品油价格到位的指示精神，石油与石化两大集团在保持低原油加工量的同时，继续开展联手推价工作；南海休渔期的结束和秋收季节的即将来临，导致农业、渔业用油量增加，国内柴油市场出现复苏迹象；加之市场人士推测国家即将出台有利于提高油品价格的成品油定价新机制，这些因素共同促使国内成品油市场好转。至下旬，大部分地区执行价格已基本上推到位，销量亦有不同程度的增加。从区域差异看，东北、西北大部分地区到位情况较好，销售平稳，华北、华东、中原、西南等地价格波动较大；从品种方面看，柴油普遍好于汽油。