The Role of Academic Institutions in the National System of Innovation and the Debate in Sweden (original) (raw)

How large is the Swedish [] academic'sector really?:: A critical analysis of the use of science and technology indicators

Research Policy, 2004

Sweden is perceived to be top ranking, and a 'role model', in terms of its volume of academic R&D. This perception is based on analyses using two standard indicators. We assess the validity of these and argue that institutional features skew the result in favour of a high ranking. Swedish academic R&D is more appropriately characterised as average, or below average, in terms of input and above average in terms of output. Science policy makers need to acknowledge this and devise policies that strengthen, rather than threaten the functioning of an efficient system.

Developing Universities: The Evolving Role of Academic Institutions in Denmark

2011

From a traditional economic point of view, it may seem as a paradox that a small country (5.5 million inhabitants) with high wages, high taxes, a large public sector, a relatively low level of R&D activity, and a relatively low proportion of people with a higher education in science and technology has been able to stay relatively competitive and rich for decades. Especially two interrelated explanations have been put forward in recent studies of the Danish National System of Innovation (Lundvall 2002b; Christensen et al. 2008).

The Role of Universities in the National Innovation System

Baltic Journal of Economic Studies

The intensification of innovations required system approach, including at the macro level, which resulted in creation of national innovation systems (NIS). Such systems are designed to support and ensure innovation processes, including creation of favorable conditions for interaction of their different actors (various kinds of business; universities; scientific institutions; state). Each of the actors performs its own role in NIS, which contributes to the total innovation productivity. Methodology. Universities playing a specific role in NIS are an integral subject of innovative activity. Despite considerable attention to this problematics, this role is disclosed in a fragmented manner. Therefore, the research is focused on clarification of theoretical and methodological background to study of the role of universities in NIS, justification of the evolution of universities and definition of their functions in the NIS structure, specification of the key aspects of the disclosure of th...

Demand vs. supply driven innovations: US and Swedish experiences in academic entrepreneurship

Working Paper Series in …, 2001

Zusammenfassung: Measured by per-capita publication measures, Sweden is an academic powerhouse. Hence, its inability to commercialize on these accomplishments is a puzzle. This paper attributes this failure to the top-down nature of Swedish policies aimed at commercializing these innovations as well as an academic environment that discourages academics from actively participating in the commercialization of their ideas. This sits in stark contrast to the US institutional setting that is characterized by competition between ...

Excellence, Innovation and Academic Freedom in University Policy in Iceland

Veftímaritið Stjórnmál og stjórnsýsla, 2013

This article analyzes three reports on higher education, research and innova tion policy in Iceland by using a Foucauldian discourse analysis approach. The reports were released in 2009 and 2012, emphasizing the simplification of the research and innovation system in Iceland. While on the surface the reports include practical recommendations, the study reveals a strong moral stance in the reports which express concerns that too many universities and two small institutions spread efforts too widely. Suggestions to reorganize the system tend to be presented by simply stating that it is important to do so, but sometimes such assertions are also interwoven with arguments for larger and more power ful universities and research institutions. There is a focus in the reports on in novation and the creation of economic value. Research, science, and innovation are firmly combined with the goal of economic growth. There is the undertone that it is relatively easy to define what is good research or even quality research; and the chief criterion seems to be that good research is research that is use ful for business and industry. Academic freedom, on the other hand, is rarely discussed in the reports.

The role of universities in innovation and regional development: The case of Rogaland Region

2018

Rogaland region, located at the southwestern coasts of Norway, has undergone tremendous economic development during the last half a century due to becoming the base for petroleum industry of this most oil-rich country of Europe. The history of higher education sector in the region has been very much shaped and influenced by that economic development history. In this article, we try to examine to what extent and in what form the main university of the region, University of Stavanger (UiS), has contributed to the economic developments in the region by corresponding to the educational, research and innovation needs of its main economic sectors. After describing the highlights of the economic and academic developments in the region, we use established frameworks from the regional innovation systems and university-industry relations literature in order to analyze whether and how the UiS has played a role in addressing the regional innovation system requirements of the sectors deemed currently as priority sectors for Rogaland. Based on that, we draw policy implications for better harmony between regional innovation system policies and higher education policies.