The purpose of this thesis is to provide a stepping stone for technological innovation in the development control process. As a foundational piece of research on this topic, it leverages classic technology adoption theory alongside an investigation of how municipalities adopt innovation for tools of planning, such as geographic information systems. This thesis provides a qualitative analysis of opportunities and barriers to the potential for the adoption of an online development control process, investigating satisfaction with the current process, perceptions on potential aspects of innovation within the process and willingness to adopt. The survey conducted revealed a gap between perceived versus actual satisfaction with the current process, conflicting views between municipal and consulting planners, and a strong overall interest the ability to submit development control applications online. This paper found that perceived barriers such as complacency with the current system can be overcome when confronted by innovation; however barriers including capital cost investment are real and require further consideration in the adoption process. Findings from this thesis point to a strong willingness for innovation of the process, especially the conception of an intuitive online development control process.

This Dissertation presents a comprehensive Process Map for innovation [the Map], based on a comparison and synthesis of the reported steps for creating in many disciplines, including Engineering Design and Buddhist Meditation. The Map is presented in three stages and seven detailed steps, following a review of the status quo of innovation in Engineering Design from literature and Industry surveys, and can be said to provide the first natural and common language for innovation. The application of Buddhist Methods is a key feature in the development of the Map, introducing a consistency and hierarchy, as well as co-evolutionary and eco-systemic aspect to academic understanding of innovation and its management, which has been lacking in models proposed in literature and Tools such as TRIZ in the past. Presentation of the Map theory and Map itself is followed by reports of its testing and proof of concept with an Industry Collaborator from 2006-10, including: [i] benchmarking of ‘Systematic Innovation’ [ii] an Industry Pilot Test comparing teaching of TRIZ with the Innovation Map and [iii] results of four nine-month periods of application in training, coaching, workshops, Games and GameDays. The Map is shown to improve high-end technical innovation in corporate environments, by streamlining the way questions are asked, and answers found and evaluated. It is directly responsible for unprecedented solutions achieved by Engineering Design teams addressing long-standing problems in very short time frames. Facilitated sessions using the Map achieve an ROI up to 2847% in each session and are estimated to have contributed billions of Euros value to the Industry Collaborator over four years of testing. In comparison with other options, the Map provides cheaper, simpler and more elegant innovation incorporating Tools, process and potential culture for any kind of User - Company, Consultant, Innovation Manager or Academic.

Innovation networks are not only about connections, but also dynamics, structures and influences. This research focuses on these three new aspects of innovation networks. The results of this research show that innovation networks have regularities in their dynamics, structures and influences. In the conclusion, these regularities are presented in the network snapshots and regression modelling. This research makes contributions in improving the understanding about how service innovation is created.

This study is a thesis project for the program Civilingenjör och Lärare at KTH. The study was conducted in spring 2014 in collaboration with Komplementskolan AB which has developed the educational material Studi.se, the focal point of this study. The overall aim of the study is to increase the knowledge of the participant teachers’ conception and use of the educational material Studi.se. The second purpose is to increase knowledge about the forms of use some of these teachers apply or claim to apply when using Studi.se. Theoretical framework used is constructivism and the notions of Piaget: adaptation, assimilation and accommodation. Roger’s Innovation-Decision process and Puentedura’s SAMR-model have been the analysis tools used. The method used is that of triangulation where action research has been supplemented by questionnaire, interviews and observations, as well as the analysis of logged data over schools' test periods. The results show that one of the main reasons for using Studi.se is that the educational material has a good basic level which to a great extent fit the needs of students with special needs. Additional reasons for using Studi.se are that the educational material is simple, time saving and suitable for reviewing and repetition. Reasons for not using Studi.se is an initial lack of time, the cost, lack of transparency at first glance and the perceived challenge given through the material. Studi.se is primarily used as a supplement to the regular curriculum where the material is mainly used individually in the form of repetition, variation and to cover things that the students have missed. / Denna studie utgör ett examensarbete på programmet Civilingenjör och Lärare, inom teknik och lärande på KTH. Studien har utförts under våren 2014 i samarbete med Komplementskolan AB som tagit fram läromedlet Studi.se kring vilket arbetet kretsat. Studiens övergripande syfte är att öka kunskapen om de skäl lärarna i studien ger uttryck för, för att använda eller inte använda läromedlet Studi.se. Det andra syftet är att öka kunskapen om de användningsformer några av lärarna tillämpar eller säger sig tillämpa vid användande av Studi.se. Studien utgår från ett konstruktivistiskt perspektiv med stöd i Piagets begrepp adaptation, assimilation och ackommodation. Rogers Innovation-Decision process och Puenteduras SAMR-modell utgör arbetets analysverktyg. Insamlingen av data har skett genom en metodtriangulering där aktionsforskning har kompletterats av enkätundersökning, intervjuer och observationer samt av analys av loggad data över skolors testperioder. Studiens resultat visar att ett av de främsta skälen för att använda Studi.se är att ämnesmaterialet håller en bra grundläggande nivå som i stor utsträckning passar elever med särskilda behov. Ytterligare skäl för användande är att läromedlet är enkelt, tidsbesparande och lämpar sig för repetition. Skäl till att inte använda Studi.se är en initial tidsbrist, kostnaden, brist på tydlighet i första mötet och upplevd avsaknad av utmaning i materialet. Studi.se används i huvudsak som ett komplement till den ordinarie undervisningen där materialet framförallt används individuellt i form av repetition, variation och för att täcka upp sådant som eleverna missat.

Concerns over the environmental impacts of the transport sector have led to the United Kingdom (UK) Government establishing a legally binding commitment of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (relative to the 1990 baseline) through the Climate Change Act 2008. The decarbonisation of the transport sector by 2050 will substantially contribute towards achieving this target. Technological innovations, therefore, have an important role in supporting policy objectives. One innovation that is being developed for this purpose in the transport sector is an alternative fuel vehicle. While there are several alternative fuel vehicle technologies, the only two with zero tailpipe (exhaust) emissions are battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Both of these technologies are not yet at a stage in their development where they can successfully compete with conventional fuel vehicles (internal combustion engine vehicles). They face a variety of technological hurdles that include range, performance, cost, and infrastructure. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are not commercially available, although battery electric vehicles have been on the commercial market for several years. Uptake of alternative fuel vehicles is occurring at a slower pace than hoped by policy makers and manufacturers. The aim of this thesis is to examine the factors influencing the decision to adopt an alternative fuel vehicle, and is underpinned by Rogers (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theory. The Innovation-Decision Process from this theory posits that an individual must first know about an innovation before forming an attitude about it. Innovativeness is instrumental in determining the knowledge an individual has of an innovation and how early in the diffusion process they are likely to become an adopter. Perceptions of the innovation are influential in forming an attitude towards it. The focus of the research is on Birmingham, the UK s second largest city. The first stage of the research involves establishing the locations of individuals across the city that possess socio-demographic characteristics associated with early adopters of alternative fuel vehicles. This is achieved by applying cluster analysis to Birmingham census data, which enabled the identification of a strong spatial cluster of potential early adopters in the suburb of Sutton Coldfield. In the second stage of the research, a household questionnaire was undertaken with 413 respondents in Sutton Coldfield. The analysis of the questionnaire data firstly involves the verification of the early adopter characteristics from stage one by examining the relationship of these characteristics with innovativeness. Analysis is then undertaken of the level of knowledge and the perceptions that the respondents have of alternative fuel vehicles. The final step in the analysis is an evaluation of the characteristics of current models of electric vehicles and how well aligned they are with the driving needs and vehicle expectations of respondents. The results confirm that the knowledge of alternative fuel vehicles is limited and individual perceptions have led to the development of negative attitudes towards them. Socio-demographic characteristics were significant in influencing these factors. There were 5% (21) of respondents who have previously considered the adoption of an electric vehicle but have not yet done so. There is evidence from the survey of active rejection among a small number of respondents. The reasons largely relate to three problems: purchase price, limited range, and poor infrastructure availability. However, the majority of respondents have passively rejected alternative fuel vehicles, such that they have never given consideration to the adoption of one. This confirms that a concerted effort is required to inform the general public about alternative fuel vehicles. Opportunities for increasing adoption have been identified for policy and marketing, including education and awareness-raising campaigns.

A capacidade de inovação das empresas é reconhecida como um dos principais fatores que fomentam o crescimento econômico, os níveis de bem-estar e a competitividade da economia de um país. Num mercado com importante geração de receita, de grande competição e tradicionalmente conservador como é o da construção de edificações, acredita-se que investimento em inovação pode, entre outros benefícios, promover melhoria de desempenho e de qualidade dos produtos, redução de custo e prazo de construção, sustentabilidade e, por consequência, aumento da vantagem competitiva. Considerando-se a constante necessidade das empresas construtoras em melhorar seus resultados, o objetivo deste trabalho é a estruturação de um processo de gestão de inovação, aplicado à produção de edificações, para a empresa EZTEC. O desenvolvimento do trabalho baseou-se na revisão da literatura, em entrevistas com profissionais do mercado que atuam com desenvolvimento e inovação e nas características técnicas e organizacionais da EZTEC, onde o autor exerce o cargo de Gerente da Qualidade. O resultado deste trabalho é formado por um conjunto de orientações fundamentais para a estruturação de um processo de gestão da inovação na produção de edificações, que considera a cultura organizacional da EZTEC, e que, por isto, deverá ser de fácil implementação. Ainda que o foco do desenvolvimento tenha sido para uma empresa específica, acredita-se que a contribuição do trabalho possa se estender a outras organizações de características similares que pretendam evoluir organizacional e tecnologicamente, a partir da estruturação de um processo que as leve a inovar, desde que as especificidades intrínsecas a elas sejam devidamente consideradas. / The innovation capacity of companies is recognized as one of the main factors that foment the country\'s economic growth, welfare levels and the competitiveness of its economy. In a market with substantial revenue generation, of significant competition and traditionally conservative as the construction sector, it is believed that investment in innovation can amongst other benefits promote performance and quality of buildings improvements, cost and time reduction, sustainability and therefore increase of the competitive advantage. Considering the constant need of construction companies to improve their results the purpose of this paper is to structure a innovation management process, applied to buildings construction, in the company EZTEC. The development of this work is based on the literature review, interviews with innovation market professionals and on the EZTEC\'s organizational and technical characteristics, where the author holds the position of Quality Manager. The result of this work is composed by a set of fundamental guidelines for structuring the innovation management process in buildings construction, which considers the EZTEC\'s organizational culture, therefore it should be easy to implement. Although the focus of development has been addressed to a specific company, it is believed that the contribution of this work can be extended to other organizations with similar characteristics that intend to evolve organizational and technologically, based on the structuring of a process that leads to innovation, provided their intrinsic characteristics are properly considered.

The use of process models to support business analysts' idea-generation tasks has been a long-standing topic of interest in process improvement. We examine how two types of representations of organizational processes - textual and diagrammatic - assist analysts in developing innovative solutions to process-redesign tasks. The results of our study clarify the types of process-redesign ideas generated by analysts who work with text versus those who work with models. We find that the volume and originality of process-redesign ideas do not differ significantly but that appropriateness of ideas varies. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice in process improvement.

Current research has pointed out that a subsidiary ́s external network, constituted by its suppliers and customers at the local market, is very important for the corporation as a whole. In this study we seek to explore if this is the case for a certain Multinational corporation through exploring the usage of its networks. More specifically how the knowledge within its networks sharing contribute to the company’s innovation development process. A number of interviews have been conducted with personnel at a Multinational corporation, General Electric Healthcare Life Sciences in Uppsala. The results have been analyzed using a theoretical frame of reference covering network theory and a subsidiary’s part in it. Our findings show that even though the external network may play a necessary part, the internal network of a large Multinational corporation is an important resource and should not be ignored.

This study explores the relatively new concept of &ldquo / The Learning Economy&rdquo / in the context of system of Innovation, which provides a basic understanding of all elements and their relations necessary to enhance the innovative capacity. This thesis aims to examine the structure and characteristics of ASELSAN (Electronic Industries Inc.) including i.e., firm-level technological activities. In the &lsquo / Learning Economy&rsquo / , rapid learning is the key factor for accelerating innovative capabilities and competitiveness for firms and nations. On the other hand, this concept is closely correlated with the &lsquo / New Economy&rsquo / , ICT (Information communication Technologies) that enhances the knowledge dissemination and learning. In this perspective, ASELSAN acquired high-level technological capabilities and rapid development such that it can be considered as a model for other firms in Turkey. Furthermore, this research aims to point out the &lsquo / Learning Process Model of ASELSAN&rsquo / comparing it with the catching-up firms in South Korea and emphasize transformation of technology and institutional structure in the period from 1980 to 2002. As an individual firm, &lsquo / ASELSAN&rsquo / is a leading firm in the defense industry as a system integrator / and the next step may be &lsquo / network-based&rsquo / learning process model. In summary, there could be policy lessons to be taken for other firms to become a &lsquo / learning organization and &lsquo / innovative firm&rsquo / .

A capacidade de inovação das empresas é reconhecida como um dos principais fatores que fomentam o crescimento econômico, os níveis de bem-estar e a competitividade da economia de um país. Num mercado com importante geração de receita, de grande competição e tradicionalmente conservador como é o da construção de edificações, acredita-se que investimento em inovação pode, entre outros benefícios, promover melhoria de desempenho e de qualidade dos produtos, redução de custo e prazo de construção, sustentabilidade e, por consequência, aumento da vantagem competitiva. Considerando-se a constante necessidade das empresas construtoras em melhorar seus resultados, o objetivo deste trabalho é a estruturação de um processo de gestão de inovação, aplicado à produção de edificações, para a empresa EZTEC. O desenvolvimento do trabalho baseou-se na revisão da literatura, em entrevistas com profissionais do mercado que atuam com desenvolvimento e inovação e nas características técnicas e organizacionais da EZTEC, onde o autor exerce o cargo de Gerente da Qualidade. O resultado deste trabalho é formado por um conjunto de orientações fundamentais para a estruturação de um processo de gestão da inovação na produção de edificações, que considera a cultura organizacional da EZTEC, e que, por isto, deverá ser de fácil implementação. Ainda que o foco do desenvolvimento tenha sido para uma empresa específica, acredita-se que a contribuição do trabalho possa se estender a outras organizações de características similares que pretendam evoluir organizacional e tecnologicamente, a partir da estruturação de um processo que as leve a inovar, desde que as especificidades intrínsecas a elas sejam devidamente consideradas. / The innovation capacity of companies is recognized as one of the main factors that foment the country\'s economic growth, welfare levels and the competitiveness of its economy. In a market with substantial revenue generation, of significant competition and traditionally conservative as the construction sector, it is believed that investment in innovation can amongst other benefits promote performance and quality of buildings improvements, cost and time reduction, sustainability and therefore increase of the competitive advantage. Considering the constant need of construction companies to improve their results the purpose of this paper is to structure a innovation management process, applied to buildings construction, in the company EZTEC. The development of this work is based on the literature review, interviews with innovation market professionals and on the EZTEC\'s organizational and technical characteristics, where the author holds the position of Quality Manager. The result of this work is composed by a set of fundamental guidelines for structuring the innovation management process in buildings construction, which considers the EZTEC\'s organizational culture, therefore it should be easy to implement. Although the focus of development has been addressed to a specific company, it is believed that the contribution of this work can be extended to other organizations with similar characteristics that intend to evolve organizational and technologically, based on the structuring of a process that leads to innovation, provided their intrinsic characteristics are properly considered.