Factors that influence cooperation in networks for innovation and learning

Networked cooperation fails if the available partnerships remain opaque. A literature review and Delphi study uncovered the elements of a fruitful partnership. They relate to personality, diversity, cooperation, and management. Innovation networks and learning networks share the same cooperative intention, but they too often fail as members of the network do not know which partnerships are valuable. If one plans to build a support service that provides insight into the value of future cooperation, one first needs to know what contributes to effective and efficient cooperation. In addition to carrying out a literature review, we invoked the eDelphi method to answer this question. eDelphi is a method to solicit knowledge from experts anonymously and without geographical constraints. Observations from two eDelphi rounds are reported in this article. The first round focused on factor generation and determined which factors influence cooperation networks; it was conducted with two groups of six representative experts. Experts list open communication, a positive attitude, trust, keeping appointments, and personality as influential factors for cooperation networks. A team of four moderators categorised the factors in a second round, resulting in four core clusters: personal characteristics, diversity, effective cooperation, and managerial aspects. Interestingly the experts failed to list some factors that are mentioned in the literature. This finding is discussed

Determinants of science-based cooperation: evidence in a sample of small and micro firms

We study the determining factors of cience-based cooperation in the case of small and micro firms. In this research, we propose an analytical framework based on the resource-based view of the firm and we identify a set of organisational characteristics, which we classify as internal, external and structural factors. Each factor can be linked to at least one reason, from the firm¿s point of view, to cooperate with universities and public research centres. Each reason can, in turn, be used as an indicator of a firm¿s organisational needs or organisational capacities. In order to validate the theoretical model, we estimate a logistic regression that models the propensity to participate in science-based cooperation activities within a sample of 285 small and micro firms located in Barcelona. The results show the key role played by the absorptive capacity of new and small companies.Se estudian los factores determinantes de la ciencia basada en la cooperación en el caso de las pequeñas empresas y microempresas. En esta investigación, se propone un análisis marco basado en el punto de vista de los recursos de la empresa y que identifica un conjunto de características de la organización, que podemos clasificar como factores internos, externos y estructurales. Cada factor puede estar relacionado por lo menos con una razón, desde el punto de vista de la empresa, para cooperar con las universidades y centros públicos de investigación. Cada una de ellas, a su vez, se utilizará como un indicador de las necesidades organizativas de la empresa o su capacidad de organización. Con el fin de validar el modelo teórico, se estima una regresión logística que muestra la propensión a participar en las actividades de cooperación basadas en la ciencia de una muestra de 285 empresas pequeñas y microempresas ubicadas en Barcelona. Los resultados muestran el papel clave desempeñado por la capacidad de absorción de las empresas nuevas y pequeñas.S'estudien els factors determinants de la ciència basada en la cooperació en el cas de les petites empreses i microempreses. Aquesta investigació es proposa una anàlisi marc basada en el punt de vista dels recursos de l'empresa i que identifica un conjunt de característiques de la organització, que podem classificar amb factors interns, externs i estructurals. Cada factor pot estar relacionat com a mínim amb una raó, des del punt de vista de l'empresa, per cooperar amb universitats i centres públics d'investigació. Cada una d'aquestes, al seu torn, s'utilitzarà com un indicador de les necessitats organitzatives de l'empresa o la seva capacitat d'organització. Amb l'objectiu de validar el model teòric, es preveu una regressió logística que mostra la tendència a participar en les activitats de cooperació basades en la ciència d'una mostra de 285 empreses petites i microempreses ubicades a Barcelona. Els resultats mostren el paper clau dut a terme per la capacitat d'absorció de les noves i petites empreses

Determinants of innovativeness in SMEs. disentangling core innovation and technology adoption capabilities

This paper studies innovativeness in SMEs from a set of innovation indicators at the firm level, capturing various types of innovation (product, process, organisational, and marketing innovations) and the level of innovativeness in these firm’s developments. The article identifies two separate dimensions in the innovativeness of Spanish SMEs, using factor analysis techniques. One dimension is associated with the capabilities for core/internal innovation and the other with the capabilities for the adoption of technology. The paper shows that significant differences exist in the personal and organisational factors that favour these two dimensions. The entrepreneur’s motivation, business planning, and cooperation in R&D activities constitute significant factors when considering the core dimension of a firm’s innovativeness, but have no effect on the firm’s capabilities for technology adoption. However, the use of external consultancy services seems to have no significant effect on the core dimension of the innovativeness of anSME, whereas it is a relevant factor for its technology adoption. Furthermore, it is shown that the entrepreneur’s education plays a more significant role in the core dimension of a firm’s innovativeness than in its capabilities for technology adoption. Depending on the policy objectives, these differences should lead to the application of specific policy approaches when an attempt to stimulate innovation in SMEs is made

Complex regional innovation networks and HEI engagement the case of Chicago

This article considers how HEIs engage within local complex development networks in order to develop the urban metropolis, using the case of Chicago as a specific example. It focuses on three main issues: how collaboration occurs amongst regional stakeholders; how goals are set and how shared goals have been created; and the extent to which there exist conflicting views amongst stakeholders, and their capability to create solutions where there are disagreements and clashing purposes. Chicago is in the middle of making a paradigm shift, with at its core an open system approach that includes a variety of ways to engage citizen-users as co-creators, including through user-driven innovation and digitalised services. In the metropolitan area there is a widely shared goal amongst stakeholders to develop and improve novel approaches for regional engagement to enhance innovativeness and competitiveness. The paradigm shift in regional engagement from building co-operation clusters to one of organisational betweenness and open systemic thinking requires new skills in management and leadership centred on interaction, co-creation and sharing of knowledge

The InnoRegio-program: a new way to promote regional innovation networks - empirical results of the complementary research -

Ten years after German reunification the economic situation in the new Federal Länder is still unsatisfactory. New approaches are being sought in promotional policy so that the weaknesses that are known or suspected can be better targeted and removed. One of these weaknesses is the lack of research, and thconsequent shortage of innovation by companies. Another is inadequate regional cohesion between companies and related facilities. Formal and informal co-operation between the various regional protagonists is regarded as essential to strengthen corporate innovation and exploit the regional economic potential, and that means networking companies, research facilities, universities, the administration and politicians. In April 1999 the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) therefore launched a promotional initiative known as the InnoRegio. Prospective participants were invited to enter a competition for promotion funds by putting forward concepts for the development of innovative regional joint ventures or associations. During the period from 1999 to 2005 the BMBF will provide a total of 255 million for this Initiative. Thus, the InnoRegio-Contest is the most important pillar of the ministry's innovation policy for East Germany. In the course of 2001, two further measures have been added to the promotion of regional innovative networks, "Innovative Regional Growth Cores" and "Interregional Alliances". The implementation of the InnoRegio Initiative will be monitored by complementary research until 2005 which is conducted by the DIW Berlin. This article outlines the concept of the promotion and selected empirical results of the development of the InnoRegio networks and the establishments involved. Finally, some conceptual differences between the three programs mentioned and their relation to innovation policy as well as regional policy in Germany are discussed.

Knowledge sharing in technology alliances

knowledge, alliance, technology

Cooperation and Cluster Strategies Within and Between Technology-Intensive Organizations: How to Enhance Linkages among Firms in TechnoParks

World today is characterized by rapid transformations in all aspects of human’s life where innovation, technological change and technological progress play the most significant role. Therefore, technologyintensive organizations by engaging in strategic alliances, clusters and networks tend to extract maximum benefits i.e. to enable entry into the international markets and to develop core competences. Even though clusters have become a highly popular strategy, many of them fail to realize their intended goals. Thus, under the scope of this paper we explore why choosing a clustering strategy can be beneficial for technologyintensive organizations. Main focus will be on investigating if there are inter-firm and firm-university linkages among the actors located in a particular techno-park i.e. METU Techno-park and Bilkent Cyber-park. Results of the analysis showed certain extent of firm-university relationships and low level of inter-firm interactions. This further implied necessity of the policy interventions for enhancement of those interactions if the studied techno-parks are to become successful in the sense of the theoretical techno-park model, and if the tenant firms are to extract maximum benefits associated with cluster concept in theory.Clusters, Networks, Innovation, Techno-parks, Policy

On the Determinants of the Reach of Innovation-related Collaboration in Small Firms

This paper takes as its starting point an item of relatively recent academic orthodoxy: the insistence that ‘…interactive learning and collective entrepreneurship are fundamental to the process of innovation’ (Lundvall, 1992, p. 9). From this, academics have frequently taken “interactive” to imply “inter-organisational” and, whilst one might be concerned by this too casual conflation, there is a growing consensus that firms’ embeddedness in collaborative networks matters for their innovative performance (Gilsing et al., 2008).