National innovation systems and the globalization of nanotechnology innovation

While there has been much emphasis over the last decade on the science of nanotechnology and on the implications and risks of potential applications, it is now timely to increase attention to the emerging dynamics of nanotechnology commercialization. This paper examines, from a global perspective, where and how corporations are entering into nanotechnology innovation. The paper tests the proposition that a significant shift has occurred in recent years in the orientation of corporate nanotechnology activities—from research discovery to patented applications. It also examines the extent to which the character and structure of corporate nanotechnology activity by country initially reflects national innovation system characteristics and prior public research funding inputs in the stage when discovery is most emphasized. The results indicate that national innovation systems characteristics are significant factors in the commercialization shift of nanotechnology and highlight the importance of innovation system policy factors. We also observe the influence of cross-border international invention linkages, suggesting that national innovation policies also need to be open and international in orientation.     

Collaborative innovation in emerging innovation systems: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

The Journal of Technology Transfer - Firms often lack competences and capabilities for creation and commercialization of innovations. The solution to this problem lies in sharing or acquisition of...     

Coordinating a conscious geography: the role of research centers in multi-scalar innovation policy and economic development in the US and Canada

This article contributes to the debate about the role of the region in the placement and coordination of research centers linking technology-led economic development and science, technology, and innovation policy. Through a comparison of how a “conscious geography” has informed the organization of innovation + development (I + D) research centers in the US and Canada, this analysis focuses on the variation in the models of multi-scalar policy coordination deployed through the I + D research center frameworks in the US and Canada. This article begins with a discussion of the theoretical arguments behind territorial innovation systems. It continues by describing the different models of I + D research centers in the US and Canada and the role of the region in each set of policy frameworks. The third section discusses ways policy outcomes are influenced by the initial consideration of the spatial distribution of production and innovation. The article concludes with the case for a policy model which prioritizes a role for the region as a site of economic and geographic analysis and a partner in the design of a multi-scalar innovation policy.     

National systems of innovation

The perhaps broadest approach to economic performance at the level of a country is the concept of national systems of innovation. Despite the emergence of a compelling literature identifying the persistence of innovative activities and country specific institutional effects, evidence on the nature of national systems of innovation is still missing and a number of crucial questions and answers remain unanswered. To shed light on these issues, as of leading scholars of entrepreneurship and innovation was assembled from around the world for a conference on “National Systems of Entrepreneurship and Innovation” at the ZEW Mannheim in November 2014. This article draws on the NSI framework, sets it in a larger context, examines the logic of the approach and introduces the special issue by summarizing the papers presented at the conference and selected for this special issue.     

论制度创新中政府主导型角色

我国正处于社会大转型时期,政治经济体制改革不断深入。在制度建设方面,旧的制度不断退出历史舞台,新的制度不断涌现,发挥作用,推动社会进步。在制度创新的过程中,政府的作用举足轻重。全面认识政府在制度创新中的利弊,对于推动制度创新提高制度的有效性,具有十分重要的理论和现实意义,。     

The role of personnel migration in the introduction of innovations

The study examined the extent of transfer of aerospace management techniques that accompanied the movement of personnel. Sixty individuals who were formerly employed in aerospace were questioned regarding the management techniques they had introduced into their current workplace. In some instances, the information given by the respondent was validated by nonaerospace colleagues. The results clearly demonstrated that the movement of personnel may act as a mechanism for transfer. For all respondents, the mean number of techniques introduced was greater than five. In 13 cases, 100 per cent of the aerospace management techniques currently used were introduced by the respondent; in 15 cases, at least 50 per cent currently in use were introduced by the respondent. The process of introduction was also examined. The managers reported using several steps to encourage transfer including familiarization with the environment, introduction of new goals, adaptation of the technique, persuasion, coercion, and the hiring of co-workers with similar attitudes. The results also indicated that successful innovators were self-confident, had a detailed knowledge of the innovation, were convinced of its value, and were frequently in positions of authority. Finally, results indicated that the introduction was more likely to be adopted in smaller and/or newer institutions, where “discipline” and a team concept existed in management, and when superiors were supportive. Recommendations were made for future research.     

Entrepreneurship and country-level innovation: investigating the role of entrepreneurial opportunities

Since the work of Schumpeter, entrepreneurship has been regarded as a concept that is in close relation to innovation. However, recent country level investigations show that technology innovation and new business creation can be regarded as two separate phenomena. In this paper we provide an explanation for the above contradiction through the distinguishing between two types of entrepreneurship, necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship. Building on opportunity theory and rational choice theory, we investigate the influence of both types of entrepreneurship on country-level innovation, and furthermore, pay particular attention to the interaction between opportunity entrepreneurship and the amount of opportunities available. We find that necessity entrepreneurship is inversely related to country-level innovation, whereas opportunity entrepreneurship is positively linked to technological progress. The positive effect of opportunity entrepreneurship, however, diminishes with an increased amount of entrepreneurial opportunities. This interaction indicates that opportunity availability is an important element of a country’s entrepreneurship environment.     

Determinants of research productivity in Korean Universities: the role of research funding

The Journal of Technology Transfer - University research is a vital source of innovation, and government funds are often used to support innovative research programs. As such, universities are...     

Correction to: Environmental dynamism and cooperative innovation: the moderating role of state ownership and institutional development

The Journal of Technology Transfer - The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The spelling of the co-author name Wenjia Guo was incorrect. The original article has...     

Attending to the role of race/ethnicity in family violence research

Since the 1970s, researchers and public health and/or social policy communities have devoted increasing attention to family violence. Although officially reported crime figures for family violence appear to be declining, rates continue to be high in broadly defined racial and/or ethnic minority groups. More careful assessments of the potential role of race/ethnicity in family violence, and similarities and differences occurring across and within groups categorized based on race/ethnicity, are essential if adequate interventions are to be developed and utilized. This article provides suggestions on conducting better studies on family violence in the United States, particularly with respect to issues of race/ethnicity. The authors begin by considering conceptions and definitions of race/ethnicity and providing a broad definition of family violence. They then suggest issues for consideration at each stage of the research process, from reviewing previous research, to making methodological decisions, selecting samples, choosing measures, and analyzing and interpreting findings.     

Academic spin-off activities and research performance: the mediating role of research collaboration

The Journal of Technology Transfer - Studies on the effect of entrepreneurial activities on scientists’ subsequent research performance have reported mixed findings. Given the misalignment...     

The role of proximity in university-business cooperation for innovation

The potential for universities to contribute positively to business innovation has received much attention in recent years. While the determinants of university-business cooperation have been examined extensively, less attention has been given to the mediating influence of proximity in this relationship. The analysis in this paper builds on the UK business innovation survey (2002–2005) by incorporating measures of the university research environment for each of the 16,500 businesses surveyed. These measures allow us to look beyond business-level characteristics as determinants of the geography of university cooperation and account for the character of the local university environment. Measures include the distance from each business to its nearest university, the quality of local university research and the density of the university research environment. The findings suggest that significant differences exist between those businesses that cooperate with local universities and those that cooperate with non-local universities. These differences relate to business size, sales profile, location, absorptive capacity and innovation activity. In addition, we also find that if a business is located close to a research excellent university, cooperation tends to remain local, however, the distance between businesses and the nearest university is not a significant determinant of university-business cooperation and further, the higher the concentration of universities in the business locale, the more likely businesses are to cooperate with non-local universities.