The process and experiences with creating user-driven innovation programmes in the Netherlands1

In 2005 the Netherlands drafted a new innovation policy, consisting of a basic package for all entrepreneurs and a programme-based package aimed at supporting the Dutch industry in achieving global excellence in a limited number of (business) areas. The programme-based package is characterized by an integral approach, resulting in user-driven public–private innovation programmes. In the new approach, industrial foresight processes are integrated with actual policy implementation. In this paper, we include the lessons learned during the process that led to the first innovation programmes. Also, some unresolved issues in the new approach are discussed.     

Scenarios of technology and innovation policies in Europe: Investigating future governance

In Europe, public research, technology and innovation policies are no longer exclusively in the hands of national authorities: increasingly, national initiatives are supplemented by, or even competing with, regional innovation policies or transnational programmes, in particular the activities of the European Union. At the same time, industrial innovation increasingly occurs within international networks. Are we witnessing a change of governance in European innovation policy? Based on some theoretical assumptions concerning the relationship between the “political systems” and “innovation systems” in Europe, the paper speculates about the future governance of innovation policies, trying to pave ways for empirical analyses. It sketches three scenarios stretching from (1) the idea of an increasingly centralised and dominating European innovation policy arena to (2) the opposite, i.e., a progressive decentralisation and open competition between partly strengthened, partly weakened national or regional innovation systems and finally to (3) the vision of a centrally “mediated” mixture of competition and cooperation between diverse regional innovation cultures and a related governance structure.     

2009年度芬兰科技发展报告

本文综述了2009年芬兰为应对经济衰退在科技创新领域的重大政策动向、重要科技创新发展动态、重大科技创新计划和国际科技合作以及相关背景等。     

Complementarities in innovation policy

This paper develops a framework for testing discrete complementarities in innovation policy using European data on obstacles to innovation. We propose a discrete test of supermodularity in innovation policy leading to a number of inequality constraints. We apply our test to two types of innovation decisions: to innovate or not, and if so, by how much. We find that the evidence regarding the existence of complementarity in innovation policies depends on the phase of innovation that is targeted (getting firms innovative or increasing their innovation intensity) as well as on the particular pair of policies that is being considered. The two phases of the innovation process, i.e. the probability of becoming an innovator and the intensity of innovation, are subject to different constraints. Interestingly, there seems to be a need to adopt a package of policies to make firms innovate, while a more targeted choice among policies is necessary to make them more innovative.     

China's indigenous innovation approach: the emergence of Chinese innovation theory?

Theory-driven and theory-based studies on innovation in China are relatively scarce. Most innovation studies about Chinese business are based on Chinese policy and government programmes and their results. This special issue of Technology Analysis and Strategic Management explores China's indigenous innovation strategy and suggests a research agenda that focuses on Chinese innovation theory building that incorporates China's efforts to move towards an innovation-based economy. Currently, China is developing its indigenous innovation capabilities (The Chinese term is 自主创新, pronounced zizhu chuangxin). We suggest that innovation studies of Chinese business could focus on these indigenous innovation ambitions. In addition to this, it could adopt, and be embedded in a Chinese theory of innovation instead of a traditional Western-centric theory of innovation. Our proposition is that to better understand Chinese indigenous innovation, a new paradigm of Chinese innovation should be developed. We therefore present a research agenda that can be a starting point for the development of such a theory, and present seven papers in this special issue that give content to this idea. Obviously no theory will have a monopoly on exploring Chinese innovation phenomena, but it is interesting to add a Chinese-centric view into the Western-centric scholarly view. We hope that will be one of the contributions of this special issue on innovation in China.     

Policy dilemma of innovation: An info-gap approach

New ideas or technologies are often advocated because of their purported improvements on existing methods. However, what is new is usually less well-known and less widely tested than what is old. New methods may entail greater unknown dangers as well as greater potential advantages. The policy maker who must choose between innovation and convention faces a dilemma of innovation. We present a methodology, based on info-gap robustness, to deal with the innovation dilemma. We illustrate the approach by examining the policy decisions for managing the light brown apple moth in California.     

Effects of public funding on firm innovation: transforming or reinforcing a weak innovation pattern?

ABSTRACT

This paper adds to the ongoing debate on the effects of public funding programmes on business innovation. This policy instrument, based upon a simple but a robust rationale, has been applied in an almost homogeneous manner in different contexts, but evidence from such experiences is far from shown homogeneous effects. The main contribution of this paper is that it shows the limitations faced by public funding instruments in affecting a traditionally low innovative pattern. Using panel data techniques, we find heterogeneous effects of public funding on the innovation behaviour of Uruguayan firms between 2001 and 2015. Our results show that, after a strong public policy effort, the critical mass of innovative firms has hardly changed. Input additionality effects of public funding in private innovation investment are found, but only for innovation activities based on the acquisition of embodied knowledge. Moreover, we obtain some evidence of behavioural additionality in process and organizational innovation leading to higher productivity levels, but we find no effects on interaction for innovation.     

创新演进过程导向的企业主流与新流创新政策研究

创新政策作为一种制度安排和规则设计，对加快推进企业主流与新流创新演进、提升其创新能力具有重要引导、支撑和推动作用。在探索企业主流与新流创新演进规律、构建政策作用模型的基础上，围绕主流与新流创新生成、变异、选择和协同4个时期的创新政策需求，对164家大中型科技型企业的中高层管理人员展开调查分析。结果表明：实施企业家创新激励机制、完善政府创新基金制度、设立技术创新风险监控制度、建设高端化、专业化、特色化众创空间、推行科技创新券是政府推进主流与新流创新演进，实现企业持续创新发展急需且有效的政策手段。据此，提出相应的政策建议。     

A Framework for Policy Oriented Innovation Studies in Industrialising Countries

This paper argues that there is increasing need for the integration of policy considerations in the formulation of research questions and in the development of analytical work in policy oriented innovation studies. Despite the fact that Evolutionary and Innovation Studies theories have offered new ways of incorporating policy, little explicitness in this regard has yet been achieved and there is a risk that academic research following the new perspectives will be of little relevance for policy. Rather than a ‘linear process’ starting with empirical research aimed at linking competitiveness and economic performance to technological capabilities (in a comparative perspective and aimed at identifying ‘best practice’) followed by very abstract and un-grounded ‘policy implications' - a new type of link between positive and normative economics in the field is required. Our approach suggests a new structure for policy-oriented and policy-relevant research, i.e. the integration of research on technological change and industrial transformation with research on policy and the development of a conceptual framework for the design and implementation of innovation policies.     

国外创新政策评估与设计研究述评

创新是经济长期增长和经济快速发展的关键动力,创新政策在其中发挥了重要的作用。本文首先界定了创新政策和创新政策评估与设计的内涵,创新政策是创新系统的表现形式,创新政策评估与设计是一个系统内与创新相关的主体行为规则体系的评估及再造的理论和方法体系。其次阐述了两种不同的创新政策的的形式及理论基础,在新古典主义经济学理论中,公共政策干预的一个必要条件是市场失灵;在创、新和演化经济学理论中,创新政策制定的注意力从注重市场失灵转向解决系统失灵。在上述两种分析框架下,深入探讨和分析了创新政策实践。最后对国外创新政策评估与设计研究现状进行了概括和评价,列举了国外创新政策评估与设计研究的特征,指出了研究中的不足。     

Innovation and the competitiveness of industries: Comparing the mainstream and the evolutionary approaches

The study of the relationships between innovation and the competitiveness of industries is an important topic for both, academic research and economic policy. The huge economics literature flourished in the last couple of decades on the subject broadly falls into two distinct research traditions, namely the mainstream R&D spillovers approach and the evolutionary economics view. Both traditions agree on the important role played by innovation and the inter-sectoral diffusion of advanced knowledge for the competitive performance of industrial sectors. Behind this general agreement, however, the two approaches are radically different. This paper shows that, at a deeper level of analysis, the mainstream and evolutionary views do indeed differ with respect to their theoretical foundations, empirical research and policy implications. In a nutshell, while the mainstream R&D spillover approach is inspired by a traditional view of economic policy based on a market-oriented approach, the evolutionary view is on the contrary consistent with the idea that institutional arrangements and policy interventions do indeed play a fundamental role for shaping innovation patterns and their impacts on the competitiveness of industries.     

技术创新系统的功能分析框架

近年来,以特定技术作为分析出发点的技术创新系统（TIS）思路被提出。该思路强调对创新系统运行及其目标实现具有重大作用的活动（activities）或过程（processes）,并称之为创新系统功能。系统功能之间既可以形成良性循环,加速系统的成长;也可能由于某个功能的缺失或不足而出现恶性循环,阻碍系统的发展,甚至使之崩溃。良性循环和恶性循环在一定的条件下会相互转化。在介绍和分析系统功能组合以及功能之间互动机制的基础上,提供了一个评估技术创新系统功能运行的分析框架,以期从功能的角度识别导致系统失灵的原因,为政策制定者提供干预目标。     

被“交钥匙”外包与中国制造业的隐忧及启示——以广东消费类数码产品产业为例

对珠三角手机、影碟机与数码随声听等消费类数码产品产业发展历史的研究可以发现,以某一家或一些企业提供全面解决方案为产品开发技术基础的产业运作模式普遍存在。这种本土企业被“交钥匙”外包的中国式模块化生产网络是在全球化分工中,本地关系型生产网络嵌入到全球模块化生产网络中所出现的特定现象,预示着中国制造业需要以创新为导向的政策调整。     

Learning towards system innovation: Evaluating a systemic instrument

In this paper we develop an analytical framework for studying learning processes in the context of efforts to bring about system innovation by building new networks of actors who are willing to work on a change towards sustainable development. We then use it to evaluate two specific intervention programmes carried out by a self-proclaimed ‘system instrument’. The framework integrates elements from the Innovation Systems approach with a social learning perspective. The integrated model proposes essentially that these kinds of systemic instruments can serve to enhance conditions for social learning and that such processes may result in learning effects that contribute to system innovation by combating system imperfections. The empirical findings confirm the assumption that differences in learning can be explained by the existence or absence of conditions for learning. Similarly, the existence or creation of conducive conditions could be linked to the nature and quality of the interventions of the systemic instrument. We conclude that the investigated part of the hypothesised model has not been refuted and seems to have explanatory power. At the same time we propose that further research is needed among others on the relation between learning, challenging system imperfections and system innovation.     

Does the analysis of innovation barriers perceived by high growth firms provide information on innovation policy priorities?

High growth firms and reducing innovation barriers figure high in the European innovation policy debate. Do high growth firms face specific innovation barriers which are relevant for innovation policy? In this paper we study the robustness of the perception of innovation barriers when alternative definitions of high growth firms are used. Using data from two waves of the European Innovation survey (CIS 4 and CIS 2006) we show not only that different definitions of high growth firms lead to quite different results across country groups, but also that the results are quite different for the CIS 4 and CIS 2006 samples. We argue that in the light of the available empirical evidence this non-robustness should not come as a surprise and that this negative result makes it difficult to specifically target high growth firms with public policies. Fostering the emergence of high growth innovative firms in Europe may not be feasible with targeted funding policies only but needs a systemic approach.     

Addressing the disenchantment: universities and regional development in peripheral regions

The paper addresses the rising criticism to innovation policies that have assumed a direct and massive impact of universities in regional economies. It integrates the literature in economics of innovation, higher education, economic geography and regional studies. The paper shows why research excellence is considered a necessary condition for regional impact, why it is not sufficient, and whether there are substitutes. The Additional Material section includes an analysis, based on original data, on research excellence in universities in European peripheral regions. The policy implications call for a new approach to the role of universities.     

政策不确定性对企业创新绩效的影响——研发要素区际流动的中介作用

自中国经济发展进入新常态以来,频繁的政策实验使得政策不确定性成为企业创新决策过程中不可忽视的因素,企业在不确定性政策环境中的行为选择及内在机理有待进一步检验。基于政策不确定性概念,检验不同类型政策不确定性对企业创新绩效的影响,并从人才和资本两个维度分析研发要素流动的中介作用。结果发现：总体来看,政策不确定性不利于企业创新绩效提升与研发要素流动。具体地,供给层政策不确定性对企业创新绩效和研发要素流动具有负向影响,需求层政策不确定性对其具有正向影响,环境层政策不确定对其无显著影响。人才、资本等研发要素流动在政策不确定性与企业创新绩效间发挥部分中介效应。进一步分析发现,供给层政策不确定性通过抑制人才、资金等研发要素流动负向影响企业创新绩效,需求层和环境层政策不确定性通过促进人才、资金等研发要素流动正向影响企业创新绩效。     

The development of research and innovation policies based on a benchmarking assessment: the case of mobile communications technology R&D in the new member states of the EU

This paper presents the process and the results that led to an objective assessment of 34 research programmes from 14 countries based on a multifactor analysis. The programmes that were analysed come from the EU's new member states and the accession countries. The methodology used was specially developed for policy development purposes and for the design of the roadmaps leading to an open and successful R&D programme in the area of mobile communications. The method and the results obtained and later used for the policy development and road mapping are discussed. The policies designed and strategic objectives derived are briefly described. The consequences expected to follow the policy implementation in the relevant countries are evaluated and discussed.     

Towards an integrated framework for analysing sustainable innovation policy

An integrated framework for the analysis of sustainable innovation policy was developed, based on a combination of the transition management (TM) framework, the strategic niche management approach, and policy recommendations, resulting from technological innovation system (TIS) studies. In the framework, the multi-level view from TM has been integrated with the functions approach from the TIS literature. The integrated policy framework shows that specific policy goals and measures can be found at the specific points of intervention related to (the interfaces between) landscape, regime, TIS and niches. The integrated framework suggests that stimulation of a TIS only makes sense when this action is well aligned with landscape and regime developments. The framework should be used in empirical studies for further testing and refinement.