Luis Ángel Guerras Martín

Does the technological sourcing decision matter? Evidence from Spanish panel data

This paper extends previous analysis of the choice between internal and external R&D to consider the effect of this decision on productivity. Existing empirical research confirms that there is a positive relationship between technological assets and firm performance. However, few works have attempted to identify whether the technological sourcing decision taken by the firm affects productivity. The main finding of this paper is that the technological strategy developed by the firm does affect productivity. This issue is particularly novel as it incorporates the technological sourcing decision taken by the firm. The results we obtain indicate that the technological sourcing decision affects the relationship between technological capital and productivity. Thus, our findings suggest that the decision between internal and external R&D matters.

EVIDENCIAS SOBRE REESTRUCTURACION DE LA CARTERA DE NEGOCIOS EN EL AMBITO CORPORATIVO ESPAÑOL: EL CASO DEL SECTOR ELECTRICO .

A pesar de la importancia y actualidad de la estrategia de reestructuracion de la cartera de negocios en empresas diversificadas, apenas existen estudios dentro del contexto corporativo espanol y latinoamericano. Este trabajo pretende aportar evidencias empiricas derivadas del estudio en profundidad de la aplicacion de esta estrategia por las tres principales empresas multinacionales electricas espanolas que tienen una fuerte presencia en America Latina. Los resultados de estos tres casos muestran que la reestructuracion es consecuencia de cambios en el entorno, de problemas de agencia y de la implantacion de estrategias de diversificacion inadecuadas. La vuelta a la especializacion corporativa condujo a las companias a mejorar significativamente sus resultados economicos y crear valor.

Conjunction Evolutions: The Process of Adapting and Evolving Operational Collision Warning Software from Server to Service Oriented Architecture

In 2002, the European Space Agency developed the first generation of conjunction warning tools in order to provide alerts and warnings for operational ESA satellites. Through numerous developments since the initial delivery, this tool became a fundamental part of the operational process for all ESA spacecraft. With the advent of the European Space Surveillance precursor programme, it was seen that the original software would have to be reengineered in order to improve dynamic services to customers outside of ESA. As a result, the first phase of the space surveillance and tracking segment to provide pre-operational services adapted the original software by providing a modern web-based front-end to the core software, hence retaining the original core algorithms but improving the interaction with the end user. This process also identified various requirements to modify the core software in order to comply with the SSA mission requirements. This was performed in phase two of the pre-operational services by dramatically improving the scope and capabilities of the core software as well as providing the ability to form part of a service oriented architecture. This paper will describe and investigate the steps taken in this development journey and the lessons learnt on the way.