IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wiw/wiwrsa/ersa13p1303.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Small Responsible Innovators and Open Innovation towards Sustainability: Networks Conditions

Author

Listed:
  • Marina Van Geenhuizen
  • Qing Ye

Abstract

Open innovation is key for innovators responding to major problems in the world, including energy, healthcare, water and the environment, and bringing transitions in socio-technical systems near. This paper has a focus on university spin-off companies as a channel of market introduction of new technology and responsible innovation. Although rich in technological knowledge, these companies suffer from lack of other resources, in particular, time, management experience and investment capital, reason why they need to limit their efforts in active participation in open innovation networks. The paper starts with a conceptual reflection on responsible innovation and open innovation practices in the frame of transitions towards higher sustainability levels. Responsible innovation can be seen as a transparent, interactive, process by which societal actors and innovators become mutually responsive to each other with a view to the (ethical) acceptability, sustainability and societal desirability of the innovation and its marketable products. Being engaged in responsible research and innovation means a relatively intense participation in the complex networks concerned. The empirical analysis draws on 105 university spin-off companies and demonstrates that almost 60% of the companies are engaged in responsible innovation, with medical care/cure, sustainable energy, sustainable mobility, and waste treatment/recycling as the largest sectors, and that a good 40% are not involved in responsible innovation. Derived from regression analysis, the results indicate that responsible innovation is one of the drivers of open innovation in terms of size of the knowledge pool (themes) and diversity of this pool (different partners). However, diversity in the knowledge pool tends to influence growth of the companies negatively. Accordingly, it seems that the limited resources of university spin-off companies require "selectivity" in choosing partners as a key condition for participation in networks (platforms) aimed at socio-technical systems" change. This means to connect with merely one large companies as a launching customer and with a prominent investor, each on their turn being connected with a large diversity of network partners. At the same time, the need for selectivity tends to bring university spin-off companies in peripheral regions in a disadvantageous position compared to their counterparts in metropolitan areas, given the need for frequent interaction and a small chance to find the best matching partner(s) within the region. The paper concludes with implications of the findings and future research avenues

Suggested Citation

  • Marina Van Geenhuizen & Qing Ye, 2013. "Small Responsible Innovators and Open Innovation towards Sustainability: Networks Conditions," ERSA conference papers ersa13p1303, European Regional Science Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa13p1303
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www-sre.wu.ac.at/ersa/ersaconfs/ersa13/ERSA2013_paper_01303.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hockerts, Kai & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2010. "Greening Goliaths versus emerging Davids -- Theorizing about the role of incumbents and new entrants in sustainable entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 481-492, September.
    2. Feldman, Maryann P. & Audretsch, David B., 1999. "Innovation in cities:: Science-based diversity, specialization and localized competition," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 409-429, February.
    3. Dahlander, Linus & Gann, David M., 2010. "How open is innovation?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 699-709, July.
    4. Markus Balzat & Horst Hanusch, 2003. "Recent Trends in the Research on National Innovation Systems," Discussion Paper Series 254, Universitaet Augsburg, Institute for Economics.
    5. Richard Owen & Phil Macnaghten & Jack Stilgoe, 2012. "Responsible research and innovation: From science in society to science for society, with society," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 39(6), pages 751-760, December.
    6. Markus Balzat & Horst Hanusch, 2004. "Recent trends in the research on national innovation systems," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 197-210, June.
    7. Markard, Jochen & Truffer, Bernhard, 2008. "Technological innovation systems and the multi-level perspective: Towards an integrated framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 596-615, May.
    8. Glaeser, Edward L & Hedi D. Kallal & Jose A. Scheinkman & Andrei Shleifer, 1992. "Growth in Cities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(6), pages 1126-1152, December.
      • Edward L. Glaeser & Hedi D. Kallal & Jose A. Scheinkman & Andrei Shleifer, 1991. "Growth in Cities," NBER Working Papers 3787, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
      • Glaeser, Edward Ludwig & Kallal, Hedi D. & Scheinkman, Jose A. & Shleifer, Andrei, 1992. "Growth in Cities," Scholarly Articles 3451309, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    9. Susanne Sweet & Nigel Roome & Patrick Sweet, 2003. "Corporate environmental management and sustainable enterprise: the influence of information processing and decision styles," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(4), pages 265-277, July.
    10. Hellsmark, Hans & Jacobsson, Staffan, 2009. "Opportunities for and limits to Academics as System builders--The case of realizing the potential of gasified biomass in Austria," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5597-5611, December.
    11. Geels, Frank W., 2004. "From sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems: Insights about dynamics and change from sociology and institutional theory," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6-7), pages 897-920, September.
    12. Geels, Frank W., 2002. "Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and a case-study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8-9), pages 1257-1274, December.
    13. Andres Barge-Gil, 2010. "Open, Semi-Open and Closed Innovators: Towards an Explanation of Degree of Openness," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(6), pages 577-607.
    14. Peter Teirlinck & Andre Spithoven, 2008. "The Spatial Organization of Innovation: Open Innovation, External Knowledge Relations and Urban Structure," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(5), pages 689-704.
    15. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    16. Janssen, Maarten & Moors, Ellen H.M., 2013. "Caring for healthcare entrepreneurs — Towards successful entrepreneurial strategies for sustainable innovations in Dutch healthcare," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(7), pages 1360-1374.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. van Geenhuizen, Marina & Ye, Qing, 2014. "Responsible innovators: open networks on the way to sustainability transitions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 28-40.
    2. Rakas, Marija & Hain, Daniel S., 2019. "The state of innovation system research: What happens beneath the surface?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    3. Hellsmark, Hans & Frishammar, Johan & Söderholm, Patrik & Ylinenpää, Håkan, 2016. "The role of pilot and demonstration plants in technology development and innovation policy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(9), pages 1743-1761.
    4. Erlinghagen, Sabine & Markard, Jochen, 2012. "Smart grids and the transformation of the electricity sector: ICT firms as potential catalysts for sectoral change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 895-906.
    5. Filippo Randelli, 2013. "The role of consumers in the transition towards sustainability. The case of food supply," Working Papers - Economics wp2013_14.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    6. Leitch, Aletta & Haley, Brendan & Hastings-Simon, Sara, 2019. "Can the oil and gas sector enable geothermal technologies? Socio-technical opportunities and complementarity failures in Alberta, Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 384-395.
    7. Coenen, Lars & Benneworth, Paul & Truffer, Bernhard, 2012. "Toward a spatial perspective on sustainability transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 968-979.
    8. Edsand, Hans, 2016. "Technological Innovation Systems and the wider context: A framework for developing countries," MERIT Working Papers 2016-017, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    9. Randelli, Filippo, 2015. "The Role Of Consumers In The Transition Towards A Sustainable Food Supply. The Case Of Gruppi Di Acquisto Solidale (Solidarity Purchasing Groups) In Italy," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 3(4), pages 1-12, October.
    10. Mirimoghadam, Mojdeh & Ghazinoory, Sepehr, 2017. "An institutional analysis of technological learning in Iran's oil and gas industry: Case study of south Pars gas field development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 262-274.
    11. Dahesh, Mehran Badin & Tabarsa, Gholamali & Zandieh, Mostafa & Hamidizadeh, Mohammadreza, 2020. "Reviewing the intellectual structure and evolution of the innovation systems approach: A social network analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    12. Grillitsch, Markus, 2017. "Transformation Capacity of the Innovative Entrepreneur: On the interplay between social structure and agency," Papers in Innovation Studies 2017/2, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    13. Strambach, Simone & Pflitsch, Gesa, 2020. "Transition topology: Capturing institutional dynamics in regional development paths to sustainability," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(7).
    14. Pradeep Racherla & Munir Mandviwalla, 2013. "Moving from Access to Use of the Information Infrastructure: A Multilevel Sociotechnical Framework," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 709-730, September.
    15. Philip Cooke, 2009. "The Economic Geography Of Knowledge Flow Hierarchies Among Internationally Networked Medical Bioclusters: A Scientometric Analysis," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 100(3), pages 332-347, July.
    16. Catia Milena Lopes & Annibal José Scavarda & Mauricio Nunes Macedo de Carvalho & André Luis Korzenowski, 2018. "The Business Model and Innovation Analyses: The Sustainable Transition Obstacles and Drivers for the Hospital Supply Chains," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-17, December.
    17. Ron Boschma & Ron Martin, 2010. "The Aims and Scope of Evolutionary Economic Geography," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Roberto Ercole & Robert O'neill, 2017. "The Influence of Agglomeration Externalities on Manufacturing Growth Within Indonesian Locations," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 91-126, March.
    19. Aurélie LALANNE & Guillaume POUYANNE, 2012. "Ten years of metropolization in economics: a bibliometric approach (In French)," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2012-11, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    20. Jorge Gustavo Rodríguez Aboytes & Matthias Barth, 2020. "Learning Processes in the Early Development of Sustainable Niches: The Case of Sustainable Fashion Entrepreneurs in Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-26, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa13p1303. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Gunther Maier (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ersa.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.