Academics as Orchestrators of Innovation Ecosystems: The Role of Knowledge Management

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (05) ◽  
pp. 1640009
Author(s):  
Luca Gastaldi ◽  
Mariano Corso
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Middle Ground ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
Innovation Ecosystems ◽  
Knowledge Platform ◽  
Ecosystem Level

Organizations are increasingly shifting from innovation initiatives centered on internal resources to initiatives centered on sharing resources, knowledge and expertise in ecosystems. In these settings, most innovation efforts have to be designed and accomplished at an interorganizational level to produce outcomes. Drawing on the experience of an applied research center in Italy, we explain why academics are in one of the best positions to orchestrate innovation ecosystems. Two main rationales support this key role. The first is associated with the fact that academics are in an independent position, which is neutral and represents a middle ground between the different organizations that share knowledge to ignite and sustain innovation at an ecosystem level. The second rationale is associated with the levels of compliance and complementarity that academics have with the main purposes for which knowledge within an innovation ecosystem is created and leveraged. Two design choices seem necessary to materialize the potential key orchestrator role of academics: (i) the extensive use of multiple approaches of collaborative research; (ii) the creation and maintenance of a knowledge platform allowing academics to progressively diffuse and leverage the ecosystem-based learning mechanisms underlying each innovation effort.

The government’s role in creating an innovation ecosystem: the Springfield Armory as hub in the Connecticut River Valley

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 557-579
Author(s):  
Robert C. Ford ◽  
Keenan D. Yoho
Keyword(s):  
River Valley ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Connecticut River ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Ecosystems ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Connecticut River Valley

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate, through the example of the Springfield Armory and its role in the development of interchangeable parts, the critical role of government in establishing a cluster of organizations that evolved into an innovation ecosystem primarily located in the Connecticut River Valley in the 1800s. Using the Springfield Armory example, we use the related but largely unjoined concepts of ecosystem and networks to show that these organizational forms are effective in driving innovation. Design/methodology/approach The design uses an in-depth analysis of the role of the Springfield Armory to explicate the joining of network and ecosystem theory as an early example of the importance of governmental funding and support for innovation. Findings The development of interchangeable parts in the American arms industry in the 19th century transformed manufacturing worldwide. At the heart of this transformation was the network of arms makers that developed in the Connecticut River Valley as a direct result of US Government investment and support. This network of arms makers evolved into an ecosystem of mutually reinforcing relationships as machine tool manufacturers benefited from an environment of free-flowing intellectual property, information and growing governmental demand for arms. The Armory illustrates the government’s role in initiating and sustaining clusters of innovation that otherwise might not have developed as quickly. Originality/value Much of the research on the role of government in creating innovation ecosystems and organizational networks is based on modern organizations. This use of the Springfield Armory in the early 1800s broadens the knowledge on how innovation ecosystems in conjunction with networked organizations can be created by governments serving the public good.

scholarly journals The social dynamics of heterogeneous innovation ecosystems

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 184797901772161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Peter Ferdinand ◽  
Uli Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
3D Printer ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Innovation Ecosystems ◽  
Broad Scope ◽  
The Social

In this article, we develop a programmatic notion of innovation ecosystems, which emphasizes the analysis of different forms of distributed innovation without reducing the perspective to the role of a focal organization. It highlights relationships between communities and corporate firms as nexus for distributed innovation and elaborates how different facets of openness shape the dynamic of the ecosystem. Thus, our model allows for the analysis and comparison of a broad scope of constellations, their particular coordinating mechanisms as well as related advantages and disadvantages. We apply this framework to two specific cases of distributed innovation, the RepRap 3D printer and the ARA modular smartphone, in order to delineate how differences in the forms of openness affect the prevalent relationships between communities and firms as well as the constituting functions of their particular innovation ecosystem.

scholarly journals Hydrogen Economy Development Opportunities by Inter-Organizational Digital Knowledge Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9194
Author(s):  
Zoltán Csedő ◽  
Máté Zavarkó ◽  
Balázs Vaszkun ◽  
Sára Koczkás
Keyword(s):  
Innovation Management ◽  
Knowledge Networks ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Hydrogen Economy ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Explorative Learning ◽  
Knowledge Platform ◽  
Digital Knowledge ◽  
Energy Companies

Innovative power-to-X (P2X) technologies, as a set of emerging new solutions, could play a crucial role in creating sustainable, carbon-neutral economies, such as the hydrogen economy. These technologies, however, are generally not yet implemented on a commercial scale. This research focuses on how innovative, digital inter-organizational knowledge networks of industry representatives and universities could contribute to the commercial implementation of P2X technologies and increase the pace of sustainable hydrogen-based development. The findings of an extended case study with a hybrid (qualitative–quantitative) methodology and a five-year time horizon, suggest the need for a digital knowledge platform, where universities and industry representatives add and combine their knowledge. In contrast with expectations, however, the empirical results show that academia would, not only be capable of supporting the exploration of new solutions, but foster the exploitation of more mature technologies as well. Similarly, large energy companies could also drive exploratory activities, not only exploitative ones. The findings highlight the possible central role of the “system builder” actor, who integrates exploitative-explorative learning and facilitates the formation of a (digital) innovation ecosystem. By exceeding the dominant techno-economic and environmental aspects, this research contributes to the literature by highlighting the applicability of network-based innovation management theory for hydrogen economy research.

Cooperation in a minimum-waste innovation ecosystem: a case study of the Czech Hemp Cluster

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jindrich Spicka
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Ecological Guilds ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Ecosystems

PurposeInnovation ecosystems face many environmental challenges. The literature review shows that innovation ecosystems accelerate innovation activity, but empirical studies have not provided enough case studies focusing on the minimum-waste business strategy as one aspect of the circular economy. Various forms of interaction between members occur in the innovation ecosystems, which determines the level of cooperation. This paper aims to show the structure and forms of cooperation in an innovation ecosystem using the Czech Hemp Cluster (CHC) and its surroundings and suggest research directions in the field of interaction between members in an innovation ecosystem. Although hemp is associated with the production and distribution of narcotics, it is a versatile plant supporting the minimum-waste business strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a theoretical part of a literature review of major scientific articles on innovation ecosystems from 2016 to 2021. The case study of the CHC and the hemp ecosystem is based on qualitative research in the form of a content analysis of the mission of the cluster members. In addition to content analysis, the classic multidimensional scaling method and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to reveal ecological guilds.FindingsThe case study highlighted the specific relationship between the cluster and the ecosystem. The cluster does not determine the ecosystem boundaries, but the ecosystem is a much broader system of cooperation and interaction between organisations. Clusters emerge after an ecosystem has existed for a particular time to coordinate collaboration and information between organisations and stakeholders. The analysis of the CHC revealed the specific role of non-profit organisations (NPOs) in the innovation ecosystem. NPOs are not engaged in primary functions in the value chain, but they provide supporting activities through coordinated networking, disseminating information on innovation, awareness-raising and stakeholder education. Compared to natural ecosystems, innovation ecosystems are typically characterised by higher forms of collaboration between members.Research limitations/implicationsAn exciting opportunity for research on innovation ecosystems is the ecological guilds taken from natural ecosystems and whose identification can help define the boundaries of innovation ecosystems. An opportunity for further research is the comparison of NPO-based and government-based clusters playing a central role in developing innovation ecosystems. Regarding the problematic generalisability of the case study to the entire agricultural production, a challenge is a search for minimum-waste business models in agriculture characterised by the biological nature of production.Originality/valueTheoretical and empirical studies have not yet considered innovation ecosystems in the minimum-waste context to a sufficient extent. The paper builds on previous scholarly studies focusing on innovation ecosystems and, for the first time, discusses the role of NPOs in the innovation ecosystem. The CHC case study adds a suitable minimum-waste business model to the still very scarce literature on sustainable innovation ecosystems. The article discusses the purpose and forms of cooperation in an innovation ecosystem, identifies a complementarity of roles in the innovation cluster and describes the interrelationship between the cluster and the ecosystem. Discussion of the ecosystem leader in the cluster-based innovation ecosystem shows the differences between Czech, Polish and German life science ecosystems.

Identifying and describing constituents of innovation ecosystems

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pegah Yaghmaie ◽  
Wim Vanhaverbeke
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The State ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Central Focus ◽  
Innovation Ecosystems ◽  
Level Of Analysis

Purpose Innovation ecosystems have not been defined univocally. The authors compare the different approaches to innovation ecosystems in the literature, the link with open innovation, the value creating and value capturing processes in innovation ecosystems, and the need to orchestrate them properly. In this way, the purpose of this paper is to provide a highly needed, concise overview of the state of the art in innovation ecosystem thinking. Design/methodology/approach A systematic screening of the literature searching for publications focusing on innovation ecosystems is carried out in the paper. The authors found 30 publications and compared the different approaches to innovation ecosystems: the authors classify them according to industries, the level of analysis, their central focus on innovation ecosystems, whether frameworks are developed in the publications, the main actors, focus on SMEs or large companies, the success of innovation ecosystems and the role of the orchestrator. Findings The authors found different approaches to innovation ecosystems in the literature. Some papers look at the link with open innovation, and others at the value creating and value capturing processes in innovation ecosystems, the role of orchestrators, etc. The authors also provide an overview about the industries, the level of analysis, the central focus of the research, the main actors in the networks and the success factors. The authors observe that most publications have been written in Europe and apply to European ecosystems. The approach in Europe is, to some extent, also different from the main focus of leading American scholars. Research limitations/implications The authors compare different approaches to innovation ecosystems. This provides a highly needed understanding of the state of the art in innovation ecosystem thinking. There are some limitations as well: the paper only does a literature review, and the authors are not developing a new framework to study innovation ecosystems. Practical implications The literature overview is not primarily focused on practitioners, but the tables in the paper provide a quick overview of good management practices for setting up and managing innovation ecosystems. Social implications Innovations ecosystems are, in some cases, established to solve major societal problems such as changes in healthcare, energy systems, etc. Therefore, they require the interaction between different types of partners including universities, research institutes and governmental agencies. Studying innovation ecosystems is crucial to facilitate social or societal changes. Originality/value The paper presents a highly needed overview of the literature about innovation ecosystems and a concise examination of the different aspects that are studied so far.

The role of actors in interactions between “innovation ecosystems”: drivers and implications

IMP Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommaso Pucci ◽  
Andrea Runfola ◽  
Simone Guercini ◽  
Lorenzo Zanni
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Group Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Marketing ◽  
Innovation Ecosystems

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the role of the actors (especially firms) in interactions between contexts defined as “innovation ecosystems.” Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a conceptual framework. A review of the literature to frame the concepts of innovation ecosystems and the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) approach is presented. A possible integration of the two concepts is then discussed. Findings The paper adds new discursive inputs to the concept of innovation ecosystem that validate its use in the context of the knowledge economy and extends the theories of knowledge, by analyzing the role that various actors who populate an innovative ecosystem play in the creation, learning, use, and dissemination of knowledge. Originality/value The paper furnishes an approach to the research on knowledge management and innovation, in the attempt to relate the IMP Group approach with the perspective of the “innovation ecosystems” concept.

Exploring the Effects of Innovation Ecosystem Models on Innovative Performances of Start-Ups: The Contingent Role of Open Innovation

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Bo Yu ◽  
Chang Lu
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Ecosystem Models ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Innovation Ecosystems ◽  
Start Ups

Abstract A firm’s participation in an innovation ecosystem can increase its competitiveness and potentiality in turbulent circumstances. From a resource-based view (RBV) and the value proposition perspective, this study explored how participation in heterogeneous innovation ecosystems affects the innovative performances (IPs) of start-ups. We studied the adaptability between innovation ecosystem models and open innovation (OI) strategies, as well as examined their effects on new ventures. Specifically, innovation ecosystem models were classified into platform- and product-based innovation ecosystems according to the structural logic of accessing resources. Then, we examined the effects of these ecosystems on the IPs of start-ups and analyzed the moderating effects of the breadth and depth of OI on these ecosystems. The findings revealed that the participation of start-ups in such ecosystems had positive effects on their IPs and OI breadth’s inverted U-shape moderated the relationships between product-based innovation ecosystems and the IPs while strengthening the positive relationships between platform-based innovation ecosystems and the IPs. In addition, OI depth enhanced the positive effects of both ecosystems on the IPs of start-ups. This study has enlightening implications for research on innovation ecosystems, OI, and entrepreneurs.

The Role of Industry-Academia Collaborative Research in Mineral Exploration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Marlatt
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Research ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
The University ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Economic Mineral

ABSTRACT Many people may not be aware of the extent of Kurt Kyser's collaboration with mineral exploration companies through applied research and the development of innovative exploration technologies, starting at the University of Saskatchewan and continuing through the Queen's Facility for Isotope Research. Applied collaborative, geoscientific, industry-academia research and development programs can yield technological innovations that can improve the mineral exploration discovery rates of economic mineral deposits. Alliances between exploration geoscientists and geoscientific researchers can benefit both parties, contributing to the pure and applied geoscientific knowledge base and the development of innovations in mineral exploration technology. Through a collaboration that spanned over three decades, we gained insight into the potential for economic uranium deposits around the world in Canada, Australia, USA, Finland, Russia, Gabon, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Guyana. Kurt, his research team, postdoctoral fellows, and students developed technological innovations related to holistic basin analysis for economic mineral potential, isotopes in mineral exploration, and biogeochemical exploration, among others. In this paper, the business of mineral exploration is briefly described, and some examples of industry-academic collaboration innovations brought forward through Kurt's research are identified. Kurt was a masterful and capable knowledge broker, which is a key criterion for bringing new technologies to application—a grand, curious, credible, patient, and attentive communicator—whether talking about science, business, or life and with first ministers, senior technocrats, peers, board members, first nation peoples, exploration geologists, investors, students, citizens, or friends.

A Systems Approach to Voluntary CSR Reporting: The Role of Internal Resources

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fereshteh Mahmoudian ◽  
Jamal A. Nazari ◽  
Irene M. Herremans
Keyword(s):  
Systems Approach ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
Csr Reporting
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