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Memory accesses account for a large percentage of total power in microprocessor-based embedded systems. The increasing use of microprocessor cores and synthesis, rather than prefabricated microprocessor chips, creates the opportunity to tune a memory hierarchy to the one program that will execute in the embedded system. Such tuning requires fast and accurate estimation of the power and performance of different memory configurations. We describe a general three-step approach to developing such estimators, based on our experiences on several different projects. Each step is increasingly fast, using the previous step to gauge accuracy. The first step uses high-level functional simulation, the second step uses trace simulation, and the third step uses equations. A tool developer can follow these three steps to create a powerful environment for core users to support synthesis of the best memory hierarchy for a particular embedded system. The approach can be applied to components other than memory also.

Thermo Fisher Scientific and Applikon Biotechnology sign bilateral supply agreement.

AET BioTech and BioXpress Therapeutics to co-develop biosimilar Adalimumab.

Octa Phillip Bioscience Managers announces first close on new healthcare fund.

Agilent Technologies' and PREMIER Biosoft's platforms work together to advance lipidomics research.

Phosphagenics licenses TPM^® platform to Indian pharmaceutical company.

Dr. Louis-Philippe Vézina, named as a recipient of the 2012 Prix du Quebec.

The emergence of digital platforms has had a deep impact on the way firms design and position their products. An open architecture is a key to successfully scale up platforms in terms of usage. Architectural modularity is an important feature that facilitates openness of platforms. Successful scaling of platforms needs a digital infrastructure layer that facilitates collaboration and creation and hence the role of modular systems in the development of platform ecosystems has increased substantially. In this paper, we study the relationship between modular architectures and platform scale up performance from a survey data of managers in the semiconductor industry with 232 data points. The findings from our study show that the scale-up performance of platforms has an inverted U-shaped relationship with modularity. We also find that the strategic flexibility of firms positively moderates this relationship.

The degree of flexibility that system architecture should have is not only an important technical decision but is important from a business perspective as well. Ambiguity in terms of interfaces and the functionality of modules reduces the possibility of ex-ante specification of contracting terms and incentives and monitoring of incentives. The link between architectural modularity and the relationship to performance is important as this enables us to examine questions related to the success of task partitioning at an industry level.

Digital innovations are happening all over the globe with the advent of technology. The digital platforms are not only introducing the traditional services online but are also continuously engaged in making frequent modifications to them in the form of incremental innovations. In our quest of creating a time horizon for innovation adoption, and determining levels of adopters of incremental innovations 837 participants from India were asked about their level of adoption of digital innovations. While most of the respondents did not seem affected by the digital transition, amongst the ones adopting these innovations are mostly Early Adopters and Early Majority. The study arrived at an adoption score for the respondents based on the time from the introduction of the innovation and their adoption. The time horizon suggests the increase in adoption of innovation with each new digital innovation introduced. In the case of incremental innovations, ten levels of adoption, and three categories consisting of the ten levels of adoption are formulated based on the LoA model. The users in India fall majorly on the Beginner category in which maximum is aware of the incremental innovations but are skeptical about using them. The study further suggests certain measures for the digital platform providers for each category of users to make them accustomed to the process of incremental innovations.

International product strategy regarding global standardisation and local adaptation is one of the challenges faced by multinational corporations (MNCs). Studies in this area have tested the antecedents and consequences of standardisation/adaptation, but lack a new product development (NPD) perspective. In this study, we explore how product standardisation/adaptation is determined in the NPD context. Through a qualitative case study of four MNCs, we found three NPD approaches: multi-local, adaptation-based and platform-based. We analysed the advantages and challenges of each approach. In addition, we reveal how the factors (development of information and communication technology, competition pressure, brand awareness and technical capability) could influence the choice of a certain NPD approach. We draw implications on the paths to ensuring full leveraging of the benefits of a platform-based approach.

Platform and complementary products configure platform-based markets. This study focuses on the genres of complementary products in a platform-based market. We examine differences in the influences of mediating factors on the evolutionary mechanisms of genres, based on different diffusion strategies in the Japanese video game sector: Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. This study shows that a rapid platform diffusion strategy generates bandwagon effects in the evolution of genres, and, in turn, the excessive evolution of various genres negatively influences the sales distribution of software in the platform-based market, leading to a rapid decline of the platform. Additionally, this rapid decline results in an evolutionary failure of genres at a later stage in the platform’s lifecycle. Thus, we imply that a rapid platform expansion strategy may cause a rapid decline of the platform-based market and may exclude innovations based on undeveloped genres of complementary products.

The increasingly digital business landscape has created manifold novel opportunities as well as threats to traditional business models. In consequence, a broad variety of digital business models emerged. Powerful tools and managerial guidance on how to shape digital strategies in this volatile and uncertain terrain are sought-after, but remain rare. Building on an analysis of the world’s top-1.000 venture funded technology startups over the last decade, we identify 49 novel business model types that describe firms as vendors of digitally enabled products and services, as providers of resources and capabilities for digital business, and as facilitators of intermediation. Furthermore, we identify the novelties of these digital business models types in their components, i.e., value proposition as well as their value creation, delivery, and capture processes. The result is a recipe collection of novel mechanisms to guide and inspire other firms when commercialising digital technologies in their business models.

Over the years, due to the emergence of internet and big data, there is an immediate evolution of competitive business models and new strategies. A business model can be defined as an architectural arrangement of the components of profitable transactions developed to explore businesses’ prospects. Previously, companies were operating on a basic pipeline structure where producers puked out products from one end to another end to consumers. Since the advent of technology businesses working on platforms have managed to improve their revenue modeling, their brick and mortar working patterns have been reconsidered. Google being one of the quintessential platforms has come through over the time improving their business modeling and keeping in pace with the technology and strategizing itself and being one of the most successful platform models in value creation. This paper discusses how Google has explored its business model technology into value creation for its company.

International product strategy regarding global standardisation and local adaptation is one of the challenges faced by multinational corporations (MNCs). Studies in this area have tested the antecedents and consequences of standardisation/adaptation, but lack a new product development (NPD) perspective. In this study, we explore how product standardisation/adaptation is determined in the NPD context. Through a qualitative case study of four MNCs, we found three NPD approaches: multi-local, adaptation-based and platform-based. We analysed the advantages and challenges of each approach. In addition, we reveal how the factors (development of information and communication technology, competition pressure, brand awareness and technical capability) could influence the choice of a certain NPD approach. We draw implications on the paths to ensuring full leveraging of the benefits of a platform-based approach.

Platform and complementary products configure platform-based markets. This study focuses on the genres of complementary products in a platform-based market. We examine differences in the influences of mediating factors on the evolutionary mechanisms of genres, based on different diffusion strategies in the Japanese video game sector: Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. This study shows that a rapid platform diffusion strategy generates bandwagon effects in the evolution of genres, and, in turn, the excessive evolution of various genres negatively influences the sales distribution of software in the platform-based market, leading to a rapid decline of the platform. Additionally, this rapid decline results in an evolutionary failure of genres at a later stage in the platform’s lifecycle. Thus, we imply that a rapid platform expansion strategy may cause a rapid decline of the platform-based market and may exclude innovations based on undeveloped genres of complementary products.

There is now a consensus on the role of open innovation intermediaries, especially in relation to the transaction costs associated with open and collaborative innovation. On the other hand, since its “invention” in 2008, blockchain has been given considerable attention across various fields. A common view is that by drastically reducing transaction costs, blockchain could suppress the need of middlemen and intermediaries. With this in mind, the aim of this paper is to assess the potential impact of blockchain on the role of open innovation intermediaries, with a particular focus on crowdsourcing platforms. Following Schenk et al. (2018), the role of crowdsourcing platforms is considered along three complementary streams of literature: transaction costs theory, resource-based theory, and the theory of two-sided markets. Through its registry and smart-contract applications (which are yet to be characterized precisely), we argue that if vastly implemented, blockchain will significantly reduce the possibility of opportunistic behavior, as well as the associated transaction costs. This could in turn lead to a reconsideration of the role of open innovation intermediaries and platforms. But the role of these platforms also includes the matchmaking between seekers and solvers (which involves network effects) and the provision of resources and competences required along the open innovation process. The discussion proposed in this chapter suggests that these roles should not be altered by blockchain (at least in a foreseeable future).

Digital innovations are happening all over the globe with the advent of technology. The digital platforms are not only introducing the traditional services online but are also continuously engaged in making frequent modifications to them in the form of incremental innovations. In our quest of creating a time horizon for innovation adoption, and determining levels of adopters of incremental innovations 837 participants from India were asked about their level of adoption of digital innovations. While most of the respondents did not seem affected by the digital transition, amongst the ones adopting these innovations are mostly Early Adopters and Early Majority. The study arrived at an adoption score for the respondents based on the time from the introduction of the innovation and their adoption. The time horizon suggests the increase in adoption of innovation with each new digital innovation introduced. In the case of incremental innovations, ten levels of adoption, and three categories consisting of the ten levels of adoption are formulated based on the LoA model. The users in India fall majorly on the Beginner category in which maximum is aware of the incremental innovations but are skeptical about using them. The study further suggests certain measures for the digital platform providers for each category of users to make them accustomed to the process of incremental innovations.

This paper analyzes the implementation of the “platform curriculum” and “development curriculum” of Vehicle Service Specialties, based on analysis of the current vehicle industrial talent demands in China. The segmentations and distributaries cultivation reform of vehicle service specialties based on “platforms + developments” model was consequently constructed.