Eco-innovation practices’ adoption in the automotive industry

Eco-innovation is a construct that is gaining increasing interest from academics and researchers since it is commonly considered in the literature as one of the strategies that allow manufacturing companies not only to significantly reduce the negative impacts on the environment but also the generation of pollutants. However, little is known about the adoption of eco-innovation practices in manufacturing companies, particularly in the automotive industry. Therefore, this research has as main objective to fill this gap in the literature and explore the interdependence between eco-innovation of products, processes and management. The study is conducted through a research framework consisting of 3 measurement scales, 14 items and 3 hypotheses and an extensive review of the literature. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 460 companies in the automotive and auto parts industry in Mexico. Data were analyzed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Descriptive Statistics and Structural Equation Modelling. The results obtained show that product eco-innovation, process eco-innovation and management eco-innovation are good indicators for the adoption of eco-innovation practices for companies in the automotive and auto parts industry. The paper addresses a research gap in the academic literature in the eco-innovation field by providing evidence on the interdependence between eco-innovation of products, processes and management and the implementation of their practices in the automotive industry.N/

Improving industry science links through university technology transfer units: An analysis and a case.

Connectivity has become one of the critical success factors in generating and sustaining high-performing National Innovation Systems. Industry Science Links (ISLs) are an important dimension of this connectivity. Over the last decades, multiple insights have been gained (both from theory and practice) as to how 'effective' ISLs can be fostered through the design and the development of university-based technology transfer units. In this paper, we document and analyze the evolution of 'effective' university-based technology transfer mechanisms, towards a matrix structure allowing an active involvement of the research groups in commercial exploitation of their research findings, while specialized supporting services like intellectual property management and business plan development are centralized. We show that the establishment of:(1) an appropriate context within academia;(2) the design of stimulating incentive structures for academic research groups and,(3) the implementation of appropriate decision and monitoring processes within the interface unit itself, are critical elements in fostering 'effective' linkages between industry and the academic science base.Decision; Factors; Industry; Management; Matrix; Processes;

Establishing expert consensuses on the value of open data in open social innovation ideation

There is little conclusive evidence as to whether OD provides value to social innovation ideation scenarios. Furthermore, OD as a resource is severely contested as to its openness, availability, quality, importance, and usefulness within innovation ideation. Therefore, understanding how Open Data (OD) can be leveraged for innovation ideation practices has become a topic at the mainstream of management literature. However much of the effort thus far has been focused on ideation and innovation for-profit, specifically when in papers examining Open Innovation (OI), even though OD has been depicted as a resource for providing social, economical and entrepreneurial benefit. Therefore this paper presents an initial study of the perceived value of OD, in research phase Open Social Innovation (OSI), amongst academic and professional experts in OI, Innovation Networking and OD. Consequently, a Modified Delphi Study (MDS) is conducted, aimed at forming a convergence of opinion amongst academic and professional experts. From converging expert opinions from both academic and professional perspectives, optimal managerial practices within this field can be shaped. Furthermore, management processes and practices can be justified in collecting and targeting particular datasets that are opportune for a social innovation context. In addition to the primary objectives, and with respect to the paper’s findings, barriers of utilizing and leveraging OD for this purpose are duly noted with proposed methods of overcoming such challenge

RELACIONES RECIPROCAS EN EL MODELO DE TRIPLE HÉLICE MEDIANTE VARIABLES DE INTERACCIÓN

The Triple Helix Model (THM) postulates that universitygovernment- industry is the key to innovation processes in any society. The objective of this study was to analyze the reciprocal relations in the THM by interaction variables. Three interaction variables were considered: 1) between the public and the academic sector; 2) involving the academic sector and industry and; 3) among the industry and public sector. For the first interaction it was evaluated the approach and matching, for the second the management and entailment and for the third interaction the collaboration and cooperation. The study was conducted in the period from 2013 to 2014 through theoretical investigations, using the technique of documentary analysis and historical-logical method. The research was descriptive, using a field design, non-experimental, cross-sectional descriptive. The results showed that THM might be used as a driver of innovation not only for the market but also to improve some social problems. In conclusion, the convergence known as THM is the key for improving innovation processes in any society

Facilitating practice-led co-innovation for the improvement in animal welfare

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this recordUsing the egg-laying-hen sector as a case study, the European Union-funded ‘Hennovation’ thematic network has been testing mechanisms to enable practice-led innovation through the establishment of 19 innovation networks of farmers and within the laying-hen processing industry, supported by existing science and market-driven actors. These networks were facilitated to proactively search for, share and use new ideas to improve hen welfare, efficiency and sustainability. This article provides insights into the tools used, including a framework for the facilitation of practice-led collaborative innovation processes. This framework was developed through participatory action research to monitor network performance and self-reflection by facilitators. Practice-led innovation processes are network specific and evolve as the actors within the network come together to share common problems, experiment with possible solutions and learn. The participatory and iterative nature of this process leads to uncertainty in process and end results. This raises methodological challenges in the management of such processes and requires a flexible and adaptive management approach focusing on learning and reflection.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The article draws upon research and discussions conducted under the HENNOVATION project, a H2020 EU collaborative research project with six academic partners funded under the topic ‘Innovative, Sustainable and Inclusive Bioeconomy’ ISIB-2-2014/ 2015: Closing the research and innovation divide: the crucial role of innovation support services and knowledge exchange. Grant agreement no 652638

An Internal Perspective of Business Model Innovation in Manufacturing Companies

Business model innovation is increasingly being used as a concept in different academic fields, although it is still missing a ground theoretical conceptualization. This work aims at advancing the understanding of business model innovation from an internal perspective in manufacturing companies. It builds on a literature review regarding two main concepts – business model and business architecture – and proposes a set of key areas for internally-driven business model innovation. Six main areas have been identified: i) strategy & business goals; ii) organizational culture; iii) product and service management; iv) technology management; v) operations management; vi) performance management systems. Further research will analyze the innovation processes within each area, based on existing theoretical foundations and empirical studies. Moreover, new empirical studies will be performed to further investigate different potential pathways for business model innovation.This work builds on research initially undertaken on SustainValue project which received funding from the European Community´s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n°262931. Further review and analysis leading to these results was supported by the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability (grant n° EP/I033351/1).This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IEEE via http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/CBI.2015.4

Continuous Development of Knowledge Management for Higher Education Institutions

Higher educational institutions play a very important role in gaining, improving, using, supplying, and storing knowledge and making it available for their students. For the sake of the institutions, such information needs to be managed properly and constantly. The aim of this paper is to describe how to establish effective knowledge management so that it can bring maximum benefit for all academicians. For this purpose, higher educational institutions need to know the definition of knowledge management, its structure and role model, the way of obtaining innovation from it, the use of it. Understanding all mentioned makes it easier for them to manage knowledge and come up with constant innovations through an academic research which will reveal result information, innovative ideas, and data of innovation developed. The success of knowledge management program depends on three components, human resources, the management processes, and existing technology adopted in the institutions

Leading impactful research: applying platform thinking to drive collaborative inquiry in the innovation field

Purpose This study investigates the application of collaborative inquiry within innovation management, employing platform thinking to address challenges of generalizability and relevance. The aim is to integrate Collaborative Inquiry methods, characterized by participatory, diffuse, and reflective practices, to transform research into a tool for impactful change in organizations in the field of innovation management. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal participatory case study approach focuses on the IDeaLs case—a research platform that collaborated with multiple companies over several years. The data gathered and analyzed comes from the research project within the research platforms over the first two editions and from the research platform management and coordination activities. Findings The study introduces the Collaborative Research Platform Approach (CRPA), demonstrating its effectiveness in addressing typical constraints of traditional research methodologies through a real-world application within the IDeaLs case. The findings highlight the CRPA's potential in fostering a dynamic, co-creative research environment that bridges theoretical knowledge with practical applications, thus enhancing both scholarly and organizational outcomes while pursuing a future change within the organizations. Research limitations/implications There are two main research implications. First, it proposes platform thinking as a theoretical lens to read a multi-stakeholder phenomenon in the research domain, confirming its nature of value-creation mechanisms, using it outside the business model and strategic space. Second, it offers a methodological contribution by presenting the CRPA framework. Practical implications The CRPA framework offers organizations a structured approach to managing collaborative research projects that align with both academic rigor and practical relevance. Companies engaged in the study reported enhanced ability to implement actionable insights from research, influencing real-time decision-making processes. Social implications By fostering collaborative engagements across multiple stakeholders, the CRPA promotes a research culture that values inclusivity and practical impact, potentially leading to broader societal benefits through improved innovation management practices. Originality/value This paper contributes to the innovation management field by proposing the CRPA, which integrates principles of Platform Thinking with Collaborative Inquiry. This novel approach is designed to improve the applicability and scope of innovation research, offering a robust framework that enhances engagement and utility across academic and business domains. It uses platforms as a theoretical lens to read a multi-stakeholder environment in the research domain

Knowledge Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Between Academic Research and Industry Regulations

The pharmaceutical sector is one of the pillars of the world’s economy. A significant proportion of its value lies in intellectual assets generated through continuous innovation and lengthy development cycles within a strictly regulated environment. The purpose of this paper is to address the gap between knowledge management (KM) as an expanding academic discipline in the pharmaceutical industry and at the same time a growing regulatory expectation. A systematic review of 137 refereed KM articles revealed six empirical research themes in the pharmaceutical industry. In a subsequent step, the discovered themes and subthemes were compared with the extant regulatory expectations as explained in 128 regulatory guidelines. Findings shed the light on the gap between academic KM research and the current thinking of regulatory bodies. Some regulated knowledge processes were underrepresented in academic literature. The paper offers also novel insights and recommendations for future developments in academic research, regulations and/or industry

The performance management and appraisal in higher education

The performance appraisal (PA) is one of the performance management tools that is widely used to measure the productivity of academic employees in different contexts. Therefore, this paper has two main objectives. Firstly, it critically reviews the extant literature on performance management, including; Kaplan and Norton’s Balanced Scorecard Approach, among others. Secondly, it presents a qualitative research that explores the performance appraisal system in a higher education institution. The researcher has conducted semi-structured interview sessions with academic employees to analyse their opinions and perceptions toward their annual PA. The research participants revealed the costs and benefits of their PA exercise. They were aware that their educational leaders could pragmatically employ the PA’s metrics to improve their performance outcomes, in terms of stakeholder engagement, internal processes, organisational capacity and innovation, among other areas. This research implies that the PA instrument could lead to significant benefits for both the institution as well as for the personal development of individual academics.peer-reviewe