On the social return of R&D projects and support programmes

This work is a part of an ongoing research focusing on the social impact of R&D projects and support programmes from the perspectives of the public and private sectors. The research project is based on interviews conducted as part of a case study methodology involving a marine-sector private company and the Technological Center in Vigo. The results indicate that the criteria chosen as being the most important for the evaluation of social return of R&D were the number of jobs created at the company, the environmental impact and the working conditions. Also included in the analysis were the criteria used in the process of evaluating applications for funding. From the analysis it becomes notorious that social return is not a priority in this evaluation process, with assigned weights for the related criteria ranging between 0 and -22%. The only exception was the Transnational Program of cooperation Atlantic Space where the weights of the variable related to the social character of the project sum about 50 %. The mostly used criteria are the environmental impact, the incorporation of new PhD´s and the presence of women investigator's in the project. Only in the Transnational Program of cooperation Atlantic Space include criteria like the transference of knowledge, diffusion of knowledge and platform growth

The socio-economic return of the research and development (R&D) support programmes

The results of a state of the art review conducted so far, make clear the relevance of addressing the socio-economic return of public investment, in particular the support provided by the European Union programmes to R&D projects at national or regional level. However, according to the theoretical and empirical literature survey and, based on the experience and studies made in different countries and institutions, it seems that a formal appraisal of the socio-economic added value of these support programmes is ultimately needed. Besides that, the consultation of relevant experts and competent authorities seems to be an essential element for the evaluation process. This research work aims to present a participatory methodology that may be used to assess the social impact of the R&D programmes and their contribution to the general social welfare. Based on the literature survey and on the empirical analysis, a hierarchical set of attributes and measurable indicators was chosen in order to characterise qualitatively and quantitatively the R&D programme goals and achievements. These indicators were then presented to a group of experts, chosen from companies and national organisms directly involved in public programmes or in charge of projects supported by these programmes. The final output of this research is a proposal of a final ranking, indicating the relative importance of each attribute and of each individual indicator as a measure for the socio-economic added value of an R&D programme

Social return of R&D investments in manufacturing sector : some insights from an exploratory case study

This paper aims at contributing to the literature on how to measure the social impact of Research and Development (R&D) investment projects. For that purpose, an exploratory case study was undertaken to assess the importance that companies give to the social return of R&D investments and to identify the criteria and indicators more relevant for this evaluation process. The research undertaken is based on interviews conducted as part of a case study methodology involving a maritime-sector private company and the Technological Center of the Sea in Vigo. The results indicate that the criteria chosen as being the most important for the evaluation of social return of R&D were the number of jobs created at the company, the environmental impact and the working conditions. Also, in the case of Support Programs for R&D applications funding the research results indicate that the evaluation process presently followed does not properly address the socio-economic factors

Patent Analysis for the Formulation of Technology Policy: Evidence from 4G LTE Industry

Policy-makers seek a more rigorous method of selecting potentially successful technologies to fulfil the requirements of different stakeholders. Patent analysis should be able to assist policy-makers in (1) understanding the development trajectory of technologies and monitoring the status of technological development to gain a dynamic view of the current competition situation; (2) applying the concept of relative patent advantage (RPA) to grasp the comparative advantages or disadvantages of specific technology domains in each nation; and (3) combining the patent data and multivariate methods of analysis to clarify the current state of an industry’s leading technologies. With the goal of combining the methods of patent data analysis and multivariate analysis, we assess the 4G LTE techniques and explore the comparative technological advantages of Top 10 countries with most patents. This study aims to provide suggestions to serve as an important reference for each nation in formulating its future technology policies

Estudio comparativo de bases de datos de patentes en internet.

The patent is an essential document in the evaluation of technological investigation that has been used as approximation of innovation. The patent databases on the Internet are one principal source of information for this kind of analysis. However they are many databases and they are very different; reason why the election of one of them in the accomplishment of bibliometric analysis is a crucial aspect. In this sense, this survey studies some of main free –Esp@cenet, PatentScope, national databases and commercial –Derwent Innovatios Index, Chemical Abstracts Plus, Thomson Delphion Intellectual Property Network– patent databases. The results show that commercial systems provide value-added –data revision, analysis tools, etc.–; althought the free ones are going to become trustworthy resources thanks to the improvements and options that are introduced in them.Las patentes se utilizan en la evaluación de la investigación tecnológica, como un acercamiento al análisis de la innovación. De esta forma, las bases de datos que las contienen se constituyen en una herramienta eficaz para la obtención de información que permita el estudio de la I+D+i. Existe un gran número de ellas y presentan diferencias significativas, por lo que la elección de la más adecuada para la realización de estudios bibliométricos es un aspecto crucial para la consecución de los objetivos propuestos. En este sentido, se analizan algunas de las principales bases de datos de patentes tanto gratuitas, –Esp@cenet, PatentScope y algunas bases de datos nacionales– como comerciales –Derwent Innovatios Index, Chemical Abstracts Plus, Thompson Delphion Intellectual Property Network–. Los resultados muestran que las bases de datos comerciales proporcionan valores añadidos ya que se revisan los datos y se ofrecen herramientas de ayuda en la búsqueda e interpretación de los mismos; sin embargo los sistemas gratuitos se van configurando en recursos cada vez más fiables gracias a las mejoras y opciones que se van introduciendo

Developing framework for capabilities related to supporting management discipline that contributes to r&d in public organizations of Pakistan

Research and development R&D under the boundaries of management scope has become a crucial aspect for individual, organizational and global level. R&D has long considered as a top priority for developing countries. However, R&D across developing countries confronts vital deficiencies in classifying capabilities to address capability failure issue. As result of such problem, there is potential demand among public organizations for creating theoretical model dealing R&D at organizational level. The prime objective of this research is to classify the capabilities related to supporting management discipline that adds their influence on R&D, To analyze the interrelationship among the capabilities related to supporting management discipline for R&D in Pakistan Public Organizations and To prioritize the capabilities that involve at R&D in public organizations based on their interdependency in case of Pakistan . To accomplish the primary objective, the research comprise on theoretical and empirical studies: General literature review; Systematic literature review gathering capabilities related to supporting management disciplines that involve in R&D; Focus group discussion applied for refining capabilities under country-specific view; Applying proposed model in case of Pakistan public organization to reconfigure R&D orientation to confront future challenges. Competitive progression in any R&D firm does have cross-cultural implication specific to country within which the R&D functioned since is this study draw the case of R&D in Pakistan public organization. Therefore, Focus group technique adapted to refining relevant capabilities related to knowledge innovation and technology management as “supporting management discipline”. These capabilities gathered from the systematic literature review (PRISMA and Co-word analysis). The experts nominated from various research centers that include universities, public organizations. Furthermore, based on focus group results the interrelationship and prioritization of capabilities can be formulate through DANP techniques. The DANP (DEMATEL Based ANP) technique utilizes multidisciplinary experts that allow general model fitting specifically to R&D’s in public organization. The study concluded, by filling the potential gap that occurs in shape of capability failure. Key finding of this study is to draws novel Framework on infrastructural, processes and strategic perspective related to capabilities that belongs to knowledge, innovation and technology management along with behavior of their resources that influence indirectly on R&D. The capabilities perspective as criteria’s allowing decision makers to assess the vital deficiencies in classifying capabilities to address capability failure issue. This research enables policymakers to developed R&D framework that might be useful for other low privilege developing countries where state driven R&D model plays a crucial role in developing national science policy

Développement technologique et innovation en périphérie : l’expérience des CCTT au Québec

Ces dernières années, la compétition économique mondiale s’est amplifiée et les défis reliés à la stimulation de l’innovation et à l’intégration des nouvelles technologies par les entreprises se sont également intensifiés. Pour répondre à cette complexité, les compagnies ont de plus en plus recours à des modalités d’innovation ouverte, c’est-à-dire réalisée en collaboration avec des entités externes. De plus, l’économie de l’Internet change la façon dont les entreprises interagissent avec leurs partenaires, en raison de l’arrivée de nouveaux outils technologiques. Ce faisant, le concept des business ecosystems gagne en pertinence pour expliquer les modes effectifs de collaboration actuels par rapport à celui de systèmes régionaux d’innovation. Dans ce contexte, une meilleure compréhension du dispositif québécois des centres collégiaux de transfert technologique et de leur zone de collaboration s’avère pertinente afin de permettre l’optimisation des efforts consentis en Recherche et Développement par l’État. En outre, le phénomène des CCTT a été peu étudié. De plus, la littérature produite au sujet des facteurs de performance des organisations semblables provient principalement de l’Europe, et mobilise le concept de système régional d’innovation. Ce cadre d’analyse décrit l’interdépendance entre ce type d’organisation et son milieu comme un facteur de succès majeur. Cette étude vise donc à valider l’applicabilité de ce concept dans le contexte québécois particulier des CCTT. Elle cherche également à identifier les autres facteurs favorables à l’optimisation du dispositif en testant diverses hypothèses relatives à l’association entre les performances des CCTT, du point de vue de l’impact économique et d’innovation autant que de l’intensité de recherche, vis-à-vis des facteurs environnementaux exogènes ainsi que par rapport à des caractéristiques organisationnelles endogènes. Cette investigation a été réalisée à partir des informations provenant des requêtes annuelles d’information, remises au ministère de l’Éducation par les CCTT technologiques pour les années, 2013-2014, 2014-2015 et 2015-2016, ainsi qu’avec diverses données disponibles publiquement. Les résultats de cette recherche indiquent que la performance des CCTT semble plus reliée à des caractéristiques organisationnelles qu’à des attributs de leurs milieux régionaux respectifs et que la localisation des CCTT en région périphérique montre un lien positif avec leurs degrés d’activité à l’extérieur de leur réseau régional et avec leur performance en recherche. De plus si l’externalité de l’action de l’ensemble des CCTT ne démontre pas de liens significatifs avec les impacts économiques et relatifs à l’innovation, on constate que les CCTT localisés en périphérie s’avèrent plus performants à cet égard. Cette étude apporte donc des recommandations sur l’adoption de stratégies de décloisonnement pour renforcer cette propension des CCTT localisés en région périphérique à axer leurs activités dans les écosystèmes relatifs à leur domaine de recherche tout en améliorant l’intégration des CCTT dans leurs milieux régionaux respectifs

Worldwide Venture Capital and Patent Creation

Companies need to be more innovative to exist and sustain profitability in today’s competitive business environment. They try to increase innovation by increasing their internal knowledge through internal and external sources. One of the main external sources that may support firms in improving their capabilities is venture capital (VC). Venture capitalists not only provide financial support for new firms, but also provide value-added activities, such as leadership, administration, marketing and strategic directions. These activities may improve the competitive advantages, productivity, profitability, and innovation of businesses. This study, based on historical data of VC investment and patenting, explores the effects of VC investment on firms’ innovation in different intellectual property rights (IPR) environments and in many industries worldwide, utilizing large datasets and various empirical models. Our negative binomial as well as logistic regression models of the panel data present the significant and positive impacts of VC investment and IPR parameters on increasing business patenting rates under all legal systems, by controlling for cultural, regulatory, and economic and market conditions of the business environment. These rates vary by area. Details of our analysis show that British (Common) and French Civil legal systems, in order, are more effective than other legal platforms, followed by German and Scandinavian. These results can be extended to different world regions and countries, based on their legal system. These outcomes are also supported by detailed analyses on countries. Furthermore, VC investment positively influences most industries but the impact rates differ by industry. In order to adjust our estimations and taking into account any flows in the panel data, we apply robust regression methods and cluster standard errors in the models. In order to test and address endogeneity concerns about the relationship between VC investment and firms’ patenting activities, three methods are applied: reverse causality, the Heckman Selection model, and instrumental variables. The Ease to Do Business index, as a starting business parameter, is our instrument for VC investment and it ranks world economies from the highest to the lowest level. Higher rankings (which translate to low numerical ranks) indicate that the regulatory environment is supportive and simpler for business operations.1 yea

Managing innovation in public research and development organisations using a combined Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process approach

Fostering the nation‘s innovation is the key role of public research and development (R&D). However, executive staffs of public R&D organisations worldwide are continuously faced with the challenge of planning innovation orientation to attain their vision. There is a need for developing the innovation model in the context of public R&D. Furthermore, these challenges are exacerbated by continuous changes in citizens‘ social aspirations and industries‘ expectations in a turbulent economic climate of any developing economy. The main objective of this research is to provide a methodological framework which assists in structuring an innovation management model taking all dimensions of public R&D into account. To accomplish the main objective, the research involves the following theoretical and empirical studies: (a) using the Delphi method in refining influencing factors on innovation management in public R&D gathered from a literature review; (b) using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to propose a management model which hierarchically arranges the refined factors involving multiple dimensions of public R&D ; (c) applying the proposed innovation management model for devising an adapted orientation for future innovation in a case study; (d) providing an illustrative model for generic deploying the research findings to other socio-organisational contexts. As innovation development in R&D organisations is influenced by national contexts within which the R&D is operated; Delphi experts are selected from various national research centres of a particular county, i.e. Thailand. In addition, the AHP application is performed in a Thai case study for in-depth exploration of a particular phenomenon. The AHP findings assist in formulating a proper orientation for organisational innovation plans compared to methods used at present based on intuition. In addition, the hierarchy model and its factors could form a valuable resource for better planning a cohesive innovation orientation in the selected country. Moreover, the proposed methodological framework (involving a combined Delphi and AHP) is adaptable to users from other countries and contexts. It has the potential to assist in delivering effective innovation management their organisation

An Innovation-driven IT Governance Framework for Benefits Realisation and its Application to Public Sector

Information and communication technology (ICT or IT) provides benefits to an organisation. However, a large number of IT projects fail. The research literature shows extant governance frameworks are not adequately protecting against project failures and are not as effective on many of these IT projects as they should be. This thesis developed a new IT governance framework using an agile benefit management approach, aimed to achieve benefits realisation for any scale of IT projects, particularly for projects in the public sector such as Defence. The framework objectively targets digital transformation and technological agility, however, is shown in the thesis to assist in other enterprise challenges with IT acquisition and through-life management, such as cyber-resilience. The framework is based on many theories, principles, and practices, such as: Transaction Cost Economics Theory, Prospect Theory (Decision-Making Under Uncertainty), Reference Class Forecasting, Stratification and the Incremental Enlargement Principle and Fuzzy Logic. The framework is shown to be effective primarily through better informed decision-making. Benefits realisation is critical for information technology project success. The framework provides a systematic methodology on how to define economic benefit, technical benefit, and strategic benefit. It provides benefit realisation measures through fuzzy inference system, and it provides decision support based on the benefit performance measures and dis-benefit risk management. When compared to industry-based frameworks for IT acquisition and sustainment this new framework is unique because it includes all internal and external stakeholders such as users, providers, industry, and academia to continuously collaborate for innovating, iterating, and evaluating technology for realisation of benefits to achieve the organisational goals and objectives. The proof of concept has been conducted through a detailed case study in the Defence public sector, and several critiques of IT reform in other public sector applications where difficulties are occurring. Organisations will be able to use this framework for a more rapid and assured uptake of emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution into their technology stack. Examples of some of these emerging technologies are AI, machine learning, geo-spatial, block chain, cognitive and brain computing, cloud computing, data echo system, and cybersecurity