Innovations Not Enough—Yet—to Make Headset Market an Actual Reality

In January 2024,after decades of intermittent improvements in virtual reality(VR)and augmented reality(AR)devices failing to help the technology catch on with the public,tech behemoth Apple(Cupertino,CA,USA)launched its marketing of a headset with by far the highest resolution and sharpest contrast of any commercially available device to date[1].Yet sales of the Vision Pro(Fig.1),Apple’s much anticipated first entry in the VR/AR marketplace,have fallen far short of the company’s already low expectations[2].

Innovation and Development Trends in ASEAN Marketing Models in the Digital Age

The digital wave is reshaping the global economic landscape with unprecedented force,especially in the dynamic and promising ASEAN region.Southeast Asia,a multicultural gathering place composed of ten countries,is experiencing profound changes due to the digital revolution,and its marketing model is also displaying new vitality.With soaring internet penetration,widespread use of smartphones,and the booming rise of social media,ASEAN markets have become at the forefront of global digital marketing innovation.This transformation is not only about the application of technology but also involves a comprehensive shift in thinking,consumer behavior,and business strategy.The purpose of this paper is to explore in depth how ASEAN marketing models are innovating in this era and to identify future trends,with a view to providing insights for companies to help them remain competitive in the rapidly changing market.

Fast-to-Clinic, Fast-to-Market in Biotech Innovation: Optimizing Chemistry Manufacturing & Controls (CMC) Excellence for Clinical and Commercial Success

In the emerging world of biotech innovation, the fast-to-clinic/market strategy has emerged as a critical “mantra” for biotech, investors, and CDMOs. This approach addresses the escalating costs and complexities of research and development by streamlining the path from concept to clinical trials and, ultimately, to market. The article delves into the intricacies of implementing a fast-to-clinic/market strategy, underlining the empowering role of strategic decision-making in preclinical and commercial stages. The plan advocates for a phase-appropriate approach, where the development decision is tailored to each phase of the product’s lifecycle. This ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, risks are managed effectively, and the product can move through the development pipeline accelerated without compromising quality or regulatory compliance. The article also discusses the role of CDMOs in facilitating rapid product development and the essential factors biotech companies must consider when selecting a partner for outsourcing. These factors include the CDMO’s expertise in navigating regulatory landscapes, technological capabilities, and ability to scale processes efficiently. Moreover, the article stresses the importance of agility and flexibility in the fast-to-clinic/market approach. Biotech companies are encouraged to adopt adaptable strategies that respond to the fast-evolving regulatory and market landscapes.

Asian textile sizing chemicals market:Growth drivers,technological innovations and future opportunities

The Asia Textile Sizing Chemicals Market serves as a crucial component of the region's textile industry,supporting the production of high-quality fabrics for diverse applications.Textile sizing chemicals play a pivotal role in enhancing the performance,appearance,and durability of yarns and fabrics during the weaving process.With Asia being a key hub for textile manufacturing,the market for sizing chemicals experiences robust growth driven by increasing demand for textiles in both domestic and international markets.

Assessment of challenges and strategies for driving energy transitions in emerging markets:A socio-technological systems perspective

The pursuit of improved quality of life standards has significantly influenced the contemporary mining model in the 21st century.This era is witnessing an unprecedented transformation driven by pressing concerns related to sustainability,climate change,the just energy transition,dynamic operating environments,and complex social challenges.Such transitions present both opportunities and obstacles.The aim of this study is to provide an extensive literature review on energy transition to identify the challenges and strategies associated with navigating transformations in energy systems.Understanding these transformations is particularly critical in the face of the severe consequences of global warming,where an accelerated energy transition is viewed as a universal remedy.Adopting a socio-technological systems perspective,specifically through the application of Actor Network Theory(ANT),this research provides a theoretical foundation while categorising challenges into five distinct domains and outlining strategies across these different dimensions.These insights are specifically tailored for emerging market countries to effectively navigate energy transition while fostering the development of resilient societies.Furthermore,our findings highlight that energy transition encompasses more than a mere technological shift;it entails fundamental changes in various systemic socio-economic imperatives.Through focusing on the role of social structures in transitions,this study makes a significant and innovative contribution to ANT,which has historically been criticised for its limited acknowledgement of social structures.Consequently,we propose an emerging market energy transition framework,which not only addresses technological aspects,but also integrates social considerations.This framework paves the way for future research and exploration of energy transition dynamics.The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights to policymakers,researchers,and practitioners engaged in the mining industry,enabling them to comprehend the multifaceted challenges involved and providing practical strategies for effective resolution.Through incorporating the social dimension into the analysis,we enhance the understanding of the complex nature of energy system transformations,facilitating a more holistic approach towards achieving sustainable and resilient energy transitions in emerging markets and beyond.

Technological innovation,market proximity,and China's industrial green development

Due to environmental damage and natural resource scarcity,the promotion of industrial green development to spur the industrial economy is of concern to many countries.We construct a theoretical framework of technological innovation,market proximity,and industrial green development and subsequently test it empirically.First,the results reveal that technological innovation is beneficial to industrial green development;technological innovation has a positive impact on industrial green development in adjacent regions through technology spillover,but human capital spillover has the opposite effect;the international market can effectively promote industrial green development,but the domestic market does the opposite.Second,the interaction between technology spillover,human capital spillover,and domestic and international markets is beneficial to industrial green development.However,the interaction between domestic and international markets imposes an inhibitive effect on industrial green development.Based on the findings,we make recommendations to improve the level of industrial green development.

Future Directions of Quinoa Research and Innovation

Quinoa research aims to deeply understand its nutritional value,develop planting techniques,and explore food applications to promote quinoa industry development and improve human health.Future research directions include further exploring nutritional functions,adaptive breeding,cultivation techniques and food processing of quinoa,so as to promote innovation and development in the quinoa industry.Expected outcomes include increased production,improved quality,expanded markets,diversified food sources,reduced environmental impact,and biodiversity protection.There are still challenges such as fluctuating market demand,resource constraints,insufficient nutritional knowledge,and fierce competition.Solutions may include education and publicity,diversified product lines,health certification and brand building,partnerships,new variety cultivation and sustainable farming,and resource sharing.Future research and practice will further promote innovation and development in the quinoa industry,making it one of the most important food and functional ingredients globally.

On the Innovation of Marketing Channel Modes of China's Seed Industry

In China,the seed industry has fierce competition. The situation of homogeneous management and homogeneous products is serious. A key problem is simple and outmoded marketing channel of seed. It threatens sustainable development of seed enterprises. At present,the two-level distribution channel of seed industry has problems of similarity,low access threshold,and unfair benefit distribution,and thus urgently needs innovation. The innovation of distribution channel is inevitable requirement for promoting reorganization of China's seed industry and building of new order,is necessary weapon for dealing with trans-national seed industry competition,is essential measure for lifting the overall service level of seed industry,and is also essential means for conforming to stage development of China's agriculture. The innovation of seed marketing channel should consider changes of future agricultural development,deep-level demand of industrial market and services,scitech development level,fair distribution of industrial profit,and differentiated competition. It is recommended that channel innovation should follow the flat principle,have new and unique conception,give full play connection advantage of marginal industry,realize complementary advantages and mutual promotion,strengthen service awareness,combine with agricultural development trend,and seek sci-tech innovation of channel carrier- variety.

Research on the effects of command-and-control and market-oriented policy tools on China's energy conservation and emissions reduction innovation

The impact of environmental regulation on technology innovation is a hot spot in current research where a large number of empirical studies are based on Porter Hypothesis(PH). However, there are still controversies in academia about the establishment of "weak" and "narrow" versions of PH. Based on the panel data of application for patent of energy conservation and emission reduction(ECER) technology of Chinese city scale during 2008-2014, comprehensive energy price, pollutant emission, etc., mixed regression model and systematic generalized method of moments method were adopted, respectively,to study the impact of market-oriented and command-and-control policy tool on China's ECER technology innovation. The results show that the environmental regulation hindered the technological innovation in the immediate phase; however, it turned out to be positive in the first-lag phase. Hence, the establishment of "weak" PH is time-bounded. The command-and-control policy tool played a more positive role in promoting technological innovation in the first-lag phase than market-oriented policy tool. Therefore, "narrow" PH is not tenable. The reason is that the main participants of China's ECER technology innovation are state-owned companies and public institutions. Regionally speaking, the impact which command-and-control policy tool has on technological innovation at sight was nonsignificant in the eastern, the central, and the western regions of China whilst market-oriented policy tool had a negative effect. And market-oriented policy tool in the central region had strongest negative effect, which would diminish in the eastern region and become weakest in the western region. This was related to regional energy consumption level and the market economic vitality.

COVID‑19 pandemic and the crude oil market risk:hedging options with non‑energy financial innovations

This study examines the hedging effectiveness of financial innovations against crude oil investment risks,both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.We focus on the non-energy exchange traded funds(ETFs)as proxies for financial innovations given the potential positive correlation between energy variants and crude oil proxies.We employ a multivariate volatility modeling framework that accounts for important statistical features of the non-energy ETFs and oil price series in the computation of optimal weights and optimal hedging ratios.Results show evidence of hedging effectiveness for the financial innovations against oil market risks,with higher hedging performance observed during the pandemic.Overall,we show that sectoral financial innovations provide resilient investment options.Therefore,we propose that including the ETFs in an investment portfolio containing oil could improve risk-adjusted returns,especially in similar financial crisis as witnessed during the pandemic.In essence,our results are useful for investors in the global oil market seeking to maximize risk-adjusted returns when making investment decisions.Moreover,by exploring the role of structural breaks in the multivariate volatility framework,our attempts at establishing robustness for the results reveal that ignoring the same may lead to wrong conclusions about the hedging effectiveness.

Addressing inclusion,innovation,and sustainability challenges through the lens of economic geography:Introducing the hierarchical regional innovation system

The world is facing dramatic challenges related to environmental sustainability at an accelerating pace.In this context,the field of economic geography(EG)has been playing an important role in understanding both the socioeconomic and technological dimensions of these challenges,as it deals with a variety of complementary notions and perspectives.Departing from this lens,our aim is to explore a conceptual framework that can help us to understand environmental changes relating to multi-dimensional territorial development,notably in eco-nomic contexts where inequality is high,and stratification based on hierarchies regulate social and economic life.Based on the territory concept,we propose the original notion of a hierarchical regional innovation system(HRIS)that emphasises the pervasive role of hierarchies(powers)in regional innovation systems and illustrate its value with evidence and case studies from extant literature on sustainability transitions.The HRIS can help us understand and promote development paths considering the contribution of inclusive eco-innovations(another original conceptual amalgam).Through some empirical cases from other studies in low-carbon transitions,we show the application of the HRIS(and inclusive eco-innovation)framework.In conclusion,we provide incen-tives to explore new regional innovation systems,alongside the HRIS,adapted to different regions worldwide and centred on the inclusiveness of people and places.

Research on Innovation-Driven Expansion of Regional OFDI: New Evidence From a Business Environment Perspective

This paper investigates the impact of provincial innovation-driven efficiency on the expansion of regional Outward Foreign Direct Investment(OFDI)flows within the context of China’s economy during the period 2011 to 2020 by measuring the innovation-driven efficiency and business environment index using the DEA-Malmquist index and the combined CRITIC weighting method from the new perspective of business environment improvement.The findings reveal that:(a)There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between provincial innovation-driven efficiency and regional OFDI flows.This increase in innovation-driven efficiency can promote OFDI expansion of the region by improving its business environment.(b)The improvement of the business environments plays a significant intermediary and synergistic role in OFDI expansion driven by improved innovation efficiency.(c)The study of regional heterogeneity suggests that the central region enjoys the longest window period in terms of innovation-driven OFDI expansion,followed by the eastern region while the western region has the shortest window period.The improvement of the business environment in the western region is more effective in driving regional OFDI expansion.This conclusion remained true after the robustness test.In conclusion,this paper offers a few policy recommendations that can help Chinese capital of various kinds go global more effectively.

Impact of Sharing Marketing on Marketing Willingness of Employees in Internet Decoration Industry

With the development of information technology,sharing marketing,as an innovative marketing method,plays an important role in promoting the marketing willingness and enthusiasm of employees in the Internet decoration industry.Based on the data obtained from the ques-tionnaire survey,this paper makes an empirical analysis of the impact of the economic value,social value,perceived ease of use,perceived convenience,enabling conditions and subjective norms of sharing marketing on the marketing willingness of employees in the Internet decoration industry.The results showed that the questionnaire had good internal consistency and construct validity.Through empirical analysis,it can be found that the economic value,social value,perceived ease of use,perceived convenience,enabling conditions and subjective norms of sharing marketing have a significant positive impact on employees'marketing willingness.

Renewable Polymers in Biomedical Applications:From the Bench to the Market

Polymers from renewable resources have been used for a long time in biomedical applications and found an irreplaceable role in some of them.Their uses have been increasing because of their attractive properties,contributing to the improvement of life quality,mainly in drug release systems and in regenerative medicine.Formulations using natural polymer,nano and microscale particles preparation,composites,blends and chemical modification strategies have been used to improve their properties for clinical application.Although many studies have been carried out with these natural polymers,the way to reach the market is long and only very few of them become commercially available.Vegetable cellulose,bacterial cellulose,chitosan,poly(lactic acid)and starch can be found among the most studied polymers for biological applications,some with several derivatives already established in the market,and others with potential for such.In this scenario this work aims to describe the properties and potential of these renewable polymers for biomedical applications,the routes from the bench to the market,and the perspectives for future developments.

Improving innovation and entrepreneurship education in higher institutions: the impact of "Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation" education on undergraduates' entrepreneurial intentions

The exploration of the way"mass entrepreneurship and innovation"(MEI)education influences students'aspirations to become entrepreneurs has grown into an important area of analysis in studies related to higher education.This research intends to examine the consequences of MEI education on students'tendency towards entrepreneurship,and to put forward methods for augmenting the teaching of innovation and entrepreneurship in private higher educational establishments.To achieve this objective,questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed in the study,which involved a total of 197 students and five education experts.The statistical analysis of the questionnaire data revealed that MEI education was positively related to students'entrepreneurial intentions,and that both entrepreneurial experience and family entrepreneurial background played moderating roles in this relationship.The interview findings indicated that private universities could enhance educational reforms by designing talent training programs,developing diversified curricula,and developing more professional entrepreneurial platforms to encourage students'entrepreneurial intentions.This study offers fresh insights for improving and perfecting the mechanism of innovation and entrepreneurship education in private universities.

How does network intermediary affect collaborative innovation?Evidence from Chinese listed companies

Purpose:This study aims to explore how network intermediaries influence collaborative innovation performance within inter-organizational technological collaboration networks.Design/methodology/approach:This study employs a mixed-method approach,combining quantitative social network analysis with regression techniques to investigate the role of network intermediaries in collaborative innovation performance.Using a patent dataset of Chinese industrial enterprises,the research constructs the collaboration networks and analyzes their structural positions,particularly focusing on their role as intermediaries,characterized by betweenness centrality.Negative binomial regression analysis is employed to assess how these network characteristics shape innovation outcomes.Findings:The study reveals that firms in intermediary positions enhance collaborative innovation performance,but this effect is nuanced.A key finding is that network clustering negatively moderates the intermediary-innovation relationship.Highly clustered networks,while fostering local collaboration,may limit the innovation potential of intermediaries.On the other hand,relationship strength,measured by collaboration intensity and trust among firms,positively moderates the intermediary-innovation link.Research limitations:This study has several limitations that present opportunities for further research.The reliance on quantitative social network analysis may overlook the complexity of intermediaries’roles,and future studies could benefit from incorporating qualitative methods to better understand cultural and institutional factors.Additionally,cross-country comparisons are needed to assess the consistency of these dynamics in different contexts.Practical implications:The study offers practical insights for firms and policymakers.Organizations should strategically position themselves as network intermediaries to access diverse information and resources,thereby improving innovation performance.Building strong trust helps using network intermediary advantages.For firms in highly clustered networks,it is important to seek external partners to avoid limiting their exposure to new ideas and technologies.This research emphasizes the need to balance network diversity with relationship strength for sustained innovation.Originality/value:This research contributes to the literature by offering new insights into the role of network intermediaries,presenting a comprehensive framework for understanding the interaction between network dynamics and firm innovation.

The Future of Environmental Engineering Technology:A Disruptive Innovation Perspective

Scientific and technological revolutions and industrial transformations have accelerated the rate of innovation in environmental engineering technologies.However,few researchers have evaluated the current status and future trends of technologies.This paper summarizes the current research status in eight major subfields of environmental engineering—water treatment,air pollution control,soil/solid waste management,environmental biotechnology,environmental engineering equipment,emerging contaminants,synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions,and environmental risk and intelligent management—based on bibliometric analysis and future trends in greenization,low carbonization,and intelligentization.Disruptive technologies are further identified based on discontinuous transformation,and ten such technologies are proposed,covering general and specific fields,technical links,and value sources.Additionally,the background and key innovations in disruptive technologies are elucidated in detail.This study not only provides a scientific basis for strategic decision-making,planning,and implementation in the environmental engineering field but also offers methodological guidance for the research and determination of breakthrough technologies in other areas.

Innovation and Firm Co-ownership Network in China’s Electric Vehicle Industry

Firms are embedded in complex networks,where diverse ideas combine and generate new ideas.Shareholders of firms are of-ten seen as critical external resources that have significant influence on firm innovation.The current literature tends to focus on the rela-tionship between firms and their shareholders,while paying less attention to the connections between firms with the same shareholders.This article identifies two types of network spillover effects,intra-city network effect and inter-city network effect,by visualizing the co-ownership networks in China’s electric vehicle(EV)industry.We find that firms with the same shareholders,which are defined as co-owned EV firms,are more innovative than non-co-owned ones.Furthermore,there are two dominant types of firm co-ownership ties formed by corporate and financial institution shareholders.While corporate shareholders help exploiting local tacit knowledge,financial institutions are more active in bridging inter-city connections.The conclusion is confirmed at both firm and city levels.This paper theor-izes the firm co-ownership network as a new form of institutional proximity and tested the result empirically.For policy consideration,we have emphasized the importance of building formal or informal inter-firm network,and the government should further enhance the knowledge flow channel by institutional construction.

Exploring the impacts of major events on the systemic risk of the international energy market

This study examines the systemic risk caused by major events in the international energy market(IEM)and proposes a management strategy to mitigate it. Using the tail-event driven network(TENET)method, this study constructed a tail-risk spillover network(TRSN) of IEM and simulated the dynamic spillover tail-risk process through the cascading failure mechanism. The study found that renewable energy markets contributed more to systemic risk during the Paris Agreement and the COVID-19pandemic, while fossil energy markets played a larger role during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This study identifies systemically important markets(SM) and critical tail-risk spillover paths as potential sources of systemic risk. The research confirms that cutting off the IEM risk spillover path can greatly reduce systemic risk and the influence of SM. This study offers insights into the management of systemic risk in IEM and provides policy recommendations to reduce the impact of shock events.

Activity Data and Emission Factor for Forestry and Other Land Use Change Subsector to Enhance Carbon Market Policy and Action in Malawi

Activity data and emission factors are critical for estimating greenhouse gas emissions and devising effective climate change mitigation strategies. This study developed the activity data and emission factor in the Forestry and Other Land Use Change (FOLU) subsector in Malawi. The results indicate that “forestland to cropland,” and “wetland to cropland,” were the major land use changes from the year 2000 to the year 2022. The forestland steadily declined at a rate of 13,591 ha (0.5%) per annum. Similarly, grassland declined at the rate of 1651 ha (0.5%) per annum. On the other hand, cropland, wetland, and settlements steadily increased at the rate of 8228 ha (0.14%);5257 ha (0.17%);and 1941 ha (8.1%) per annum, respectively. Furthermore, the results indicate that the “grassland to forestland” changes were higher than the “forestland to grassland” changes, suggesting that forest regrowth was occurring. On the emission factor, the results interestingly indicate that there was a significant increase in carbon sequestration in the FOLU subsector from the year 2011 to 2022. Carbon sequestration increased annually by 13.66 ± 0.17 tCO2 e/ha/yr (4.6%), with an uncertainty of 2.44%. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is potential for a Carbon market in Malawi.