Growth in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services: Evidence from Lombardy

This paper studies the growth patterns in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) in Lombardy on the basis of original firm-level survey data. The aim is to investigate in particular the role of and interplay between age and size of firms and the modes of innovation in the process of growth. Our findings indicate that younger firms tend to outperform incumbents for sales growth and that larger firms tend to grow more than smaller companies. However, the effects of firm size and age vary substantially according to the firm's specific pattern of innovation. In particular, highly innovative firms tend to outperform competitors regardless of their age or size, while for conservative KIBS, size is a prerequisite for growth. Investment in human capital and the service distribution network are important drivers of competition for growing KIBS.     

Innovation and Social Capital: A Cross-Country Investigation

This study explores the impact of social capital on innovation by constructing a more general measure of social capital, which consists of generalized and institutional trust, associational activities and civic norms. We test the hypothesis that social capital has a positive impact on innovation at the national level. After controlling for research and development expenditure and human capital, we find that there is a positive relationship between social capital and innovation. Social capital interacts with entrepreneurship; the strongest relationship is between associated activities and entrepreneurship. This study supports the need to build strong social relationships in today's networked economy.     

Social Capital and Effective Innovation in Industrial Districts: Dual Effect of Absorptive Capacity

This paper deals with the factors that affect the heterogeneity in the access to knowledge and its exploitation through innovation in firms located in industrial districts. The aim of the study is to analyze the moderating role of the components of the absorptive capacity – identification and combination – in the process that leads firms in industrial districts with social capital to obtain effective innovations through the knowledge acquisition. We have developed the empirical analysis on a sample of 166 firms located in the industrial districts of the footwear industry in Spain. Findings suggest that the firms in industrial districts improve the acquisition of novel and valuable knowledge from external networks of information when they have identification capabilities to explore their potential. The results also indicate combinative capability strengthens the acquired new knowledge to develop and exploit successful innovations.     

Collaboration Intensity and Regional Innovation Efficiency in Germany—A Conditional Efficiency Approach

Many case studies highlight a positive relationship between regions' innovation performance and the intensity of collaboration among regional organizations. However, few efforts have been made to analyze this relation with quantitative approaches. In addition to a theoretical discussion, the paper presents an empirical investigation on this issue utilizing conditional efficiency analysis and patent co-application data for the Electrics & Electronics industry in 270 German labor market regions. The results show that the relationship between regions' innovation performance and the intensities of regional as well as inter-regional collaboration take the form of an inverted-U shape. Regions with average regional and inter-regional collaboration intensities are found to outperform those characterized by extremely low, high or unbalanced collaboration behavior.     

服务设计的四个层次:交互、功能、组织创新与社会转型——以农业食物系统为例

随着我国服务经济的发展,服务设计受到越来越多的重视,专业设计机构将其视为创新的方向。然而,服务设计在产业中的运用与服务设计的教育研究之间,存在着明显的差距。将服务设计分为微观层面的交互/用户体验设计,中观层面向内的功能设计与向外的组织创新设计,以及宏观层面的,以改变服务组织所处环境为目标的社会转型设计。以农业食物系统中服务设计的现状为例,旨在对服务设计在这一具体领域中的四个层次上的发展特征进行分析。     

美国设计与社会创新发展概况综述

目的通过述评美国设计与社会创新发展概况,总览美国社会创新的主流思想与现状。方法分析美国社会创新的设计起源、发展过程与典型理论,并运用案例研究对各创新方向基本内容与主体进行论述,概述总结美国社会创新的特点。结论设计作为一种理念贯穿美国社会创新过程,结合商科、公共管理成为了社会认知度较高的综合性学科。在个人领袖精神和公民自治传统的强烈影响下,大量的个人和组织在对弱势群体、青少年与教育、就业与经济、公民参与等方面,自主独立而又协作互助地解决社会难题,集体创造公共价值。     

专业镇中小微企业技术创新服务平台绩效评价与实证研究——以广东省为例

在现有文献关于广东省专业镇中小微企业服务平台评价指标基础上,运用数据包络分析法和德尔菲分析法对指标进行优化,确定一级指标6个,二级指标14个及三级指标40个。运用层次分析法等确定评价指标体系的权重,并以10个典型平台示例进行论证,研究结果基本与实际情况相吻合。