The study attempts to trace the development of mosque architecture in Islamic history, in modern architecture in the world, specifically focusing on the history of the mosque in Libya. It investigates whether the conformity of mosque components and finishing is due to historic, current and local Islamic prescriptions / due to functional purposes and necessities, or merely as an imitation of the stereotype styles for loyalty to mental and habitual traditions regardless of functions. The main objective of this thesis is to study &lsquo / the lack of innovation&rsquo / in mosque architecture, especially in the Libyan case. The thesis investigates the factors which may have caused this phenomenon and attempts to explore whether there is possibility to innovate mosque design. For this end, the thesis analyzes and evaluates urban, spatial, architectural and performance properties of the existing mosques in city of Ajdabiya in Libya, the results of which are expected to help architects in developing the innovations in mosque design. Finally, the study asserts that acceptance of innovation is possible under the given circumstances: there are differences from one mosque to another, there are variations of mosque elements in terms of type and form, already varying from region to region. The main reasons for the absence of innovations are found to be due to unqualified designers who lack creativity, fear for the vulnerability of the heritage and some misconceptions and misinterpretations in terms of religious prescriptions.

Architectural practice, although its first objective is providing a design value, is nevertheless a business branch. Creative work of architects needs formal managerial guidelines and principles in order to ensure financial profitability of the firm. One of the challenges of architectural management is carrying through innovative solutions.  A prominent example of a recent innovation in architecture, engineering and construction industry (AEC) is Building Information Modelling (BIM). In Sweden BIM regulations supporting its further diffusion across the industry were first established in 2013. The research indicates managerial practices which are crucial for the successful implementation of BIM in Swedish architectural offices and consequently bring significant business benefits to its adopters.

This thesis addresses the innovation of information systems in enterprises, particularly in the utility market segment. The thesis starts with a definition of utilities, a market segment containing companies involved in generation, transmission, distribution and retail of energy services as well as other companies providing related networked services. The aims of this thesis are both theoretical and practical. The theoretical part offers a new theory for IS innovations for the selected segment and for the relation between the innovation and the architectures of IS. In the practical part, the author identifies current challenges and opportunities in the selected market segment and offers scenarios and visions for future development. The first part of the thesis maps out the general innovation theories in the context of the selected topic. The second part introduces a new innovation theory based on an analysis of the specific conditions in the utility market segment. The next section focuses on the topic of IS architecture and its ability for tracking and managing the changes of the IS during the innovation process. The following part relays designs for specific architecture models supporting the current innovation trends in the utility market. The final part of the thesis summarizes particular business recommendations for innovation procedures in utilities, identifies innovation opportunities, and inspires visions for the future development of the market. The opportunities are related to a new way of understanding the role of IS in utility companies. IS provides a portfolio of information services to support the customer oriented business services, advanced services with added value and tailor made services for specific customer groups.