Searching Low and High What Types of Firms use Universities as a Source of Innovation?

This paper examines the factors that influence whether firms draw from universities in their innovative activities. The link between the universities and industrial innovation, and the role of different search strategies in influencing the propensity of firms to use universities is explored. The results suggest that firms who adopt “open” search strategies and invest in R&D are more likely than other firms to draw from universities, indicating that managerial choice matters in shaping the propensity of firms to draw from universities.University-industry links, innovation, external search strategies

The Fruits of Intellectual Production: Economic and scientific specialisation among OECD countries

This paper brings together data from 14 OECD countries on scientific publications, patents and production specialisation to explore the relationship between economic and production specialisation for 17 manufacturing sectors. Since Marx, there has been a fundamental debate in economics about the link between science and the economic system. Marx argued that the developments in the science system are strongly influenced by changes in the economic sphere, whereas Polanyi argued that developments in science are largely independent of economic sphere. Using a panel data model and econometric estimations at the sectoral-level, the paper assesses the two positions and finds considerable support for Marx's position, that is, that scientific and production specialisation are, often, tightly linked.Scientific specialisation, international economic specialisation, bibliometric data

The Fruits of Intellectual Production Economic and Scientific Specialisation Among OECD Countries

This paper brings together data from 14 OECD countries on scientific publications, patents and production specialisation to explore the relationship between economic and production specialisation for 17 manufacturing sectors. Since Marx, there has been a fundamental debate in economics about the link between science and the economic system. Marx argued that the developments in the science system are strongly influenced by changes in the economic sphere, whereas Polanyi argued that developments in science are largely independent of economic sphere. Using a panel data model and econometric estimations at the sectoral-level, the paper assesses the two positions and finds considerable support for Marx’s position, that is, that scientific and production specialisation are, often, tightly linked.Scientific specialisation, international economic specialisation, bibliometric data

Sources of Ideas for Innovation in Engineering Design

This paper explores the sources of ideas for innovation in engineering design. The paper shows that engineering designers involved in complex, non-routine design processes rely heavily on face-to-face conversations with other designers for solving problems and developing new innovative ideas. The research is based on a case study and survey of designers from Ove Arup & Partners, a leading international engineering consultancy. We examine the role of different mechanisms for learning about new designs, the motivations of designers, problem solving and limits to designers' ability to innovative. We explore how the project-based nature of the construction sector shapes the ways in which designers develop new ideas and solve problems. We suggest that among the population of designers in Arup, there are a number of different design strategies for innovating and that these can have important implications for how design is managed. We locate our approach in the research on innovation in project-based firms, outlining patterns of innovation in firms that survive on the basis of their success in winning and managing projects.engineering design, innovation, tacit knowledge, project-based firms

The Role of Middle Range Publications in the Development of Engineering Knowledge

This paper explores the role of publications in the development of engineering knowledge. Previous studies of scientific and technical publications tend to assume that engineers are like scientists in their use of scientific journals as a means of communicating new technical knowledge. But science differs from technology and we should not expect scientists and engineers to use the same sources of knowledge. We contend that previous studies of publications have been flawed because they ignore other forms of publication more suited to the communication of technical and engineering knowledge. This paper argues that technologists use "middle range" publications to exchange knowledge and explore implications of their technological experiences. By providing more visual images, experience-based reports and background information on technologies and products, middle range publications better reflect the ways in which engineers think and work. They allow for visual conversations and support visual communities. The paper provides a detailed exploration of the role of middle range publications and suggests a framework for future research on patterns of publication by technologists and engineers.engineering knowledge, engineering and design organisations, construction, scientific publications, technical publications, innovation studies

The role of codified sources of knowledge in innovation: empirical evidence from Dutch manufacturing

This paper explores ongoing debates about the role that codified forms of knowledge play in fostering firms' and countries' innovative performance. It aims to provide an empirical exploration of the use of codified sources of information for innovation at the sectoral level. Despite considerable interest in David and Foray's (1995) work on the codification of knowledge and the changing nature of innovation due to the use of information and communication technologies, there are relatively few empirical studies that probe the role of codified sources of information in the innovation process. Our goal is to assess 'how' important codified sources of information are for innovation for different sectors and to the innovation system in general. We explore the relationship between the use of codified sources by individual firms and increases in the 'distributional power' of an innovation system, a key component in David and Foray's codification argument. We then link the use of codified sources to different innovative strategies and characteristics of innovation at the firm level. The data used for the analysis is based on The Netherlands Community Innovation Survey (II) for the manufacturing sector. The data set covers 1997 firms in 11 major industries.Innovation, knowledge, manufacturing industries, codification

The engagement gap: Exploring gender differences in University – Industry collaboration activities

AbstractIn recent years, the debate about the marginality of women in academic science has been extended to academics’ engagement with industry and their commercial efforts. Analyzing multi-source data for a large sample of UK physical and engineering scientists and employing a matching technique, this study suggests women academics to engage less and in different ways than their male colleagues of similar status in collaboration activities with industry. We then argue – and empirical assess – these differences can be mitigated by the social context in which women scientists operate, including the presence of women in the local work setting and their wider discipline, and the institutional support for women’s careers in their organization. We explore the implications of these findings for policies to support women’s scientific and technical careers and engagement with industry

Design Performance Measurement in the Construction Sector: A Pilot Study

This paper examines the role and deployment of design performance measurements (DPMs) in the construction industry, focusing on the consulting engineering sector, the design 'heart' of construction. Compared with manufacturing, there has been very little research on the use of DPMs in construction, and firms often struggle to find appropriate performance indicators. Using results from structured questionnaires, the paper shows that the few DPMs which do exist focus mainly on cost. Other measures are needed to address quality, innovative performance and client satisfaction. In contrast to manufacturing, DPMs in construction also need to address the project-based, multi-firm and non-routine nature of construction design, as well as the separation of design from manufacturing, build and operation. Interviews and workshops with industrialists were used to identify recent DPM practices in construction and combine these with lessons from other sectors. The resulting DPM tools provide guidance on how to: (a) integrate design into wider business processes in construction; (b) identify key design indicators, at both project and firm level; and (c) use DPMs to provide a balanced scorecard for design performance.performance indicators, design integration, design indicators, construction industry

Directing scientists away from potentially biased publications:the role of systematic reviews in health care

Despite increasing concerns about the validity of published research, the issue of how the scientific community can maintain a high-quality body of research is not well understood. We consider the case of systematic reviews in health care, and explore whether risk of bias ratings communicated within these reviews may help shift scientists’ attention towards published research that is at a low risk of bias. We focus on publications deemed at risk of bias due to selective reporting; that is, scientific articles with high chances of systematic errors in the published research findings due to flaws in the reporting. Using a matched-sample control group we find that, after potential bias is signalled in systematic reviews, publications at high risk of bias attract less attention – as indicated by fewer follow-on citations – when compared to a control group of low risk of bias publications. We extend our analysis by considering those cases where risk of bias is unclear, and by examining how different features of the rating system may affect the magnitude of the main effect. The findings provide evidence about whether systematic reviews can play a role in signalling biases in the scientific literature, over and above their established role of synthesising prior research