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Firms navigating through innovation spaces: a conceptualization of how firms search and perceive technological, market and productive opportunities globally

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  • Maureen McKelvey

    (University of Gothenburg)

Abstract

The main contribution of this paper is a theory-based conceptual framework of innovation spaces, and how firms must navigate through them to innovate. The concept of innovation systems - at the regional, sectoral and national levels - have been highly influential. Previous literature developing the concept of innovation systems has stressed the importance of institutions, networks and knowledge bases at the regional, sectoral and national levels. This paper primarily draws upon an evolutionary and Schumpeterian economics perspective, in the following three senses. The conceptualization of 'innnovation spaces' focuses upon how and why firm search for innovations is influenced the opportunities within certain geographical contexts. This means that the firm create opportunities and can span different context, but they are influence by the context in term of the access, flow and co-evolution of ideas, resources, technology, people and knowledge, which help stimulate business innovation in terms of products, process and services. The paper concludes with an agenda for future research and especially the need to focus on globalization as a process of intensifying linkages across the globe.

Suggested Citation

  • Maureen McKelvey, 2016. "Firms navigating through innovation spaces: a conceptualization of how firms search and perceive technological, market and productive opportunities globally," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 785-802, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joevec:v:26:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s00191-016-0478-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s00191-016-0478-0
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ethan Gifford & Guido Buenstorf & Daniel Ljungberg & Maureen McKelvey & Olof Zaring, 2021. "Variety in founder experience and the performance of knowledge-intensive innovative firms," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 677-713, April.
    3. Yu Chen & Haoming Shi & Jun Ma & Victor Shi, 2020. "The Spatial Spillover Effect in Hi-Tech Industries: Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-16, February.
    4. Marina Knickel & Sabine Neuberger & Laurens Klerkx & Karlheinz Knickel & Gianluca Brunori & Helmut Saatkamp, 2021. "Strengthening the Role of Academic Institutions and Innovation Brokers in Agri-Food Innovation: Towards Hybridisation in Cross-Border Cooperation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-22, April.
    5. Ethan Gifford & Daniel Ljungberg & Maureen McKelvey, 2022. "Innovating in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms: exploring the effects of a variety of internal and external knowledge sources on goods and service innovations [Advancing knowledge-intensiv," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 31(5), pages 1259-1284.
    6. Jorge Niosi & Maureen McKelvey, 2018. "Relating business model innovations and innovation cascades: the case of biotechnology," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(5), pages 1081-1109, December.
    7. Amel Attour & Nathalie Lazaric, 2020. "From knowledge to business ecosystems: emergence of an entrepreneurial activity during knowledge replication," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 575-587, February.
    8. Marcela Miozzo & Lori DiVito, 2020. "Productive opportunities, uncertainty, and science-based firm emergence," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 539-560, February.

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