Technological upgrading, as the key engine of Chinese economic development, does not take place in isolation, but is largely dependent on access to external knowledge sources. FDI has long been regarded as an external knowledge source because of its intra- and intercity technological spillovers. Meanwhile, both foreign expansion time-based characteristics and industrial structures could affect technological upgrading, but there is a heated debate about whether they enhance FDI spillovers in host cities. In this PhD thesis, I integrate these two streams of literature into a theoretical framework, and hope to investigate how foreign expansion time-based characteristics and industrial structures moderate both intra- and intercity relationships between inward FDI and technological upgrading in Chinese cities. Moreover, I link cluster theory to FDI spillovers, and establish a theoretical model in which government and market orientations can affect knowledge transfers and disseminations between domestic and foreign firms. Overall, this research aims to extend the existing literature by bridging literature of FDI spillovers, foreign expansion process, and industrial structures from a contingency perspective. It deepens our understandings about both intra- and intercity dimensions of FDI technological spillovers in explaining host city technological upgrading. Based on specific panel datasets from the Chinese Urban Statistical Yearbooks and the Annual Industrial Survey Database, I adopt Pooled OLS and Spatial Durbin Model to explore intra- and intercity externalities of foreign expansion process and industrial structures in FDI spillovers. My results indicate that FDI spillovers contribute to both intra- and inter-city technological upgrading in China. Irregular foreign expansion process diminishes FDI spillovers within a given city, but facilitates intercity knowledge dissemination. Cities with a high degree of related variety can reap benefits from FDI technological spillovers. However, such empirical results may change between different urban groups, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Shanghai-Yangtze River Delta respectively. Therefore, the findings of this PhD thesis not only provide convincing evidence for the debate regarding the relationship between FDI and host city technological upgrading, but also highlight government and market orientations to assist with policy making in the future.

The aim of the study is to examine the effects of FDI on the four countries - Czech republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. There is a detailed description of a global flows of FDI, concentrating on specific important events that influenced the flows, also regarding the particular region of a world economy. In the main part the study examines every country of the Visegrad Group separately - its macroeconomic development, FDI flows and main events that had a major influence on the flows into each country. At the end there is also a small quantitative analysis trying to prove a relationship between FDI stock in each country and its rate of inflation, unemployment rate, GDP growth and a current account deficit of a ballance of payments.

This thesis is dedicated to a very interesting topic - it is an investment activity. Investments are the basis of economic development and growth of living standards. Foreign investments are therefore a source for further economic growth. The author of this work focused on exploring investment in the country where she was born, it is Belarus. About the investment in that territory is not talked much, which could be caused by the local political situation. But Belarus is quite popular between Russian investors. The work is divided into several parts. The first part is theoretical and methodological, describes the general knowledge and concepts related to investment. In the practical part, the author describes the investment rules in Belarus and gives quite detailed information about the investment climate in the country. The thesis ends with an indication of practical recommendations for investment in Belarus.

La thèse porte sur l’impact des investissements direct étrangers sur la croissance économique appliquée au cas de l’économie turque.Dans le cadre des débats sur le processus de rattrapage économique de certains pays en voie de développement, nous constatons que ces pays en question doivent leur succès essentiellement aux transferts de biens et services venant des pays développés. L’IDE est un moyen qui facilite le processus de diffusion de connaissances et de technologies, mais tout de même les débats sur ses effets positifs sont controversés et ils ont mis en évidence une discordance entre les hypothèses théoriques et les résultats empiriques. Nous cherchons à savoir dans quelle mesure l’affinement de l’analyse au niveau empirique peut permettre de déterminer le degré de pertinence des théories.L’analyse qualitative nous a permis de comprendre les déterminants des stratégies des investisseurs étrangers et du pays d’accueil, des éléments sur le transfert de technologie et ses composants, sur l’innovation, sur les liens en amont et en aval, sur les répercussions sur l’emploi,etc. L’analyse quantitative a confirmé une relation bidirectionnelle entre l’IDE et la croissance économique et par la suite les relations des IDE avec les autres composants de la croissance économique.Les résultats indiquent que l'IDE réside d’une importance cruciale en termes du transfert de technologies, de compétences entrepreneuriales et des ressources en termes de capitaux.Par ailleurs, en observant le niveau de coopération au sein de l’entreprise conjointe, notre analyse qualitative indique une forte accumulation des compétences en termes technologiques,d’innovation et managériales au niveau des entreprises locales. De plus, les relations verticales en amont et en aval entre les FMN et les entreprises locales sont relativement fortes. Les filiales étrangères utilisent de plus en plus des réseaux locaux pour fournir de biens intermédiaires. Cela confirme l’autonomie renforcée du secteur manufacturier local en Turquie. / The thesis focuses on the impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth applied to the case of the Turkish economy.In the context of discussions on the process of economic catching-up countries in the developing world, we find that the country in question owe their success primarily to the transfer of goods and services from developed countries. FDI is a tool that facilitates the process of diffusionof knowledge and technology, but still debates about its positive effects are controversial and have highlighted a discrepancy between the theoretical assumptions and empirical findings. We want to know how the refinement of the empirical level analysis can determine the degree of relevance of theories.The qualitative analysis allowed us to understand the determinants of foreign investors and strategies of the host country, elements of technology transfer and its components on innovation,backward and forward linkages of the impact on employment, etc.. The quantitative analysis confirmed a bidirectional relationship between FDI and economic growth and subsequently FDI relations with other components of economic growth.The results indicate that FDI is crucial in terms of technology transfer, entrepreneurial skill sand resources in terms of capital.Furthermore, by observing the level of cooperation in the joint venture, our qualitative analysis indicates a strong accumulation of skills in terms of technology, innovation and management at local firms. In addition, vertical backward and forward linkages between MNCs andlocal firms are relatively strong. Foreign subsidiaries use more local networks to provide intermediate goods. This confirms the increased autonomy of the local manufacturing sector inTurkey.

Depuis 1979, la Chine a entrepris les politiques des Réformes et de l’Ouverture. Cette période marque un tournant de la Chine. La libéralisation du marché, l’industrialisation et l’internationalisation, qui sont réalisées de manière systématique et graduelle, ont permis d’intégrer la Chine dans l’économie mondiale et la mondialisation. En étudiant le processus de la mondialisation et du développement régional en Chine, nous pouvons constater une évolution multipolaire : une transition de l’économie traditionnelle, planifiée et fermée vers une économie moderne et ouverte du marché, une transformation d’une société agricole vers une société industrielle et de services et un changement conceptuel du centrisme chinois et de tradition vers la mondialisation et la modernité. Cette évolution est le résultat des forces irrésistibles de la mondialisation et des expériences de la Chine quant à son refus, sa résistance, son acceptation forcée, et ses essais en matière d’apprentissage vers la mondialisation. Cependant, la croissance n’est pas partagée de manière équilibrée entre les régions de la Chine. En raison des différences dans l’environnement naturel, dans les ressources, dans les structures industrielles, dans le développement social et compte tenu des éléments historiques et politiques, le développement des régions retardées est une question qui relève non seulement de la stabilité économique et politique de la Chine, mais aussi d’une source de durabilité de la croissance chinoise. Les IDE sont un des facteurs contribuant à la croissance économique en Chine, mais ils ne sont pas les seuls facteurs fautifs à l’écart de la disparité en Chine. / Since 1979, China has undertaken the policies of the Reforms and the Opening. This period marks a turning-point of China. The liberalization of the market, the industrialization and the internationalization, which are carried out in a systematic and gradual way, made it possible to integrate China in the world economy and globalization. By studying the process of globalization and regional development in China, we can observe a multiple evolution: a transition from the traditional economy, planned and closed towards an economy modern and opened market, a transformation of an agricultural society towards an industrial society and services and a conceptual change of the Chinese centrism and tradition towards globalization and modernity. This evolution is the result of the irresistible forces of the globalization and the experiments of China as for its refusal, its resistance, its acceptance forced, and its tests as regards training towards globalization. However, the growth of China is not shared in a balanced way between the regions of China. Because of the differences in natural environment, in the resources, the industrial structures, social development and taking into account the historical and political elements, the development of the delayed areas of China is a question which concerns not only the economic stability and policy of China, but also of a source of durability of the Chinese growth. The FDI is one of the factors contributing to the economic growth in China, but they are not the only faulty factors for the disparity in China.

My dissertation examines the question of how foreign direct investment (FDI) affects social welfare spending across countries. To date, there have been three important challenges to studies of the globalization-welfare state nexus. First, most scholars understand market internationalization in terms of the trade of goods and services while minimizing how other aspects of globalization fit into this discussion. Second, scholarly attention to economic globalization has been mistaken when understanding the relationship between demand- and supply-side mechanisms for social welfare provision. Thus, the argument that trade stimulates demand for social welfare has been incorrectly used to oppose the argument that capital mobility significantly undercuts a government's capability to fund welfare states. Lastly, existing studies on this topic mostly center around affluent democracies; various theories of welfare states require further elaborations to increase their external validity. My dissertation aims to overcome these challenges. For this purpose, I focus on one of the most important aspects of globalization, FDI, which bears meaningful implications for both demand- and supply-side functions of social welfare provisions when explaining variations of social welfare spending across countries. I argue that since the late twentieth century, FDI has been a major cause of the "globalization dilemma,'' proposed by (Rodrik1997), who argues that in an age of globalization governments face increased demand for social welfare and decreased capabilities to supply it. In other words, FDI has conflicting influences on welfare states. On the one hand, FDI works for welfare states as the ensuing economic insecurity increases demand for social welfare. At the same time, however, FDI works against welfare states because governments will experience reductions in capital taxation due to competition among themselves to attract and retain production capitals. I further argue that there is an interesting consequence of this dilemma. Due to the conflicting influences of FDI on welfare states, the expansion of social welfare provisions requires governments to secure additional revenues. Governments will address this concern through a strategy that is both effective and politically less expensive: an increased reliance on indirect taxation. As indirect taxes are mostly born out of labor and thus notoriously regressive, the very effort to supply social welfare provisions goes against the fundamental principle of welfare states: the redistribution of income from the rich to the poor.

Thailand has been one of significant recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI) among developing countries over the last 30 years, and has recorded rapid and sustained growth rates in a number of different industrial categories. Thailand has shown a clear policy transition for foreign investment over time from an import-substitution regime to an export-oriented regime. Before the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis (1985-1996), Thailand had the fastest growing level of exports in manufactured goods among Asian economies. FDI plays a significant role in the Thai economy. Thailand has been pursuing different foreign investment policies at different times depending on the development objectives and economic situation in the country. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the determinants of FDI and foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in Thailand using the extended Gravity Model. Panel data is used to estimate and evaluate the empirical results based on the data for the years 1980 to 2004. It also examines the FDI flows between different locations and their geographical distances in Thailand. The primary research question addresses what factors motivate, attract, and sustain the FDI and FPI in Thailand. In addition, this study also examines the effects of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis on the inflows of FDI and FPI into Thailand. The results show that the inflows of FDI in Thailand, which are supply-driven, are significantly influenced by its 21 largest investing partners. The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis has no impact on the determinants of the inflows of FDI into Thailand, but positively influences the inflows of FPI into Thailand. Our results also show that increases in GDP and trade between investing partners and Thailand potentially attract more FDI and FPI into Thailand. Investing partners closer to Thailand draw more portfolio investment into Thailand than distant partners – emphasising that distance has a negative impact on the portfolio investment but a negligible impact on the FDI.

中國大陸市場的開放成為全球經濟發展的目前重點，地球村的概念與全球性的經營方式亦將逐漸在這轉變中的體制內萌芽、茁壯；就企業的經營觀點來看，這塊尚未完全開發的處女地所帶來的是極大的機會，但也伴隨著極大的風險與完全不同的國際競爭對手。本研究希望能針對台商與日商赴大陸投資經營之績效做一系統性比較，以為往後相關研究鋪路與提供企業赴大陸投資之參考。 　　本研究最主要的探討問題有二：一、若可將外商投資大陸之歷分為三段之事前（企業至大陸的動機、企業對環境變遷的體認、企業所認為擁有的競爭優勢）、事中（企業進入大陸的模式及經營特質）與事後（企業經營之績效），三者間有何種關係？二、台商與日商的投資與經營模式有何不同？ 　　而本研究透過問卷寄發給台商與日商並經統計分析後所得之主要結果為：企業的協調程度愈高，其所面臨的當地相關源令愈寬鬆、當地政治環境愈穩定、並未考量制度動機、具有資源優勢，且本項以日商之協調程度愈高；而當企業的協調程度愈高，其經營績效會愈高；亦即在大陸日商之經營績效均優於在大陸之台商，究其主要原因在於日商之企業經營特質－組織協調調程度高於台商，且前者並未考量制度動機但具有資源優勢；另一方面，相對於台商，日商認為當地法令環境較為寬鬆且政治較為穩定。

L'estimation de l'attitude (ou orientation) est un problème récurrent de nombreuses applications allant de la robotique aérienne ou sous-marine en passant par des applications médicales (surveillance de patients, réhabilitation), mais aussi jeux vidéo, etc. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'évaluer l'apport des approches ensemblistes dans le cadre de l'estimation de l'attitude à partir de données issues de triaxes accéléromètres (A), magnétomètres (M) et gyromètres (G). Dans un premier temps, on s'intéresse aux mouvements "quasi-statiques" et l'estimation de l'attitude est réalisée à partir de mesures AM. On aborde ensuite le cas des mouvements dynamiques, en considérant l'ensemble des mesures AGM. Le problème du choix de la paramétrisation de l'attitude a été abordé et on a comparé les résultats obtenus et le temps calcul pour des modélisations avec les angles de Cardan et le quaternion unitaire. Les algorithmes développés ont été validés en simulation et avec des données réelles. Les résultats ont été comparés avec ceux fournis par des algorithmes de l'état de l'art, par exemple SIVIA. La deuxième partie du manuscrit est consacrée à au diagnostic des capteurs de la centrale inertielle avec des approches ensemblistes. Les algorithmes développés dans la première partie du travail sont adaptés afin de pouvoir détecter et localiser un défaut dans l'ensemble des capteurs considérés.

<p>The problem of fault diagnosis consists of detecting and isolating faults present in a system. As technical systems become more and more complex and the demands for safety, reliability and environmental friendliness are rising, fault diagnosis is becoming increasingly important. One example is automotive systems, where fault diagnosis is a necessity for low emissions, high safety, high vehicle uptime, and efficient repair and maintenance.</p><p>One approach to fault diagnosis, providing potentially good performance and in which the need for additional hardware is minimal, is model-based fault diagnosis with residuals. A residual is a signal that is zero when the system under diagnosis is fault-free, and non-zero when particular faults are present in the system. Residuals are typically generated by using a mathematical model of the system and measurements from sensors and actuators. This process is referred to as residual generation.</p><p>The main contributions in this thesis are two novel methods for residual generation. In both methods, systems described by Differential-Algebraic Equation (DAE) models are considered. Such models appear in a large class of technical systems, for example automotive systems. The first method consider observer-based residual generation for linear DAE-models. This method places no restrictions on the model, such as e.g. observability or regularity, in comparison with other previous methods. If the faults of interest can be detected in the system, the output from the design method is a residual generator, in state-space form, that is sensitive to the faults of interest. The method is iterative and relies on constant matrix operations, such as e.g. null-space calculations and equivalence transformations.</p><p>In the second method, non-linear DAE-models are considered. The proposed method belongs to a class of methods, in this thesis referred to as sequential residual generation, which has shown to be successful for real applications. This method enables simultaneous use of integral and derivative causality, and is able to handle equation sets corresponding to algebraic and differential loops in a systematic manner. It relies on a formal framework for computing unknown variables in the model according to a computation sequence, in which the analytical properties of the equations in the model as well as the available tools for equation solving are taken into account. The method is successfully applied to complex models of an automotive diesel engine and a hydraulic braking system.</p>