Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Dallas, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-122) Abstract and preview also issued online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Berkeley, 1988. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-225).

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (February 23, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 54-57)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the history of the world, technological change has always played a central role in the advancement of the global economy. Every now and then a technological development comes along that causes a quantum leap in the technological progress of the world. Such were the mechanical developments that led to the industrial revolution, or the electronic developments that led to the more recent information technology revolution. A characteristic of these developments is its profound impact on the world economy. An explosion of new product and production possibilities typically follows such landmark technological developments. So fast and intense are the technological and resulting economic changes, that it can truly be described as a revolution. Recently, the rapid advances in molecular biology have caused such a multitude of new product and production possibilities in biological sciences that it can be described as a biotechnology revolution. Modern biotechnological techniques like recombinant DNA techniques have made the genetic manipulation of organisms possible. This creates possibilities of new production techniques and products previously unimaginable. The centre stage of the biotechnology revolution is in the US and Europe. South Africa and other developing countries have lagged behind in adopting and extracting economic value from modern biotechnology. This study investigates the issues in modern biotechnology and how the South African economy can benefit from modern biotechnology. It was found that modern biotechnology has tremendous economic potential and that already many overseas companies are generating huge profits from modern biotechnology products in all fields of biotechnology. However, some concerns about the safety of modern biotechnology point at the necessity for a proper global regulatory framework to ensure the consumer acceptance of biotechnology products required to continue to extract value from new biotechnology developments. Various cost factors need to be considered in the biotechnology industry and in South Africa the importance of these cost factors is much more pronounced due to the small scale of the South African economy. South Africa and many other developing countries will most definitely benefit from adopting modern biotechnology and expanding national biotechnology capacity. However, analyses like cost-volume-profit, economic potential, and production factor gap analyses need to be executed, preferably up to product level, to determine the appropriate biotechnology areas or products with the biggest economic potential and on which South Africa should focus its biotechnology efforts. Government stimulation of the South African biotechnology industry is welcomed by the industry. The expansion of South African biotechnology capacity will result in sustainable long-term economic benefits, not only to South Africa, but also to other developing African countries. It is concluded that the large-scale adoption of modern biotechnology in South Africa is appropriate and that the exploding biotechnology product developments, combined with increased market acceptance of modern biotechnology products, will create significant economic benefits in the South African economy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die vroegste tye in die geskiedenis van die wereld het tegnologiese ontwikkeling 'n sentrale rol in die vooruitgang van die wereldekonomie gespeel. Elke nou en dan vind daar 'n tegnologiese ontwikkeling plaas wat 'n kwantumsprong in die vooruitgang van die wereld tot gevolg he!. Voorbeelde hiervan is die meganiese ontwikkelinge wat tot die industriele revolusie gelei het, of die meer onlangse elektroniese ontwikkelinge wat die informasietegnologierevolusie tot gevolg gehad het. 'n Kenmerk van hierdie ontwikkelinge is die geweldige impak wat dit op die wereldekonomie gehad het. 'n Ontploffing in produkte en produksietegnieke is tipies die gevolg van hierdie landmerk tegnologiese ontwikkelinge. Die tegnologiese- en gevolglik ekonomiese veranderinge is so vinnig en intens dat dit waarlik as 'n revolusie beskryf kan word. Die onlangse vinnige vooruitgang in molekulere biologie het so 'n ontploffing in nuwe produkte en produksietegnieke in die biologiese wetenskappe veroorsaak, dat dit as 'n biotegnologiese revolusie beskryf kan word. Moderne tegnieke, soos rekombinante-DNS-tegnieke, maak die genetiese manipulasie van organismes moontlik. Dit lei tot die ontwikkeling van nuwe produkte en produksietegnieke wat voorheen ondenkbaar was. Die fokuspunt van die biotegnologie-revolusie is in die VSA en Europa. Suid-Afrika en ander ontwikkelende lande het agtergeraak in die toepassing en ekonomiese aanwending van moderne biotegnologie. Hierdie studie ondersoek spesifiek die kwessies in moderne biotegnologie en hoe Suid-Afrika voordeel daaruit kan trek. Die studie het bevind dat moderne biotegnologie geweldige ekonomiese potensiaal het en dat daar reeds baie buitelandse maatskappye is wat groot winste in alle velde van biotegnologie genereer. Daar is egter sekere bekommernisse oor die veiligheid van moderne biotegnologie. Dit dui op die noodsaaklikheid van 'n deeglike globale regulatoriese raamwerk. So 'n raamwerk sal die verbruikersaanvaarding verseker wat nodig is vir die suksesvolle ekonomiese toepassing van moderne biotegnologie. Verskeie kostefaktore moet in die biotegnologie-industrie in berekening gebring word en in Suid-Afrika is hierdie kostefaktore baie belangrik weens die klein skaal van die Suid Afrikaanse ekonomie. Suid-Afrika en baie ander ontwikkelende lande kan definitief uit die aanvaarding van moderne biotegnologie en uitbreiding van biotegnologie-kapasiteit voordeel trek. Analises soos koste-volume-wins-, ekonomiese potensiaal- en produksiefaktorgapinganalises moet egter uitgevoer word, verkieslik tot op produkvlak, om die geskikte biotegnologieveld met die grootste ekonomiese potensiaal vir Suid-Afrika te bepaal. 'n Paar sleutel marksuksesfaktore moet in die biotegnologiebedryf in gedagte gehou word. Die kernbeginsel van hierdie sleutel marksuksesfaktore is geidentifiseer as die vermoe van biotegnologieprodukte om so 'n goeie waarde-aanbieding aan die klient te bied, dat die mark bereid is om 'n premiumprys vir die produk teen ekonomies lewensvatbare vraaghoeveelhede te betaal. Stimulering van die Suid-Afrikaanse biotegnologiebedryf deur die regering word wyd deur die industrie verwelkom. Die gevolglike uitbreiding van die biotegnologiekapasiteit in Suid-Afrika sal langtermyn ekonomiese voordele vir SuidAfrika, asook vir ander ontwikkelende lande in Afrika inhou. Die gevolgtrekking van hierdie studie is dat grootskaalse aanvaarding van moderne biotegnologie gepas is in Suid-Afrika en dat die ontploffing in biotegnologieprodukontwikkelings, tesame met groter markaanvaarding van moderne biotegnologieprodukte, groot potensiele voordele vir die toekomstige Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie inhou.

Mini-study project (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This report reviews the global and South African pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and provides an overview of the changes taking place within these two industries. It highlights the impact this relationship will have on a developing South African biotechnology industry. Since the 1980s the pharmaceutical industry has experienced phenomenal growth in sales and profits. By the mid 1990s drug sales exceeded USD250 billion. Today the pharmaceutical industry is dominated by multi-national corporations with extensive R&D budgets, widespread use of trademarks and patents and complex commercial process technology. However they face threats from depleted product pipelines, patent expiry on billion dollar drug products, generic competition, increases in drug approval times, costs and price pressures. The entrepreneurial biotechnology industry promises to solve a number of the pharmaceutical industry's problems. In recent years biotechnology companies proved more effective in the development of new molecular entities. They promise individualised therapeutics, novel and more efficacious drug discovery and development of preventative treatments. However the decrease in equity financing after 2001 left almost 40% of biotechnology companies with less than 1 year of R&D funding. The industry experienced losses again in 2002 and the world is divided over the ethical, environmental and economic implications of biotechnological applications. The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries have a symbiotic but antagonistic relationship. The change in this relationship will hugely affect South Africa's ideals of developing a biotechnology industry. Various diseases plague South Africa including HIV/AIDS, TB, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and infective diseases. These diseases will have a huge impact on South Africa's society. Yet only 10% of global R&D funding is committed to third world diseases and existing drugs and treatments are either not effective or too expensive for developing countries. It is in this situation that biotechnology and the development of a biotechnology industry could playa major role in alleviating South Africa's health burden. South Africa is already capable in first generation biotechnology, but third generation applications holds the most promise. Developing countries face various obstacles and challenges, but all boast well for South Africa. The government has committed R400 million (over a three year period) to utilize South Africa's biotechnology potential. Further, the country has highly skilled researchers, indigenous plant and animal species, a diverse population and a favorable exchange rate (low R&D costs). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die projek ondersoek beide die globale en Suid Afrikaanse farmaseutiese en biotegnologie industrieë. Verder word die veranderinge wat plaasvind in die industrieë onder die soeklig geplaas. Die projek beklemtoon die impak wat die verhouding sal hê op 'n ontwikkelende biotegnologie industrie in Suid Afrika. Die farmaseutiese industrie het sedert die 1980s dubbel syfer groei getoon in omsete en wins. Teen die middel 90's het verkope van farmaseutiese middels US$250 miljard wêreldwyd oorskry. Vandag word die farmaseutiese industrie oorheers deur multi-nasionale korporasies met omvattende navorsing en ontwikkelings begrotings, algemene gebruik van handelsmerkte, patente en komplekse proses-tegnologieë. Ten spyte hiervan word die industrie bedreig deur leë produksie-lyne, verval van patente, miljard dollar farmaseutiese produkte, generiese kompetisie, verlengde produk-goedkeurings periodes en prys-mededinging. Die biotegnologie industrie met sy innoveerende eienskappe beloof om verskeie van die farmaseutiese industrie se probleme op te los. Onlangs het biotegnologie maatskappye getoon dat hulle meer effektief is in die ontwikkeling van nuwe molekulêre eenhede. Biotegnologie beloof nuwe en meer effektiewe produk-ontwikkeling asook beter individuele terapieë en voorkomende behandelings. Die industrie staar finansiële krisisse in die gesig. Slegs 40% van biotegnologie maatskappye het voldoende navorsing en ontwikkelings-kapitaal tot 2004. Dit is hoofsaaklik as gevolg van 'n afname in eienaars-finansiering na 2001. Die industrie as 'n geheel het weereens 'n verlies gelei in 2002 en die wêreld is verdeeld oor die etiese, omgewings en ekonomiese implikasie van biotegnologiese toepassings. Die biotegnologie en farmaseutiese industrieë het 'n simbiotiese maar tog vyandige verhouding. 'n Verandering in die verhouding gaan Suid Afrika se ideale om 'n biotegnologie industrie te skep grootliks beïnvloed. Suid Afrika gaan gebuk onder verskeie siektes insluitende MIVNIGS, TB, vetsugtigheid, diabetes, hipertensie en infeksie siektes. Hierdie siektes het 'n groot impak op Suid Afrika se samelewing. Tog word slegs 10% van die globale navorsings en ontwikkelingsfondse aangewend om 'n oplossing te vind vir derdewêreld siektes. Verder is bestaande produkte en behandelings oneffektief of onbekostigbaar vir ontwikkelde lande. Dit is in sulke gevalle waar biotegnologie en die ontwikkeling van 'n biotegnologie industrie 'n groot rol kan speel in die verligting van Suid Afrika se gesondheids-las. Suid Afrika is vaardig in eerste-generasie biotegnologie, maar wêreld wyd hou derde generasie biotegnologie die meeste belofte in. Die tegnologie is tot op hede onderbenut in Suid Afrika. Ontwikkelende lande staar verskeie uitdagings in die gesig, maar Suid Afrika het talle sterk punte. Die regering het R400 miljoen (oor 'n drie jaar periode) beskikbaar gestel vir die ontwikkeling van Suid Afrika se biotegnologie potensiaal. Die land beskik ook oor navorsers van hoogstande gehalte, onbenutte inheemse plante en dier spesies, 'n diverse populasie en 'n gunstige wisselkoers (lae navorsings en ontwikkelings kostes).

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

This study traces how the National Curriculum Statement-Further Education and Training (NCS-FET) Life Sciences Policy is constructed and translated as it circulates across the Department of Education (DoE), schools and industry nodes. Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Latour, 2005) guides the theoretical framework and methodology of this study. ANT is a useful tool for showing the negotiations that characterise patterns of curriculum change in terms of how policy gets constructed, how practice gets performed, the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values (SKAV) constituted in practice, and whether there is an interface in terms of policy construction and SKAV constitution. From an ANT perspective curriculum policy change is a matter of practice co-performed by sociality and materiality, these being interwoven and entangled in practice. The trajectory of the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy is traced during the practice of mediation of policy, implementation of policy and mediation of workplace learning. The topography of this study is underpinned by the transformatory agenda attached to curricula policy reform in South Africa. Agency has been granted by the democratically elected government to structures such as the DoE, schools and industry to promote human resource development and overcome the skills shortage via the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy (DoE, 2003) and the National Biotechnology Strategy Policy (DST, 2001). There are divergences between these two documents as to the type of biotechnology that can be used as leverage for human resources development. The controversy lies in the notion of wanting to broaden access to biotechnology by having it included in the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy, while wanting to promote third-generation biotechnology. Furthermore, contradictions are illuminated in the constitution of the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy: it espouses constructivist principles and has a social transformative agenda, but its construction is guided by behaviourist and cognitivist principles. iv Employing the analytical tools offered by ANT (Latour, 1993, 2005; Callon, Law & Rip, 1986), the network tracing activity reveals that policy construction and SKAV development involve more than the action of a single human actor. This means that humans are not entirely in control of practice (Sorenson, 2007). Practice is performed by a series of shifting relations between elements of “sociality” and “materiality” (Mulchay, 2007). The network tracing activity elucidates that curriculum policy is an emergent effect of the interface, a dynamic point that arises from translations in the network. While there is an interface in respect of policy construction and SKAV constitution across the nodes of the study, the emergent effect of curriculum reform has pointed to the slippage between what was intended (via the policy as stated in the Government Gazette) and what was actually experienced in practice. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2010.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-114). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.Sc.Admin.)--Faculty of Commerce and Administration, Concordia University, 1998. / "December 1998" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-157). Available also on the Internet.

CNPq / O processo de criação de conhecimento (CC) é crucial para uma empresa, em virtude de identificar, transformar e criar ativos tangíveis e intangíveis que são mobilizados em prol de inovações. As empresas buscam superar limitações que interferem nesse processo, e uma das formas reside na localização em clusters industriais (CIs). A escassez da literatura desencadeou o interesse em focalizar nesta pesquisa o processo de CC em empresas localizadas em CIs. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo compreender a forma de estruturação do processo de criação de conhecimento interno às empresas participantes de clusters industriais do setor de biotecnologia na França e no Brasil. O setor de biotecnologia tem sua base em conhecimentos de natureza de fronteira tecnológica. Em virtude de o processo de CC ser dinâmico, escolheu-se empresas de clusters que assim fossem caracterizados para observação deste fenômeno, notadamente o cluster Bioméditerranée (Marseille, França) e o cluster de Belo Horizonte (Brasil). Esta pesquisa caracteriza-se como um estudo de casos múltiplos, de enfoque dedutivo e de caráter exploratório. Após a estruturação do instrumento de pesquisa e da coleta dos dados, os mesmos foram reduzidos, recortados e sintetizados, para posterior utilização das técnicas de adequação ao padrão e síntese de casos cruzados a partir dos modelos lógicos de nível organizacional, que conduziram a uma tipologia de caso geral, em forma de um framework. As evidências empíricas demonstraram que muito embora os processos internos de CCs sejam similares em sua estrutura, enquanto processo, os diferenciais para a obtenção de novos conhecimentos e inovações são os ativos tangíveis e intangíveis que estão disponíveis no interior de cada uma das empresas e nos ativos que são captados em seu exterior. Em virtude de um setor de conhecimento de fronteira ter sido selecionado para observação dos fenômenos, a relação das empresas com o cluster é um fator de aceleração dos processos internos, pois o cluster favorece acessos diversos a um ambiente social com os seus integrantes, o que proporciona a aquisição e absorção de informações e conhecimentos. Os conhecimentos específicos dos profissionais altamente qualificados, em cada uma das empresas, constitui o core knowledge que permite a criação de novos conhecimentos e descobertas de inovações, normalmente comercializadas no nível extracluster. As empresas que obtiveram incentivos e investimentos diversos, notadamente oriundos das esferas públicas de governo, tiveram incrementos significativos em seus processos de CCs principalmente em virtude da redução de custos que tais incrementos proporcionaram. O cluster auxilia com diversos ativos que são utilizados para reduzir custos, acelerar processos internos e incrementar e aperfeiçoar os conhecimentos existentes na empresa. A implicação teórica da presente pesquisa reside na identificação de processos, estratégias e habilitadores a serem considerados a priori e a posteriori em um processo de CC. Como implicações gerenciais, constatou-se que as empresas que estão inseridas em CIs buscam fatores de aceleração dos processos internos devido aos ativos disponibilizados pelos CIs que possibilitam as empresas ganhar maior velocidade na criação de novos conhecimentos e na descoberta de inovações. Como sugestões a futuras pesquisas, recomenda-se a replicação desta pesquisa em outros setores econômicos. / The process of knowledge creation (CC) is crucial to an enterprise whereas it identifies, transforms and creates tangible and intangible assets that are mobilized on behalf of innovations. Enterprises look to overcome limitations that interfere in this process and one of the ways resides in the localization of industrial clusters (CIs). The lack of literary work unleashed the interest on focusing this research in the CC process in localized CIs companies. The present research intends to understand how the knowledge creation process of internal level is structured in participant enterprisers of biotechnological-industrial clusters in France and Brazil. The biotechnological sector is based on the nature of technological frontier. Because the CC process is dynamic we have chosen cluster enterprises that featured this phenomenon, especially the Bioméditerranée cluster (Marseilles, France) and the Belo Horizonte cluster (Brazil). This work is a study of multiple cases with an inferential and exploratory approach. Thereafter the structuring of the theme and data collection, they were reduced, cut out and synthesized to a subsequent use of standard techniques, adaptation and synthesis of crossed cases from logical models of organization levels, which drove us in a typology of a general case, in a framework shape. The empirical evidences have showed that, however the internal CCs procedures are similar to its structure while a process, the differential to obtain new acquirements and changes are the tangible and intangible assets that are available in each enterprise and the assets which can be attracted by its external connections. Considering the frontier knowledge that was chosen to observe the phenomenon, the enterprise relations with cluster is a factor of internal processes acceleration, because cluster promotes various accesses to a social environment, providing knowledge assimilation to its members. The professional’s highly qualified knowledge in each company establishes what we call core knowledge, which allows the access to new innovations and discoveries, usually commercialized in the extra-cluster level. The enterprises which obtained diverse incentive and investment, notably from the government and its spheres, have had significant increments in its CCs processes mainly because these increments have provided reduction of costs. Clusters aid multiply assets that are used to reduce costs, to accelerate internal process and improve existent information in the company. The theoretical implication of the present research settles in identifying processes, strategies and qualifiers being considered beforehand and afterwards in a CC process. As management implications, it was noted that enterprises which are inserted in CIs seek internal processes’ factors of acceleration because of the assets accessed by CIs, which allow companies to acquire innovations in a faster way. Also, as a suggestion to future researches, it is recommended the replication of this work to other economical sectors.