Fostering sustainable logistics businesses: the role of innovation ecosystems and institutional contexts for logistics firms in China

PurposeDrawing on institution embeddedness and the resource-based view, the authors develop a theoretical framework and empirically examine how intra-national innovation ecosystems and environmental institutions impact logistics service providers' (LSPs) technological innovation (TI) and green practices.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test the theoretical framework based on survey data of 328 Chinese LSPs. Archival datasets complement the survey data.FindingsThe research reveals that intra-national institutional forces of formal and informal environment-related institutions can mitigate LSPs' reliance on their firm-specific advantages when engaging in TI and green practices. Results from a three-way interaction indicate that intra-national innovation ecosystems positively moderate the effects of environmental institutions.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has three critical implications. First, the study reveals the contingency role of intra-national environment-related institutions and innovation ecosystems in shaping green logistics. Second, the study finds new results about the roles of informal environmental institutions. Finally, intra-national innovation ecosystems can override environmental institutions in influencing the green practices of LSPs.Originality/valueTaking a unique angle of institution embeddedness coupled with the resource-based view, the authors examined how intra-national ecosystems and environmental institutions impact LSPs' TI and green practices.

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

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.

PARTNERSHIP IN OPEN INNOVATIONS – EXPERIENCE FROM THE AGRICULTURAL MARKET: POLAND CASE STUDY

The ability to build and manage a knowledge transfer partnership is one of the most highly demanded skills. Knowledge is widely dispersed, so it should be acquired from the environment. For this purpose, partnerships should be established with different entities. Presumably, the most mature type of partnership is the innovation ecosystem. Hence empirical research was conducted among Poland’s Grupa Azoty (GA) Puławy's consortium members based on an in-depth, partially structured interview, supported by an analysis of several innovation ecosystems of chemical companies. The aim of the research was to assess the phenomenon of open innovations in the GA along with the characteristics of the selection of partners, cooperation strategies and declared resources for jointly implemented projects.

Broadband Connectivity, Government Policies, and Open Innovation: The Crucial IT Infrastructure Contribution in Scotland

Broadband connectivity is now essential to ensure a competitive advantage for any business. The analysis of Scotland’s crucial IT infrastructure contribution supported the authors’ thesis that the Government plays a decisive role in Open Innovation ecosystems. Indeed, IT infrastructures are a clear case of market failure where remote areas will never be served by adequate connectivity without public support. The main contribution is the demonstration that the benefits of public intervention are sometimes required and beneficial to correct market distortions and generate positive spillovers in terms of collaboration in Open Innovation ecosystems. Another relevant contribution is a comprehensive analysis of the consistency of the evolution of the public policies that supported the IT Infrastructure in Scotland. Therefore, pivotal is the study of this case study that can be easily generalised to many other contexts where the Government addressed market failures and, at the same time, contributed to generating collaborative environments.

Leveraging capabilities for the creation of a smart, healthy and personalized breakfast: a case study of innovation ecosystems in the EU

Background: Rapid population growth, increasing urbanization, and an expanding global middle class has profound impacts on food and nutrition. In the long run the smart home appliance industry will reflect the social, technological, and demographic forces around food without losing the authenticity of food traditionally prepared in the kitchen. This paper investigates the capability of an innovation ecosystem to co-create a new consumer-driven breakfast concept. Methods: Three smart cooking technology providers (3D food printing, digital sous-vide cooking and instant dough baking), one ingredient supplier, and a top-tier food research and innovation centre shared resources to carry out common tasks such as market research, product development, and consumer taste tests. Consumers were segmented into four types of households (single, young families, consolidated families, and senior). An online community (40 participants), nine focus groups, two interviews with eight experts, and one quantitative study with 2055 cases were carried out in Spain, UK, and Germany. The findings provided both theoretical and practical insights into the perception of the three smart cooking devices per type of household and per country. A combination of technologies was used to develop the new breakfast concept for the target group and country with the most positive perception. Results: A customized, fresh, tasty, nutritious, and healthy 3D printed breakfast bar was developed for senior consumers in Spain. Sensory analysis and acceptability were tested with 80 senior consumers aged between 45 and 75 years and divided in two groups: 46-60 years (mature), and 61-75 (senior). Around 56% of consumers increased their acceptance of the new breakfast bar after being informed about the technological, nutritional, and convenient benefits of the new breakfast concept. Conclusions: A strategic collaborative innovation method was implemented to show how innovation ecosystems can encourage productive entrepreneurship, and help start-ups define and identify their target customer segments.

Return to Freedom: Governance of Fair Innovation Ecosystems

The Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism attaches great importance to the innovation processes shaping the digital society. The digital humanism question we pose in this chapter is: if innovation is a shaping force, can it itself be shaped by humans and based on human values of a just and democratic society? Nowadays, innovation is commonly theorized in policy and academic research in terms of ecosystems. Although this framing makes room for multiple stakeholders and their interaction, it is limited as it still positions innovation as a natural process. Thus, it underplays the human value and societal design dimensions of technosocial innovation. We discuss some ideas and proposals for the governance of digital innovation ecosystems such that they are fair and equitable. Design-for-fairness has as its basis a just and democratic societal conception of freedom.