Cooperation networks and innovation: A complex system perspective to the analysis and evaluation of a EU regional innovation policy programme

Recent developments in innovation theory and policy have led policymakers to assign particular importance to supporting networks of cooperation among heterogeneous economic actors, especially in production systems composed of small and medium enterprises. Such innovative policies call for parallel innovations in policy analysis, monitoring and assessment. Our analysis of a policy experiment aimed at supporting innovation networks in the Italian region of Tuscany intends to address some issues connected with the design, monitoring and evaluation of such interventions. Combining tools from ethnographic research and social networks analysis, we explore the structural elements of the policy programme, its macroscopic impact on the regional innovation system, and the success of individual networks in attaining their specific objectives. This innovative approach allows us to derive some general methodological suggestions for the design and evaluation of similar programmes.Innovation policy, cooperation networks, evaluation, regional development, SMEs production systems, complex systems

Clusters and Innovation in Ecotourism Development

Competitiveness, innovation and the national innovation system (NIS) which connects them, have been transformed and are continually changing in our postindustrial society. This essay investigates the origin and the changes of such systems as well as their main models. The modern state does not only subsidize the competitiveness of its own national economy, as its competitiveness firstly depends on the underlying innovative environment, the so-called ‘innovation milieu’ and the national innovation system, which binds the system together. At a national level it is indispensable for the development of innovation, that the economic policymakers build up a coherent system for promoting tourism. Other tools exist for the development of ecotourism in our region beyond fi nancial sponsoring and these state measures can also be realized. A study of economic co-operation systems and clusters together with innovation progress shows the Italian economic model as one of the most successful in modern Europe. The research on ecotourism clusters and a perceptional research in ‘Belsõ-Somogy’ Ecologic Network are the basis for developing an ecotourism cluster model which is applicable in the Hungarian National Parks and Nature Reserve Areas.innovation,national innovation system,development,tourism,ecotourism clusters

Contributions to the Development of a General Methodology for Innovation and Forecasting

The paper presents authors’ contributions to the achievement of a first variant of the innovation and forecasting methodology. The various tools of TRIZ methodology (laws of systems development set for technical systems, the matrix of contradictions, the 40 inventive principles, the 39 parameters, Su-Field analysis, the method of the 9 screens etc) are already available, or can be customised to the specific type of the organization system. The TRIZ methodology for economics was embedded in a more general methodology for innovation and forecasting. The eight laws of evolution systems were customised to economics. The authors also make a comparative analysis of the technical TRIZ matrix to the company management matrix. Based on the analysis performed, it can be concluded that a general methodology can be prepared for innovation and forecasting, making use of TRIZ methodology, by customising some classical instruments of the technical field, and bringing in other specific economic tools.innovation, forecasting, matrix, methodology, TRIZ.

Measuring the contribution of higher education to innovation capacity in the EU

The general goals of the study include the provision of evidence on the key factors determining the contribution of higher education institutions (HEIs) to innovation capabilities and expand the understanding of this contribution beyond traditional measures of the role of HEI on innovation capabilities. In this context, the general objective of the study could be verbalised as “to develop a more comprehensive model of the contribution of higher education to innovation capacity”. This objective has been operationalised into the following five specific objectives which define in detail the purpose of the study:  Specific Objective 1: Completion of a comprehensive literature review of existing means and methodologies used for capturing, interpreting and also applying data and evidence related to the contribution of higher education systems to innovation capacity;  Specific Objective 2: Critical assessment of the existing literature, including an identification of gaps and an assessment of the merits of different approaches used;  Specific Objective 3: Development of a new approach, that provides an alternative set of indicators to measure the contribution of HEIs to innovation capacity;  Specific Objective 4: Implementation of the prototype set of alternative metrics;  Specific Objective 5: Discussion of the feasibility of developing new proxies or metrics for capturing the contribution of higher education systems to innovation capacity at the EU level. In general, the objective of the project and its research tools is therefore to propose a set of indicators for future measurements of the innovation impacts of HE that is validated through the opinions of the different stakeholders in the field (through interviews, case studies and a survey)

THE ANALYSIS OF THE REGIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEMS – CZECH CASE

Czech Republic does not belong among the leaders, whose economies are characterized by strong focus on innovation, science and research. To make the situation gradually improved, there the strategic documents and concepts must exist and also very specific tools to influence the formulation of the field at certain levels of state. Czech Republic still 10 years create, update and proceed accordingly according to these documents. But more pronounced shift to focus on innovation and their impact on competitiveness is not clear. The paper focuses on the analysis of the strategic framework for supporting regional innovation systems, their components and support for regional actors who are capable of producing innovation and commerce them. Contribution will be based on the current situation in the Czech Republic.

Impact in networks and ecosystems: building case studies that make a difference

open accessThis toolkit aims to support the building up of case studies that show the impact of project activities aiming to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. The case studies respond to the challenge of understanding what kinds of interventions work in the Southern African region, where, and why. The toolkit has a specific focus on entrepreneurial ecosystems and proposes a method of mapping out the actors and their relationships over time. The aim is to understand the changes that take place in the ecosystems. These changes are seen to be indicators of impact as increased connectivity and activity in ecosystems are key enablers of innovation. Innovations usually happen together with matching social and institutional adjustments, facilitating the translation of inventions into new or improved products and services. Similarly, the processes supporting entrepreneurship are guided by policies implemented in the common framework provided by innovation systems. Overall, policies related to systems of innovation are by nature networking policies applied throughout the socioeconomic framework of society to pool scarce resources and make various sectors work in coordination with each other. Most participating SAIS countries already have some kinds of identifiable systems of innovation in place both on national and regional levels, but the lack of appropriate institutions, policies, financial instruments, human resources, and support systems, together with underdeveloped markets, create inefficiencies and gaps in systemic cooperation and collaboration. In other words, we do not always know what works and what does not. On another level, engaging users and intermediaries at the local level and driving the development of local innovation ecosystems within which local culture, especially in urban settings, has evident impact on how collaboration and competition is both seen and done. In this complex environment, organisations supporting entrepreneurship and innovation often find it difficult to create or apply relevant knowledge and appropriate networking tools, approaches, and methods needed to put their processes to work for broader developmental goals. To further enable these organisations’ work, it is necessary to understand what works and why in a given environment. Enhanced local and regional cooperation promoted by SAIS Innovation Fund projects can generate new data on this little-explored area in Southern Africa. Data-driven knowledge on entrepreneurship and innovation support best practices as well as effective and efficient management of entrepreneurial ecosystems can support replication and inform policymaking, leading thus to a wider impact than just that of the immediate reported projects and initiatives

New Knowledge for Old Regions? The Case of the Software Park Hagenberg in the Traditional Industrial Region of Upper Austria

This paper seeks to enhance our understanding about the opportunities and limits of new path creation in traditional regional innovation systems. Due to their inherited historical legacies, such systems are usually thought of being ill-equipped to give rise to high-tech or knowledge intensive activities. Departing from recent insights on research concerned with the transformation of innovation systems and evolutionary economic geography we identify in a conceptual way enabling and constraining factors for the rise of new development paths in traditional regions. Empirically, we focus on the case of the “Software Park Hagenberg†(SPH) located in the old industrial region of Upper Austria. We examine key events triggering the emergence and subsequent evolution of the SPH and explore the role of the RIS in shaping the development trajectory of the SPH. Moreover, applying social network analysis tools, we investigate the pattern of networking between firms, research organisations and educational bodies within the SPH and we provide some evidence on the diffusion of knowledge and innovation generated though these interactions throughout the regional economy.

Systémy inovací v regionálním rozvoji

In recent years, the concept of Regional Innovation Systems has evolved into a widely used analytical framework generating the empirical foundation for innovation policy making. Yet, the approaches utilizing this framework remain ambiguous on such key issues as the territorial dimension of innovation, e.g., the region, and the apparently important role played by “institutions” or the institutional context in the emergence and sustenance of regional innovation systems. This paper reviews and summarizes the most important ideas and arguments of the recent theorizing on innovation systems approach, regional innovation systems and regional clusters to provide the basis for understanding these important tools for regional development policies, which are not much known in the Czech regional studies yet

Macroeconomic and taxation conditions of national innovation system of Ukraine

NIS is nowadays one of the most widespread tools of the analysis of factors influencing the creation, diffusion and adoption of innovations. Innovation is often more seen as the main driver for growth within economic and social systems. During the Soviet era, the national innovation system of Ukraine was somehow integrated within the Soviet Union’s system of innovation, though each republic had their production, research and development specialisation. Over last decades science and technology sectors of Ukraine underwent considerable changes in the bid to reallocate its scientific resources away from military towards civilian goals and to develop its internal capacity to foster innovations. Nonetheless the Ukrainian system of Innovation has performed very poorly. Ukrainian NIS failure reflects in the poor innovation performance of national firms. In the past two decades it became apparent that macroeconomic conditions and taxation are among the most important framework conditions which affected negatively the innovation performance of Ukraine.innovation policy, macroeconomic analysis of economic development, government policy