Diffusion of Lead-free Soldering in Electronics Industry in China

The EU directives on e-waste management (WEEE and RoHS) have drawn the attention of electronics producers around the world to the environmental benign technologies in recent years. One of the technological challenges to the electronics manufacturers is the adoption of the lead-free soldering system. This article studies the diffusion of lead-free soldering technology among the electronics producers in China, and finds out the relevance of clusters for the diffusion of environmental benign technological innovation among firms. Four agents, as key promoters, were identified within the production network –leading global brand-name companies, the OEM companies who provide integrated manufacturing service, the suppliers of lead-free components, and specialized consultant companies. The conclusion is that industrial cluster facilitates communications among all agents for the diffusion of innovation, whereas, the incentives for firms within the cluster, to collaborate for innovation, comes from outside.     

地理邻近性与区域创新关系探讨

与“地理学已死”的认识相反．由于知识的特性和创新的背量依赖，在区域创新的研究中地理邻近得到重视。地理邻近在区域创新经济学中的位置与传统空间经济学中的位置一样．只是创新的促进因素．而不是决定性因素。空间经济学和创新经济学在目的上是一样的．但由于各自不同的经济决定变量导致了对地理邻近性的认识是不一样的。尝试从知识流动和集体学习视角，对一直被视为“黑箱”的地理邻近性的作用机理进行探讨。研究表明。地理邻近是“距离产生美”，太多或太少的地理邻近对集体学习和区域创新都是不利的。同时地理邻近性既不是区域创新的充分条件，也不是必要条件，它和其它类型的邻近相互促进．相互替代。ICIS的发展使传统空间经济学中地理邻近的重要性降低，ICIS更进一步发展同样会使区域创新经济学中的地理邻近性重要性降低，也许未来的虚拟经济的世界里真的不太需要物理世界的地理邻近。     

Institutional effectiveness of REDD+ MRV: Countries progress in implementing technical guidelines and good governance requirements

The UNFCCC requires REDD+ countries wishing to receive results-based payments to measure, report and verify (MRV) REDD+ impacts; and outlines technical guidelines and good governance requirements for MRV. This article examines institutional effectiveness of REDD+ MRV by assessing countries’ progress in implementing these technical guidelines and good governance requirements, from three dimensions. Ownership of technical methods examines whether countries own technical methods for forest area and area change measuring, and for estimating forest carbon stocks; and whether national MRV systems cover all forests, land uses and carbon pools. Administrative capacity examines development of administrative competence to implement MRV. Good governance examines whether countries espouses norms of good governance in their MRV systems. We apply these dimensions to assess and compare progress in 13 REDD+ countries, based on a review of national and international documents. Findings show that REDD+ countries have high to very high ownership of technical methods. However, majority ranks only low to moderate on administrative capacity and good governance. This means that although countries have started developing technical methods for MRV, they are yet to develop the competence necessary to administer MRV and to inculcate good governance in MRV. The article explain the scores and suggest ways of improving implementation of REDD+ MRV.     

协同创新视角下资环专业研究生科技创新能力提升途径

资源循环科学与工程专业硕士毕业生存在规模小、科技创新能力不足、能力施展受限等问题,无法满足产业对高层次人才的需求。究其原因有:(1)新兴专业,其研究生导师队伍建设不健全,人才培养质量参差不齐;(2)交叉专业,其科技创新能力培养方向尚需融合凝练;(3)综合专业,其现有科研平台还不足以支撑学科发展,科技创新能力培养模式还没有完全形成。因此,本学科研究生培养单位应树立协同创新理念,坚持行业需求导向,充分挖掘办学特色和优势,凝练培养方向、完善以科技创新能力培养核心的研究生培养方案;加强师资队伍建设,建立健全科研平台;支持鼓励科技创新实践活动,做好学科前沿追踪;加强校校交流互动,提升硕士点认可度。     

污染土壤及地下水修复的PRB技术及展望

PRB技术是一类就地修复污染土壤及地下水的新型技术 ,主要由注入井、浸提井和监测井3部分所组成。污染地区的水文地质学研究 ,是实施该技术的关键 ;化学活性物质的筛选、注入的部位、浓度、速率以及是否均匀分布 ,是该技术是否有效的关键要素。胶态零价铁PRB技术 ,被证明是一项修复由卤代烃、卤代芳烃和有机氯农药以及一些有毒金属 (如铬、硒、铀、砷和锝等 )引起的土壤及地下水污染的有效技术。尽管这些技术存在一定的弊病 ,但与传统的处理方法相比 ,其技术上的优势是十分明显的。可以预料 ,这一技术在我国有良好的应用前景     

可持续发展问题的技术根源与创新抉择

资源与环境退化产生的根源主要是由于经济活动中技术手段不合理的运用造成的,而可持续发展问题的解决又必须依靠技术创新来实现,所以,我们在实现可持续发展目标的过程中必须要对技术创新的作用进行重新反思,要充分认识技术创新的两面性,并通过寻求新的思路对传统技术创新体系加以调整和转换,使之能够成为推动经济、社会和自然复合系统协调、持续发展的结合点。     

组织制度创新：生态工业发展的动力

生态产业是模拟生态系统而建立的生产工艺体系,具有较强的外部性。从经济学角度来看,企业实现外部性成本内部化的原因在于生态产业的潜在利益。社会对“生态”的需求隐藏着广阔的市场利益,构成了企业“生态化制度”的激励约束制度。这诱导企业实现了污染治理与原先独立生产方式的“一体化”,其方式是在企业组织外部性环节上增加一些“成本收益核算”的组织,从而完成了外部性内部化的组织制度创新。所以,生态产业是一系列组织制度创新,改变了企业选择空间,从而引导企业进入生态技术和生态化经营的方向上。     

Community‐based preparedness programmes and the 2009 Australian bushfires: policy implications derived from applying theory

The Victorian Country Fire Authority in Australia runs the Community Fireguard (CFG) programme to assist individuals and communities in preparing for fire. The objective of this qualitative research was to understand the impact of CFG groups on their members' fire preparedness and response during the 2009 Australian bushfires. Social connectedness emerged as a strong theme, leading to an analysis of data using social capital theory. The main strength of the CFG programme was that it was driven by innovative community members; however, concerns arose regarding the extent to which the programme covered all vulnerable areas, which led the research team to explore the theory of diffusion of innovation. The article concludes by stepping back from the evaluation and using both applied theories to reflect on broad options for community fire preparedness programmes in general. The exercise produced two contrasting options for principles underlying community fire preparedness programmes.     

Leadership of scientists and engineers: A three‐vector model

Existing models have not adequately accounted for the leadership of scientists and engineers engaged in creative work. In this Incubator, we present a model of creative leadership of scientists and engineers and argue that such leaders should possess expertise in three vectors. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Technological change and fisheries sustainability: The point of view of Adaptive Dynamics

The analysis of a simple model shows that exploitation of fish stocks can entrain in the long run the substantial decline or even the collapse of the stock, as well as difficulties in stock recovery, loss of fishery resilience, and reduction of the mean fish size. The results are in agreement with numerous observations, even though they are obtained with a simple model in which the harvesting fleet and the fish stock are considered as unstructured predator and prey. The study is carried out for the typical case of fleet dimension not too sensitive to the year-to-year fluctuations of the stock and assuming that the sole cause of evolution is technological innovation. The analysis is performed by means of Adaptive Dynamics, an approach born in theoretical biology which is used here in the context of technological change. Although the results are qualitatively consistent with those obtained long ago through the principles of bioeconomics, it is fair to stress that the underlying assumptions are different. In fact, in the bioeconomic approach fleet technology does not evolve and fishing effort varies to produce economic optimization, while in the Adaptive Dynamics approach technological innovation is the key driver. The paper is purely theoretical and the proposed model can hardly be tuned on any real fishery. No practical guidelines for managers can therefore be drawn, if not the general conclusion that long-term sustainability of exploited fish stocks can only be achieved if strategic parameters influencing technological change are kept under strict control.