The national innovation systems have been complemented with R&D programmes at the EU level. As part of the 7th Framework Program, the EU has adopted a new policy making tool, called Technology Platforms (TP). The purpose of the paper is to narrate a story of one TP, that of the Forest Based Sector Technology Platform (FTP), and to speculate on its potential consequences. The story of the emergence of the FTP concentrates on the role of institutional entrepreneurs that have been able to orchestrate a transnational mobilisation process. The emerging debate has also made visible gaps in national and transnational modes of operating. Despite the identified gaps there are signs that a Nordic innovation system is emerging in the forest sector with strong organisational linkages to all EU countries. By a Nordic innovation system we mean in this specific sectoral context that collaboration in R&D is not only based on long-term collaborative projects of buyers and sellers of new technological processes but on the a long term commitment of core institutional entrepreneurs to a variety of parallel research programmes at the transnational level. This is backed up by transnational operations and ownership structures of core private Nordic-based R&D organisations. Thus the early steps of a fieldwork based research project on the FTP give new insights of the interrelations of national and transnational R&D policies and the ways in which EU´s attempts to introduce experimentalist forms of decentralised governance stimulate integration of national innovation systems at the transnational level.

The forest sector has taken significant steps at the European level to improve its engagement in large-scale European-wide research programmes. As part of the preparation of the 7th Framework Program, the forest sector made use of a new research policy tool, called Technology Platform (TP). This tool was launched by the European Union (EU) to get companies, industries, and sectors to become more involved in the funding and implementing of research programmes in cooperation with universities and research institutes.

Emneord: skogsindustri, kris

Emneord: skogsindustri, nedläggning

Public companies in Sweden were finally permitted to repurchase their own shares at the beginning of 2000 after a long and tenacious debate. This paper examines the effects on the prices of the first year Swedish sample. And what is original in the paper is the use of a sample of firms without prior experience in using this mechanism to remunerate shareholders. Moreover, we compare the price reactions with those on the US and Finnish markets. We have found significant abnormal returns of at least 1 percent in open market repurchases within one day. This result is similar to the reaction on the neighbouring Finnish market. However, this is significantly lesser than reported returns on the US stock exchange, probably due to severe institutional restrictions in designing a Swedish repurchase program.

Syftet med denna artikel är att beskriva SCA:s strävan att öka företagets ägarvärde. Värdebaserad styrning (VBM) fokuserar på företagets aktieägarvärde. Det utgår ifrån kassaflödesbegreppet och söker fånga helheten i de processer som skapar värden och innefattar strategier, styrformer, ageranden, värdedrivare och hur värden mäts, och att ledningen skall tänka och agera som ägare. Våra analytiska utgångspunkter utgörs av modeller för VBMprocesser och värdeskapande. Vi presenterar SCA:s kassaflödesmodell (CVA) som utgör verktyg för målformuleringen och samtidigt styr resursallokeringen. Slutligen presenteras en tankemodell över företagets värdebaserade ledning, som vi hävdar är inte bara en styrform utan en ny ledningsfilosofi vid företaget.

The aim of this study is to describe the international forest company SCA's governance and measurements for increased shareholder value. Value-based management (VBM) focuses on the concept of cash flow in contrast to traditional, accounting-based standards. Our analytical framework is a combination of models of VBM-processes and value creation. Using this framework, we map out and analyse the value creation activities whereby we also examine the applied cash value added model (CVA). Finally, we present a construct of the value-based process, which we consider to be not only a governance model but also a new management philosophy at the company.

Entreprenören Thorbjörn Holmlund som driver Svansele Vildmarkscenter AB arbetar sedan en tid på att förverkliga idén att bygga en anläggning för turister i form av en stor älg på toppen av ett berg med utsikt över inlandets skogar och sjöar. En plats har lokaliserats, belägen vid genomfartsleder och lämplig enligt andra strategiska överväganden.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model to be used further in understanding credit risk management (CRM) system of commercial banks (CBs) in an economy with less developed financial sector. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reviews existing literature that consists mostly evidence from developed countries. A study model is proposed with amendment to fit Tanzania's environment. This is achieved through the use of both secondary (various relevant documents) and primary (interviews) information from a CB and key management officials dealing with credit management. The selected CB is active in lending, has both foreign and local characteristics in its operations and has been in operation for a relatively longer period. Findings - The main finding of this paper is that the components of CRM system differ in CBs operating in a less developed economy from those in a developed economy. This implies that the environment within which the bank operates is an important consideration for a CRM system to be successful. Originality/value - Tanzania, a less developed economy, provides an excellent case for studying how CBs operating in economies with less developed financial sector manage their credit risk. The paper identifies issues to be studied further in order to establish a CRM system by CBs operating in Tanzania.