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Interest in higher education institutions (HEIs) as instruments for development has increased in recent years. The main objective of this paper is to address the contribution of HEIs to development through their missions, models, and challenges. With this purpose, we perform a historical analysis and characterise higher-education systems through the perspective of university models and missions, noticing relevant aspects regarding the evolution of this institution over time, as well as the transformations undergone. We also consider the main challenges that current higher education systems face in the 21st century. As methodological approaches, we carry out a literature review complemented by a comparative analysis based on data from the higher education systems of ten European countries. The findings show that HEIs can contribute to development through their missions, which are related to the models of higher education. Their first mission (teaching) contributes to improving human capital and attracting highly qualified people to their regions; the second mission (research) improves scientific knowledge which can foster innovative activities; and the third mission (community service) acts as a link between research and business, including patents, business incubators, and collaboration agreements. We also conclude that the challenges of higher education in the 21st century can be categorised essentially in three main areas: (1) globalisation and massification of higher education, as well as the internationalisation of HEIs' missions and diversification of the educational supply to attract new students; (2) new technologies related to the digitalisation of teaching and distance learning; and (3) higher education entrepreneurship, showing the importance of university-company relationships. This paper provides a global setting for a reflection on the role of HEIs in the 21st century, given their connection with society and the need for a more effective contribution to socio-economic development.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of talent in relation to international business to facilitate selection and development of talent in human resources (HR) and human resource development (HRD). Design/methodology/approach: A mixed method design was used: focus groups with business professionals to identify the characteristics of highly talented international business professionals (HTIBP), resulting in a concept profile; Delphi study for validation; systematic comparison of the open coding results to existing literature to identify characteristics of talent. Findings: A specific and concise profile of HTIBP has been developed. This profile has five domains: achieving results; communicating; innovating; self-reflecting; seeing patterns and interrelationships in a global context. From literature cross-referencing, we have identified innovating, being creative and having a drive to achieve results are most distinguishing for HTIBP. Practical implications: The paper facilitates an ongoing discussion about what constitutes talent, and offers new perspectives for companies to consider when selecting and developing talent. Originality/value: The conceptual contribution of the paper offers a fresh and practical empirical perspective on what talent entails.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the feasibility of a conceptual model on relations between organisational innovation, knowledge productivity and social capital. It explores processes of knowledge productivity for sustainable innovation and associated HRD implications in knowledge intensive organisations, taking the perspective that social capital is a key influencing condition. Design/methodology/approach:This qualitative case-study concerned a large-scale innovation project between knowledge-intensive organisations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants from six innovation groups as well as with the project management. Findings: Findings showed that four dimensions of social capital influence knowledge productivity, each requiring a minimum quality to create a rich innovation environment for sustainable results. The relational and cognitive dimensions seem most important, while the action dimension makes them productive. Knowledge productivity appears twofold, i.e. organisational innovation, and professional ability for future innovation. Found are 18 new indicators. Research limitations/implications: Only one large-scale inter-organisational case was conducted. Practical implications: It is suggested that project management, group leaders and HRD officers target social capital as condition for knowledge productivity that should be stimulated, not just by planned interventions, but by "being" there as supporter, coach and mediator. Originality/value: The article contributes to our knowledge about innovations in knowledge-rich organisations, broadens the concept of knowledge productivity, and provides a new framework of social capital as intervention model for HRD. In addition, not often dealt with in literature, the dynamic of innovation is shown.

New approaches are needed to achieve the scale and standard of building retrofit required to meet climate targets. Transition experiments are innovation projects that take a societal challenge as their starting point; they can be both top-down (government led) and bottom-up (civil society led). However, such experiments often remain isolated events that have little impact on delivering systemic change. There is limited knowledge on why this is so and what can be done to increase the success of experiments. The paper therefore compares the top-down approach to piloting Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) in Scotland with the bottom-up strategy used for the Social Innovation Labs for a Zero Energy Housing Stock (SMILE) in the Netherlands. The different approaches are compared using three mechanisms to characterise systemic change: deepening, broadening and scaling up. Using data from interviews with local authority and citizen actors, the paper shows that neither top-down nor bottom-up experiments are sufficient in themselves to foster the new norms, information-sharing or legislative mechanisms needed to reach climate targets. The paper specifies elements of top-down and bottom-up experiments which can usefully be incorporated for achieving systemic change in energy retrofitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the topical issue of R&D tax incentives and their impact on the level of innovation development and macroeconomic stability. The research is based on causality analysis and estimation of the strength, time lags and directions of mutual influence of R&D tax incentives and macro indicators. Systematization literary sources and approaches for solving this problem indicates that R&D tax incentives are studied in fragments in the context of macroeconomic stability. The research's main purpose is to improve the methodological bases of substantiation of the choice of relevant instruments of innovation stimulation considering causal relations of R&D tax incentives and macro indicators. The paper presents the results of dynamic analysis of R&D tax incentives in 13 European countries, for which OECD statistics for 2007-2017 are freely available. The significance, strength, and nature of the relationship between these indicators and the following macro indicators are determined: the level of the country's innovation development, the share of investment in GDP (in general and in the corporate sector in particular), net international investment position, the share of the business sector in the cost structure of R&D. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated depending on the variable subordination to the law of normal distribution (verified by the Shapiro - Wilk test) on the admissible calculation interval taking into account time lags from 0 years to 3 years. The causality of the studied indicators was established using the Granger causality test. The calculations are important for the prioritization of instruments for the implementation of innovation support. The highest priority should be given to the establishment of tax incentives for R&D, as this tool's impact on all studied macro indicators in most countries was direct. Its effect was manifested in the shortest possible time (with a lag of 0-3 years). The second priority should be given to setting hidden rates of business tax subsidies on R&D, as this indicator's impact on most of the studied indicators was statistically significant and direct with a time lag of 0-3 years. The paper substantiates the inefficiency of direct public financial support, as the impact of this indicator on most of the analyzed macro-indicators was reversed with a lag of 0-2 years. Thus, it is more expedient for the state to help entrepreneurs by providing tax benefits to provide innovation development and macro stability than through direct reimbursement of costs. Moreover, lag regression models were built for those countries where identified links were the most important (Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic). They take into account inflation rates and interest rates on long-term liabilities and the number of labour resources in the country as control variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to enrich the discussion on the determinants of training participation and informal learning of scientists and engineers (S&Es). Design/methodology/approach – Tobit analyses on survey data. Findings – The authors find that both formal training and informal learning are particularly related to job and firm characteristics instead of labour supply characteristics. S&Es employed in firms that apply innovative production processes more often participate in formal training, and also benefit from the informal learning potential of their jobs. However, lifelong learning is not triggered in firms with many product innovations. S&Es who are employed in firms that operate on highly competitive markets also participate in formal training less often. The same holds for S&Es employed in small firms, although the latter compensate this by more hours of self-teaching. S&Es employed in jobs that require a high level of technical knowledge more often participate in formal training, whereas those employed in jobs that require more general skills are more involved in informal learning. Furthermore, older S&Es with long firm tenures participate in formal training less often, and have fewer opportunities for learning in their jobs. Therefore, their competence level is at risk. Practical implications – Public policies that stimulate process innovation also appear to prevent skills obsolescence among S&Es. Public policies that aim to diminish labour market shortages of S&Es by discouraging early retirement should particularly take account of the necessity to keep the human capital of older S&Es with long firm tenures up to date. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the literature on the determinants of human capital development by including both formal training and different modes of informal learning; and employee characteristics as well as job and firm characteristics in its analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to empirically study firms' practises of knowledge and intellectual property (IP) management in customer–supplier relationships. The work applies the qualitative methodology of multiple case studies, and the material was collected in semi-structured interviews with management personnel at 36 organisations in Finland and in the Netherlands. Almost every firm had innovation relationships with their customers and suppliers, but the forms these relationships took, and the kinds of practices they involved, varied greatly. As a result, the firms considered the management of knowledge and IP in these relationships very challenging. We argue that by distinguishing knowledge management in the exploration phase of new business from knowledge management in the exploitation phase of innovation outcome, the firms could manage the knowledge and IP better. Accordingly, the paper introduces three propositions to support the knowledge and IP management in customer–supplier relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition that traditional dementia care models fall short for people with dementia and their family caregivers. This has led to a call for new dementia care approaches. In response to this call, innovations in long-term dementia care are taking place both in the community and in residential care. One of these innovations is the care concept called "care farming." Care farms are farms that combine agricultural activities with care and support services for a variety of client groups, including people with dementia. Although the concept is being implemented in an increasing number of countries, the Netherlands and Norway are still front-runners in providing and researching this innovative dementia care approach. Over the last couple of years, several research projects have been carried out in these countries addressing a wide range of issues related to dementia care provision at care farms and using a wide range of research methods. This paper synthesizes the knowledge that has been generated in these research projects. By sharing the knowledge obtained in the Netherlands and Norway, we hope to inspire leaders in healthcare undertaking similar efforts to innovate care for the increasing number of people with dementia. By providing starting-points for future research, we additionally hope to contribute to a research agenda to further advance the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the relationship between knowledge and economic development. The study considers nine countries grouped in three different development models: 1)the Asian model includes Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore; 2) the Anglo-Saxon model includes the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada and 3)the European model includes Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The data was sourced from the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, the PISA reports, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the Global Innovation Index of the World Bank. The Asian group ranked highest for innovation as shown through the applicati on of patents; they also obtained the highest scores in the PISA test. The Anglo Saxon group stood out by having a good institutionalized knowledge system. From the European group, Germany is recognized by its innovation capabilities and the Netherlands by the quality of its higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive impairment occurs in up to 65% of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), negatively affecting daily functioning and health-related quality of life. In general, neuropsychological testing is not part of standard MS-care due to insufficient time and trained personnel. Consequently, a baseline assessment of cognitive functioning is often lacking, hampering early identification of cognitive decline and change within a person over time. To assess cognitive functioning in PwMS in a time-efficient manner, a BICAMS-based self-explanatory digital screening tool called the Multiple Screener©, has recently been developed. The aim of the current study is to validate the Multiple Screener© in a representative sample of PwMS in the Netherlands. Additionally, we aim to investigate how cognitive functioning is related to psychological factors, and both work and societal participation. Methods: In this cross-sectional multicentre study, 750 PwMS (aged 18–67 years) are included. To obtain a representative sample, PwMS are recruited via 12 hospitals across the Netherlands. They undergo assessment with the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Functioning in MS (MACFIMS; reference-standard) and the Multiple Screener©. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for identifying (mild) cognitive impairment are determined in a subset of 300 participants. In a second step, the identified cut-off values are tested in an independent subset of at least 150 PwMS. Moreover, test–retest reliability for the Multiple Screener© is determined in 30 PwMS. Information on psychological and work-related factors is assessed with questionnaires. Discussion: Validating the Multiple Screener© in PwMS and investigating cognition and its determinants will further facilitate early identification and adequate monitoring of cognitive decline in PwMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wavelet analysis is used to examine the wavelet coherence and phase variation in circular economy and emissions in the presence of technological innovation. The findings reveal a time and spectral correlation between them in the short term but an inverse link in the long and medium term. Similarly, the circular economy leads technology innovation in the short term and vice versa in the medium to short term, caused by infrastructure development and business models. The carbon emissions lead technology innovation in the short term and vice versa in the medium run. Furthermore, the existence of technological innovation alters the connection between the circular economy and carbon emissions. The study suggests that upgrading existing infrastructure will enable sectors to produce minimal waste that affects emissions. Technology innovation assists in developing appropriate strategies to solve environmental concerns. The circular economy may be accomplished relatively swiftly and offer greater environmental and economic benefits if businesses and technological developers work together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before World War II, Dutch State Mines, the national, state owned coal corporation, was confronted with major challenges, specifically that foreign coal was sold at dumping prices in the home market. At the same time, coal cleaning needed to be improved in order to offer higher quality coal against lower coal processing costs. In this paper we illustrate how State Mines relied on its innovative capacity in order to overcome the economic, technological and market changes. The coal cleaning innovations at State Mines show how absorptive capacity was of prime importance for the firm's innovative capacity. External knowledge acquisition as well as internal knowledge building proved to be relevant, although the balance changed over time. While initially acquisition and assimilation of external knowledge (potential absorptive capacity) were essential to improve the existing coal cleaning processes, internal knowledge building was needed to come to real improvements in coal cleaning. The establishment of a licensing company was essential to exploit this knowledge. An important feature was that State Mines was always well aware of its lack of capabilities and knowledge and open to search for and learn from knowledge outside its firm boundaries. Moreover, expectations determined the search for external knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the antecedents of ERP use and use of alternative software packages simultaneously. Design/methodology/approach- An exploratory model was composed based on literature on adoption and diffusion of innovations in general and ERP in specific. The model was tested using a sample of 486 Dutch midsized enterprises of the electrical, engineering and metal industries. Using two regression analyses we identify the effect of ERP related factors on ERP adoption and the simultaneous use of alternative software solutions. Findings - ERP adoption is significantly related to ERP complexity (positive), ERP compatibility (negative), IT competence (negative), and ERP sellers' marketing efforts (positive). For the ERP adopters that also use other software packages the following relationships were significant: ERP's additional flexibility, ERP compatibility (positive), IT competence (positive), ERP sellers' marketing efforts (negative), and company size. Research limitations/implications - As any sample, ours is limited and the findings may be validated among other populations. In-depth qualitative research may help gaining deeper insights into actual decision processes. Practical implications - Companies considering investing in ERP are aware of the influence sellers might have; companies should consider alternatives to ERP systems to overcome flexibility problems emanating from ERP use. This will most likely help to maintain their competitive advantage in the marketplace. It will require some internal IT competence to help make the right decisions, i.e. balance need for integration of software and product/service differentiation towards customers. Originality/value - This is the first paper on the issue of the exclusive use of ERP systems versus the simultaneous use of alternative packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of a trend-setting company in the electricity sector in the Netherlands and its innovative response to the combined influence of liberalization and climate change. The company became a first mover through its invention of the concept of green electricity and the development of a new facility for biomass combustion. The successful introduction of these innovative practices was facilitated by corresponding changes in corporate culture and strategy. These changes also enabled the company to develop new networks that bridged gaps in knowledge and gave legitimacy to enable the successful adoption of the new practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Integral obstetric care is currently being implemented in the Netherlands in various models of care. In the Netherlands pregnant women are primarily cared for by midwifes and depending on the obstetrical healthcare plan of the women the gynecologist has a larger or smaller involvement. Short description of practice change implemented: We developed an eHealth application to manage obstetrical healthcare plans based on local protocols. Targeted population and stakeholders: All women participating community and hospital based obstetrical healthcare can make use of this application, to facilitate coordinated protocolized care by multiple professionals and to empower patients to be a partner in deciding on and carrying out their healthcare plan. Aim: The aim of the app is to provide patients and health care providers assistance in administering obstetrical healthcare management plans based on over 50 regional protocols developed by a collaborative of primary and secondary obstetrical caregivers. The app offers an overview for patients and their health care providers. Specific individualized patient information is offered at an appropriate time in pregnancy, allowing patients to access information independently from health care visits. Moreover, healthcare providers receive reminders of appropriate steps in health management plans and have access to actions that previous providers have already discussed or completed. Thereby, the app enhances transfer of complete and up-to-date interdisciplinary patient information, resulting in improved situational awareness and the flexibility to adapt the individuals' healthcare plan accordingly during the pregnancy. Timeline & highlights: The application was implemented in the region Kennemerland in the Netherlands yearly 3000 pregnancies in October 2017. In the third quarter of 2017 we assessed patient and health care provider healthcare satisfaction with a questionnaire on paper. In February and March 2018 we will assess the usability of the app using patient focus groups. Furthermore, we will determine whether the eHealth application has improved the healthcare provider satisfaction and communication. Patient satisfaction cannot yet be reported since as only few women will have completed the full 9-month trajectory of the app. Results will be presented at the congress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Papers in Regional Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Business Economics & Management is the property of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Wageningen Innovation Assessment Tool (WIAT) assesses a company's drivers and barriers to innovation and benchmarks the critical success and failure factors of its innovation projects with data of agrifood prospector companies around the world. The present paper discusses its application in 12 multinational agrifood prospector companies in the Netherlands and France. It is concluded that WIAT by uncovering the tacit knowledge of the innovation project team creates opportunities for substantial improvement of the innovation process, and that agrifood companies should specifically pay attention to market and product related up-front activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the firm dynamics and innovation in the Netherlands with reference to the paper "Productivity Growth, Convergence and Welfare," by W.J. Baumol. Baumol points to four sectors in the economy that contribute to innovation and growth: small firms, large firms, academia and government. According to him, policy makers need to increase firm entry rates and stimulate small businesses. Firms should adopt new methods to serve to increase their productivity. This decision is made by firms weighing costs and benefits of the choice of innovation strategy. One category of policies thus aim at decreasing costs and other category should aim at increasing the expected benefits of the innovative activity.

Background: Implementing innovative health service models in existing service systems is complicated and context dependent. Flexible assertive community treatment (FACT) is a multidisciplinary service model aimed at providing integrated care for people with severe mental illness. The model was developed in the Netherlands and is now used in several countries, such as Norway. The Norwegian service system is complex and fragmented, with challenges in collaboration. Limited research has been performed on FACT teams and other new integrative health service models as part of such systems. However, such knowledge is important for future adjustments of innovation processes and service systems. Our aim was to explore how FACT teams are integrated into the existing formal public service system, how they function and affect the system, and describe some influencing factors to this. We sought to address how service providers in the existing service system experience the functioning of FACT teams in the system. Methods: Five focus group interviews were undertaken 3 years after the FACT teams were implemented. Forty service providers representing different services from both levels of administration (primary and specialist healthcare) from different Norwegian regions participated in this study. Team leaders of the FACT teams also participated. Service providers were recruited through purposeful sampling. Interviews were analysed using thematic text analysis. Results: The analysis revealed five main themes regarding FACT teams: (1) They form a bridge between different services; (2) They collaborate with other services; (3) They undertake responsibility and reassure other services; (4) They do not close all gaps in service systems; and (5) They are part of a service system that hampers their functioning. Conclusions: The FACT teams in this study contributed to positive changes in the existing service system. They largely contributed to less complex and fragmented systems by forming a bridge and undertaking responsibility in the system and by collaborating with and reassuring other services; this has reduced some gaps in the system. The way FACT teams function and needs of the existing system appear to have contributed positively to these findings. However, complexity and fragmentation of the system partly hamper functioning of the FACT teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Under a constrained health care budget, cost-increasing technologies may displace funds from existing health services. However, it is unknown what services are displaced and how such displacement takes place in practice. The aim of our study was to investigate how the Dutch hospital sector has dealt with the introduction of cost-increasing health technologies, and to present evidence of the relative importance of three main options to deal with cost-increases in health care: increased spending, increased efficiency, or displacement of other services.Methods: We conducted six case-studies and interviewed 84 professionals with various roles and responsibilities (practitioners, heads of clinical department, board of directors, insurers, and others) to investigate how they experienced decision making in response to the cost pressure of cost-increasing health technologies. Transcripts were analyzed thematically in Atlas.ti on the basis of an item list.Results: Direct displacement of high-value care due to the introduction of new technologies was not observed; respondents primarily pointed to increased spending and efficiency measures to accommodate the introduction of the cost-increasing technologies. Respondents found it difficult to identify the opportunity costs; partly due to limited transparency in the internal allocation of funds within a hospital. Furthermore, respondents experienced the entry of new technologies and cost-containment as two parallel processes that are generally not causally linked: cost containment was experienced as a permanent issue to level costs and revenues, independent from entry of new technologies. Furthermore, the way of financing was found important in displacement in the Netherlands, especially as there is a separate budget for expensive drugs. This budget pressure was found to be reallocated horizontally across departments, whereas the budget pressure of other services is primarily reallocated vertically within departments or divisions. Respondents noted that hospitals have reacted to budget pressures primarily through a narrowing in the portfolio of their services, and a range of (other) efficiency measures. The board of directors is central in these processes, insurers are involved only to a limited extent.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that new technologies were generally accommodated by greater efficiency and increased spending, and that hospitals sought savings or efficiency measures in response to cumulative cost pressures rather than in response to single cost-increasing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation projects are prone to 'escalation of commitment' (the tendency to continue projects even if it is clear that they will be unsuccessful). In this study, we introduce a construct measuring the escalation prevention potential (EPP) of innovation projects as perceived by individuals in the organization. EPP consists of three components: (i) goals, (ii) process, and (iii) ability, to shield projects from escalation to commitment. A survey was conducted among 1062 clinicians working in hospitals implementing Electronic Medical Records. The empirical results show that the three theoretical components of EPP sum up to a single measure. Four organizational characteristics of organizations (organizational routines, authentic leadership, employee involvement and support staff quality) explain a large share of the variation in EPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the introduction of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in 2011, mainly by commercial companies, a growing demand for NIPT from the public and healthcare professionals has been putting pressure on the healthcare systems of various countries. This study identifies the challenges of establishing a responsible implementation of NIPT for aneuploidy in prenatal healthcare, by looking at the Netherlands.Methods: A mixed methods approach involving 13 stakeholder interviews, document analysis and (participatory) observations of the Dutch NIPT Consortium meetings were used. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory and a Network of Actors model were used to interpret the findings.Results: Implementation of NIPT was facilitated by several factors. The set-up of a national NIPT Consortium enabled discussion and collaboration between stakeholders. Moreover, it led to the plan to offer NIPT through a nationwide research setting (TRIDENT studies), which created a learning phase for careful implementation. The Dutch legal context was perceived as a delaying factor, but eventually gave room for the parties involved to organise themselves and their practices.Conclusions: This study shows that implementing advanced technologies with profound effects on prenatal care benefit from a learning phase that allows time to carefully evaluate the technical performance and women's experiences and to enable public debate. Such a coordinated learning phase, involving all stakeholders, will stimulate the process of responsible and sustainable implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Gaming simulation allows decision-makers to experiment with sociotechnical systems, similar to computer simulation. However, the value of these tools in comparison with each other remains uncertain, especially when focusing on their real-life application in systemic innovation processes.Aim. This article builds a framework based on the literature related to innovation of complex systems in a multi-actor environment and intends to use this framework to differentiate between the value of computer simulation and gaming simulation in innovation processes.Method. Using a case study of the introduction of gaming simulation to ProRail, the Dutch railway infrastructure manager, this article explores the advantages and disadvantages of using the two tools in situations where radical innovations need to be invented, explored, tested, and implemented in an incumbent system.Results.Computer simulations, as closed exercises, allow for more radical innovations to be studied. The openness of gaming sessions as well as the need for gamers to interact with a recognizable system inhibit the use of gaming simulation in envisioning radical innovations. However, they are more suitable for the joint commissioning of research and the stepwise testing of small-scale improvements. Gaming simulation is therefore a more appropriate tool for planning a concerted transition in a multi-actor setting.Conclusion.Computer simulation better allows for the building of experimental niches, and gaming simulation better helps in the concerted planning of the implementation of innovations. The article ends with concrete directions for further research as well as ideas about combining the two tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the space between the theories of the Diffusion of Innovations and Universal Darwinism, we first examine a case study of the history of the greenhouse horticulture sector of the Netherlands, comparing and contrasting the narrow focus of Diffusion of Innovations and the wider focus of Universal Darwinism. We then build an agent-based model using elements of both in order to test how well the Diffusion of Innovations theory holds up when some of its simplifications are removed. Results show that the single, simple pattern prominent in Diffusions of Innovations theory does emerge, but that it is only one of several patterns and that it does not behave precisely as expected. Results also show agent properties, such as stubbornness or innovativeness, can be surprisingly complex, as when stubbornness shows an advantage in the long term, while innovativeness was beneficial to the network but not to the innovator. While the Diffusion of Innovations theory is simple and can easily guide policy decisions, this paper shows that adding complexity to place diffusions inside a larger evolutionary context results in more realistic analysis and can help policy-makers to achieve challenging goals amidst modern economic and political challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is of vital importance, not only to commercial companies, but also to governments. For the Dutch, innovation in the field of water management is even a matter of survival, because much of their country lies below sea level. An evaluation of a water innovation program carried out by the Dutch government, using the cyclic innovation model, shows that there is a broad understanding of innovation, that innovators see innovation as a significant break from the "old" and recognize the connection between innovation and future developments, but that, on the other hand, the innovation processes in the innovation program are quite informal, that outside partners are involved sufficiently adhere to the new paradigm of "open innovation, and that the connection with top management at Rijkswaterstaat (as part of the Ministry of In-structure and Environment) could be improved. It is advised, among others, to make a clear distinction between projects and innovation processes, and to adopt a contingency approach to make that different types of innovations (incremental versus radical) are managed differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the literature on intellectual property protection focuses on patenting and neglects alternatives, such as registered designs and copyrights. The literature that includes these alternatives generally treats them as nominal alternatives, and ignores the fact that copyrights are cheaper and easier to obtain than patents or registered designs, which would make it more sensible to treat them as ordinal. However, this ordinal behaviour could not be confirmed on the Dutch 2006 Community Innovation Survey dataset. Treating our protection variable as multinomial confirmed the influences on patenting found in the literature, but showed registered designs and copyrights to behave differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of external and internal scale economies on the decision to start exporting and the level of exports of innovating firms. Based on new trade theory, increasing returns to scale-both internal and external scale economies-are considered an important source of comparative and competitive advantage. The empirical analysis of (small) innovating firms in The Netherlands leads to two main findings. First, firms that are located in technical Marshallian clusters seem less inclined to become exporters. Availability of technical knowledge alone does not help to reduce entry costs that come with the decision to export and/or marketing and sales costs in order to achieve a higher export performance. Second, firms that experience difficulties in appropriating innovation rents due to labour poaching also seem to be less inclined to become exporters. The explanation for this second finding is the importance of outgoing knowledge spillovers, which is particularly relevant for small, product innovating firms. This reduces their probability to export. However, if firms export, the knowledge leaking argument is not valid for the export performance of the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition management is a new concept for long-term policy design for the reflexive governance of socio-technical systems. It has recently attracted attention beyond its original context, the Netherlands. Yet, considering the local origins of transition management, it is also valid to question whether its assumptions concerning the governance of long-term transitions ‘travel well’. This article aims to explore early experiences of transferring the transition management model into the Finnish context on the basis of two case studies in different sectors. We suggest that the policy design changes when it is moved to another country and identify factors that influence the outcome of the transfer process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creativity is central in stimulating economic growth in cities, regions and advanced capitalist economies in general. There is, of course, no one-to-one relation of the number of firms in creative industries to economic growth. Innovation is a key mechanism explaining the relationship of creative industries with economic performance. Based on an empirical study in the Netherlands we explore the effect of creative industries on innovation, and ultimately on employment growth in cities. In the Netherlands the three specific domains of creative industries - arts, media and publishing, and creative business services - make up 9 per cent of the business population. Drawing on survey data we find that firms in creative industries are indeed relatively innovative. Yet substantial differences are found across the three domains: firms in the arts domain are clearly less innovative, most likely due to a different (less market-oriented) dominant ideology. In addition, firms in creative industries located in urban areas are more innovative than their rural counterparts. We go on to analyse how the concentration of creative industries across cities is connected with employment growth. With the exception of the metropolitan city of Amsterdam, we find no measurable spill-over effect from creative industries. The presence of the creative class (in all kinds of industries other than creative ones) appears to be a much stronger driver of employment growth than creative industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impelled by a crisis in Dutch horticulture in the early 1930s, two Dutch food preserving companies, Hero and De Betuwe, decided to start producing non-alcoholic drinks made from fruits and vegetables. Different kinds of knowledge were needed for this radical innovation. Innovation trajectories were established and knowledge was incorporated, but the knowledge sources and 'knowledge filters' of the two companies were very different. Hero's Swiss parent played an important role in transferring Swiss knowledge of production techniques to its Dutch subsidiary company. De Betuwe, on the other hand, mainly relied on knowledge provided by the existing Dutch horticultural innovation network. While succeeding in the soft drink market was to a certain degree a competition between publicly available knowledge and private knowledge, in the end both companies succeeded in producing a comparable product, but their routes to success were different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]