In search of the interrelatedness of innovation and internationalisation processes in entrepreneurial life science companies

This study is motivated by the question how resource scarce innovative entrepreneurial companies seek and leverage global resources. This study takes a resource-seeking perspective a step forward and suggests that resources that enable the entrepreneurial internationalisation are largely accrued from the early stages of entrepreneurial life; that is from the innovation development. Consequently, this study seeks to explain how innovation and internationalisation processes are interrelated in the entrepreneurial internationalisation. This main objective is approached through three research questions, (1) What role do inter-organisational relationships in innovation have in the entrepreneurial internationalisation process? (2) What kind of inward–outward links do inter-organisational relationships create in the resource-seeking-based entrepreneurial internationalisation process? (3) What kind of capability to collaborate forms in the interaction of inter-organisational relationship deployment? The research design is a mixed methods design that consists of quantitative pilot study and qualitative multiple case study of five entrepreneurial life science companies from Finland and Austria. The findings show that innovation and internationalisation processes are tightly interwoven in pre-internationalisation state. The findings also reveal that the more experienced companies are able to take advantage of complexcross-border inter-organisational relationship structures better than the starting companies. However, very minor evidence was found on inward links translating into outward links in the entrepreneurial internationalisation process, despite the expectation to observe more of these links in the data. Combined intangible-tangible resource-seeking was the most preferred to build links between inward–outward internationalisation but also to develop competence to collaborate. By adopting a resource- instead of market-seeking approach, this study illustrated that internationalisation extends to early stages of innovative companies, and that in high-technology companies’ potentially significant cross-border relationships have started to form long before incorporation. Therefore, these observations justified the firmer inclusion of pre-company history in innovative entrepreneurship studies. The study offers a conceptualisation of entrepreneurial internationalisation that is perceived as a process. The main theoretical contributions are in the areas of international entrepreneurship and in the behavioural process studies of entrepreneurial internationalisation and resource-based internationalisation. The inclusion of the innovation-based discussion, namely the innovation process, in the internationalisation process theories has clearly contributed to the understanding of entrepreneurial internationalisation in the context of international entrepreneurship. Innovation development is a central act of entrepreneurial companies, and neglecting innovation process investigation from entrepreneurial internationalisation leaves potentially influential mechanisms unexplored.Yrittäjävetoisten life science -yritysten innovaatio- ja kansainvälistymisprosessien yhteyttä etsimässä Tämän tutkimuksen lähtökohtana on kysymys siitä, kuinka resurssiniukat innovatiiviset yrittäjävetoiset yritykset hakevat ja hyödyntävät globaalisti saa-tavilla olevia resursseja. Tutkimus laajentaa resurssien hankinta -näkökulmaa ja esittää, että yrittäjyysvetoisessa kansainvälistymisessä hyödylliset resurssit kertyvät enimmäkseen jo yrittäjyyden alkuvaiheessa eli innovaation kehittämisen aloittamisesta. Tämän vuoksi tutkimus pyrkii selittämään, kuinka innovaatio- ja kansainvälistymisprosessi ovat yhteydessä toisiinsa yrittäjyysvetoisessa kansainvälistymisessä. Tutkimuksen päätavoitetta lähestytään kolmen tutkimuskysymyksen kautta: (1) Minkälainen rooli organisaatioiden välisillä innovaatiosuhteilla on yrittäjyysvetoisessa kansainvälistymisprosessissa? (2) Minkälaisia sisäisiä ja ulkoisia linkkejä organisaatioiden väliset suhteet luovat resurssienhankkimisperustaiseen, yrittäjyysvetoiseen kansainvälistymisprosessiin? (3) Minkälainen yhteistyökyvykkyys muodostuu organisaatioiden välisten suhteiden hyödyntämisen vuorovaikutuksessa? Tutkimusasetelmana on monimenetelmätutkimus (mixed methods), joka koostuu määrällisestä pilotti-tutkimuksesta ja laadullisesta monitapaustutkimuksesta, jossa kohteena on viisi yrittäjävetoista life science -yritystä Suomesta ja Itävallasta. Tulokset osoittavat, että innovaatio- ja kansainvälistymisprosessi ovat tiukasti kietoutuneita toisiinsa yrityksen esikansainvälistymisasteesta alkaen. Lisäksi tutkimuksen havainnot paljastavat kokeneempien yritysten olevan valmiimpia hyödyntämään ulkomaisia monitahoisia yhteistyösuhteitaaloittavia yrityksiä paremmin. Ennakoidusta huolimatta yrittäjyysvetoisen kansainvälistymisprosessin sisäänpäin suuntautuvien linkkien muuntamisesta ulkoisiksi linkeiksi saatiin vain vähän todisteita. Kansainvälistymisen sisäistenja ulkoisten linkkien muodostumiseen vaikuttivat eniten resurssit, joissa yhdistyvät aineettomat ja aineelliset ulottuvuudet. Nämä samat resurssityypit olivat myös arvokkaita yhteistyökyvykkyyden muodostumisessa. Markkinoiden hankinta -näkökulman sijaan valittu resurssien hankinta -näkökulma paljastaa, että kansainvälistyminen ulottuu innovatiivisten yritysten ensivaiheisiin asti sekä sen, että korkean teknologian yrityksissä mahdollisesti merkittävät ulkomaiset yhteistyösuhteet ovat alkaneet muodostua kauan ennen yrityksen virallista perustamista. Nämä havainnot osoittavat tärkeäksi yrityksen esihistorian tiukemman sisällyttämisen innovatiivista yrittäjyyttä käsitteleviin tutkimuksiin. Tutkimus käsitteellistää yrittäjyysvetoisen kansainvälistymisen prosessiksi. Tutkimuksen kontribuutio kansainvälisen liiketoiminnan tutkimusalueella kohdistuu kansainväliseen yrittäjyyteen ja nimenomaan käyttäytymis- ja resurssiperustaisten prosessien ymmärtämiseen yrittäjyysvetoisessa kansainvälistymisessä. Innovaatioprosessin kytkeminen kansainvälistymisprosessiteorioiden tarkasteluun auttoi ymmärtämään yrittäjyysvetoista kansainvälistymistä innovaation kehityksen alkuajoista asti. Innovaation kehitys on keskeinentapahtuma yrittäjävetoisessa yrityksessä, ja innovaatioprosessin poissulkeminen kansainvälistymisen tarkastelusta saattaa jättää keskeisiä kansainvälistymisen mekanismeja kartoittamatta.Siirretty Doriast

Inclusiveness in research and innovation settings

This is a draft entry. The final version will be available in Elgar Encyclopedia of Innovation Management edited by Eriksson, P., Montonen, T., Laine, P-M, & Hannula, A., forthcoming in 2025, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035306459This entry highlights the critical transition from a quantitative pursuit of gender equality to a focus on qualitative inclusion within the research and innovation (R&I) domains. Acknowledging that according to Unesco, women occupy merely one-third of research positions globally, this entry emphasises the significance of diversifying research and innovation to mitigate societal inequalities and biases in technologies, particularly those stemming from a predominantly masculine research culture. It underscores the necessity of addressing structural and cultural barriers in the field of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) to create a more inclusive and diverse working culture, ensuring that women and other minorities are retained and empowered within R&I

Trans-boundary air pollution in Windsor, Ontario (Canada)

AbstractWindsor (Ontario) is located on the Canada-US border. Some believe that the heavy industrial facilities such as power generation and automobile production in the neighbouring regions of US greatly affect Windsor's air quality. This study investigates the frequency of air mass exchange between Windsor and the neighbouring US states. Two-day (48-hr) and one-day (24-hr) back trajectories were run using the Hybrid Single-Particle Langrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Windsor Airport (42.27o N, 82.96o W) was the starting point. The model resolution was three days a week. Two calendar years, 2008 and 2009, were modeled thus seasonal and inter-annual variations could be observed. It was found that the fraction of air mass parallel to the border is small. When considering the 48-hr trajectories on an annual basis, 53-55% of air masses arriving Windsor were from the US, whereas the 24-hr trajectories showed a much higher percentage (81-82%). The inter-annual variability between 2008 and 2009 was small. In both years, winter had higher frequency of US to Canada transport than Canada to US. In the other three seasons (spring, summer and fall), one year had more frequent US to Canada transport while the other year had less. It was concluded that overall the US-Canada transport had a higher frequency. However, this alone is inadequate to support the claim of air masses coming from US greatly affect Windsor air quality. Further analyses using state and province wide emission densities and ambient concentrations were conducted for a two-week period during each year to quantitatively assess the trans-boundary movement of air pollutants. Statistical analyses showed no consistent, significant correlations between the travel path of the air mass prior to arrival and the measured NO2 or PM2.5 concentrations at the receptor

In search of Finnish creative economy ecosystems and their development needs:study based on international benchmarking

This report reviews the status of domestic creative economy ecosystem development, benchmarks creative economy focused policies and models in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), and gives recommendations on how to support cross-sectoral use of creative competencies in ecosystem development in Finland. In the review of creative economy in Finland, creative activities are grouped into four categories (creative and cultural products, creative content, creative services, creative environments and platforms) that differ from each other in terms of value creation logic, easiness of scalability and recycling of intangible value, and the role of interaction and communities in the value creation process. This categorisation has been applied in updating the creative sector fact sheets. International benchmarking shows that official recognition, champions and organisations are needed to establish a common voice for creative sector actors. These have had an important enabling role for proactive policies supporting the creative sectors’ development. Strengthening of creative activities and connecting them firmly to wider regional and national networks across the economy are on policy agenda in all the three benchmarking countries. Supporting cross-sectoral collaboration and wider use of creative competencies calls for a clear national policy recognising pivotal role of regional hubs, attention to fostering practise oriented business skills in initial education, and flexible arrangements for accessing complementary expertise and facilities. To improve the availability and relevance of data on creative activity, we propose to study and pilot the use of textual data and text mining techniques to complement official statistics on economic activities, and systemise data collection on publicly funded projects. For ecosystem development, the public-private partnership model based growth engine initiatives of Business Finland could offer a platform for cross-sectoral collaboration and for connecting regional hubs with national and global ecosystems

Immigrants in the Innovation Economy – Lessons from Austria, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands

This report reviews good practices in linking international talent into the innovation economy and covers four benchmark countries: Austria, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands. The identified good practices are often characterised by governance models that have been developed based on the stakeholder and market needs. Often, the good practices have originated from a bottom-up approach and are carried forward by multiple stakeholders. While piloting activities is a good approach for a quick testing, successful approaches need a long-term funding base to be able to focus on content. Based on the findings of the review, we suggest to firmly integrate international talent into the Finnish innovation economy by: 1) Ensuring an enduring shared vision on international talent attraction and long-term design of actions; 2) Creating a commonly adopted strategic intent for international talent; and 3) Designing and implementing new actions for integrating international talent systemically and with continuity. Matching these three steps with three previously identified challenges, the report presents nine recommendations for action that implement the steps and address current challenges for integration of international talen

Isolation of extracellular vesicles from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of healthy and asthmatic horses

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound particles that engage in inflammatory reactions by mediating cell–cell interactions. Previously, EVs have been isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of humans and rodents. The aim of this study was to investigate the number and size distribution of EVs in the BALF of asthmatic horses (EA, n = 35) and healthy horses (n = 19). Saline was injected during bronchoscopy to the right lung followed by manual aspiration. The retrieved BALF was centrifuged twice to remove cells and biological debris. The supernatant was concentrated and EVs were isolated using size-exclusion chromatography. Sample fractions were measured with nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) for particle number and size, and transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to visualize EVs. The described method was able to isolate and preserve EVs. The mean EV size was 247 ± 35 nm (SD) in the EA horses and 261 ± 47 nm in the controls by NTA. The mean concentration of EVs was 1.38 × 1012 ± 1.42 × 1012 particles/mL in the EA horses and 1.33 × 1012 ± 1.07 × 1012 particles/mL in the controls with no statistically significant differences between the groups. With Western blotting and microscopy, these particles were documented to associate with EV protein markers (CD63, TSG101, HSP70, EMMPRIN, and actin) and hyaluronan. Equine BALF is rich in EVs of various sizes, and the described protocol is usable for isolating EVs. In the future, the role of EVs can be studied in horses with airway inflammation.Peer reviewe

Counts of hyaluronic acid-containing extracellular vesicles decrease in naturally occurring equine osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with inadequately understood pathogenesis leading to pain and functional limitations. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by synovial joint cells can induce both pro- and anti-OA effects. Hyaluronic acid (HA) lubricates the surfaces of articular cartilage and is one of the bioactive molecules transported by EVs. In humans, altered EV counts and composition can be observed in OA synovial fluid (SF), while EV research is in early stages in the horse-a well-recognized OA model. The aim was to characterize SF EVs and their HA cargo in 19 horses. SF was collected after euthanasia from control, OA, and contralateral metacarpophalangeal joints. The SF HA concentrations and size distribution were determined with a sandwich-type enzyme-linked sorbent assay and size-exclusion chromatography. Ultracentrifugation followed by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) were utilized to quantify small EVs, while confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and image analysis characterized larger EVs. The number and size distribution of small EVs measured by NTA were unaffected by OA, but these results may be limited by the lack of hyaluronidase pre-treatment of the samples. When visualized by CLSM, the number and proportion of larger HA-containing EVs (HA-EVs) decreased in OA SF (generalized linear model, count: p = 0.024, %: p = 0.028). There was an inverse association between the OA grade and total EV count, HA-EV count, and HA-EV % (r(s) = - 0.264 to - 0.327, p = 0.012-0.045). The total HA concentrations were also lower in OA (generalized linear model, p = 0.002). To conclude, the present study discovered a potential SF biomarker (HA-EVs) for naturally occurring equine OA. The roles of HA-EVs in the pathogenesis of OA and their potential as a joint disease biomarker and therapeutic target warrant future studies.Peer reviewe

Yhteiskunnan kehittäjät ja uudistajat : Yhteiskunnallisten yritysten sosiaaliset innovaatiot

Monimenetelmällinen ja myös kansainvälistä vertailua sisältävä tutkimushankkeemme tuottaa uraauurtavaa ymmärrystä yhteiskunnallisten yritysten sosiaalisten innovaatioiden nykytilasta ja vaikuttavuudesta sekä ottaa kantaa toimintaympäristön kehittämistarpeisiin politiikkasuositusten muodossa. Yhteiskunnallisten yritysten sosiaaliset innovaatiot edistävät määriteltyjä yhteiskunnallisia tavoitteita ja niitä leimaa läheisyys kansalaisyhteiskuntaan sekä loppukäyttäjälähtöisyys. Ne voivat täydentää perinteisen julkisen ja yksityisen sektorin sekä kansalaisjärjestöjen palveluja. Laaja-alaisuuden lisäksi tutkimushankkeen kansallista ja kansainvälistä uutuusarvoa korostaa ensimmäinen suomalainen yhteiskunnallisten yritysten sosiaalisia innovaatioita ja innovatiivisuutta kartoittava kvantitatiivinen tutkimus sekä interaktiivinen Power BI-työkalu. Se mahdollistaa niin yhteiskunnallisten yritysten kuin sosiaalisten innovaattoreiden moniulotteisen tarkastelun. Yhteiskunnalliset yritykset eivät kaipaa erityiskohtelua. Sen sijaan ne toivovat, että innovaatioiden yhteiskunnalliset ulottuvuudet otetaan lähtökohtaisesti huomioon ja yhteiskunnallisen vaikuttavuuden seuranta tunnistetaan osaksi normaalia, pitkäjänteistä innovaatiokeskustelua ja -politiikkaa.Tämä julkaisu on toteutettu osana valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimussuunnitelman toimeenpanoa. (tietokayttoon.fi) Julkaisun sisällöstä vastaavat tiedon tuottajat, eikä tekstisisältö välttämättä edusta valtioneuvoston näkemystä