The role of business ecosystems in the building of disruptive innovations

Disruptive innovation is an evolving process whose construction depends on a heterogeneous set of organisations that are interconnected through an ecosystem of relationships. However, the systemic development of disruption innovations remains unexplored. Prior studies have examined the conditions under which disruptive innovation is likely to arise focusing on the internal perspective of the incumbent. Moreover, they have not made distinctions among technology, product and business model innovations, suggesting that all types of innovations follow a similar process to become disruptive. We argue that each type of disruptive innovation requires a different type of business ecosystem for the innovation to take hold and become disruptive. By developing a framework that conceptualizes disruption as a dynamic systemic process we provide an understanding of how potential disruptors create and nurture their ecosystem in order to successfully establish and embed their innovation

Geographical proximity and open innovation of SMEs in Cyprus

Open innovation implies that geographical proximity is irrelevant. However, we posit that any potential innovation outcome depends on the spatial constraints on openness. In this paper, we add a geographical proximity dimension to open innovation by analysing how a domestic and international open innovation approach affects innovation outcomes. In particular, we hypothesise that domestic open innovation has positive effects on new-to-the-firm product innovation, due to easily accessible resources. We further posit that, through international open innovation, SMEs can access new and advanced knowledge which is not available locally, leading to more novel innovations. However, we expect that the relationship between openness, both domestic and international, and innovation is conditional on R&D activities. Our empirical analysis based on the Cyprus Community Innovation Survey supports these hypotheses. Our results underline the critical role of the spatial aspect on open innovation in SMEs, something which has remained surprisingly absent from the literature

Reflective Remediation as Critical Design Strategy: Lessons from László Moholy-Nagy and Olafur Eliasson

Reflective remediation is an important component of contemporary media theory, which emphasises the creative efforts of avant-garde artists and designers to shape the evolution of media in a critical way. However, the critical capacity of reflective remediations may be compromised by commercial dynamics or conventions, such as the celebration of ‘reflectivity for reflectivity’s sake’ that aims to construct an auratic experience for viewers. Because reflectivity is a critical media practice, it is vital to investigate reflective remediations in tandem with the critical intensions and creative visions of artists and designers. We investigate the critical media practices of the Bauhaus master, László Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) who explored the concept of ‘productive creativity’, according to which creative experimentation should lead to design knowledge, redefining the relationship between what is known and unknown. We then scrutinise the artistic practice of the Icelandic-Danish contemporary artist Olafur Eliasson (b.1967), who contextualises reflectivity as an embodied experience, in terms of what he calls ‘frictional encounters’. When applied together, the two concepts enhance our understanding of reflective remediation as a critical design strategy

Building the layers of a manufacturing taxonomy: how 3D printing is creating a new landscape of production eco-systems and competitive dynamics

Recent innovations in 3D printing technologies and processes have influenced how products are designed, built and delivered. However, there is a significant gap in our knowledge of how 3D printing is impacting on manufacturing eco-systems and competitive dynamics in different industries and contexts. Basing our analysis on systematic review of organisations, we develop a taxonomy capable of explaining the many areas the technology can impact. We based our taxonomy on Pavitt’s identification of industry types, but extended this with Castellacci’s more recent service-manufacturing sectors which includes external sources and more open business models (Castellacci, 2008; Pavitt, 1984). We populate the model with cases and industry exemplars showing the wide extent of the applications of 3D printing within the different sectors, the novel disruption happening in existing market structures, and the implications for both firms and their customers. In addition to offering a comprehensive framework for plotting and comparing the impact of 3D printing, we emphasise the role of users in co-creation and personalisation and how this varies according to the level of use of 3D printing at different stages between end products and various types of manufacturing rstrategies. While 3D printing has been touted as disruptive, we suggest that a new taxonomy offers an additional understanding to appreciate the ways firms can operate in a 3D printing context

The role of emotions in the choice to adopt, or resist, innovations by Irish dairy farmers

In this paper we uncover the emotional factors that contribute to the adoption, or rejection, of different categories of innovation by dairy farmers in Munster, Republic of Ireland. Although emotions have been extensively researched in different fields, little research to date has examined the effects of emotions on farmers' decision making. Munster is the most important region for grass-based dairy farming in Ireland and this type of farming still plays an important role in Ireland's economy and sense of self. By using in-depth interview data from 27 dairy farmers and 6 other participants in the local industry we identified three categories of innovation that were influenced by different emotional pathways. We further uncovered the strong value-driven emotions that underpin the Irish dairy farmers' beliefs about what farming is, and means, and the influence that this has on innovation choices

Innovation policies of Cyprus during the global economic crisis: Aligning financial institutions with National Innovation System

Previous research has overlooked the complementarity between National Innovation Systems and financial institutions. This paper extends the literature on National Innovation Systems, arguing that innovation policies should incorporate the particular needs of a nation’s innovation system and the current conditions of that nation’s financial environment. This development is important because the financial environment is malleable and subject to exogenous events, such as the recent global financial crisis. The relationship between a National Innovation System and the financial environment is presented through an analytical framework, which can be used to assess and instigate national innovation policies. The analytical framework is demonstrated using the case of Cyprus, which was on the frontline of the European debt crisis. By integrating the views of leaders from the Cypriot manufacturing and service sectors with widely available reports and indices concerning innovation performance, we demonstrate that the lack of a developed financial environment impedes national innovation performance. This research introduces policy and managerial implications for innovation, especially within the context of underdeveloped national innovation systems, which focus on improving innovation performance by enhancing the availability of financial instruments and the access that entrepreneurs have to them