This interdisciplinary project developed a framework for implementing digital twins in European healthcare, focusing on secure, standardized data infrastructures and interoperable European Health Record (EHR) systems. It involved students from aerospace, strategic design, clinical medicine, and mechanical engineering. Analysis between Sweden and the Netherlands revealed Sweden excels in governance and trust, whereas the Netherlands is stronger in technical infrastructure. Overall adoption of digital twins is hindered by data privacy concerns and consent models. The public sector demonstrated the highest readiness, while patient groups showed lower willingness. The outcome includes an interactive dashboard, a readiness index, and an actionable implementation blueprint. ... Read more

The number of projects has increased immensely, as projects allow flexibility and can be widely applied. Even though that there has been an increase in the number of projects that are started, there is still a high number of projects that fail to meet the requirements. Project management has become an intensively researched topic, as it is an enabler for the enhancement of the success of projects. Effective communication has been identified as the most important factor contributing to the success of projects. Therefore this research aims to explore the effect of communication on project performance, with communication media as a critical aspect of cross-functional project teams, taking the contextual factors complexity and familiarity into account. The main research question that will be answered in this thesis is the following: What is the influence of communication media on the performance of cross-functional project teams? To answer this question, a thorough literature review has been conducted. The literature has served as the basis for the research. In order to determine whether a project can be deemed a success or a failure, a conceptualization of project performance was made based on the literature. This helped in assessing the performance of projects. Next, communication is dissected into two processes, conveyance, the process of exchanging new information, and convergence, the process of gaining a mutual understanding. For this research the contextual factors complexity and familiarity are taken into account. As information is exchanged, it is important to make a distinction of the information that is exchanged, as some information is complex and some is not complex. The complexity of information is a function of uncertainty and equivocality. Familiarity positively influences the relationship between communication and project performance as it enhances the quality of communication. With the basis known of communication, a dive was made into communication theories. The Media Richness Theory (MRT) was discussed, which discusses the richness of information and the ability of communication media to convey rich information. As an extension of this, the Media Synchronicity Theory (MST) was discussed, which explains the concept of synchronicity, and the ability of media to be synchronous. The last theory which was discussed is the Social Presence Theory (SPT), this theory explains the ability of media to express social presence. Social presence is an important aspect as it fosters trust and enhances the creation of relationships. Based on these three theories an analytical framework was created, that helps to create a media fit based on the characteristics of communication media and on contextual factors such as the complexity of the information exchanged and the familiarity. The analytical framework was used as the basis for the case analysis. The case analysis existed out of two sets of interviews with employees of the (Gas Mobility PRO) GMOB-PRO department of TotalEnergies and of an analysis of the Tanzania project, which is an advisory project. The interviews showed that there was a lack of structure at the GMOB-PRO department, this lack of structure resulted in working in silos, inadequate use of communication media, lack of trust within the department, and a lack of focus on projects that are not hydrogen related. In addition to this, a project was analyzed, the Tanzania project, the first advisory project. The results of the analysis clearly showed that email was the preferred communication medium, even when there is clarification is required. Next to this finding, clearly, the lack of focus on projects other than hydrogen was confirmed. By not using the proper communication media, the project was delayed as communication via email does not foster a rapid back-and-forth of information exchange. This resulted in an increase in cost as the quotations expired. To answer the main research question, communication has an indirect effect on project performance, as it can not directly influence project performance. Project performance is indirectly influenced by communication via aspects such as clarity and understanding, decision-making, team collaboration, resource allocation, and stakeholder engagement. If used properly, communication media enhances the effectiveness of communication, which indirectly affects project performance. Following the results of the literature, it is recommended for companies, such as TotalEnergies make use of clear structures for projects. Next to this, it is recommended to create awareness of the capabilities of communication media. By creating awareness of the communication processes, the characteristics of communication media, and the ability of communication media to convey information, individuals will be able to communicate more effectively, improve collaboration, and thereby increase the organization’s success. In addition to this, individuals can use the analytical framework as a tool to improve their communication efficiency. ... Read more

The metaverse, a virtual reality-based interconnected digital space, has garnered considerable attention in recent years, presenting promising prospects within the B2B sector. Consequently, the implementation of the metaverse possesses the capacity to influence the operational landscape of B2B firms, introducing novel opportunities and necessitating substantial organizational changes. However, the extent of scholarly investigation pertaining to this specific subject remains limited.

As a result, the present study aims to investigate the impact of implementing the metaverse on the operations of B2B firms. By conducting a qualitative research approach, comprising a series of 16 interviews with participants from diverse backgrounds and expertise, this study undertakes a comprehensive examination of the definition, advantages, challenges, preparatory measures, and sustainability of metaverse implementation in B2B firms.

This research advances knowledge on metaverse implementation in the B2B sector, offering theoretical and practical insights into benefits, challenges, preparation, and sustainability. It equips managers with the knowledge to assess the metaverse's potential, address risks, and adopt successful implementation strategies. ... Read more

The concrete armour unit industry exist for more than 70 years, in this period various units were developed. The first units derived their hydraulic stability on their own weight, later the units got more complex shapes and got interlocking capabilities. The first interlocking units were placed in a two-layer configuration, like Tetrapod and Dolos. Later the industry shifted to a one-layer design where concrete use became less since fewer units were needed. The industry standard of one-layer gave rise to various new armour units, like Core-Loc and Xbloc.

Up to the present, this industry is mainly studied from a technological perspective where the hydraulic capabilities and design formulae are extensively researched (so called 'hard factors'). However, some units became very commercially successful in terms of units placed but others did not. In this highly technological industry, no market research is done in order to study which factors led to commercial success.

In this study, an effort is made to investigate which factors are responsible for becoming successful in this branch. To do so, the concept of technological dominance is linked to this industry. Technological dominance is a technology management concept wherein a market similar technologies are ‘battling’ for the allegiance of the market. Eventually, the market selects a particular design and becomes dominant.

Over the years scholars identified factors that contribute to obtaining technological dominance and collected those in a framework. In this study, the framework by Van de Kaa et al. (2011) is chosen. This framework consists of 29 factors that influence the outcome of a technology battle.

The methodological approach for this study is to select relevant factors regarding this industry by interviewing 4 key experts. The identified relevant factors are then carried into the next round of interviews, where a broader group of 14 experts were asked to rank these factors according to the Best Worst Method.

The Best Worst Method (BWM) is a multi-criteria decision-making tool, designed by Rezaei (2015), where the decision-maker expresses their preference by making pairwise comparisons. This method gives more reliable weights and requires fewer pairwise comparisons in respect to other multi-criteria decision-making tools, like AHP.

The results yielded by this method suggest that the factor ‘brand reputation and credibility' are among experts considered as the most important factor for technological dominance regarding this industry. Furthermore, ‘hydraulic stability’ is in this branch considered second most important for obtaining technological dominance. Also, factors like 'marketing communications' and having a large network of stakeholders are considered very important. Based on the results, there can be concluded that in this technological branch soft factors can be more important than hard factors.

This implies that in order to be successful in this industry actors should focus more on building a reliable and well-known brand reputation. In this branch, actors have proved that a strong brand name can help to extend the commercial lifespan of an armour unit with expired patent and can help to speed up the adoption of new armour units.
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The environment is an important part of the life for most organisms, including humans. Since its quality is integral for social welfare, ensuring and maintaining a high environmental quality is essential. The environmental testing market is dedicated to the testing of the three main components of environment: soil, water, and air. Since the origin of the environmental testing market in the Netherlands, a rapid growth in the market, especially its soil and water markets, has been witnessed. Multiple consolidation waves has reduced the market players to a few, and the markets have become saturated and growth is stagnating. Furthermore, the Dutch environmental market is facing a two-sided challenge that could potentially disrupts its current form. The first challenge is that the high pricing and cost reduction strategies, that have been adopted because of the high competitive nature of the market, have resulted in profit margins that are not longer feasible in the current economy. Secondly, the market is at the forefront of potential disruptive change from different factors like emerging technologies, regulation & policy, or the emergence of alarming substances that are potentially harmful to the environmental. These types of challenges in the Dutch environmental testing market point to a reevaluation of the business strategies of firms operating in this target market. This study was dedicated to multiple sided analysis approach of the developments in the Dutch environmental testing market. The objectives were to determine the most suited business strategy for firms in the Dutch environmental testing market to remain competitively relevant in regards to the future developments in the market, and the internal circumstances needed to support this strategy. ... Read more

One of the biggest challenges start-ups encounter is establishing themselves within the market. A widely recognized contributing factor to increasing chances of outrunning competition, is the implementation of a branding strategy with the purpose of creating a strong brand identity. Whether investing in developing a brand identity is profitable, depends on the brand relevance of a company. Brand relevance is the level of the overall role of brands in customers’ decision-making. Business-to-business start-ups have access to limited resources, hence it is important to them to only invest in creating a brand identity, when their level of brand relevance shows that this would be profitable.

The current exploratory research combined a desk research and a qualitative panel study to gain insight into the presence of an association between the two, as well as which factors are considerd to be of influence to the perceived brand identity.
Using a desk research, the level of brand relevance for a total of 30 start-ups related to the Delft Technical University was determined. Next, a focus group was hosted to gain insight into which factors are considered to be important to the perceived brand identity of B2B start-ups. Four overarching aspects were indicated: brand personality, corporate visual identity, clarity of the product/service and its relevance, and clarity of the competitive advantage. Furthermore, the current research aimed to investigate whether an association between the level of brand relevance of B2B technology-based start-ups and perceived brand identity was present. The results of the focus group were used to test whether this association was present. In the scope of this research however, no association was found.

The research provides start-up entrepreneurs with hands-on tips on which factors influence their perceived brand identity which makes it managerial relevant. The academical relevance can mainly be found in recommendation for future research, since this should show whether the absence of an indicated association between brand relevance and brand identity, can be explained by the absence of awareness among B2B technology-based start-ups. ... Read more

Entrepreneurs are indispensable to our society. They translate innovative ideas into valuable products and services which in several cases also contribute to a more sustainable, convenient, and ethical world. Moreover, entrepreneurship is one of the most significant drivers of economic growth in a particular area. The entrepreneurship literature has shown that entrepreneurs are usually highly dependent on the environment in which they arise. Some sites show higher entrepreneurial activities than others, which is often due to the available resources and the interconnectedness between the involved actors in these areas. To comprehend the complex nature of these business environments, the term ‘Entrepreneurial ecosystem’ (EE) emerged, which systematically looks at the resources and interconnections between actors at a certain place. A successful EE is perceived as an area in which ventures cultivate and grow. Previous studies which explored how these EE emerge, particularly focussed on how public authorities position themselves. On the contrary, this research aims to shed light on the role of a private developer in shaping an EE. The data of this study is collected by reviewing the literature about EEs and the influence of private developers. This literature review formed the academic foundation of this study. Afterward, 16 in-depth expert interviews were conducted. Subsequently, the data from the interviews were thematically coded and analysed using Atlas.ti. Ultimately, comparison and discussion between the literature review and the interviews are conducted. The findings of this study indicate that developers exert their influence in different ways. First of all, they develop meeting places, to stimulate encounters. Secondly, they offer flexibility in terms of space to respond to the growth of the companies. And thirdly, they develop spaces that can be shared by multiple companies. Aside from these three physical design principles developers adopt in shaping the built environment, they also exert their influence in selecting certain end-users. The results demonstrate that putting a cluster of start- and scaleups, a small share of established companies, and academia closely together empowers the overall EE. Furthermore, a key takeaway is that developing an ecosystem goes beyond developing real estate. Needless to say, facilitating the needs of entrepreneurs supports them in growth. These needs are not only accommodation-related but also cover soft services (e.g, organizing events). Next, these needs also continuously change. This implies that a developer should be adaptable to quickly respond to these fast-changing needs. Over and above that, they could participate in the operations phase to ensure that they transfer the developed buildings whenever not solely the real estate, but the actual EE is finished. Evidently, this is not the core business of developers. Therefore, they could team up and invest in a collaboration with another party that is more specialized in real estate operations and soft service provision. Overall, this study added a chunk of new information to the existing body of knowledge about EEs. It shed light on what role and responsibilities of a private developer, and what influence they exert, and could exert in shaping an EE. ... Read more