Open innovation and innovation "Radicalness"—the moderating effect of network embeddedness

This study aims at developing a better understanding of the relationship between open innovation and innovation radicalness and further examines the moderating effect of network embeddedness. The paper collects patent data from four emerging industries, 3D printing, augmented reality and virtual reality, hybrid electric vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, to validate the theoretical model. The results show that open innovation exerts positive effects on innovation radicalness depending on the breadth and depth of openness. Furthermore, network centrality plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between open innovation and innovation radicalness whereas network reach positively moderates the relationship. This study provides a valuable theoretical framework of innovation radicalness determinants by connecting open innovation theory with a network embeddedness perspective. The findings presented in the paper provide practical implications for firms in emerging industries to implement effective open innovation strategies and develop a better understanding of the effect of network embeddedness on innovation radicalness.     

Complementarity in alliance portfolios and firm innovation

This paper assesses the impact on firm innovation of combining alliance-specific and partner-specific attributes within a firm’s alliance portfolio. In a panel data analysis of the innovation performance of 119 firms operating in the pharmaceutical industry during 1985–2007, we test whether firm’s alliance portfolio displays complementarities across four dimensions. The results suggest that specific combinations of attributes may diminish innovation by decreasing the efficiency of diversity management or by generating redundancies. On the other hand, other alliance portfolio practices are mutually reinforcing and thus foster innovation.     

The structure and evolution of ICT global innovation network

Abstract

We look at the structure and evolution of an information and communication technology (ICT) global innovation network (GIN) by mapping the locations of R&D centres belonging to a group of multinational ICT enterprises. We found that the number of countries and connections have increased in a very short time, and that most of the newcomers have come from Africa, Asia and South America. We show that a country’s network position affects the creation and intensity of R&D linkages with other countries in the network. This suggests that the evolution of the ICT GIN is driven by, among other things, the preferential attachment mechanism, i.e. countries tend to connect to those countries which have more links. A country’s position in the network also moderates the effect of standard determinants of innovation i, such as geographic distance. Hence, network position explains the creation of R&D linkages between such distant countries as the US, China or India.     

Understanding innovation diffusion and adoption strategies in megaproject networks through a fuzzy system dynamic model

Innovation and knowledge diffusion in megaprojects is one of the most complicated issues in project management. Compared with conventional projects, megaprojects typically entail large-scale investments, long construction periods, and conflicting stakeholder interests, which result in a distinctive pattern of innovation diffusion. However, traditional investigation of innovation diffusion relies on subjective feedback from experts and frequently neglects inter-organizational knowledge creation, which frequently emerges in megaprojects. Therefore, this study adopted project network theory and modeled innovation diffusion in megaprojects as intra- and inter-organizational learning processes. In addition, system dynamics and fuzzy systems were combined to interpret experts’ subject options as quantitative coefficients of the project network model. This integrated model will assist in developing an insightful understanding of the mechanisms of innovation diffusion in megaprojects. Three typical network structures, namely, a traditional megaproject procurement organization (TMO), the environ megaproject organization (EMO), and an integrated megaproject organization (IMO), were examined under six management scenarios to verify the proposed analytic paradigm. Assessment of project network productivity suggested that the projectivity of the TMO was insensitive to technical and administrative innovations, the EMO could achieve substantial improvement from technical innovations, and the IMO trended incompatibly with administrative innovations. Thus, industry practitioners and project managers can design and reform agile project coordination by using the proposed quantitative model to encourage innovation adoption and reduce productivity loss at the start of newly established collaborations.     

The effect of individual variation on the structure and function of interaction networks in harvester ants

Social insects exhibit coordinated behaviour without central control. Local interactions among individuals determine their behaviour and regulate the activity of the colony. Harvester ants are recruited for outside work, using networks of brief antennal contacts, in the nest chamber closest to the nest exit: the entrance chamber. Here, we combine empirical observations, image analysis and computer simulations to investigate the structure and function of the interaction network in the entrance chamber. Ant interactions were distributed heterogeneously in the chamber, with an interaction hot-spot at the entrance leading further into the nest. The distribution of the total interactions per ant followed a right-skewed distribution, indicating the presence of highly connected individuals. Numbers of ant encounters observed positively correlated with the duration of observation. Individuals varied in interaction frequency, even after accounting for the duration of observation. An ant''s interaction frequency was explained by its path shape and location within the entrance chamber. Computer simulations demonstrate that variation among individuals in connectivity accelerates information flow to an extent equivalent to an increase in the total number of interactions. Individual variation in connectivity, arising from variation among ants in location and spatial behaviour, creates interaction centres, which may expedite information flow.     

The co-location of innovation and production in clusters

ABSTRACT

This paper quantifies the extent of co-location of innovation and production for industry clusters with varying knowledge intensity. If input-output, knowledge, and skill linkages are interdependent and geographically bounded, then we would expect innovation and production to be co-located in regional clusters. However, theory predicts that the degree of agglomeration benefits associated with co-location may vary across economic activities with different knowledge intensity. Using data from the U.S. Cluster Mapping Project, I develop measures of the co-location of innovation and production for 27 industry clusters, examining patterns across regions and over time (1998–2015) in the United States. I find that there is a significant co-location of innovation and production for many clusters, especially for those with higher knowledge intensity. This paper focuses on the Information Technology and Analytical Instruments cluster and the Automotive cluster to illustrate the co-location measures and the micro-geography of innovation and production.     

Exploring the impact of organisational,technological and relational contingencies on innovation speed in the light of open innovation

ABSTRACT

Striving for competitive advantage pushes firms to innovate at a high speed along innovation contingencies and resource limitations they face. Yet, little is known about how management of contingencies such as absorptive capacity or technology radicalness can impact the innovation speed of firms. In this explorative study, we provide new empirical evidence to the innovation speed literature. We examine to what extent innovation speed is affected by organisational, technological, and relational contingencies that preoccupy firms with open innovation practices. Taking the firm perspective, we track innovation timeline and emphasise the complex trade-offs that firms encounter while innovating. Our results show that many of the contingencies, emphasised by the literature promoting innovation, could slow down its speed. Thus, strengthening competitiveness by accommodating contingencies can hinder time-critical adaptations. Furthermore, we find that innovation assets and capabilities can become liabilities for technologically innovative firms.     

Not too close,not too far: testing the Goldilocks principle of ‘optimal’ distance in innovation networks

This paper analyses how the formation of collaboration networks affects firm-level innovation by applying the ‘Goldilocks principle’. The ‘Goldilocks principle’ of optimal distance in innovation networks postulates that the best firm-level innovation results are achieved when the partners involved in the network are located at the ‘right’ distance, i.e. ‘not too close and not too far’ from one another, across non-geographical proximity dimensions. This principle is tested on a survey of 542 Norwegian firms conducted in 2013, containing information about firm-level innovation activities and key innovation partners. The results of the ordinal logit regression analysis substantiate the Goldilocks principle, as the most innovative firms are found among those that collaborate with partners at medium levels of proximity for all non-geographical dimensions. The analysis also underscores the importance of the presence of a substitution–innovation mechanism, with geographical distance problems being compensated by proximity in other dimensions as a driver of innovation, while there is no support for a potential overlap–innovation mechanism.     

An assessment of interventions for improving communication and trust in cost benefit analysis processes

Evaluation literature suggests that assessments of integrated transport plans should be an inclusive dialogue, for which it is crucial that participants communicate with and trust each other. However, cost benefit analysis (CBA) of integrated transport plans is often characterized by communication deficits and distrust among plan owners and evaluators. A literature review suggested five communication and trust-building interventions and related mechanisms that might improve this. In this paper, we have tested the efficacy of these five communication and trust-building interventions by applying them in an experiential study with two sequential cases, representing ‘close to real’ situations. The research aimed to develop field-tested knowledge to address the aforementioned class of CBA process problems. The research demonstrated how the five interventions could facilitate an exchange of information, knowledge and experiences, which – according to the participants – will increase the effectiveness of the CBA. Furthermore, it illustrated that a communication and trust-building strategy such as the one tested might be a useful complement to CBA practices, if adapted to the characteristics of the specific assessment process and planning context.     

The influence of different knowledge workers on innovation strategy and product development performance in small and medium-sized enterprises

Despite significant interest on the topic of knowledge workers, the understanding of how they influence certain aspects of firm innovativeness remains limited. In particular, while different types of knowledge workers exist, their particular synergistic effects on new and improved product development within smaller firms has received less attention. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV), we posit that innovation strategy plays an instrumental role in linking the effects of knowledge workers, thereby leading to greater product development outcomes from different types of knowledge workers. Moreover, some suggest that beyond a certain point, there is a diminishing return to increasing the proportion of knowledge workers in an organisation; however, the basis of this finding is within larger firms. This study investigates whether high-level (e.g. engineers and scientists) and low-level (e.g. technicians and machine operators) knowledge workers exert varying effects on performance in terms of new and improved product development. Data from 205 small and medium-sized high-tech manufacturing firms provide support that distinguishing among types of knowledge workers is important given that they impact new and improved product development differently. Furthermore, innovation strategy plays a synergistic role, positively mediating the effects of different types of knowledge workers on innovation outcomes.     

The antecedents and consequences of product and process innovation strategy implementation in Australian manufacturing firms

Manufacturing firms employ different strategies to improve the performance of their products. In this study, we investigate the roles of environmental dynamism and competitive intensity as antecedents of product and process innovation strategy implementation. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of these initiatives on product innovation performance and product quality performance in manufacturing firms. Based on an analysis of a sample of 207 firms in Australia, the results reveal that environmental dynamism positively relates to both product and process innovation strategy implementation while competitive intensity positively relates to only process innovation strategy implementation. Moreover, product innovation strategy implementation positively relates to product innovation performance while process innovation strategy implementation positively affects product quality performance. Both product innovation performance and product quality performance are found to positively affect business performance. The theoretical and practical implications of the study in the context of Australian manufacturing are discussed.     

甘肃省旱地农业技术创新与实践

甘肃省地理跨度大,气候类型多种多样,旱地农业类型齐全,在长期的生产实践和科研活动中,把有效的传统抗旱办法与农田微集雨保墒工程、旱农耕作栽培技术、农业机械有机结合,创造了很多有区域特色的旱地农业技术。本文对甘肃省传统的砂田种植技术和旱地地膜小麦穴播技术、集雨农业技术体系进行简单回顾,对现阶段正在应用的主体创新旱农技术——全膜双垄沟播玉米、膜上覆土小麦种植技术体系的基本特点、抗旱增产机理及应用情况进行较详细的介绍。     

Product innovation success based on cancer research in the pharmaceutical industry: co-publication networks and the effects of partners

This paper builds upon the literature which provides conflicting theoretical insights and empirical results concerning the importance of companies’ collaborative relations, their position within a network of collaborative relations and the effects on their innovative performance. Taking the importance of collaborations and networks in the pharmaceutical industry into account, the paper untangles the influence of the firm’s co-publication relations with different types of partners and its network position on the company’s product innovation in a specific disease area—cancer. We find rather robust evidence that in particular, companies’ indirect connections within the co-publication network, including connections to academic institutions and biotechnology companies, support product innovation. In contrast to evidence in the strategic alliance literature, direct co-publication links to biotechnology companies do not support product innovation in terms of new cancer medications.     

数学建模的创新教育与创新能力的培养

本文论述了数学建模的创新教育与创新能力培养的内在关系，并较详细地介绍了数学建模的创新教育的实践过程、方法和效果，用事实说明了数学建模的创新教育在创新能力的培养过程中。     

Government policies and attitudes to social media use among users in Turkey: The role of awareness of policies,political involvement,online trust,and party identification

Few research studies have examined the impact of government policies toward social media on individuals’ attitudes to social media use, particularly when these policies aim to denounce and control social media platforms, as was the case in Turkey in 2013–2016. A conceptual model, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 2005) [1], was proposed to investigate the mediating role of awareness of government policies, degree of political involvement, online trust, and the moderating role of party identification in predicting the attitudes to social media use. Data were collected through a survey of 653 social media users in Istanbul, Turkey (mean age = 31.76, SD = 10.96; 40 % women, 83 % Turkish ethnicity) in September 2015. Using PLS-SEM modelling, the awareness of government policies, the degree of political involvement, and the online trust were found to partially mediate the relationship between the frequency of social media use and the attitudes to social media use for the users of Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, while the moderating role of party identification was not significant in this model. The results provide additional support for the role of social context and past behaviors in predicting the attitudes and future intentions in the use of digital communication technologies.     

网络环境下组织创新的研究框架

自创新理论问世以来,创新一直是学术界与企业界的热点问题。近年来,网络环境对企业竞争环境、组织本身及组织创新带来了深远的影响。本文分析了网络环境对组织的巨大影响,阐述了网络环境下组织创新的三大趋势：结构柔性化、形式虚拟化、关系集群化。在此基础上,提出了网络环境下组织创新的研究框架及必须重点研究的内容。     

水利水电地下工程技术现状、发展方向及创新前沿研究

介绍了我国地下工程技术取得的主要成就。面对城市化进程加快、资源短缺、环境恶化和土地衰退的严峻挑战,地下空间将成为新型国土资源加以开发利用,地下工程需求潜力巨大。提出了今后地下工程技术创新前沿研究的基础科学和关键技术问题。     

The use of neural networks in understanding and predicting oxidation and corrosion behaviour in advanced energy conversion systems

Abstract

Neural networks can be a useful tool to analyse the oxidation and corrosion behaviour of materials at high temperature. Examples are given of the use of neural network models to analyse datasets of material behaviour after exposure to combustion, gasification and steam atmospheres. The use of networks to identify changes in mechanism, additional significant experimental parameters and the onset of spallation is demonstrated.

The limitations of neural network modelling are briefly discussed. Although they can be trained to fit any existing dataset, care must be taken in using the networks to predict a time sequence of events.     

Learn to survive crises: The role of firm resilience,innovation capabilities and environmental dynamism

Exogenous crises, while disruptive, may also present learning opportunities that could affect a firm's viability and performance. In this study, we examine how exogenous crises can constitute learning opportunities and assess their impact on firm survival. In particular, we investigate the role of learning in response to exogenous crises and how firm resilience, innovation capabilities, and environmental dynamism influence this relationship. Drawing from crisis management and organisational learning literature, we propose that these factors can bolster the connection between learning from crises and firm survival. To test our hypotheses, we conduct a nuanced analysis using both regression analysis and Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on data from 249 Italian manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This approach allows us to simultaneously examine the impact of firm resilience, innovation capabilities, and environmental dynamism on the relationship between learning from crises and firm survival. Our findings offer theoretical and practical insights into the role of learning from crises in a firm's survival. They also highlight the importance of embracing learning opportunities in crisis situations and suggest that how firms deal with crises could be an opportunity to fine-tune their internal processes and thrive in the long run.     

Technological achievements in entrepreneurial firms – legacy,value chain experience,and division of innovation labour

This paper examines whether founders’ origin is systematically associated with the technological orientation of their new established organisation. Using an exploratory design, we empirically investigate how the technological achievements of organisations are associated with the founder’s prior experience identifying where in the industry’s value chain the founder worked previously. Using a unique dataset of Swedish and Danish biotechnology start-up firms, we explore the relationship between the founders’ prior position in the value chain and the technological achievements of their start-up. Firms established by founders from academia tend to perform well in early stages of technology development, while firms established by founders from further up the value chain tend to exhibit technological achievements in the later stages of development. Building on these results, we discuss possible mechanisms that may trigger these empirical regularities and propose that these mechanisms cause a division of innovation labour among biotechnology start-ups.