The paper first identifies the stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of China's innovation policy and compares them with different government systems in selected Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries. In order to disclose the relative strength and weaknesses inside China's innovation policy framework, we proceed to utilize policy practices in the OECD countries as a guideline to examine China's innovation policy in five categories: reform in the public S&T institutions, financial policy, business innovation support structure, human resource policy and legislative actions. Subsequently, several weak components of the Chinese innovation policy framework are identified and two of them are selected for further analysis: education and human resource policy, and protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Finally, the paper provides some priorities and possible actions for future innovation policy developments in China.

This paper aims to study the knowledge and technology transfer processes taking place in cooperation between academia and industry cooperation through an EUfunded R & D project. We follow a qualitative research methodology through a case study, incorporating interviews with the institutional actors involved (university, industry and government) in the cooperation project. While this study is limited to a case study, it does, however, highlight the importance of Triple Helix networks in order to develop research, development and innovation (RDI) initiatives and their commercialization and correspondingly enabling the identification of both potential opportunities and constraints in the process. Through the practical perspective of a successful Triple Helix cooperation case study, we were able to develop an innovative and continuous olive harvesting machine in order to satisfy a real need in the Mediterranean market. Inserted within the context of the triangulation of the Triple Helix model, this paper demonstrates the importance of RDI cooperation networks and the consequent commercialization of new tradable products with positive consequences to regional competitiveness.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a new modelling framework for distribution network strategy and to study how various transfer-pricing schemes cope with stochastic demand under different countries tax policies. Design/methodology/approach – Use is made of real options to quantify the available options for supply chain network design. The application of real options approach relies on three main conditions, such as the existence of uncertainty (market), flexibility (different network design) and irreversibility (investments) in the decision process. Findings – Evaluation of the potential impact of changes in local tax policies on long-run plant and distribution centers location decisions. A more intensive tax regime tends to promote changes in the distribution network that support multinational companies. In high uncertain markets, the options to change the network are more attractive – uncertainty is linked with an increase in flexibility. Practical implications – The present study provides decision makers with a useful tool for supporting the design of global logistics networks, considering different scenarios and therefore determines a more after-taxes profitable logistics network configuration. Originality/value – Integrate financial issues while studying different scenarios for supply chain network designs. It presents a model that focus on distribution network design considering transfer-pricing methods as decision variables and aiming after-taxes bottom-line results maximization. There are relatively few “reported” implementations of global profit maximization models for large-scale networks. Thus, we believe that the implementation of global profit maximization models represents a potentially significant unrealized opportunity worthy of serious consideration by many firms.

The pressure to reduce inventory has increased as competition expands, product variety grows, and capital costs increase. This investigation addresses the problem of inventory quantification and distribution within multi-echelon supply chains under market uncertainty and management flexibility. This approach is based on an optimisation model emphasising demand uncertainty and the relevant dimensions of network design as number of echelons, lead time, service level, and cost of processing activities. Overstock quantification enables the understanding of inventory level sensitivity to market uncertainty. A comparison among production sites and storage facilities revealed that higher downstream overstock levels decrease upstream echelons of uncertainty exposition. The contribution of this study relies on management's ability to establish inventory targets for each stocking point according to risk exposure and to promote the optimisation of working capital. Overall, this investigation increases knowledge related to the treatment of demand uncertainty in flexible and integrated supply chains

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