Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Career-Based Influences On Scientific Recognition In The United States And Europe: Longitudinal Evidence From Curriculum Vitae Data, Jan Youtie, Juan Rogers, Thomas Heinze, Philip Shapira, Li Tang

Philip Shapira

This paper examines how funding patterns, career pathways and collaboration networks influence scientific recognition. We analyze these institutional factors in the early and middle phases of academic careers through comparison of a group of researchers recognized as creative by their peers with a matched group of researchers. Measurement of scientific recognition is based on survey nominations and research prizes in two growing, laboratory-intensive research domains: nanotechnology and human genetics. Curriculum vitae data is used to compare researchers based in the United States and Europe. In the early career model for the United States, we find that scientific recognition is associated …

A Trans-Atlantic Conversation On Responsible Innovation And Responsible Governance, Sally Randles, Jan Youtie, David Guston, Barbara Harthorn, Chris Newfield, Philip Shapira, Fern Wickson, Arie Rip, René Von Schomberg, Nick Pidgeon

Philip Shapira

How can innovation be balanced with responsible governance? Responsible innovation and responsible governance are broad concepts which mean different things to different groups. This paper presents the results of a roundtable held at the Society for Nanotechnology and Emerging Technologies (S.NET) 2011 conference with academics and policymakers from Europe and the US. The results of this roundtable discussion raise issues of definition, lack of consensus, and the role of philosophy versus practical intervention.

Auburn University Team Takes Third Place In 2011 Launchpad Competition

Paul Swamidass

"Launchpad helps motivate the Thomas Walter Center to prepare a sound business plan for a promising Auburn University engineering invention each year," said Swamidass. "The screening provided by the Launchpad judges and publicity offered by the competition increases the chances that a strong Auburn invention will get to market for the benefit of the economy and the public. We expect IPC Foam to attract a CEO and private capital to establish a local startup to successfully commercialize this technology."

The Use Of Environmental Health And Safety Research In Nanotechnology Research, Jan Youtie, Alan L. Porter, Philip Shapira, Li Tang, Troy Benn

Philip Shapira

Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns are receiving considerable attention in the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology (nano) R&D, underscored by the perspective that EHS work should be developed alongside the scientific research rather than subsequent to applications. This positioning of nano EHS suggests the importance of early understanding and measurement of the diffusion of nano EHS science. This research examines the diffusion of nano EHS publications, defined through a set of search terms, into a global nanotechnology R&D database developed at Georgia Tech. The results indicate that nano EHS research is growing rapidly although it is orders of magnitude …

First Annual Invention2venture (I2v) Apprentice Challenge Workshop (2010)

Paul Swamidass

In a nutshell, a number of AU student teams, after an introduction from experts on starting and running a business, were challenged along the lines of Mr. Trump’s TV show, “The Apprentice,” to start a business and produce income in 72 hours with $100 seed investment given to each team. The teams delivered, and in the process gained hands-on experience in entrepreneurship; the teams returned the seed investment and kept the profits. Two teams were rewarded.

Product Concept To Complete Business Plan In Three Months In An Ug Course For Business + Engineering Students, Paul Swamidass, Nels Madsen, P.K. Raju, Jackie Dipofi

Paul Swamidass

sophomores/juniors work in multi-disciplinary teams to conceive and select a technology-intensive product, develop a project schedule, conduct market research and survey, complete product engineering/design, make manufacturing/sourcing decisions, estimate demand for five years, develop production/sourcing capacity, estimate investment needed and 5-yr cash flow as part of a business plan in 3 months; the business plan presentation is judged by a panel. The course is called Introduction to Business and Engineering but it is a holistic Technology Ventures course that prepares engineering and business students to partner together in bringing a technology-intensive product to the market. This course can be easily adopted …

Graphene Research Profile: Uk And Us Publications, 2000-2010, Philip Shapira, Jan Youtie, Stephen Carley

Philip Shapira

In this document we provide an overview of graphene research that appears in the Web of Science (WOS) during the timeframe 2000 to 2010, inclusive. WOS databases that contain graphene research articles include SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI and A&HCI. The search strategy used in this profile was a simple one: all WOS articles from 2000 to 2010 whose title contained the keyword ‘graphene’ were downloaded and analyzed using VantagePoint textmining software. The search strategy used resulted in a total of 4,706 publications spanning 11 years, 313 journals, 78 countries, 1,433 institutional affiliations and 7,617 authors. After a brief presentation of global results, …

Is There A Shift To ‘Active Nanostructures'?, Vrishali Subramanian, Alan L. Porter, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

It has been suggested that an important transition in the long-run trajectory of nanotechnology discovery and application is a shift from passive to active nanostructures. Such a shift could present increased societal impacts and need new approaches for risk assessment. The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Active Nanostructures and Nanosystems (ANN) grant solicitation defines an active nanostructure as “An active nanostructure changes or evolves its state during its operation.” Active nanostructures examples include nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), nanomachines, self-healing materials, targeted drugs and chemicals, energy storage devices, and sensors. This paper considers two questions: (1) Is there a “shift” to active nanostructures? …

The Innovation System And Innovation Policy In The United States, Philip Shapira, Jan Youtie

Philip Shapira

The US has a highly decentralized and diverse innovation system, involving multiple actors, including branches of federal and state governments, public agencies, universi-ties, the private sector, and non-profit and intermediary organizations. The system combines a high-level of R&D (with basic research sponsored particularly by federal government agencies) and a strong orientation towards applications and the market. This chapter provides an overview of the US innovation system and policy including a discussion of the components and participants involved in the US innovation system and its trends in innovation governance. The focus of this chapter is primarily on innovation policies with a …

Public Research Lab And Other Scientific Collaborations Of The Manchester City Region: A Bibliometric Analysis, Philip Shapira, Luciano Kay

Philip Shapira

This working paper examines the characteristics of the research collaborations of the Manchester City-Region, UK, based on a bibliometric analysis of co-authorship patterns of scientific publications published during the period 2006-2008. The paper focuses on Manchester City-Region collaborations with UK public research laboratories, but to place these in context the paper also contains overview analyses of all of the city-region’s research collaborations in the UK and internationally.

Innovation For The Manchester City Region: A Discussion Paper, Philip Shapira, Michael Luger, Elvira Uyarra, Chiara Marzocchi

Philip Shapira

After considering what is meant by innovation, we conceptualize the uses and sources of innovation at the level of a city-region. We suggest that this conceptualization, drawing on frameworks available in the literature, can provide a useful basis both for interpretation and policy operationalization. We then consider examples from practice, drawing on mini-case studies of innovation strategies in selected multi-area metropolitan agglomerations in other countries. This leads to a discussion of grand challenges and implementation problems of innovation facing the Manchester city-region. Finally, we consider implications strategy development and for the Manchester city-region innovation prospectus itself.

Organizational And Institutional Influences On Creativity In Scientific Research, Thomas Heinze, Philip Shapira, Juan D. Rogers, Jacqueline M. Senker

Philip Shapira

This paper explores institutional and organizational influences on creativity in scientific research. Using a method for identifying creative scientific research accomplishments in two fields of science (nanotechnology and human genetics) in Europe and the US, the paper summarizes results derived from twenty case studies of highly creative research accomplishments, focusing on contextual patterns at the group, organizational, and institutional levels. We find that creative accomplishments are associated with small group size, organizational contexts with sufficient access to a complementary variety of technical skills, stable research sponsorship, timely access to extramural skills and resources, and facilitating leadership. A potential institutional threat …

Nanotechnology Development In Latin America, Luciano Kay, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

This article investigates the development of nanotechnology in Latin America with a particular focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Based on data for nanotechnology research publications and patents and suggesting a framework for analyzing the development of R&D networks, we identify three potential strategies of nanotechnology research collaboration. Then, we seek to identify the balance of emphasis upon each of the three strategies by mapping the current research profile of those four countries. In general, we find that they are implementing policies and programs to develop nanotechnologies but differ in their collaboration strategies, institutional involvement, and level of development. …

Technological Diversity, Scientific Excellence And The Location Of Inventive Activities Abroad: The Case Of Nanotechnology, Andrea Fernández-Ribas, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

Our contribution to the expanding literature on the globalization of research and innovation is to investigate the extent to which sector-specific developments in an emerging technology (such as increasing interdisciplinarity and complexity) affect inventive activities developed abroad. We look at how technological diversity and scientific excellence of host countries in the field of nanotechnology affect the development of inventive activities by US multinational companies (MNCs). We identify the most active US-based MNCs in nanotechnology-related patenting and examine location decisions of these companies and their international subsidiaries. Econometric results confirm our hypothesis that technological breadth of host countries positively influence the …

Emergence Of Nanodistricts In The United States: Path Dependency Or New Opportunities?, Philip Shapira, Jan Youtie

Philip Shapira

Multiple economic development theories suggest that research and innovation in emerging technologies will cluster in certain locations rather then distributing equally among all regions. If this is the case, this distributional pattern has implications for where future economic opportunities as well as future risks will be concentrated. In this paper, we probe nanotechnology (hereafter nano) research and commercialization at a regional level. The study examines the top 30 US “nanodistricts” or metropolitan areas which lead in nanotechnology research activity over the 1990-2006 timeframe. We explore the factors underlying the emergence of these 30 metropolitan areas through exploratory cluster analysis. We …

Eureka! Winning Ways: Analysis Of Early Client Experiences, Lynne Manrique, Kamau Bobb, David Roessner, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a longstanding record of helping small- and medium-sized (SME) manufacturers to identify and implement technologies and practices that improve manufacturing efficiency and product quality. More recently, MEP has begun to build a growth services portfolio to assist manufacturers with the development of new products, new customers, and new markets. Its first growth services offering, called Eureka! Winning Ways (E!WW), was piloted in late 2006 and has been implemented widely since the beginning of 2008. To explore the nature of early E!WW client experiences, as well …

R&D Policy In The United States: The Promotion Of Nanotechnology, Philip Shapira, Jue Wang

Philip Shapira

This case study reviews the evolution of nanotechnology policies and programmes in the United States with a particular focus on three thematic areas: governance, interactions among R&D policies, and interaction between R&D policy and non-R&D policies. Federal R&D policy in nanotechnology has moved through several stages, including initial exploration before the 1980s, the promotion of scientific and technological breakthroughs in the 1980s, policy development in the 1990s and multiagency national initiatives in the 2000s. Since 2001, the major federal R&D policy mechanism in nanotechnology in the US has been the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). NNI promotes policy deliberation and, most …

Defining A Research Domain In An Emerging Technology: Vaccine Research In The State Of Georgia, Shannon Barker, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

This paper presents an approach for measuring emerging technologies in the context of mature industries. In particular, this article focuses on vaccine-related research. Although vaccines comprise an established industry, new developments in biotechnology have led to emerging area in vaccine R&D, including therapeutic vaccines; subunit and DNA-based vaccines; advances in vaccine delivery; and new methodologies for vaccine design, manufacturing, and testing. Defining this field is challenging because it spans multiple disciplines, including biotechnology, public health, and epidemiology. To gain an understanding of the field as it is related to biomedical research, we focused our study parameters to concentrate on these …

The Effect Of Auburn University’S Business-Engineering-Technology Program On The Predisposition Towards Entrepreneurship In Business And Engineering Graduates, Paul Swamidass, Daniel Butler

Paul Swamidass

The unique Business-Engineering-Technology (BET) minor at Auburn University trains business and engineering students in teamwork and entrepreneurship. All eleven graduates of the first BET class (2003) and nineteen graduates from the second BET class (2004) were surveyed to assess their entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and abilities. Their responses were compared against the Auburn University norm for graduating seniors. The norm was developed using 254 responses from business and engineering students who were cohorts of the BET students. In this lock-step program, students design and develop three different products and matching businesses to exploit their products. Over the two years, they prepare …

Rethinking Regional Innovation And Change: Path Dependency Or Regional Breakthrough?, Gerhard Fuchs, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

Rethinking Regional Innovation and Change is an edited volume bringing together papers from leading international scholars in the field of regional development and policy. Contributors to the book examine the interactions between path-dependent developments, institutions, and governance structures in influencing regional innovation capacity. The invariably complex interrelationships between technical and industrial development paths and regional institutions are explored, using cases from both highly developed and lagging regions. The book offers an assessment of the extent to which regional innovative capacity can be increased by strengthening, re-orientating, or creating institutions and policies and examines opportunities for reflexive practice at the regional …

Succeeding In A Cross-Disciplinary, International, Student Design-Team Project: Auburn University/University Of Plymouth Experience, Paul Swamidass, Bob Bulfin, David Grieve, Chetan Sankar, Venu Vulasa

Paul Swamidass

Globalization has turned product design upside down. Members of a single design team in multinational firms may be located in several countries such as the USA, UK, Italy, India and so on. It is a challenge to give engineering and business students a taste of this experience. Auburn University’s Business-Engineering-Technology (B-E-T) program, and the College of Engineering, University of Plymouth, participated in a joint effort to replicate real-life product design process with a mixture of engineering and business students. This paper describes the experience, its lessons and compares it with other attempts at multinational student design-team projects.

Modeling The Adoption Rates Of Manufacturing Technology Innovations By Small Us Manufacturers: A Longitudinal Investigation Feb. 2003, Pp. 351-366., Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

This study provides conclusive evidence to support the view that small plants are slower than larger plants to adopt manufacturing innovations. This empirical study based on over 1000 US manufacturing plants engaged in producing discrete products, studies the adoption of manufacturing technologies in small plants relative to large plants between 1993 and 1997.

Under the assumption that small manufacturers are disadvantaged, several federal and state programs have been created to assist small manufacturers in acquiring and adopting manufacturing innovations. Through quantification of technology adoption in small manufacturing firms, this study’s findings reveal which manufacturing innovations are in greater need of …

Learning From Science And Technology Policy Evaluation: Experiences From The United States And Europe, Philip Shapira, Stefan Kuhlmann

Philip Shapira

Learning from Science and Technology Policy Evaluation, edited by Philip Shapira and Stefan Kuhlmann, presents US and European experiences and insights on the evaluation of policies and programs to foster research, innovation, and technology (RIT). In recent years, policymakers have promoted RIT policies to accelerate scientific and technological development in emerging fields, encourage new patterns of research collaboration and commercialization and enhance national and regional economic competitiveness. At the same time, budgetary pressures and new public management approaches have strengthened demands for RIT performance measurement and evaluation. The contributors, leading experts in science and technology policy and evaluation, analyze and …

Innovations In Competitive Manufacturing, Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

Competitive manufacturing in the US was made possible by the progress made in a number of areas. For example, progress in competitive manufacturing is attributable to advances in the strategic use if manufacturing, cellular manufacturing, lean manufacturing, flexible automation, total quality management, supply chain management, design for manufacturing, mass customization, improved costing, and so on.

Pressured by competition, US manufacturers began the journey to competitive manufacturing in the late seventies; their success brought revolutionary changes to US manufacturing.

The book is arranged in 13 different chapters, each covering a major subject within manufacturing management. Each chapter consists of one or …

Us Manufacturing Extension Partnerships: Technology Policy Reinvented, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

The US manufacturing extension partnership (MEP) is examined as an example of the new partnership paradigm in US technology policy. The MEP provides technology assistance services, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. Influenced by aims to reinvent government and reorient technology policy, the MEP seeks to be comprehensive, collaborative, and demand-driven. However, the MEP’s partnered management style is constrained by political and industrial systems that continue to operate on traditional lines. After probing these tensions, the paper offers insights for the MEP’s future development and for other technology and innovation policies that seek to emulate the MEP’s partnership approach.

Technology On The Factory Floor Iii: Technology Use And Training In Us Manufacturing Firms, Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

This is the third issue of the Technology on the Factory Floor series. The study was sponsored by the Manufacturing Institute and the National Science Foundation. Data for this study of manufacturing technology use was collected from 1,025 manufacturing plant managers during 1997 using a modified survey questionnaire originally used in the 1993 study.

The findings were: Since the 1993 study, inventory turnover increased, rejection and rework reduced, and cycle time and manufacturing costs decreased; overall, there was measurable improvement in manufacturing since 1993. Other findings were: larger plants use technologies more extensively than smaller plants; exporters use more manufacturing …

Technology On The Factory Floor Ii: Benchmarking Manufacturing Technology Use In The Usa, Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

This monograph is the result of the second joint effort of the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the author for studying the use of fifteen different manufacturing technologies in the US. Timely support by the National Science Foundation enabled this second study to be expanded to a larger number of participants. A total of 1,121 members of NAM participated in this study. Hard technologies studied were: AGV, CAD, CAM, CIM, CNC, FMS, LAN, Robotics and automated inspection, and soft technologies studied were: TQM, JIT, SQC, MRP, MRP II, and manufacturing cells.

Selected findings are: CAD, …

Functional Explanation And Metaphysical Individualism, Justin Schwartz

Justin Schwartz

A number of (present or former) analytical Marxists, such as Jon Elster, have argued that functional explanation has almost no place in the social sciences. (Although the discussion is framed in terms of a debate among analytical Marxists, the point is quite general, and Marxism is used for illustrative purposes.) Functional explanation accounts for what is to be explained by reference to its function; thus, sighted organism have eyes because eyes enable them to see. Elster and other critics of functional explanation argue that this pattern of explanation is inconsistent with "methodological individualism," the idea, as they understand it, that …