Browsing by Subject "institutions"
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(2019)Sustainability transitions literature addresses societal challenges relating to sustainability and offers alternative visions as solutions. Transition of the energy system is central in mitigating climate change and attaining sustainability. District heating is a fundamental part of the Finnish energy system, and the majority of heat is produced with fossil fuels. This case study investigates the low temperature and two-way district heating experiment of Skanssi in Turku. Transitions evolve from local experiments i.e. niche innovations, which propose visions of sustainable alternatives. The implementation and diffusion of these alternatives is challenged by various hindrances, such as institutionalized practices. The aim of the study is to investigate the district heating experiment of Skanssi by utilizing sustainability transition literature. In addition, the study examines the institutions that hampered the implementation of the local niche innovation. The research data was collected by interviewing the central actors related to the development and implementation of the local district heating experiment. The interview data was analyzed using theory-guided content analysis. Internet based material of the case was utilized as secondary data. The local district heating experiment was initiated by the regional energy company in cooperation with the city of Turku. The experiment was expected to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and to provide decentralized heat production in the Skanssi area. The implementation of the experiment had halted in 2018, and a two-way heating system had not been realized. Slow construction of the houses in the area hindered the implementation of the experiment. In addition various regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive institutions effected the planning and implementation of the experiment. The lack of regulation concerning two-way heating systems increased uncertainty around the experiment. Furthermore, the experiment did not suit the practices, roles and interests of both the inhabitants and housing developers. The findings show that two-way district heating systems are still highly uncommon, and thus their implementation is inert and uncertain. After the data collection of this study there have been changes in the district heat sector, which may have influenced the development of the experiment in Skanssi. Since local experiments are essential in advancing the energy transition, it would be important to continue implementation of the local district heating experiment.
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(2019)This thesis examines public procurement of innovation and its operationalization in the Finnish public health care sector. Public procure-ment is currently recognized as a suitable instrument to foster innovation and it is thus widely recognized as a tool for demand-driven innovation policies. By recognizing this political interest and the lack of established academic research about public procurement of innova-tion, the primary objective of this thesis is to add knowledge about the practices of public procurement of innovation. This thesis examines a single case study in which the Kuopio University Hospital’s pharmacy service unit procured a comprehensive solution for pharmacy auto-mation. The perspective of institutional approach is adopted in order to find out how organization-specific, endogenous institutions affect the conditions and the results of a public procurement of innovation. This thesis is set to answer how the procurement of the pharmacy service automation in Kuopio University Hospital was implemented and how endogenous institutions affected the outcome of the procurement process. This thesis is a qualitative research of a case study. The empirical data of this study consist of elite interviews and relevant documentation. Qualitative content analysis is applied in order to examine the empirical data and it utilizes the theoretical framework of public procurement of innovation and endogenous institutions respectively in order to provide suitable classifications for the results. The classifications provide a comprehensive description of the procurement project and endogenous institutional factors that affected the outcome of the procurement. The results indicate that the Kuopio University Hospital’s pharmacy service unit initiated a public procurement of innovation due to an intrinsic need to improve its patient safety and the efficiency of its pharmacy supply processes. The implementation of the project included innovation-friendly procurement practices that enabled development of an innovative solution. Multiple products were developed and com-mercialized as a result of the procurement. All of the products included elements of radical innovation. Utilizing the new pharmacy supply system, the Kuopio University Hospital’s pharmacy supply service has increased its efficiency and safety. The challenges identified re-garding the effects of the procurement related to the difficulty of measuring the real productivity of the new system. The procurement also had direct effects for the supplier as multiple products were developed and commercialized in the process. In addition, the procurement opened new markets for the company. The key findings of this thesis indicate that public procurement can spur innovation even if it is not the primary goal of the procurement. The Kuopio University Hospital case points out the importance of multi-professional collaboration and trust as crucial factors in public procure-ment of innovation practices. The perspective of institutional approach also proved to be a suitable theoretical framework in examining the conditions that could affect the success or the hindrances of the public procurement of innovation implementation.
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