Microalgae refer to a kind of autotrophic microorganism with rich nutrition and high photosynthetic utilization degree, which are widely living in the sea and land. Microalgae can be converted into bio energy such as biogas, biodiesel and bio oil. This thesis presents a review on the different cultivation methods and energy conversion techniques of microalgae. Through comparison with other biomass feedstocks, the advantages and disadvantages of microalgae are detailed. Since the large scale of microalgae bioenergy production has not been achieved yet, the commercial production requirements and the sustainability of microalgae are analysed. As a result, high lipid content, less cultivated land use and short life time circle are thought to be the typical advantages of microalgae that it can be considered as a potential substitute of fossil fuel.

Innovation and commercialization are crucial for the competitiveness and economic well-being of countries. Despite the importance of innovation, recent studies have showed that Canada is lagging behind other countries in terms of its innovation and commercialization performance. The claim is often made that Canada performs well in generating the knowledge needed for innovation; however, the problem lies in transforming this knowledge into commercial success. Thus, a major preoccupation is how to turnaround this weak commercialization performance. Despite the wide range of programs, policies and regulations implemented by the Canadian Government along with its provincial counterparts to engender a turnaround, little has changed in Canada’s commercialization performance. Therefore, the search for solutions continues. Given that commercialization takes place at the firm-level, this study will explore the relationship between firm-size and commercialization. Several existing studies have examined the link between innovation and firm size, but few have examined the link between commercialization and firm size. Despite the arguments supporting medium-sized firms’ ability to commercialize innovations, there is a weak empirical base that explores the position of Canadian medium-sized firms and their innovation and commercialization capabilities. This study will contribute to the existing knowledge by covering the gap in the literature concerning the role of medium-sized firms in commercialization, compared to small and large firms. This study provides evidence suggesting that small and medium-sized firms should be considered differently.

Governments of the G7 have relied primarily on two strategies to develop their respective economies, the commercialization of research using licensing models and new venture creation. Yet, they have acknowledged no specific approach to achieving commercialization success. In fact, the results of the methods used for the commercialization of results are generally viewed as not satisfactory, thus creating room for new approaches to be proposed. One of the strategies used to assist the commercialization process has been recently instituted through social actors called innovation intermediaries. Their involvement in the commercialization process has the potential not only to facilitate the process but also to diffuse knowledge and foster innovation. To date, their practices are still under development, motivating academics in various disciplines to originate research studies aimed at gaining a better understanding of them. The literature has proposed definitions and attributed functions to innovation intermediaries, but it has not arrived at a definitive description of these actors or their activities. In practice, innovation intermediaries do not have a standard operational structure, established methods, or metrics to report their results; they have yet to, establish their own practices or use evidence to inform their activities. The objective of this study is to clarify their practices and challenge their current modus operandi with a view to improvement. To explain the activities of innovation intermediaries (their practice), to expose the role of evidence, and to represent the main concerns of innovation intermediaries, a framework based on distinctive attributes of the practice was produced using insights gained from a systematic literature review, an exploratory study, and literature stressing the importance of evidence. The framework was tested using a confirmatory study in the form of an online survey with the participation of 55 innovation intermediaries from around the world. The results show that innovation intermediaries have a predisposition to focus their practice on strategic concerns, finding a fit for the venture offering in the market while neglecting to oversee the mechanisms required for developing a viable venture offering. They tend to support their decisions anecdotally, referencing their previous experiences without the support of systematic methods to corroborate their conclusions. Their prioritized goals are first, to persuade investors and sponsors to collaborate with their clients; second, to help their clients occupy a leading position in their markets, and third, to support their clients to refine the venture offering and transform it into a commercial success. The emergent framework has characterized the practice of innovation intermediaries, identified particular gaps in their activities and their use of evidence, and suggested that the current focus in the practice of innovation intermediaries may not be contributing all that it could to the commercialization process. This framework may be of significant value to advance this field of knowledge and hopefully contribute to professionalize the practice of these social actors. Ultimately, this research could form the foundation for strengthening evidence-based best practices for innovation intermediaries.

The link between heritage and hospitality dates back hundreds of years. However, there are no firm rules that manage this old relationship. The research tackles the concept of ‘heritage hospitality’ as a new concept; which represents a managed heritage-hospitality link through the application of traditional heritage and traditional hospitality in hotels. This study addresses the relationship between heritage and hospitality at selected hotels in Siwa oasis in Egypt. Relationships between indigenous peoples and hotels, heritage and hospitality, hotels and heritage tourism, the possibility of applying the ‘heritage hospitality’ concept and the present status of heritage application in Siwan hotels were explored to achieve the research goal of providing a balance between commercialization and authenticity in hospitality. Field observations, a questionnaire survey, key informant interviews, and a focus group discussion were conducted in Siwa from October 2, 2010 to October 21, 2010. The present status of heritage application in Siwan hotels has been documented in this study. Although Siwa oasis is rich in both cultural and natural heritage, Siwan hotels utilize only one aspect of the cultural heritage: tangible cultural heritage. Thus, Siwan hotel operators may invest more in quality heritage presentation in order to contribute to the preservation of Siwan heritage and to earn more money. Authenticity is important to the enhancement of the link between heritage and hospitality. However, it is necessary to combine both old and modern practices in a balanced approach. This research contributes to practice and to conceptual and empirical understanding of heritage-hospitality nexus and, hopefully, will inspire more research on balancing authenticity and commercialization in hotels, particularly in developing countries like Egypt.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis examines livelihoods in the wake of agricultural commercialization under the Revitalization of Smallholder Irrigation Schemes (RESIS) Programme and similar revitalization initiatives within the Olifants River Basin in Limpopo Province. The focus is on contractual joint ventures and strategic partnerships implemented within selected smallholder irrigation schemes. The thesis is based primarily on in-depth empirical studies conducted between October 2003 and March 2009 in three sites located in two Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) poverty nodes namely, Greater Sekhukhune and Vhembe Districts. To a lesser extent, the thesis draws on findings from rapid appraisals of five additional study sites in Greater Sekhukhune District. Research findings showed that the performance of joint ventures and strategic partnerships had so far largely fallen short of expectations. With the exception of a minority of small holders involved in RESIS-Recharge strategic partnerships, the promise of higher incomes and improved livelihoods had often remained elusive, while debts and potential losses of often meagre household assets loomed large, threatening to erode existing livelihoods and undermine government interventions. This was mainly because ‘viability’ in both the RESIS and RESIS-Recharge phases was narrowly seen in economic and technical terms, such that reduction of transaction costs often entailed the divesting of responsibilities to address issues of rural poverty and inequality. Subsistence production had largely given way to commercially-orientated farming, and weak monitoring of contract formulation and implementation meant that voices of marginalized poor and vulnerable people, particularly women and the elderly, were not being heard. Research findings further revealed that while RESIS-Recharge strategic partnerships increased incomes for a minority of smallholders, such arrangements did not meaningfully improve the productive, managerial and marketing skills of smallholders to ensure their effective participation in agriculture. Rather, strategic partnerships were creating a small class of black ‘arm-chair’ farmers, who played little or no active role and obtained few or no skills in commercial farming but perpetually depended upon and drew incomes from agribusiness initiatives run by externally-based agents. Adjunct to questions of sustainability for these farmers’ ability to participate in commercial farming, the thesis raises the question: What is the rationale for joint ventures and strategic partnerships in the context of South Africa’s Agricultural Sector Strategy objectives for support to black farmers? Contracts lacked mechanisms for equitable distribution of costs and benefits between contracted private partners and targeted smallholders, on the one hand, and the rest of members of local communities, on the other hand. Contracts also lacked provisions for post project recapitalization of infrastructure and rehabilitation of degraded land. This raised questions about the longer term sustainability of productivity, natural resource base and livelihood security in smallholder irrigation schemes. The conclusion of this thesis is that the challenge of reducing rural poverty and inequality in smallholder irrigation schemes might not be resolved through existing institutional approaches to agricultural commercialization.

Innovation and commercialization are crucial for the competitiveness and economic well-being of countries. Despite the importance of innovation, recent studies have showed that Canada is lagging behind other countries in terms of its innovation and commercialization performance. The claim is often made that Canada performs well in generating the knowledge needed for innovation; however, the problem lies in transforming this knowledge into commercial success. Thus, a major preoccupation is how to turnaround this weak commercialization performance. Despite the wide range of programs, policies and regulations implemented by the Canadian Government along with its provincial counterparts to engender a turnaround, little has changed in Canada’s commercialization performance. Therefore, the search for solutions continues. Given that commercialization takes place at the firm-level, this study will explore the relationship between firm-size and commercialization. Several existing studies have examined the link between innovation and firm size, but few have examined the link between commercialization and firm size. Despite the arguments supporting medium-sized firms’ ability to commercialize innovations, there is a weak empirical base that explores the position of Canadian medium-sized firms and their innovation and commercialization capabilities. This study will contribute to the existing knowledge by covering the gap in the literature concerning the role of medium-sized firms in commercialization, compared to small and large firms. This study provides evidence suggesting that small and medium-sized firms should be considered differently.

O abacaxi é uma das frutas tropicais mais famosas, produzidas e consumidas no mundo. O seu bom aspecto visual pode levar à aquisição de fruto ácido, sem doçura e sem a qualidade de consumo desejada. O Smooth Cayenne é o cultivar de abacaxi mais produzido mundialmente e a sua produção no Brasil está concentrada na região Sudeste. O seu volume de comercialização no Entreposto Terminal de São Paulo - ETSP da Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo CEAGESP vem diminuindo ao longo do tempo quando comparado ao cultivar Pérola, cujas regiões de produção estão mais distantes e as estradas de acesso são piores. O objetivo deste estudo foi retratar a qualidade do abacaxi Smooth Cayenne, considerado como o mais valorizado pelos atacadistas, com medidas simples e objetivas, que possam ser facilmente adotadas pelos produtores na colheita. Os frutos, produzidos nos estados de São Paulo e Minas Gerais, foram coletados semanalmente, entre Outubro de 2007 a Janeiro de 2009. Foi considerado saboroso o abacaxi que apresentou, nos terços apical, mediano e basal, teor de sólidos solúveis - SS maior ou igual a 12 ºBrix, um limite máximo de acidez titulável - AT de 0,6% expressos em ácido cítrico e a relação SS/AT maior ou igual a 20. Não foi possível estabelecer uma boa correlação entre as variáveis de caracterização destrutivas e não destrutivas do abacaxi. A avaliação dos aspectos qualitativos de sabor exige a utilização de medidas destrutivas. Os frutos saborosos, mostraram-se menores, mais leves e mais firmes e com maior pH do que os não saborosos. Foi desenvolvido um modelo de regressão logística em que a variável resposta indica a probabilidade de um abacaxi ser saboroso ou não. O modelo que utilizou as variáveis: teor de sólidos solúveis, circunferência da base, comprimento com coroa e firmeza mostrou efeito significativo, para os abacaxis Smooth Cayenne colhidos no segundo semestre, em relação à probabilidade do abacaxi ser saboroso. / The pineapple is one of the most famous and worldly produced and consumed fresh fruit. Its good appearance can take to the acquisition of an acidic and sugarless fruit, lacking the necessary consumption qualities. The Smooth Cayene pineapple is the variety most produced worldwide and in Brazil. Its production is concentrated at the Southeast Region. Its volume at CEAGESPs market has been decreasing over time, when compared to the Pérola variety, that has more production are more distant and access roads are worse. The purpose of this study was to make a Smooth Cayenne pineapples quality profile, measuring and correlating the quality attributes of the fruit, considered the most valued, by the CEAGESPs pineapple whosalers, using simple and objective measures, that could be easily adopted by the growers at harvest. The fruit, that was collected each week from 2007, October to 2009, February, was produced at the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. A fruit was considered tasty when, at its apical, median and basal transversal slices,presented the soluble solids content equal or superior to 12o Brix, an acidity equal or inferior to 0,6%, measured by titratable acidity, reported as % citric acid and the relation soluble solids and titratable acidity equal or superior to 20. It was not found a good correlation between the internal and external characteristics of the fruit. The evaluation of the taste demands destructive measures. The tasty fruits are smaller size, weight less and have more firmness, higher pH than the non tasty fruits. A logistic regression model was developed to indicate the probability of the fruit being tasty or not tasty. The variables soluble solids content, basal circumference, length of the fruit with its crown and firmness has shown significance for the fruits harvested at the second semester of the year. The same wasn´t true for the fruits harvested at the first semester, from January to July, perhaps because there were fewer tasty fruits at this time.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / In 1994, the first democratically elected South African government promised to redistribute 30 % of white-owned farmland to the formerly disadvantaged people in order to rectify the racially-based unequal distribution of land and to improve their socioeconomic conditions. The ANC-led government opted to promote agriculture for achieving the latter aim since agriculture is generally seen to have a strong potential for poverty alleviation and economic development in the under-resourced areas.

The publishing industry currently faces a re-birth due to the rise of Information Technology (IT),which has created new production and distribution channels. Paper is no longer the only form for publishing; tablets, e-reader, smart phones, and Personal Computer (PC) screens are gaining anincreasing market share. The Leaf Project aims to position itself in the publishing industry by creating a new business start-up exploiting this IT revolution. We divide the publishing industry into three different parts: Production is concerned about content creation and acquisition. Distribution concerns delivering the content to consumers. Access and presentation is about how the content is presented to consumers and how they can access this content. In The Leaf Project we are developing a new way to distribute publications, along with creating an end user interface to browse and access this content. The project is divided into four different masters theses. One is concerned with creating the distribution network, and another is concerned with creating the end user interface. This thesis provides a market analysis and proposes a business model. The fourth thesis will consolidate the complete project by developing a business plan. When looking into the three different parts of the publishing industry, this commercialization plan first benchmarks the proposed end user application and the distribution network by comparing them with currently marketed products. Following this the thesis will examine what is the best content that could be distributed through our network. The final part of this thesis will recommend a business model based on the outcomes of the first two parts of this thesis. This thesis project should be useful for the fourth thesis project that must create an appropriate business plan and this thesis should also help the technical developer by providing market analysis that can be used to guide technical decisions. / Förlagsbranschen står för närvarande inför en pånyttfödelse på grund av uppkomsten av informationsteknik (IT), vilket har skapat nya produktions- och distributionskanaler. Papper är inte längre den enda publiceringsformen; tablets, e-läsare, smartphones, och PC-skärmar har börjat få en allt större marknadsandel. Leaf Projektet syftar till att positionera sig i förlagsbranschen genom att skapa ett startup-företag som utnyttjar IT-revolutionen. Vi delar in förlagsbranschen i tre olika delar: Produktion handlar om att skapa och förvärva innehåll. Distribution handlar om att leverera innehåll till konsumenter Tillgång och presentation handlar om hur innehållet presenteras för konsumenterna och hurde kan komma åt innehållet. I Leaf Projektet utvecklar vi ett nytt sätt att distribuera publikationer, samtidigt som vi skapar ett gränssnitt för slutanvändaren att bläddra i och komma åt innehållet. Projektet är indelat i fyra olika magistersavhandlingar. En handlar om att skapa distributionsnät, och en annan handlar om att skapa gränssnittet för slutanvändaren. Denna avhandling ger en marknadsanalys och föreslår en affärsmodell. Den fjärde avhandlingen kommer att sammanfatta hela projektet genom att presentera enaffärsplan. Vår affärsmodell presenterar den tilltänkta gränssnittet för slutanvändaren samt distributionsnätverket genom att jämföra dem med produkter som redan finns på marknaden. Efter detta, kommer avhandlingen att undersöka vilket innehåll skulle bäst kunna distribueras genom vårt nätverk. Den sista delen av denna uppsats kommer att lägga fram en affärsmodell baserad på resultaten av de två första delarna av denna avhandling. Denna avhandling borde bli användbar för den fjärde avhandlingen som måste skapa en rimlig affärsplan och avhandlingen borde också hjälpa den tekniska utvecklaren genom att visa en marknadsanalys som kan användas för att styra tekniska beslut.

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