Innovation in research and development: tool of strategic growth
By Yair Holtzman
from Journal of Management Development Vol 27 Iss 10 2008, pp. 1037-1052
"To describe research and development (R&D) as a tool of strategic growth. The world's top performing companies share a common characteristic: their superior ability to develop and introduce new products faster and cheaper than their competitors. As a matter of fact, effective product innovation is the key to growth, even survival, for almost any business. The author discusses how innovation in R&D could serve as a differentiating strategic business tool. The paper is based upon the authors 15 years of experience in the area of R&D and new product development. "

Small technologies, huge prospects
Nano and micro technologies are set to play a critical role in the future of the manufacturing industry (journal article)
by Stephen Moore
from Australian Manufacturing Technology, November 2008
"Countries that engage in nanotechnology will dominate and trade successfully; countries that don't will be pushed into commodities or commoditised businesses based on price only".
Contact the library for a copy of this article

CO2 rising: the world's greatest environmental challenge [book]

Author: Tyler Volk

"The author explains the process at the heart of global warming and climate change: the global carbon cycle. Vividly and concisely, Volk describes what happens when CO[subscript 2] is released by the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), letting loose carbon atoms once trapped deep underground into the interwoven web of air, water, and soil."--Book Jacket

Selecting High-Impact Information-Based Solutions (journal article)
By William King
From Information Systems Management Vol. 25 Iss 4 Fall 2008, pp. 372-373
"The editorial presents the author's thoughts on employing high-impact ideas in information systems (IS) management. The need to differentiate between ideas that are merely good ideas from those that can have a high impact on improving business operations is discussed. An example is given of a conference the author attended, in which he observed the presence of many good ideas but no high-impact ones."

Teaming Up to Crack Innovation & Enterprise Integration (journal article)
By James I, Cash, Jr., Michael J Earl and Robert Morison
From Harvard Business Review Vol 86 Iss 11 Nov 2008, pp. 90-100
"In the continuing quest for business growth, many CEOs are turning to their CIOs and IT organizations because technology is absolutely essential to two compelling sources of growth: innovation and enterprise integration. The speed of innovation often depends on the ability to coordinate across organizational boundaries. Innovations cannot reach a sufficient level of scale and impact unless they are integrated into the larger operations of the corporation. And yet, say recently retired Harvard Business School dean Cash, Oxford dean Earl, and nGenera director of research Morison, the two endeavors remain "unnatural acts": Far too many large businesses are better at stifling innovation than at capitalizing on it, better at optimizing local operations than at integrating them for the good of the enterprise and its customers. To make both pursuits seem more natural, the authors recommend creating two dedicated, IT-powered teams: a distributed innovation group (DIG) and an enterprise integration group (EIG). The DIG serves as the center of expertise for innovation techniques, considers new uses for technology already being developed inside the company, looks for new developments outside the company, and provides experts for internal innovation initiatives. The EIG selects the most promising from among competing integration projects, provides resources to give them a strong start, and then folds them into the operating model of the enterprise. Without such agencies, the authors maintain, innovation and integration won't spread far enough or fast enough throughout a large organization to keep pace with the smaller, younger, more technology-based competitors to which innovation and integration come much more naturally."

Creating a National Innovation Foundation (journal article)
By Robert Atkinson and Howard RobertWial
From Issues in Science & Technology Vol. 25 Iss 1 Fall 2008, pp. 75-84
"The article discusses the issue on the economic growth in the U.S. Economic growth issue is one of the main public agenda in the fast approaching presidential election in November 2008. Policymakers develop alternative solutions that would help lessen the economic downturn and the collapse of the housing industry. Economists foresee that innovation is the primary key to sustain long-term economic growth. The country's federal policy agenda focuses on innovation through the form of the 2007 America COMPETES Act. The said law provides higher federal support for research and developments. The country has been recognized as one of the world leader in technological innovation and high-value-added production."

A National Renewable Portfolio Standard? Not Practical (journal article)
By Jay Apt, Lester B. Lave and Sompop Pattanariyankool
From Issues in Science & Technology Vol. 25 Iss 1 Fall 2008, pp. 53-59
"The article discusses the proposed policies for renewable energy in the U.S. The proposed policy is made in response to New York City Michael R. Bloomberg's proposal of putting wind turbines on the tops of skyscrapers and bridges across the city. The Alliance for Clean Energy New York describes New York as a solar city of the country. The alliance encourages the Congress to review and understand the important facts before voting for a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS). In fact, the city has expressed their dissatisfaction with the condition of their electric system. It views that the renewable energy sources are significant element factors of the nation's future innovation."

The sustainability mirage [book]
Author: John Foster
"Sustainable development's attempted deal between present and future will always collapse under the pressure of 'now' because the needs of the present always win out. Inevitably, this means movable targets and action that will always fall short of what we need. Ultimately, sustainable development is the pursuit of a mirage, the politics of never getting there. To escape the illusion, we must break through to a new way of understanding sustainability by focusing on the deep needs of the present, not slippery obligations to the future. Rising to the carbon challenge now, not trying to micro-manage the longer term. Looking to the science for orders of magnitude and direction, not a game-plan. Harnessing the short-term dynamics of capitalism to the cause of learning our way forward."

The Birth of the Biotechnology Era: Penicillin in Australia, 1943-80 (journal article)
By John A. Mathews
from Prometheus Vol 26 Iss 4 Dec 2008 , pp. 317 - 333
"As Australia and other countries seek to establish biotechnology industries, it is timely to review successes and failures in this field. One of the most notable stories is the development of penicillin, as a wartime project, to which Australians made major contributions. Australians during and immediately after the war contributed much to the scientific identification and purification of penicillin, and to the industrial scaling up in its production at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Melbourne. This was a classic instance of war accelerating innovations in public administration. Yet the nascent antibiotic industry was never allowed to gain international competitiveness, and was allowed to run down and eventually disappeared by the end of the 1970s. This article is concerned to tease out the puzzle posed by this contrast in aspirations, between the highest levels of scientific and technical achievement in bringing penicillin into widespread use (Australia being the first country in the world to provide penicillin to the civilian population in 1944) and shockingly poor performance in sustaining and developing a national antibiotics industry. As the stirrings of a biotechnology industry may be observed in the first decade of the twenty-first century, it would be unfortunate to ignore the lessons of this earlier experience at the birth of the biotechnology era. "

Opening up the mindset is the key to change (journal article)
by Rick Snell
from The Public Sector Informant, November 2008, pp. 10-11
Australia is attempting to enter the 21st century using a government information delivery system and network which was designed in the days of the horse and buggy. We need an approach designed as part of a complete system that is administered in a way that is focused on getting the best quality information to where it is most needed. The federal public service has a key role to play but it needs to be innovative and dedicated to improving long term access to government information by all citizens and not just the tenacious few prepared to use our current and frustrating Freedom of Information laws.
Contact the library for a copy of this article

Phone health an elusive call (journal article)
by Bianca Nogrady
from Australasian Science, Nov/Dec 2008, pp. 29 - 31
To investigate whether mobile phones and base stations affect people's health, researchers are having to come up with clever tests that pull together several strands of research.
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Vengeance is Mine, Sayeth The Techies (journal article)
by Sue Bushell
from CIO Summer 2009
When Terry Childs locked down San Francisco’s data network, it sent shockwaves through the IT world. Think it can’t happen in Australia? Think again . . .

Profiting from clean energy: a complete guide to trading green in solar, wind, ethanol, fuel cell, power efficiency, carbon credit industries, and more.
Author: Richard W. Asplund
"Provides an in-depth explanation of the technology and industry structure behind these sub-sectors and in the process identifies more than 150 stocks related to clean energy." - cover.

Ten commitments : reshaping the lucky country's environment [book]

Author: David Lindenmayer

"In Ten Commitments, leading environmental thinkers in Australia have written provocative chapters on environmental issues facing the country. It is organised into three sections: by ecosystem (deserts, rangelands), by sector (fisheries, forestry); and cross-sector and cross-ecosystem themes. Each chapter addresses the question: What are the 10 key things that must be urgently addressed to improve Australia's environment? Readily accessible using straightforward language, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the environment."--Provided by publisher.

The 50 Best Inventions of the Year (journal article)
from Time, November 4, 2008
From a genetic testing service to an invisibility cloak to an ingenious public bike system to the world's first moving skyscraper — here are TIME's picks for the top innovations of 2008.

Nuclear options: many countries have faced the same issues (journal article)
by Ziggy Switkowski
from ATSE Focus, October 2008
An increasing number of countries around the world are turning to nuclear power to meet growing demand for electricity, avoid use of fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify their energy mix away from a dominant supplier. Australia is following a different path. Does this make strategic sense?

A Dictionary of environment and conservation [reference]

Author: Chris C. Park

"Wide-ranging dictionary packed with information on all aspects of the environment and conservation. It covers both the scientific and the social aspects of the environment, embracing sustainable development, biodiversity, policy, and environmental ethics." - cover.

Now available in Library & Research Services' Reference Collection.