Network structures and the reproduction of resources for sustainable innovation (original) (raw)
Related papers
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2012
Previous research has shown that formal networks can play a crucial role in the formation of technological innovation systems (TIS). Firms and other actors collaborate in formal networks not only to generate new knowledge but also to strategically create and shape supportive system resources such as technology specific R&D programs. This paper takes a closer look at the resources, which are developed and deployed by networks to facilitate the building up of a TIS. Networks rely not only on the organizational resources of their members but also on new resources developed at the network level including network governance structures, trust among network members, a common understanding of the strategic goals or a good reputation of the network. Our analysis shows that the capacity of networks to fulfill different tasks of system building especially depends on the network resources they are able to establish. With the differentiation of organizational, network and system resources we introduce a conceptual framework, which makes three important contributions. It highlights the strategic nature of (innovation) system building; it allows us comparing the contribution of different actors and formal networks in this regard; and it improves our understanding of how firm and system level processes are intertwined.
Innovation Ecosystems: A Collaborative Networks Perspective
2015
Innovation ecosystems (IE) have increasingly gaining importance due to their potential to leverage regional development. In a previous research, authors have translated into processes how current IEs have been built or emerged. This process-based model can be used for building new or support the analysis of existing IEs. In order to evaluate the completeness of this model, this paper presents its mapping against the ARCON reference model considering that an IE can be seen as special type of Collaborative Network. Given the particularities of IEs, this paper also provides some elements of reflection that may be taken into account in future ARCON evolutions.
Creating innovation systems: How resource constellations affect the strategies of system builders
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2018
Novel technologies require the support of larger technological innovation systems (TIS). A key feature of innovation systems are system resources-collective structures such as common standards, support programs, shared expectations or testing facilities all actors can use. System resources emerge either uncoordinated or as a result of strategic action by 'system builders'. In this paper we explore the conditions of system building. Taking a strategy perspective, we analyze how system building depends on resource constellations at a certain point in time. Drawing from research in the field of stationary fuel cells in Germany, we identify three generic modes, of system building: a) the "single mode", in which a system builder uses its own organizational resources to create a system resource, b) the "partner mode", in which a system builder joins forces with partners in order to co-create system resources, and c) the "intermediary mode", in which a system builder collaborates with other actors to set up an intermediary organization, which then works towards the creation of system resources. We show that the modes were chosen depending on i) what resources were initially available and ii) how they were distributed in the innovation system. Our paper contributes to a more differentiated understanding of system building in the TIS literature and beyond.
A bibliometric review of innovation networks: 30 years of study
European Journal of International Management, 2022
Innovation networks as the key predictor of firms' success have received substantial attention from both academics and practitioners in recent years. However, despite increasing attention being paid to innovation networks and their role in enhancing the performance of new products/services, there is a lack of consensus in the pertinent literature regarding the key antecedents and consequences of innovation networks. To address the lack of coherence in the literature, this paper adopts a bibliometric review method to provide a comprehensive overview of the current situation as well as recent trends in the pertinent literature. We conducted our bibliometric review by examining the time distribution of existing studies and, more importantly, analysing the most significant authors, journals, countries, institutions, co-citations, cooccurrences, content analysis and clustering of documents on innovation networks. This comprehensive method enabled us to conduct a robust analysis of the logical continuous flows and key ideas underpinning the innovation networks literature. Using bibliometric analysis, co-citation analysis and
A strategy for the analysis of idea innovation networks and institutions
Organization Studies, 2000
The perspective of this paper is that variation in commercially successful radical product/process innovations among science-based industrial sectors can be explored by focusing on idea innovation networks. Idea innovation networks have six arenas reflecting research-basic research, applied research, product development research, production research, quality control research, and commercialization/marketing research. The paper develops two interrelated hypotheses. The first is that the greater the diversity of competencies or knowledges that are connected with frequent and intense communication within an arena and the greater the size of the arena, the greater the likelihood that radical innovations will emerge. The second hypothesis involves the same kind of logic: if radical solutions are to occur in more than one arena, there must be intense and frequent communication among the different arenas involving radically new ways of thinking. Radical research solutions in one arena usually involve tacit knowledge and to be effectively communicated to another arena, both tacit knowledge and codified knowledge must be communicated across arenas. But the communication of tacit knowledge is more likely to occur when there is frequent and intense communication across arenas. In analyzing connectedness, the authors draw on the literatures about organizational innovation and organizational learning. As well, they recognize that institutional environments shape the size of research arenas and the connectedness within and among them. The suggestion is that the more similarity there is across sectors in the patterns of research arena size and connectedness, the greater the support for a national system of innovation interpretation. Contrariwise, less similarity of network arena characteristics across sectors may mean more support for the strong role of globalization forces in affecting innovation. 'HVFULSWRUV business systems, globalization, institutions, national systems of innovation, radical innovation, social system of production * $FNQRZOHGJHPHQWV We would like to acknowledge two organizations for providing stimulating research sites in the writing of this paper: the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS), and the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB). To our colleagues in the Innovation Group at NIAS-Frans van Waarden of the
Technology in Society, 2020
The increased attention of policymakers and researchers to the concept of innovation systems in recent decades has led to an increase in studies in this field and, consequently, its dynamics. This increase in the number of studies indicates the necessity of conducting studies to delineate the intellectual structure and process of development and evolution of this field. The present study aims to present a picture of the structure, evolution, and dynamics of innovation systems through the analysis of academic social networks based on bibliometric criteria and identify emerging issues for research. Accordingly, using citation, word co-occurrence, co-citation, and bibliographic coupling analyses, we analyzed 3250 documents which had been published between 1988 and 2018 and extracted from the Web of Science database. Through a systematic review, theoretical roots and frameworks affecting this field were identified and the existing research streams were introduced. According to the analyses, historical and contemporary views were categorized into four clusters. In addition, the most important and emerging issues in this field were identified and the most influential documents, journals, and authors were introduced.
Innovation Ecosystems: A Sustainability Perspective
Sustainability, 2021
In the last decade, the increasing globalization of markets and revolution 4.0, has caused profound changes in the best way to manage the innovation process. The innovation methods of the past are not well adapted to the turbulence of the modern world. In order to be competitive, companies must develop capabilities that will allow them to react rapidly to market demands. The development of new complex products/services requires access to a distinct set of resources and skills that companies do not normally have. Thus, in order to ensure their level of competitiveness, companies are confronted with the following dilemma: to develop the skills and resources needed from their own assets, they sometimes need to make significant investments, or, alternatively, use the skills and resources that can be made available by other companies in the context of an innovation ecosystem. However, despite the fact that collaboration among companies in an innovation ecosystem had been considered unusu...