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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore and conducts a critical literature review to answer a fundamental question in the industrial district literature: are clusters and industrial (clusters/IDs) driving sustainability innovation? By intersecting different yet related strands of literature, the authors take stock of what the authors know about sustainability innovation in clusters/IDs. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reviews the literature for conceptualizing sustainability innovation in clusters/districts. Findings: Insights point out that the sustainability innovation process (development and diffusion) in clusters/IDs and their firms couples into mainstream cluster/IDs framework; clusters/IDs enable sustainability innovation through usual mechanisms, fostering collective change toward sustainability innovation, vis-à-vis other settings and strengthening firm sustainability innovation and performance. Sustainability innovation in clusters/IDs requires coupling different multi-scalar institutional systems effectively, and the cooperation of local organizations and policymakers for co-designing dedicated policies. Collective actions are important and firm heterogeneity needs to be considered in the clusters/IDs framework. Originality/value: This study is original because it provides state-of-the-art on sustainability innovation in clusters/districts, enabling the topic to advance in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the effects originated by the massive entrance of foreign capital in the ceramic tile district of Castellon (Spain). Cross-fertilizing multinational acquisitions and industrial districts' literature, and using mix-methods on a focal case study, our article explores the effects that those multinationals have on districts, and whether the type of multinationals (financially-oriented vs industrial) presents different impacts on a focal industrial district. Our results point out that the massive entrance of foreign capital alters the local system. Overall, positive perceived attitudes are evidenced, along with negative attitudes associated with potential risks of lack of local-embedded ownership and the reduction of local cooperative ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Industry 4.0 or digitization, from a regional innovation system (RIS) and policy perspective to improve regional innovation, is over-looked. Specifically, this paper aims to focus on analyzing the nascent European Commission (EC) digital innovation hub (DIH) program, designed for fostering transition into Industry 4.0 in regions and facilitating new path development. Design/methodology/approach: Empirically, 10 Spanish DIH is explored through interviews and secondary data analysis. Findings: The results suggest that DIHs despite their emerging and trial-and-error stage are designed for promoting multi-actor collaborative platforms including non-local actors to stimulate transition into Industry 4.0 by promoting place-based collaboration alliances that respond to local/regional contextual specificities and demands. These regional-based platforms facilitate public-private partnerships that co-design policy initiatives resulting from co-participation and negotiation of spatially-bounded oriented initiatives for digitizing. Originality/value: The authors answer: what are the key characteristics of emerging European-level regional innovation policies aimed at facilitating Industry 4.0 in regions? This is the first study on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cross-flow microfiltration (CFM) of fruit juices allows obtaining products of high quality by conserving their organoleptic characteristics and microbiological stability during storage. The effect of the main macro-compounds and the transmembrane pressure (TMP) on the process performance with model fluids was evaluated. The model fluids concentration varied between 0.25 and 0.75% for pectin and 0.04 and 0.08% for cellulose. To study the influence of transmembrane pressure (TMP) and concentration on the hydrodynamic properties of the fouling layer (K,Cg), diffusivity (D) and the boundary layer thickness (δb) the Box-Behnken design with three replicas in the center was used. It was found that the CFM process is efficient and commercially feasible when working at a constant TMP of 1.93 bar and at concentrations of pectin and cellulose of 0.25% and 0.0513%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positioned in the study of firm heterogeneity in industrial districts (IDs), this study analyses how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) differ between local and non-local acquirers, impacting district evolution. Focusing on the Castellon ceramic tile district transformation, from acquisitions over 2012–2022, M&A and their implication for the local district are discussed, cross-fertilizing strategy and IDs literatures. Findings, from using mixed-methods, reveal that in IDs, the M&A process remarkably differs between local and non-local firms. While local firms tend to specialize in the related focal business, targeting local acquisitions to achieve internal synergies from a better valuation and integration of acquisitions, foreign firms seek access to tacit knowledge through relational and network synergies through diversification. Effects on the territory from M&A are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively little attention has been paid to the understanding of process innovation, compared to the well-researched product innovation. This paper contributes to improve our understanding of process innovation and its specific process capabilities and performance by exploring, across many industries, 4,608 process-oriented innovators. Process innovation is defined as adoption of technologically new or significantly improved production methods, including changes in equipment, organisation or methods of product delivery. Process-oriented innovators or process seekers are those firms which usually only introduce process innovation, and no product innovation. These have received less attention by scholars. Results show that process innovation without also organisational innovation complements constrains innovative performance. Complex process-based innovation complementarities result from the simultaneous development and integration of new machinery and organisational innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study's objective consists of deciphering whether collocation in MIDs, exerts a potential effect on a firm's discontinuous or radical innovative performance. The study explores and integrates economic geography with innovation literature in order to explore the relationship between Marshalllian Industrial Districts (MIDs) and firm innovation. Specifically, we encompass radical or discontinuous innovation, as opposed to an incremental or imitative one. We build a framework from which MIDs' effect on discontinuous innovation is approached. Using CIS data in Spain in district and non-district firms in a region, our results show that: (i) collocated firms' innovative performance is positively related to the District effect, as long as the innovation pursuit is incremental; (ii) collocation in MIDs does not facilitate the pursuit of radical innovation but mainly supports an incremental one, and (iii) district firms show asymmetric capabilities and innovative output, as long as the innovation pursuit is incremental, nor discontinuous. Implications for the MID framework are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies on innovation are aimed at covering technological innovation, neglecting other modes of innovation based on non-technological drivers. The latter, referred to as management innovation, consists of the implementation of new management practices, processes or organisational tasks. This work advances knowledge on the topic by exploring the joint effect of simultaneously introducing technological and management innovations on performance. Based on an analysis of 12,563 Spanish firms drawn from CIS data, our findings suggest that firms frequently pursue the simultaneous or joint introduction of both technological and management innovations and that integration impacts positively on a firm’s performance, evidencing an inverted U-shape that suggest positive but diminishing returns. A theoretical framework using the capability-based view embraces the emerging conversation on management innovation issues and its relationship with the well-researched technological one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents the design of a system for air quality managing: case Cali - Colombia. This structure facilitates to the interested parts to establish policies of emission and unmission of atmospheric pollutants of mobile and stationary sources, to define the environmental and sanitary priorities and to adopt the strategies to reduce his spoilage. It was used concepts of environmental management were in use as the evaluation of the environmental risk for identifying the emission sources, for evaluating the level of emission and concentration of atmospheric pollutants, for estimating his effect in the air and population and for valuing the actions adapted to reduce the atmospheric emission. Equally, there it was use concepts of management of the quality. The structure allows in a simplified way to articulate the control measures to obtain information of the effects in the quality of the air and of the exposed population considering the technological, juridical and organizational conditions of the zone of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]