scholarly journals Foresight and the third mission of universities: the case for innovation system foresight

foresight ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalle Artturi Piirainen ◽  
Allan Dahl Andersen ◽  
Per Dannemand Andersen

Purpose – This paper aims to argue that innovation system foresight (ISF) can significantly contribute to the third mission of universities by creating an active dialogue between universities, industry and society. Design/methodology/approach – This paper’s approach is conceptual. The authors analyse the third mission and relevant literature on innovation systems and foresight to explain how and why foresight contributes to the third mission. Findings – The authors propose that foresight contributes to the third mission of universities, particularly to the research and development and innovation dimensions through the development of joint understanding of the agendas and future needs of stakeholders. In addition, foresight enables education to be designed to address identified needs. Research limitations/implications – The findings are both conceptual and exploratory in nature. Thus, the argument needs further examination through a broader study on foresight in the university–industry context and/or longitudinal research on the outcomes and impact of foresight in this context. Practical implications – The findings highlight the importance of understanding the systemic nature of innovation and its role in economic development. Universities must understand their role within the larger innovation system to fulfil the potential of economic development and by extension, their third mission. Originality/value – The paper outlines a novel approach of using ISF to promote university–industry partnerships and the growth of innovation systems. The paper also contributes to the discussion of the third mission by outlining that mission in practical terms.

Author(s):  
Arthur Rubens ◽  
Francesca Spigarelli ◽  
Alessio Cavicchi ◽  
Chiara Rinaldi

Purpose Over the past few decades, higher education institutions (HEIs) have become key players in regional economic development and knowledge transfer, which has led to a third mission for HEIs and the entrepreneurial university. The purpose of this paper is to assess the challenges of HEIs in fulfilling the third mission for economic development and the changing role of being an entrepreneurial university, and the changes that need to be implemented to fulfill this new mission. Design/methodology/approach The authors have drawn on current literature to examine academic entrepreneurism and the entrepreneurial university, and how universities are fulfilling their third mission. Findings The findings from our review of the literature demonstrated the varied economic and social benefit of universities conducting external third mission/entrepreneurial activities in the community, as well as how the changing role and expectations of universities to become more entrepreneurial, has not only changed the expectations and role of university administrators, faculty and staff but also the business community which they serve. The review also showed the varied challenges for universities in fulfilling the third mission of economic development. Research limitations/implications Although ample literature and cases about universities’ third mission of economic development and the new entrepreneurial university (especially with research universities) were available, literature or research was limited on the specific challenges and obstacles faced by administrators, faculty and departments in fulfilling this mission, and few studies recommended changes that needed to be implemented in HEIs to support this new mission. Practical/implications The paper supports the potential role that HEIs play in implementing economic development in their communities or region. The paper also highlights some of the necessary resources and policy changes that policymakers and university administrators need to implement to reward and recognize faculty in conducting outreach activities as part of the university’s third mission. Originality/value The findings from this study highlight the challenges and barriers for faculty, staff and HEIs in fulfilling the third mission and becoming an entrepreneurial university.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriy I. Razorenov ◽  
Konstantin V. Vodenko

PurposeThe goal of the research is to analyze the university development trends in the national innovation system. The paper presents a review of the formation of innovative development strategies and the place of a university in them. The structure is based on the analysis of foreign trends of the transformation of universities and the examination of the efficiency of the interaction between the university, industry and the state. Russian experience in the transformation of universities is presented.Design/methodology/approachResearch methodologies include methods of statistical and comparative analysis and synthesis. The information analysis base of the research is composed of the reports of the World Intellectual Property Organization at year-end 2019, as well as global comparative assessments of the status and development of innovation activities by the Global Innovation Index and Global Competitiveness Index, which are calculated according to the methodology of the World Economic Forum and others.FindingsIn the course of research, the authors put forward a new model of universities within the framework of the national innovation system, which is based on the “triple helix model of innovation” implemented by universities, industry and the state. The logic and structure of the research are set forth in the following way. First, a review of the global practice of the formation and implementation of state innovation policy is given, with the university being a key link, the foreign experience in the transformation of universities is analyzed and the efficiency of the interaction between the university, industry and the state is examined. Furthermore, consideration is given to the Russian experience in the transformation of universities. In conclusion, the main findings of the research are presented.Practical implicationsResults testify that goals and objectives that can be solved by achieving indicators in the world rankings are important for improving competitiveness of education, but they are only efficient if they conform to management decisions that are taken for achieving them and coincide with strategic goals and directions that should be implemented within the framework of the national innovation and academic system.Originality/valueResearch hypothesis is as follows: modern age is characterized by the rapid development of digital technologies and globalization processes, which transform technologies and cultural patterns into techniques and methods of working with information. Despite the fact that a university is the center for the development of society and culture, which serves as an axiological core, it is subject to the transformation, which is mainly manifested in instrumental changes and the expansion of the social procurement range. The modern educational system is yet to find a contemporary conceptual framework of a university that would satisfy the up-to-date requirements of the global information society in an age of digital revolution and dominate in the educational services market.


Author(s):  
Gwenola Yannou-Le Bris ◽  
Romane Jubera ◽  
Annika Olsson ◽  
Marianne Cerf

AbstractUniversity incubators are an opportunity to promote the dissemination of research, change teaching practices and contribute to territorial economic development. In this article we present a structural and dynamic analysis of such an innovation system of a Swedish eco-innovation system by proposing elements for analysing the success of such innovation systems.


Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-361
Author(s):  
Sayyed Mohsen Azad ◽  
Pouria Khodabakhsh ◽  
Fatemeh Roshannafas ◽  
Seyed Hassan Ghodsypour

Purpose This study aims to scrutiny the performance of the petrochemical sector and the technological innovation life cycle. Also, the stage of the innovation life cycle for the sector is specified. Then, scenarios are designed to improve the speed of the sector development. For this reason, for synchronizing the petrochemical sector, this study tries to combine two innovation systems (technological and sectoral systems) called “techno-sectoral innovation system” under an integrated model. Furthermore, the “functions and driving motors” are expanded in the proposed model. Design/methodology/approach By combining two concepts of the innovation systems, the complexity of the system rises to some extent. Also, to model causal relationships in the sector and non-linear connections between variables, system dynamics approach is applied. During this phase, the flow diagram of the model is translated to a simulation programme using Vensim software. Model validation is investigated using a comparison of the actual with simulated values. Findings The results predict the functions state of the innovation system and detect activation of innovation motors in each stage of the innovation life cycle. Validation shows the acceptable error of the indices. It can be concluded that the sector is relatively in the development state. Four scenarios have been proposed for representing policies that sector uses to motivate its companies. The best scenario is the fourth one that divides resources with different weightings among companies to accelerate switching time between sector’s motors. Finally, the fourth scenario can improve the performance of the petrochemical. Originality/value The hybrid approach shows researchers that performance of an industry can be improved based on sectoral and technological at the same time. Thus, this case-based model can contribute to other researchers, as a base model. Also, it could be customized with parameters and the relationship between players and functions. Furthermore, a dynamic switch among the motors has been presented in the model.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-114
Author(s):  
Eustache Mêgnigbêto

Purpose University, industry and government relationships, known under the Triple Helix, have been studied under various aspects. The West African region and countries have been analysed with mutual information and transmission power, two information theory-based indicators. The purpose of this paper is to portray the landscape of West African Triple Helix innovation systems using three main game theory indicators (core, Shapley value and nucleolus) with the objective to measure the synergy within the selected innovation systems. Design/methodology/approach The collaboration between university, industry and government is modelled as a three-person coalitional game. Bibliographical data of selected countries were collected from Web of Science and organised according to collaboration patterns between the three actors. The characteristic functions of the games were computed, the cores plotted, the Shapley values and the nucleoli computed. Findings Either university or government has more power to create and lead to synergy; government shows solidarity towards university and industry in most of countries; and they are joined in their efforts by industry in two countries. The core exists in all the countries meaning that all the selected innovation systems present synergy; however, the extent is limited and varies over countries. Research limitations/implications Innovation includes all research products; however, this study focuses on publications only. Originality/value Synergy within a Triple Helix innovation system is studied up to now with information theory indicators. The paper portrays the landscape of West African Triple Helix innovation systems using three main game theory indicators: the core, the Shapley value and the nucleolus and gives a new way to study university, industry and government relationships.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahreum Lee ◽  
Ram Mudambi ◽  
Marcelo Cano-Kollmann

Purpose In the modern knowledge-intensive economy, a nation’s competitiveness depends on the ability of its constituent firms to innovate. Extant research in national systems of innovation highlights institutions and public policies toward innovation as key determinants that affect firms’ innovation activities. This paper aims to widen the investigation by arguing that co-inventor connectivity allows firms to access the most tacit knowledge within global innovation systems. Therefore, it is one of the key factors that underpin a nation’s ability to develop and sustain its competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach Using a data set of 406,168 patents from US Patent and Trademark Office during the period of 1975-2004, this study analyzed the Japanese system of innovation through co-inventor networks. Findings Surprisingly, the authors found that compared to other advanced countries such as Germany and Denmark, the Japanese innovation system is quite closed. Originality/value The dimension of tacit knowledge is crucial in the current environment of rapid cycle time, short product lifespans and increasing emphasis on exploratory innovation. Hence the authors speculate that closedness to global innovation systems could be one of the reasons why many of Japan’s traditionally powerful multinational enterprises exhibit weak performance in recent years.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Riad Shams

Purpose – Capacity building is a crucial antecedent for socio-economic development. However, an enhanced capacity that is difficult to develop could quickly be eroded, because of rapid changes in competitive forces in industries and markets. Therefore, this paper intends to analyse the extant strategic management and relationship marketing (RM) literature that deal with competition. Eventually, the purpose of this paper is to develop an alternative route for capacity building process that could sustain competitive advantage in a market or industry, which encounters rapid changes in business competition. Design/methodology/approach – An inductive constructivist approach is followed to support arguments, in order to develop a synthesis from the relevant literature to reinforce the current understandings on capacity building and sustained competitive advantage. Findings – An influence of RM on strategic organisational dynamic capabilities (DCs) is recognised, which appears as significant to sustain DCs and subsequent competitive advantage. Based on this influence, this paper proposes a conceptual framework of capacity building that could survive through the “valuable, rare, inimitability and non-substitutability” test, which is fundamental to sustain competitive advantage. Some empirical insights are developed, in support of this conceptual framework. Practical implications – For research and practice, these insights will be useful to focus on specific attributes in capacity building to sustain the enhanced capacity’s competitive advantage over time, across industries and markets. Social implications – Similarly, the insights will be instrumental to sustain the benefit of capacity building to underpin socio-economic progress. Originality/value – The paper proposes a much needed initial conceptual framework for capacity building to sustain competitive advantage of a hard-earned capacity for socio-economic development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Baark

<p>This paper introduces the importance of the role of universities in emerging economies such as Indonesia and Vietnam, underscoring the need for universities to contribute more extensively to the dynamic development of innovation systems. The theoretical approach is a functional analysis of innovation systems, identifying essential issues that call for recognition among policymakers and in society generally. Innovation systems in Indonesia and Vietnam share some weaknesses, particularly in comparison with innovation systems in more advanced countries. There is limited ability to mobilize the resources required for innovation, as the investment in research and development as percentage of GDP is relatively low and dominated by public funding with little contribution from private sources. Financial regulation for universities seriously hampers the development of university–industry linkages. It is essential that universities gain more autonomy in order to move beyond their current role in training of skilled human resources to providers of innovation.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arho Suominen ◽  
Marko Seppänen ◽  
Ozgur Dedehayir

Purpose The ecosystem perspective on innovation and business has emerged as the secret sauce of innovative organizations. While its theoretical foundations are premised on innovation system literature, the broad adoption of the ecosystem concept has resulted in conceptual ambiguity. The purpose of this paper is to tackle the ambiguous use of innovation ecosystem terminology and structure a conceptual frame for the field, identifying definitions of an innovation ecosystem and how the concept has been established in previous literature. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines the ambiguous use of terminology by reviewing the literature with bibliometric coupling and co-citation analysis by which thematic differences in ecosystem literature were identified. The study gathered the scientific publications from Thomson Reuters Web of Sciences Core Collection (n=4,681) from 1990 to 2015. Findings Six major bibliometrically coupled clusters were identified, of which the three largest clusters are innovation system studies, regional innovation studies and technological innovation studies. In addition, further analysis shows an emerging cluster that is focused on ecosystems, having its roots in eight seminal papers. This ecosystem research cluster includes seven sub-clusters, such as innovation ecosystem studies, business ecosystem studies and studies focusing on ecosystem development. Research limitations/implications The authors’ approach highlights how a lot of recent ecosystem studies actually belong to previous, well-developed research streams. However, there is also a separate, emergent research stream that includes the innovation and ecosystem studies. As a research implication, the paper concludes by suggesting the research agenda for further studies. Originality/value Even though literature on innovation systems and ecosystems is extensive literature, no studies have captured the emergence of the ecosystems approach and its relation with the systems of innovation literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asieh Bakhtiar ◽  
Seyed Sepehr Ghazinoory ◽  
Alireza Aslani ◽  
Vahid Mafi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present and evaluate the performance of innovation systems by considering two indicators of efficiency and effectiveness. The scope of the evaluation is globally and due to the situation of each country, the suggested strategies are proposed to maintain the status quo or move toward the desired situation for countries. Design/methodology/approach The approach is to compare and benchmark the countries in terms of the efficiency and effectiveness of their innovation system. The Global Innovation Index report’s input-to-output ratio and the global competitiveness report are used for the assessment. Findings The findings indicate that countries such as China, Switzerland and the USA have an efficient and effective innovation system. However, the innovation systems in countries such as Brazil and Zimbabwe are not only inefficient but also ineffective. The findings also indicate that the innovation systems of countries such as Iran, Armenia and Egypt are efficient but ineffective. Finally, the authors can name Australia, Qatar and Russia as countries with effective but inefficient innovation systems. Originality/value Assessment of national innovation system using efficiency and effectiveness performances is done for the first time at the global stage.


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