Innovation Systems / Systèmes d'innovation

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    Towards a more effective innovation promotion : learning lessons from the Bio-N fertilizer experience; a policy brief
    (2011-04)
    Concerted efforts to reorient farmers’ perceptions about the positive effects of biofertilizers on productivity and income are needed, as farmers have typically been conditioned to the advantages of chemical input– intensive green revolution technology. Many farmers revealed that they did not know how to use Bio-N, and discarded the Bio-N packets given to them; they were not provided with information or training about the innovation. Policy recommendations are made in this brief towards harnessing BioN’s poverty alleviation, food security and climate change adaptation potentials, and helping create an enabling environment for better operation and collaboration between innovation system domain actors.
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    Introduction to special issue : interactions between public research organisations and industry in Latin America; a study on channels and benefits from the perspective of firms and researchers
    (Beech Tree Publishing, 2010)
    This special issue discusses the relative effectiveness of different channels of interaction between public research organisations (PROs) and industry in driving specific types of benefits for researchers and firms in Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico). The empirical evidence comes from original micro-data collected through similar questionnaires sent to the managers of firms and PRO researchers in each country. The richness of this special issue results from its origin: it emerges as a joint motivation to understand a key aspect of PRO–industry interactions through the relationship between channels and benefits.
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    Channels, benefits and risks of public–private interactions for knowledge transfer: conceptual framework inspired by Latin America
    (Beech Tree Publishing, 2010) Arza, Valeria
    There are both benefits and risks involved in interactions between public research organisations (PROs) and industry. This paper proposes a conceptual framework that associates firms’ and PROs’ motivations, channels of interaction and benefits. It suggests that each channel triggers predominant types of benefits and claims that policy-making to support PRO–industry (PRO-I) interactions should be selective. Policy design must take into consideration the skill-related characteristics of the actors, and the characteristics of the interaction channels in order to achieve the best possible balance between the benefits and risks of PRO-I interactions. The geographical focus of the discussion is Latin America.
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    Academy-industry links in Brazil: evidence about channels and benefits for firms and researchers
    (Beech Tree Publishing, 2010)
    Knowledge flows between universities, public research institutes and firms may take various channels according to agents’ motivations and expected benefits. Models were estimated to investigate which channels of interaction lead to which benefits for firms, universities and research institutes in Brazil. Bi-directional channels are shown to be particularly relevant, yielding both innovative and productive benefits for the firms and intellectual and economic benefits for the universities. As for interactions between firms and research institutes, bi-directional channels are the most important in terms of intellectual benefits for the researchers and innovative benefits for the firms. These findings seem to confirm the dual role of the universities, versus a more focused one for the research institutes, and raise policy issues. Moreover, a negative correlation between investment in internal research and development and productive benefits for the firms was found, indicating that the expected benefits of public expenditure are not turning into innovation.
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    Interactions between public research organisations and industry in Argentina
    (Beech Tree Publishing, 2010)
    There are various channels for the exchange of knowledge between public research organisations (PROs) and industry (I). This paper discusses the relative effectiveness of different channels in Argentina. We use micro-data from surveys on firms and researchers to confirm that specific channels of PRO-I interactions are predominantly associated with specific types of benefits. While the service channel is effective for driving the benefits for researchers, the traditional channel does so for firms. However, we find that only the bi-directional channel ensures long-term benefits simultaneously for both actors. Moreover, we show that firms’ innovative capabilities and researchers’ knowledge skills interfere in the channels–benefits relationship. Therefore, the promotion of PRO-I interactions should be designed in accordance with the types of benefits being targeted and should take account of the knowledge characteristics of the actors involved in the interaction.
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    Channels of interaction between public research organisations and industry and their benefits: evidence from Mexico
    (Beech Tree Publishing, 2010) Dutrénit, Gabriela; De Fuentes, Claudia; Torres, Arturo
    The process of knowledge transfer between public research organisations and industry occurs through multiple channels of interaction, however, there are differences in terms of the benefits that the agents perceive. Based on micro-data, this paper explores which channels are the most effective for triggering different benefits perceived by researchers and firms involved in such interactions in Mexico. The results suggest that researchers obtain intellectual benefits from the bi-directional and the traditional channels. Firms obtain benefits related to production activities and innovation strategies from the bidirectional and the services channels, while the traditional channel only provides production-related benefits. These results raise different policy issues. First, fostering the bi-directional channel could contribute to building virtuous circles. Secondly, it is necessary to align the incentives to foster other channels of interaction. Thirdly, a change in the researchers’ incentives is required to induce new benefits from interactions.
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    Quality of interactions between public research organisations and firms: lessons from Costa Rica
    (Beech Tree Publishing, 2010)
    Interactions between public research organisations (PROs) and firms may contribute to innovation and production-related benefits for firms and intellectual and economic benefits for researchers. This paper studies the impact of different channels (traditional, bi-directional, services and commercial) on the benefits received by firms and researchers in Costa Rica. We conclude that the traditional channel may generate benefits related to firms’ short-term production activities and also their long-term innovation activities. However, it is not relevant to explaining the benefits for researchers. Strengthening collaboration networks using the traditional channel seems to be the mechanism to improve the contribution of PROs to innovation in industry. Contrary to expectations, the bi-directional channel is not significant in explaining the intellectual benefits for researchers, but it helps to explain the economic benefits for researchers and also both types of benefits for firms. Thus, it does not explain the quality of interactions from the researcher’s point of view, but it explains it for firms.
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    Channels and benefits of interactions between public research organisations and industry: comparing four Latin American countries
    (Beech Tree Publishing, 2010)
    This paper compares the results of four country studies (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico) on the relative effectiveness of channels of interactions between public research organisations (PROs) and industry in driving specific types of benefits for researchers and firms. All studies used micro-datasets developed by a joint project using common questionnaires. Channels of interactions were classified into four groups (traditional, services, bi-directional and commercial) while benefits were classified into two groups for firms (short-term production and long-term innovation) and for researchers (economic and intellectual). It is found that the bi-directional (knowledge flows in both directions) and the services (knowledge flows mainly from PROs to firms) channels drive intellectual benefits for researchers. Firms tend to value the traditional channel (i.e. graduates, publications, conferences) more than any other channel. However, it is the bi-directional channel that drives the best benefits, especially those related to contributions to innovation activities.
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    Innovation Systems in sub-Saharan Africa and innovation indicators
    (2010-09)
    The presentation reflects on components of innovation systems and innovation system frameworks, including a bias towards the manufacturing sector. Coexistence of a formal sector with a large and growing informal sector is characteristic of innovation in South Africa. Design, engineering and associated management capabilities can play a direct and critical role in adapting and modifying specifications for integration into processes and products. This can be considered a link between new knowledge, and production of goods and services.
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    Interaction between Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Indicators and the STI Policy Agenda
    (2010-09)
    The presentation analyzes how STI Indicators may adversely affect policy, and articulates how African countries could be enabled to shape directions of change in the technologies they use. The statistics/indicators problem has involved a process of socio-institutional shaping of the statistical technology, with a reflexive movement which serves the interests of those same institutions. In terms of “developing countries” the technology transfer process was usually embedded in a specific type of national institutional context. The ‘real world’ of STI systems in developing countries was built to fit the imported models, maps and ‘blueprints’ created for statistical enumeration.
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    OECD Innovation Strategy and the Development Agenda
    (2010-09) Gault, Fred
    The presentation emphasizes that the activity of innovation is not an isolated event. A systems approach is implicit in the OECD Innovation Strategy and the Oslo Manual, as innovation requires support through policy and promotion. Knowledge about innovation policy for development needs to be improved, including changing the ways innovation is promoted, measured and discussed.
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    Indicators of Science, Technology and Innovation Presenation
    (2010-09) Gault, Fred
    This presentation provides valuable references to various manuals/guidelines that can discriminate differences between indicators, such as those for Research and Development, and those that apply to Science and Technology. The reference manuals can provide guidelines for the collection and interpretation of data and for international comparisons of data, statistics and indicators. At the same time, these standards are supported by an international infrastructure. Manuals provide a language of discourse and behave as codified knowledge. Patents; Technological Balance of Payments; Human Resources for Science and Technology; Bibliometrics; Innovation Systems, and others provide standardized indicators from which to analyze diverse levels of innovation.
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    Building the knowledge base for innovation
    (2010-09)
    The presentation focuses on innovation systems and knowledge generation/knowledge ecology. Innovating out of poverty requires supportive mechanisms such as: Financial services facilitating linkages; Money transfer; Banking services; Insurance; Empowering the unbanked (women). Knowledge policy is not just education policy. Knowledge creation, transmission and use is part of innovation systems.
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    Innovation Strategies and the Role for Indicators
    (2010-09) Gault, Fred
    The presentation focuses on innovation strategies in terms of South Africa’s goals for economic growth. Indicators can support monitoring, benchmarking, evaluation, foresight and research. The presentation provides a broad review of activities that can support innovation.
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    Challenges of Building Africa's Innovation Systems
    (2010-09) Muchie, Mammo
    The presentation provides clarification of aspects of innovation systems as they apply in the African context. It describes characteristics of emergent innovation systems and innovation drivers and actors. Ideas about the integration of Africa or of creating an Africa nation can themselves be considered as dynamic innovation systems requiring systemic approaches to understanding and creating knowledge in interaction with policies, institutions, system of innovation actors, and incentives. Innovation at the community level would require establishment of a Community Innovation System (CIS) to promote development from the bottom, not just from the state and business.
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    Data gathering and developing and using innovation indicators
    (2010-09) Kahn, Michael
    There are headline grabbing innovations such as cassette tape to CD to iPod. But it is the softer innovations that really matter: Clean water, Quality mass education, Safe and reliable mass transport systems, Clean and affordable food, Quality primary health care. Innovation involves ‘novelty’ – what exactly does this mean? The presentation analyzes how and what data and statistics measure; what underpins a measure (for example patenting and legal frameworks); ‘Research and Development’ and its link with economic growth. It reviews some ways of measuring growth and innovation, along with how various indicators can be generated and graphically displayed for ranking.
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    Role of design and engineering in African innovation systems-building
    (2010-09) Bell, Martin
    Engineering overlaps with design, but extends towards the realisation of specifications into concrete realities along with various kinds of ‘project management.’ Innovation systems are seen as part of the purposeful and explicit function of public policy. Design and engineering activities (and hence underlying capabilities) constitute a key ‘core’ of science, technology and innovation (STI) systems, especially in Africa. However, those activities and capabilities are woefully neglected in policy analysis and policy practice concerned with building African STI systems.
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    Development of an innovation strategy : experiences from Africa
    (2010-09) Gault, Fred
    The presentation analyzes innovation strategies and how to build an innovation strategy in the context of African countries. An innovation strategy or policy is an intention of government to influence the activity of innovation for a reason, such as jobs and growth. It may or may not include targets. An example is a tax policy to promote capital investment in ICTs.
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    Innovation Insights from Projects in African Countries
    (2010-10) Gault, Fred
    Implementation connects innovation to the market. The presentation focuses on user innovation in African countries, with several case studies: Innovation on farms; Telephone/mobile banking; User innovation in firms; Innovation in the informal sector (street vendors).
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    Building African Capacity in Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators
    (2012-03) Gault, Fred
    The aim was capacity building, with training of approximately 35 researchers, practitioners and junior- to mid-level policy makers in the use and application of science, technology and innovation (STI) indicators. Four case study teams were supported, one in Mozambique, one in Senegal and two in South Africa. Research capacity building strengthened research networks through conferences and access to further education. The reports on innovation in the informal economy, in agriculture, in firms that are user innovators, and in the diffusion of telephone banking and related financial services have common threads in knowledge creation and approaches to knowledge sharing.