Networking Innovation in the European Car Industry : Does the Open Innovation Model Fit?

The automobile industry is has entered an innovation race. Uncertain technological trends, long development cycles, highly capital intensive product development, saturated markets, and environmental and safety regulations have subjected the sector to major transformations. The technological and organizational innovations related to these transformations necessitate research that can enhance our understanding of the characteristics of the new systems and extrapolate the implications for companies as well as for the wider economy. Is the industry ready to change and accelerate the pace of its innovation and adaptability? Have the traditional supply chains transformed into supply networks and regional automobile ecosystems? The study investigates the applicability of the Open Innovation concept to a mature capital-intensive asset-based industry, which is preparing for a radical technological discontinuity - the European automobile industry - through interviewing purposely selected knowledgeable respondents across seven European countries. The findings contribute to the understanding of the OI concept by identifying key obstacles to the wider adoption of the OI model, and signalling the importance of intermediaries and large incumbents for driving network development and OI practices as well as the need of new competencies to be developed by all players.Peer reviewe

The impact of SMEs networks on innovation in the UK Creative Industries

Mariana Dodourova, Tauno Kekale, ‘The impact of SMEs networks on innovation in the UK Creative Industries’, paper presented at the International Society for Professional Innovation Management Conference: Innovating in Global Markets: Challenges for Sustainable Growth, Helsinki, Finland, 16-19 June, 2013.Research shows that SMEs enhance their innovation ability by engaging in networks. However, despite the wealth of research in the domain of SMEs, the question of how SMEs exploit network linkages to the benefit of their innovation efforts remains inconclusively answered. This paper examines the impact of external networks on the innovation activities of SMEs operating in the Creative Industries Sector. Owners and managers were interviewed in twenty-eight England-based SMEs. The findings suggest that personal networks are of major importance. Relationships with public bodies are seen as moderately beneficial. The prevalent obstacles for the SMEs in the CIS are funding and hiring of talented individuals. Customers have a strong impact on innovation in the creative SMEs. The large players in the CIS are important in securing path to the market for the creative outputs but they are not central to the creative processes and to the generation of innovation.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Networking innovation in the European car industry: does the open innovation model fit?

The demands of transportation have driven the automobile industry into an innovation race. Uncertain technological trends, long development cycles, highly capital-intensive product development, saturated markets, and environmental and safety regulations have subjected the sector to major transformations. The technological and organisational innovations related to these transformations necessitate research that can enhance our understanding of the characteristics of the new systems. The study investigates the applicability of the Open Innovation concept to a mature capital-intensive asset-based industry - the European automobile industry, which is preparing for a radical technological discontinuity. Purposely selected knowledgeable respondents were interviewed across seven European countries. The findings contribute to the understanding of the OI concept by identifying key obstacles to the wider adoption of the OI model in the European car industry, and signalling the importance of intermediaries and large incumbents for driving network development and OI practices as well as the need of new competencies to be developed by all players

Research on effectiveness of technology transfer in technology alliances: Evidence from Turkish SMEs

Many SMEs homed in newly industrialised countries are successful international players despite limited technological infrastructure and R&D resources. This study bridges a gap in the extant literature by examining the relationships between characteristics of partnership relationships, knowledge sharing and the effectiveness of technology transfer in partnerships between SMEs in developing countries and firms from developed countries. By studying data from Turkish SMEs and using partial least squares structural equation modelling, we find that explicit knowledge sharing forms the basis of technology transfer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that explicit knowledge sharing is strongly contingent upon formalised technical support while trust and technical support seemed to be important antecedents of tacit knowledge sharing

Alternative approaches to offshoring and global scanning in MNEs : examples from the Bulgarian software industry

Mariana Dodourova and Susan Martin, ‘Alternative approaches to offshoring and global scanning in MNEs: examples from the Bulgarian software industry’, paper presented at the British Academy of Management Conference, 11 – 13 September 2012, Cardiff, UK.The paper explores the offshoring experiences of eleven Bulgarian subsidiaries/partners of foreign MNEs, identifying four different models of role allocation, relationship management and organizational learning. A common feature of the models is the distinction between the parent company’s role in controlling the commercial side of product development, and the Bulgarian subsidiary/partner’s role in generating new knowledge. The key hypothesis emerging from this exploratory study is that MNEs operating in emerging and transition economies are slow to recognise changes in the knowledge dimensions of distance, and hence in the scope for competitive gains and losses linked to global scanning.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Strategic Positioning In The Telecommunications Industry And The New Technological Challenges

Peer reviewe

Innovation for a Circular Economy : Exploring the Product Service Systems Concept

Maurizio Catulli and Mariana Dodourova, ‘Innovation for a Circular Economy: Exploring the Product Service Systems Concept’, paper presented at the XXIV ISPIM Conference – Innovating in Global Markets: Challenges for Sustainable Growth’, 15-20 June 2013, Helsinki, Finland. Proceedings, Huizingh, K. R. E., Conn, S., Torkkeli, M., Schneider, S. & Bitran, I., 2013 Helsinki: ISPIM, are available to ISPIM Members online at: http://hdl.handle.net/11370/5b609bf8-85fa-4017-96d8-419e1e83c5d7This paper explores the potential implementation of Product Service Systems (PSS) - a sustainable business model based on integrated products and services, and driven by innovation. The concept implies a holistic approach to innovation whereby actors from different industries join efforts in innovation for sustainability by establishing collaborative networks. However, it has been well-documented that most innovation-related collaborations actually fail to achieve their goals regardless of the mode of collaboration. Through interviews with actors willing to adopt the model, this study identifies a number of challenges that prevent a rapid wider adoption of the model as well as opportunities that may motivate actors to deal with the challenges. Key findings relate to the critical role that innovation, legislation and tools for long-term performance measurement have to play in implementing integrative system for sustainability.Final Accepted Versio

Alliance Networks And New Technology Development In The Information Technology Industries

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