Understanding reflexive systems of innovation: An analysis of Swedish nanotechnology discourse and organization

We seek to understand how nanotechnology can contribute to the development of a more sustainable society in general, and to investigate Swedish nanotechnology in particular. On the one hand, the research interest is on how nanoscience can be turned into used products, that is, innovation. On the other hand, we acknowledge that innovation itself is the main producer of risk in modern societies. Inspired by sociology and economics of innovation, we try to capture this by introducing the term 'reflexive system of innovation' to denote a system made up of heterogenous elements, such as discursive components (expressions of knowledge and normative and regulative stands) and organizational components (actors and knowledge), evolving in a non-linear way through external influences as well as self re-enforcing and self-regulating processes. We present the evolution of a Swedish nanotechnology system from the 1980s to the present, as it moves through phases characterized by different kinds of discourse and organization. Evaluating the Swedish case against the concept of a reflexive system of innovation, we find advanced academic knowledge production but a lack of interconnectivity between actors, few actors outside the research community entering the system and a weak function of anticipation, guidance and risk handling. Broad national nanotechnology initiatives (NNIs) may be important for the crystallization of the desired processes, but because neither innovation nor risk can be fully contained, an NNI may only be part of the input to a fully fledged reflexive system of innovation in nanotechnology.     

Nanobiomedical science in China: a research field on the rise

Medical and health care applications of nanotechnology have increasingly attracted research and innovation attention. Nano-biomedical science (NBMS) is a term we use to define this emerging domain. As China is one of the leading countries in nanotechnology, but lacks a long history as a biosciences leader, this paper explores the competitive positioning of China in the development of NBMS. Specifically, this paper profiles the research patterns of Chinese NBMS in comparison with the four other largest countries in NBMS, using bibliometric techniques. The results indicate that China is a leader in NBMS, leveraging its strengths in chemistry and physics in the broader nanotechnology domain. However, China's relative weakness in traditional biomedical disciplines, and its lack of presence in highly influential global journals, could prove to be limiting factors.     

Global nanotechnology research literature overview

Text mining was used to extract technical intelligence from the open source global nanotechnology and nanoscience research literature (SCI/SSCI databases). Identified were: (1) the nanotechnology/nanoscience research literature infrastructure (prolific authors, key journals/institutions/countries, most cited authors/journals/documents); (2) the technical structure (pervasive technical thrusts and their inter-relationships); (3) nanotechnology instruments and their relationships; (4) potential nanotechnology applications, (5) potential health impacts and applications; and (6) seminal nanotechnology literature. Our results are summarized in this paper.     

Evolutionary trajectories of the nanotechnology research across worldwide economic players

The purpose of this paper is to analyse, by concentration measures and metrics of heterogeneity, the evolutionary trajectories of scientific output in nanotechnology research across worldwide economic players. The results show that the concentration in nanotechnology research has been reducing over time and space. In particular, the pattern of nanotechnology research has been spreading among different scientific domains and pathways, generating new technological paradigms mainly in chemistry, medicine and engineering research fields. This scientific analysis is important in order to explore the current knowledge growth and technological trajectories in nanotechnology research that may support future patterns of technological innovation.     

Trans-organizational innovation: a framework for research

Information and communication technologies, the evolution of a pattern of innovation based on technology fusion and the transition towards a knowledge-based economy are dominant trends. These trends support trans-organitational innovation, which typically involves the design of complex and technologically hybrid products. Trans-organizational innovation involves generating new knowledge out of knowledge inputs which are distributed across disciplines and organizations which may be geographically dispersed. This is critically dependent on management processes associated with learning. Learning is a contextually situated and interaction-intensive process, which during product innovation involves mutual interaction between characteristics of product and those of context. Such interactions continually evolve the designed form and functionalig of a product. Existing research has tended to neglect the complexities involved in trans-organitational innovation. A product-in-context framework for analyzing the trans-organitational innovation process is detailed in this paper. This framework can be used to examine the relationship between critical features at Product and context which mediate learning during trans-organizational product design and innovation and account for product design variation.     

What prevents PROS from making KNOTS? Evidence for nano-researchers

The current study examines the barriers faced by research organisations in nanoscience when transferring knowledge to the industrial sector. Two are the questions that guide this research: Does the context play a role in the effectiveness of knowledge transfer activities? Does the transfer of scientific output in nanoscience depend on the type of organisation? Three geographic areas are compared: the Basque Country (Spain), Uusimaa (Finland) and Sydsverige (Sweden). A survey to the research groups in the three locations was conducted, together with interviews with each group’s leaders. Quantitative and qualitative methods are thus used to interpret the information collected. The results indicate that the main barriers to knowledge transfer come from the innovation system, rather than from the organisation to which the research group belongs. The study discusses a series of trade-offs facing policy makers in charge of implementing science, technology and innovation.     

人工智能关键核心技术创新能力测度体系构建：基于创新生态系统视角

突破关键核心技术是“十四五”时期我国建设世界科技强国面临的重要问题。人工智能作为科技变革的核心力量,科学合理地评价其技术创新能力,对提升我国科技竞争力具有重要意义。基于创新生态系统视角,从创新主体、创新环境和系统效益3个维度对我国人工智能关键核心技术创新能力进行测度。结果发现：①我国人工智能关键核心技术创新能力逐年增强,创新主体数量、企业研发资金、算法等成为主要影响因素。其中,创新主体数量对关键核心技术创新能力的影响高于资源投入;②基础研究在关键核心技术创新过程中扮演着举足轻重的角色;③算法、数据和算力是提升人工智能关键核心技术的三大显著性影响因素,其与该技术生命周期密切相关。我国应坚持创新导向,培育多元创新主体,持续鼓励算法研究,加快开放平台建设和技术标准制定,协调技术发展与治理的关系,实现我国在关键核心技术领域的突破。     

Running ahead in the nanotechnology gold rush. Strategic patenting in emerging technologies

This paper provides theoretical and empirical contributions on how patent scope varies over time and by type of applicants in the initial phases of an emerging technology. We refer to the literature on technology life-cycles and on appropriability regimes in order to study the evolution of patent scope – as measured by the number of claims – in the specific case of nanotechnology. Our regression analyses, based on a sample of 58,244 nanotech US patents, show that – once time, sector and firm effects are controlled for – patent scope decreases over the subsequent phases of the technology life-cycle. Moreover, we find that university nanotech patents tend to be characterized by a broader scope than other patents. We conclude by discussing the managerial and policy implications of our empirical results.     

美国在颠覆式创新中如何跨越"死亡之谷"?

颠覆式创新是美国战后保持其世界领先科技强国优势地位的决定性因素.在颠覆式创新过程中,联邦政府资助的基础研究与产业界资助的应用性研发之间存在着一条由融资真空带所导致的"死亡之谷",使得大量基础研究成果无法实现商业化.为了解决这一难题,美国政府的作用并没有局限于解决"市场失灵"问题,而是对基础研究成果的商业化过程进行直接干预,通过创建多种混合公私资源的杂交型创新机构,吸引和激励大量私人资本共同推进基础研究的商业化,在信息革命中发挥了巨大作用.而今,迈入社会主义新时代的中国已经在战略上提出要发展颠覆性技术,增强本国原始创新力,但长期以来,基础研究与生产相脱节、商业化率低一直就是中国科技创新中的"老大难"问题,美国颠覆式创新的投融资机制不仅为中国解决这一难题提供了有益借鉴,而且对中国军民融合战略的深化和建设世界科技强国也具有重要的启发意义.     

学生科研创新能力与应用型人才培养模式探析

为了培养具有创新精神和实践能力的人才,实验教学是重要环节,而科学研究是在实践、研究中锻炼人才;教学与科研是手段,培养人才和知识创新是目的,教学与科研相结合是高等教育实践成功的育人之道。通过课程体系与实验教学改革,充分发挥毕业论文与设计性实验的作用,发挥教师在实验教学与科研中的主导地位以及以重点学科为依托,组织学生申报科研项目等多方面的阐述,探讨了实验教学与科研在创新型人才培养模式中的现实作用和长远意义。     

Technological prospects toward the 21st century: The case of Toshiba Corporation

Growth of industry has been driven by technology innovation and is expected to turn into a new phase through creative technology innovation. The recent technology environment, however, has changed drastically. Instead of a technology breakthrough, which has played a leading part so far, fusion and integration of technologies will be key to future technology innovation. In this article Toshiba's case is introduced with regard to technological prospects in the fields of electronics, electric energy, and environment. Investment in research and development (R&D) increases rapidly along with the advance of technology. Strategic alliance that utilizes each partner's strength will be one of the options in the company's R&D management. Examples of international research collaboration are described in this article.     

基于韧性视角的区域硬科技创新组态分析

硬科技是推动我国经济转型升级的关键技术,建设富有韧性的硬科技创新体系已成为提升国家科技实力、应对新一轮科技革命的重要路径。基于韧性视角,构建驱动硬科技创新发展的整合性分析框架,运用定性比较分析方法对中国沿海城市和内陆城市进行组态比较分析。研究发现,沿海城市推动硬科技创新发展的驱动路径有3条,内陆有4条;两类区域驱动路径中,硬科技创新发展的核心驱动条件具有差异性,同时,多样性、进化性、流动性、缓冲性条件的替代关系也不同。研究结论对促进沿海和内陆城市的硬科技创新具有一定借鉴意义。     

中国传统科学与西方现代科学范式的融合

从近代科学范式向复杂性科学范式转型以及复杂科学与中国传统科学的相似点两方面,探讨了当代中西方科学走向融合的趋势。     

技术积累提高了区域创新数量还是创新质量

在创新型国家建设背景下，提高创新质量至关重要。以高技术产业为例，综合采用联立方程模型、面板门槛模型、贝叶斯向量自回归模型，研究技术积累与创新数量、创新质量的关系。研究结果表明：技术积累对创新数量的贡献大于创新质量；创新数量与创新质量间的协调性不高；技术积累对创新数量的贡献中其自身、研发人员、创新质量的门槛效应呈递减趋势；随着创新数量增大，技术积累对创新数量的作用弹性逐步提高；当研发经费处于中等水平时技术积累对创新数量的弹性影响最大，对创新质量具有较强的规模经济效应。     

颠覆性技术关注方向演化研究

关注颠覆性技术创新方向演变对于构建颠覆性技术“发现—遴选—培养”机制，挖掘重大颠覆性技术选题具有重要意义。利用三螺旋协同性测度模型量化政府、产业、学术界3类主体对颠覆性技术关注方向的协同程度，构建颠覆性技术行动者网络，利用社会网络分析法解析网络结构形式下政、产、学三方关注颠覆性技术创新的耦合方向，探究高度耦合技术方向的演化特点。最后，获得技术关注方向协同性、技术关注耦合方向特征、技术关注方向耦合时间时序特征、技术关注方向耦合机构特征、高度耦合技术方向演化特征5个方面的结论。     

Analytical lenses on innovation: a research note

Industrial innovation is the focus of a wide range ofresearch efforts. This research is highly diverse; focusing, for example, on the nature and process of innovation, systems and particular technologies, sectors and firms . Each of these different approaches is revealing and greater efforts are needed to combine the insights fram different disciplines and methodologies to enhance cumulativeness in our knowledge of this important issue.     

News and notes

Industrial innovation is the focus of a wide range ofresearch efforts. This research is highly diverse; focusing, for example, on the nature and process of innovation, systems and particular technologies, sectors and firms . Each of these different approaches is revealing and greater efforts are needed to combine the insights fram different disciplines and methodologies to enhance cumulativeness in our knowledge of this important issue.     

接力创新的一般规律及应用价值——以生物制药产业为例

通过观察和追溯生物制药、纳米等产业,发现这些产业采取"接力创新"这一特殊的创新模式。以生物制药创新为例,研究了接力创新的内涵,并从主要优势、与其他创新模式的关系、易发领域等方面分析了接力创新的一般规律。最后总结了运用接力创新的主要思路,即帮助创新主体明确定位与科学决策、指导建设产业集群和创新网络以及为制定产业政策提供依据等。     

新技术进步会阻碍传统技术创新吗——来自汽车产业的实证检验

在新旧技术竞争过程中,传统企业会适时调整研发策略,以应对新技术进步对传统技术造成的冲击。然而,新技术对传统技术的影响究竟表现为创新替代效应还是创新互补效应,至今依然没有得到确切结论。以汽车产业为研究对象,比较传统燃油汽车和电动汽车两种新旧技术的发展路径,并结合产业生命周期理论提出汽车产业的三阶段演化模型。进一步基于1995—2021年省级专利数据和面板向量自回归模型,从产品创新和工艺创新两个维度实证检验各阶段电动汽车技术进步对传统汽车企业创新的影响。结果表明,在电动汽车产业的范式导入期(1995—2008年),新技术通过产品创新和工艺创新两方面促进传统技术发展;在电动汽车产业的范式构建期(2009—2021年),新技术依然对传统技术有显著推动作用,但仅通过工艺创新促进传统技术发展。     

新兴技术管理研究概述

新兴技术管理正在成为国际学术研究的新兴领域,我国也正在蓬勃展开这方面的研究。因此,从理论渊源入手,通过对新兴技术的概念及其不确定性和新兴技术管理的概念和特征的讨论,认为新兴技术管理是与技术管理、技术创新管理同源异质的新兴学科领域;同时,分别从新兴技术演化及评估、新兴市场识别及拓展、新兴技术战略研究、新兴技术管理的组织创新、新兴技术的融投资管理、新兴技术的知识管理等方面,介绍了目前新兴技术管理研究的领域、内容、观点和成果。