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The aim of this paper is to analyse how research evaluation modes/schemes in public funding of un... more The aim of this paper is to analyse how research evaluation modes/schemes in public funding of university research and the general mode of funding (i.e. institutional versus grant based external funding) influence the dynamics of research (development of research fields and groups). We are looking at the aims of research evaluation models and what do they entail in practice. Preliminary results of the analysis show that main public funding of all research fields under same evaluation criteria produces adverse effects due to the research fields´ substantial differences in operational logic and anticipated success. Main problems are related with resource concentration and reputation effects that pose a general threat to the sustainability and continuity of a heterogeneous science landscape. For a more inclusive development of different fields of science taking into account their scientific excellence but also socio-economic relevance recommendations for the development of the evaluation models of the science funding system will be generated.
This article examines how climate change discourse has led to diverging trajectories in industry ... more This article examines how climate change discourse has led to diverging trajectories in industry and science collaborations and related innovation outputs. Usually discourse analysis takes a very broad approach examining policy processes and describing path-dependency, lock-in or stasis within a policy field, while less attention is given to their effects in practice. This paper takes a step forward and maintains that institutional narratives change participatory networks in complex, nonlinear ways with various and also unintended effects. The article relies on an extensive literatuure review of the policy discourse of 'climate change' in the field of energy technologies. The discussion is exemplified through the case of Estonia, a small state with a more confined, simple polity stasis. The article suggests that the discursive changes have not only influenced the direction of energy technology research, but also contributed to multi-directional industry-science linkages and had unintended effects influencing future policy choices (e.g. the large expansion of incremental innovation towards energy efficiency). This article calls for more comprehensive studies in discourse analysis especially in climate change research to examine the effects of history, back-and-forth discursive changes and especially the impact of such policy processes more thoroughly.
Notwithstanding the prominence and recognition of both concepts in political and scientific resea... more Notwithstanding the prominence and recognition of both concepts in political and scientific research there are only a few studies about environmental technologies (ETs) and export promotion (EP) and non in the context of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. This paper tries to fill a part of this gap by explaining whether and which government-designed EP instruments are necessary for better export performance of companies active in the field of ETs in the context of small transition states. We analyse local measures for EP, the exporting problems of local ET companies and their attitudes towards public support, and make recommendations for the development of EP instruments for ETs in Estonia based on literature review, qualitative interviews with 2-3 local experts of public export promotion measures and 20 companies developing ETs in Estonia in addition to analysis of documents and secondary data. The article concludes that in Estonia there are already some non-financial measures in place that are directly aimed at ETs and quite a variety of different measures aimed in general for EP. However, because of the special characteristics of ETs (capital intensiveness, long-term profitability, private sector reluctance to replace old inefficient technologies, wider social benefit, generation of additional value etc.) the sector should be approached separately from other sectors and certain types of EP initiatives could be better linked with the peculiarities and the needs of the sector for a better export performance of ET companies.
‘Born globals’ and ‘open innovation’ have become important concepts in the research on innovation... more ‘Born globals’ and ‘open innovation’ have become important concepts in the research on innovation and entrepreneurship in an era of increased globalization. However, the logics of open innovation have been introduced to policy making without much critique. This paper analyses the validity and relevance of these concepts for R&D and knowledge-intensive actors from a Central and Eastern European (CEE) country – for the Estonian clean technology (cleantech) sector based on interviews with the representatives of 20 companies and research teams and secondary data analysis. The study concludes, contrary to what is generally expected, that the emergence of born globals and the application of open innovation is discouraged in the catching-up economies by many limiting framework conditions. The main challenges are linked to the lack of finances and the limited supply of high quality managers of international business who also have profound understandings in the technologies. This indicates a need for improvements in the public support systems but also upgrading the knowledge base and overall education. Public procurement for innovation is another key aspect to advance the development of the cleantech developers in Estonia.
Papers by Kaija Valdmaa
Policy Studies, Jan 13, 2014
Books by Kaija Valdmaa
The aim of this paper is to analyse how research evaluation modes/schemes in public funding of un... more The aim of this paper is to analyse how research evaluation modes/schemes in public funding of university research and the general mode of funding (i.e. institutional versus grant based external funding) influence the dynamics of research (development of research fields and groups). We are looking at the aims of research evaluation models and what do they entail in practice. Preliminary results of the analysis show that main public funding of all research fields under same evaluation criteria produces adverse effects due to the research fields´ substantial differences in operational logic and anticipated success. Main problems are related with resource concentration and reputation effects that pose a general threat to the sustainability and continuity of a heterogeneous science landscape. For a more inclusive development of different fields of science taking into account their scientific excellence but also socio-economic relevance recommendations for the development of the evaluation models of the science funding system will be generated.
This article examines how climate change discourse has led to diverging trajectories in industry ... more This article examines how climate change discourse has led to diverging trajectories in industry and science collaborations and related innovation outputs. Usually discourse analysis takes a very broad approach examining policy processes and describing path-dependency, lock-in or stasis within a policy field, while less attention is given to their effects in practice. This paper takes a step forward and maintains that institutional narratives change participatory networks in complex, nonlinear ways with various and also unintended effects. The article relies on an extensive literatuure review of the policy discourse of 'climate change' in the field of energy technologies. The discussion is exemplified through the case of Estonia, a small state with a more confined, simple polity stasis. The article suggests that the discursive changes have not only influenced the direction of energy technology research, but also contributed to multi-directional industry-science linkages and had unintended effects influencing future policy choices (e.g. the large expansion of incremental innovation towards energy efficiency). This article calls for more comprehensive studies in discourse analysis especially in climate change research to examine the effects of history, back-and-forth discursive changes and especially the impact of such policy processes more thoroughly.
Notwithstanding the prominence and recognition of both concepts in political and scientific resea... more Notwithstanding the prominence and recognition of both concepts in political and scientific research there are only a few studies about environmental technologies (ETs) and export promotion (EP) and non in the context of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. This paper tries to fill a part of this gap by explaining whether and which government-designed EP instruments are necessary for better export performance of companies active in the field of ETs in the context of small transition states. We analyse local measures for EP, the exporting problems of local ET companies and their attitudes towards public support, and make recommendations for the development of EP instruments for ETs in Estonia based on literature review, qualitative interviews with 2-3 local experts of public export promotion measures and 20 companies developing ETs in Estonia in addition to analysis of documents and secondary data. The article concludes that in Estonia there are already some non-financial measures in place that are directly aimed at ETs and quite a variety of different measures aimed in general for EP. However, because of the special characteristics of ETs (capital intensiveness, long-term profitability, private sector reluctance to replace old inefficient technologies, wider social benefit, generation of additional value etc.) the sector should be approached separately from other sectors and certain types of EP initiatives could be better linked with the peculiarities and the needs of the sector for a better export performance of ET companies.
‘Born globals’ and ‘open innovation’ have become important concepts in the research on innovation... more ‘Born globals’ and ‘open innovation’ have become important concepts in the research on innovation and entrepreneurship in an era of increased globalization. However, the logics of open innovation have been introduced to policy making without much critique. This paper analyses the validity and relevance of these concepts for R&D and knowledge-intensive actors from a Central and Eastern European (CEE) country – for the Estonian clean technology (cleantech) sector based on interviews with the representatives of 20 companies and research teams and secondary data analysis. The study concludes, contrary to what is generally expected, that the emergence of born globals and the application of open innovation is discouraged in the catching-up economies by many limiting framework conditions. The main challenges are linked to the lack of finances and the limited supply of high quality managers of international business who also have profound understandings in the technologies. This indicates a need for improvements in the public support systems but also upgrading the knowledge base and overall education. Public procurement for innovation is another key aspect to advance the development of the cleantech developers in Estonia.
Policy Studies, Jan 13, 2014