Innovation Management Techniques and Tools: a review from Theory and Practice

Knowledge is considered to be an economic driver in today’s economy. It has become a commodity, a resource that can be packed and transferred. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the scope, trends and major actors (firms, organizations, government, consultants, academia, etc.) in the development and use of methods to manage innovation in a knowledge-driven economy. The paper identifies the main innovation management techniques (IMTs) aiming at the improvement of firm competitiveness by means of knowledge management. It will specifically focus on those IMTs for which knowledge is a relevant part of the innovation process. The research study, based on a survey at the European level, concludes that a knowledge-driven economy affects the innovation process and approach. The traditional idea that innovation is based on research (technology-push theory) and interaction between firms and other actors has been replaced by the current social network theory of innovation, where knowledge plays a crucial role in fostering innovation. Simultaneously, organizations in both public and private sectors have launched initiatives to develop methodologies and tools to support business innovation management. Higher education establishments, business schools and consulting companies are developing innovative and adequate methodologies and tools, while public authorities are designing and setting up education and training schemes aimed at disseminating best practices among all kinds of businesse

The Development of International Industry Clusters: A Complexity Theory Approach

Recent research on networks and clusters as distributive systems of knowledge is drawing on complexity theory as a way of explaining the knowledge processes involved in these organizational forms. It appears that complexity theory and its component concepts, such as coevolution and self-organization, can offer some meaningful insights into, and possible explanations for, knowledge phenomena associated with networks and clusters. Using a case study approach, this paper explores the development of a New Zealand based industry cluster from early formation to international expansion, with a particular focus on the creation and dissemination of knowledge within the cluster. The observations are reported and discussed in the context of complexity theory, drawing particularly on coevolutionary principles. It is suggested that these approaches provide a useful way of understanding the process of industry cluster development and the dynamics associated with international expansion. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2005clusters, evolution, complexity theory, knowledge,