This paper investigates the relationship between business developers and start-ups in the field of sustainability. More specifically, the study analyzes how and why Swedish business developers, in terms of incubators, financiers, and advisors, implement sustainability in their cooperation with start-ups. Each year, thousands of businesses are founded which need support in various ways, it could be anything from advising to financial help. Ever since the UN launched Agenda 2030 and the Government of Sweden launched its new climate policy, it is clear that everyone needs to do something to help the world towards a better future. This study is based on qualitative interviews with six different business developers and applies the theories: stakeholder and shareholder theory, triple bottom line, creating shared value, green growth, and open innovation. The result showed that how business developers implement sustainability in their cooperation with start-ups varies, but is based on economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Some developers work more actively than others, but it is done through an exchange of knowledge between business developers and start-ups. Further, why business developers use sustainability is either as a tool to gain a competitive advantage and help start-ups grow or to increase their profits.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore narratives in a new nonprofit arts center. It includes the macro-, meso-, and personal narratives that keep the center organized in the midst of the chaotic everyday activities. It advocates the explanatory force of narrative as an alternative to organizational life cycle theory for understanding organizational startups. Design/methodology/approach – This narrative ethnography involved participant observation, full participation, and narrative interviews over a three-year period. Using grounded theory, narratives were examined to discover how they engendered and maintained order. Findings – This paper contributes to the understanding narratives as a constitutional organizing and sensemaking process, including the narratives of “Do It Yourself,” and economic production, family and home, and personal narratives that constitute community, community boundaries, and identity, adding to our knowledge of organizing. Research limitations/implications – The research examined only one local nonprofit arts center, therefore the findings are specific to this site and the same types of narratives may not necessarily be found in other nonprofits. Originality/value – This paper examines a nonprofit during start-up. It validates support for the examination of organizations through narrative ethnography and narrative interviewing. It purports that narratives constitute social identity, rather than being the evidence of social identity.

The purpose of this paper is to explore narratives in a new nonprofit arts center. It includes the macro-, meso-, and personal narratives that keep the center organized in the midst of the chaotic everyday activities. It advocates the explanatory force of narrative as an alternative to organizational life cycle theory for understanding organizational startups. This narrative ethnography involved participant observation, full participation, and narrative interviews over a three-year period. Using grounded theory, narratives were examined to discover how they engendered and maintained order. This paper contributes to the understanding narratives as a constitutional organizing and sensemaking process, including the narratives of “do it yourself,” and economic production, family and home, and personal narratives that constitute community, community boundaries, and identity, adding to our knowledge of organizing. The research examined only one local nonprofit arts center, therefore the findings are specific to this site and the same types of narratives may not necessarily be found in other nonprofits. This paper examines a nonprofit during start-up. It validates support for the examination of organizations through narrative ethnography and narrative interviewing. It purports that narratives constitute social identity, rather than being the evidence of social identity.

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Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is one of nine neurodegenerative disorders caused by expansion of CAG/polyglutamine repeats. Proteins carrying expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) domains are suggested to be resistant to degradation and aggregate. Furthermore, a negative correlation between aggregation and toxicity has been shown. So far, little is known about the turn-over rate and degradation of the SCA7 disease protein ataxin-7 (ATXN7) and how this protein induces cellular toxicity. For the studies in this thesis work, we constructed stable inducible PC12 cell lines expressing GFP-tagged ATXN7 with 10 or 65 glutamines (Qs). Using these cell lines, we studied the turn-over of ATXN7 and the relationship between mutant ATXN7 and oxidative stress. We showed that ATXN7 with a normal glutamine repeat (ATXN7Q10-GFP) has a short half-life and is mainly degraded by the UPS. In cells expressing expanded ATXN7 (ATXN7Q65-GFP), aggregation and reduced viability was observed. The aggregation increased the half-life of mutant ATXN7. For expanded full-length ATXN7, UPS was still the main degradation pathway; however autophagy also played a role in clearance of soluble ATXN7 fragments and possibly in aggregated ATXN7 material. Moreover, activation of autophagy reduced the level of aggregation and ameliorated the toxicity in cells expressing mutant ATXN7. From this study, we could get the conclusion that although expansion of the polyQ repeat increases the stability of expanded ATXN7, the protein can still be degraded via both UPS and autophagy. Furthermore, stimulation of autophagy could ameliorate the expanded ATXN7 toxicity and could therefore be a potential therapeutic approach for SCA7. Regarding the role of oxidative stress we showed that expression of mutant ATXN7 leads to increased ROS levels and oxidative stress. Treatment with an antioxidant or blockage of NADPH oxidase complexes (NOX) decreased ATXN7 aggregation, the levels of ROS and ameliorated ATXN7 induced toxicity. Based on these results, we suggest that mutant ATXN7 cause increased ROS production from NOX and antioxidants treatment and or inhibition of NADPH-oxidase might potentially be used as a therapeutic strategy in SCA7. / <p>At the time of defence the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript</p>

Introduction: Since the 1980s and onwards, entrepreneurship and start-ups have exploded. In comparison to more established companies, firms that are defined as start- ups wanting to scale-up are coined by different sorts of vulnerabilities. These can be found in their lack of resources regarding both financial and human capital. Previous research has shown that a greater focus on the work with internal structure and routines, as well as organizational behavior (OB) can make it easier for a company to take on greater challenges and organizational complexity and at the same time be able to grow. Aim: This study aims to get a better understanding of how start-ups strive to scale up and achieve growth by working with institutionalized practices. Method: The study represents a qualitative study where empirical data is gathered from interviews that have been conducted with five managers from three different start-up companies. Results: Though all the companies fall into the same category as start-up business, there are still some clear factors that set them apart from each other. Companies 1 and 3 can be viewed as larger start-ups, while company 2 is comparatively smaller. The companies have similar goals, maximizing profit and steadily trying to grow. Both companies 1 and 3 have adopted a more hierarchical structure to better manage the growing organization, while company 2 has remained a flat organization in order not to stifle the creative flow they feel is supported by this type of organization model. Representatives from company 2 do however express concerns with accountability and the emergence of informal structures related to a lack of oversight and control. Conclusion: The results indicate that a start-up aiming to scale up will go through several phases of creating order. Therefore, with the absence of the institutionalized practices a company will be set up for failure. Working with communication on every organizational level thus becomes important where the manager has a responsibility of putting the employee in focus.

Solar Power and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) are two technologies that are growing rapidly. The demand for solar energy is mainly driven by the trend towards cheaper solar cells, making it economically profitable for a larger range of applications. However, solar power has yet to reach grid parity in many geographical areas, which makes ways to reduce the cost of solar power systems important. This thesis investigates the possibility and potential economic synergies of combining solar power with UPS systems, which have been previously researched only from a purely technical point of view. This thesis instead evaluates the hypothesis that a combined solar and UPS system might save additional costs compared to regular grid-tied systems, even in a stable power grid. The primary reason is that on-line UPS systems rectifies and inverts all electricity, which means that solar energy can be delivered to the DC part of the UPS system instead of an AC grid, avoiding the installation of additional inverters in the solar power system. The study is divided into three parts. The first part is a computer simulation using MATLAB, which has an explorative method and aims to simulate a combined system before experimenting physically with it. The second part consists of experiments on a physical prototype system based on basic UPS and solar power components. The third part is an economical assessment of investment costs and energy balances, comparing two separate systems (UPS and solar power separate) to one combined (UPS &amp; solar power). The results from the prototype system show that adding solar power to an UPS system does not interfere with the UPS functionality in any major way, however for optimal performance some additional integration may be necessary. On the contrary, the additional power terminal that the solar panels constitute, can increase system performance during certain operational conditions. The result of the economic analysis shows that a combined system has potential for both a lower investment cost due to cheaper components and increased energy savings through lower conversion losses. The conclusion from the study is that a combined solar energy and UPS system is technically feasible. Furthermore, a combined system has clear economic advantages over two separate systems. This means that a combined system might be economically profitable even in situations where a separate system is not. / Solenergi och avbrottsfri kraftförsörjning (UPS) är två tekniker som växer snabbt. Efterfrågan på solenergi ökar huvudsakligen på grund av den snabba utvecklingen mot billigare solceller, vilket lett till att solenergi blivit lönsamt i en större mängd applikationer. I många områden är solenergi dock fortfarande inte kostnadsmässigt konkurrenskraftigt jämfört med traditionella energikällor, vilket gör en fortsatt sänkning av kostnaderna för solenergi till en viktig fråga för solenergiindustrin. Detta examensarbete har som syfte att undersöka om det är tekniskt möjligt att kombinera solenergi med UPS-system samt potentialen för ekonomiska synergier med denna kombination. Tidigare forskning inom området har endast undersökt denna kombination från en rent teknisk synvinkel. Detta examensarbete driver istället hypotesen att ett kombinerat solenergi- och UPS-system kan leda till större kostnadsbesparingar jämfört med ett traditionellt nätanslutet solenergisystem, även i ett stabilt elnät som i Sverige. En on-line UPS skyddar en känslig last genom att kontinuerligt likrikta och sedan åter växelrikta inkommande ström för att därmed både isolera lasten från nätet samt höja strömkvalitén. I UPS-systemet finns därmed en likströmsdel dit solpanelerna direkt kan kopplas istället för att skicka den genererade solenergin ut på elnätet. Därmed undviks inköp och installation av sol-växelriktare i solenergisystemet. Studien är uppdelad i tre delar. Första delen är en datorsimulering i MATLAB och syftar till att explorativt undersöka det kombinerade systemet för en optimerad design innan fysiska experiment utförs. Den andra delen av studien utgörs av experiment på ett fysiskt prototypsystem baserat på ett principiellt UPS- och solenergisystem. Den tredje delen av studien är en ekonomisk analys av både investeringskostnader och energibalanser som jämför ett kombinerat system (UPS &amp; sol) med två separata system (UPS &amp; sol separat). Resultaten från prototypsystemet visar att påkopplandet av solceller i en principiell UPS har mycket låg påverkan på UPS-systemets funktionalitet, samt att solcellerna som en extra energikälla under vissa driftförhållanden kan ha en positiv påverkan på UPS-systemet. För optimal prestanda kan dock en viss integration av systemen krävas.  Resultatet från den ekonomiska analysen visar att ett kombinerat system har potential att sänka investeringskostnaden genom billigare komponenter. Ett kombinerat system kan även leda till en högre energibesparing jämfört med ett nätanslutet solenergisystem eftersom konverteringsförlusterna i UPS-systemet sjunker i det kombinerade systemet. Slutsatsen av studierna är att ett kombinerat solenergi- och UPS-system är tekniskt möjligt. Dessutom finns betydande ekonomiska synergier med ett kombinerat system. Detta innebär att ett kombinerat system kan vara lönsamt även i fall där ett separat solelsystem inte är det.

Technical Debt (TD) is a concept referring to technical deficiencies and sub-optimal decisions made in software development that may save time in the short term but lead to long-term obstacles. The concept also implies increased future costs, often growing with interest, caused by slower development rates and the need for refactorings. The high-paced environment of tech start-ups often leads to companies taking shortcuts in their development process, prioritizing iteration speed and time-to-market over longterm scalability. Oftentimes resulting in the accumulation of TD through sub-optimal technology choices, modularity, or architecture. Start-ups also play an important role in the innovation of many industries, hence, their contribution to differing markets and new products is valuable. Poorly managed TD in start-ups may lead to large obstacles when initiating a scale-up phase, leading to a possible development in industries slowing down, and it is therefore important to create the best possible conditions for start-ups to succeed in managing their TD, which is where this study aims to provide aid. A multiple-case study was performed with several tech start-ups in the Stockholm area on how TD has emerged and has been managed through its journey. The findings show that start-up companies are often inclined to deliberately accumulate TD in the early stages, in order to facilitate swift market establishment and proof of concept for their product. Further, the negative consequences of early accumulated TD were found to be limited. However, TD should not be left to grow for too long even in a start-up phase, since the findings show that this often results in large costs. Instead, start-ups should plan for there factoring of early accumulated TD by expecting a technological pivot. Furthermore, in the continuous management of TD, the results show that team composition, including personality traits and in-house competence, often impacts the success of managing TD more than meticulous planning, motivating the management in the start-ups to more thoroughly consider how they build their teams, and what competencies are present in the company, or needed. / Teknisk Skuld är ett begrepp som syftar på suboptimala beslut som fattas inom mjukvaruutveckling som kan spara tid på kort sikt, men som innebär framtida kostnader, ofta med ränta, genom refaktorering eller långsammare utvecklingstid. Den snabba miljön hos tech start-ups leder ofta till att företag tar genvägar i sin utveckling, vad gäller till exempel teknikval, modularitet eller arkitektur. Start-ups spelar också en viktig roll i innovationen i många branscher, och är därför värdefulla i olika marknader och nya produkter. Dåligt skött teknisk skuld i nystartade företag kan leda till stora hinder närman initierar en uppskalningsfas, vilket leder till att eventuell utveckling i branscher bromsar in, och det är därför viktigt att skapa de bästa möjliga förutsättningarna för start-ups att lyckas hantera sina tekniska skuld, vilket denna studie syftar till att bidra till. I den här artikeln genomfördes en flerfallsstudie med flera nystartade teknikföretag i Stockholmsområdet om hur teknisk skuld har vuxit fram och hanterats genom sin resa. Resultaten visar att teknisk skuld inte anses vara dåligt i mycket tidiga skeden, där ackumuleringen av teknisk skuld ofta skapar marknadsetablering och samlar bevis för vad produkten bör vara för, och tidigt ackumulerad teknisk skuld är oftast lättare att hantera än i senare skeden. Teknisk skuld bör dock inte lämnas att växa för länge även i en uppstartsfas, eftersom resultaten visar att detta ofta leder till alldeles för stora kostnader. Istället bör nystartade företag planera för omstrukturering av tidigt ackumulerad teknisk skuld genom att förvänta sig en teknisk pivot. Vidare, i den kontinuerliga hanteringen av teknisk skuld, visar resultaten att team-sammansättning, inklusive personlighetsdrag och intern kompetens, ofta påverkar framgången med att hantera teknisk skuld mer än noggrann planering, vilket motiverar ledningen i nystartade företag att mer noggrant överväga hur de bygger sina team och vilka kompetenser som finns i företaget, eller vilka som behövs.

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Sustainability is one of the main concerns for businesses in order to being competitive in the market. Sustainability is one the most important and popular fields for the companies due to customer expectations and profitability. Therefore, there is a need to comprehend sustainability in production systems in order to encounter drivers, transform production systems with smart tools, and evaluate the measurements in production systems. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how to achieve sustainability goals for start-up companies and how these companies can incorporate sustainability in order to improve their production systems. Literature study was performed to build a theoretical foundation for this thesis, therefore allowing the opportunity to answer the research questions of this thesis. The literature study was covered to identified aspects, including drivers of sustainable production systems, sustainability indicators, and technological developments in the production systems. To answer the research questions a single case study was carried out. The company was a start-up company in the food and beverage industry. Data was collected through questionnaires, document review, interviews, and observations. An investigation regarding sustainability goals and measurement indicators are critical when implementing sustainability practices in the production systems. The outcome from these investigations set a knowledge for improving production systems to better meet sustainability goals. To measure sustainability indicators, there is a need to correct data collection and understand how to use the equations. The measurement indicators identified in production systems having a direction to measure environmental aspects in the production systems. The technological improvements have an impact on the motivation regarding sustainability indicators in order to decrease energy consumption, waste and water management, emissions, and production efficiency, as well as decreasing the cost. This thesis provides a knowledge for the start-up company in order to implement sustainability aspects in the production systems to better meet sustainability goals. Additionally, highlights areas of drivers factor and measurement indicators for integration of sustainability in the production systems.