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This study investigates the interplay of formal and informal institutional constraints on firm innovation, using data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey in Tunisia. We examine how these factors shape the innovation landscape using a probit specification. We show that government system constraints amplify imitative behavior, categorizing firms into imitators, innovators, and innovation pretenders. Conversely, legal system constraints act as a deterrent to innovation, increasing the likelihood of firms assuming the role of innovation pretenders while diminishing the probability of true innovation. The study also highlights the adverse impact of commercial bribery on a firm's innovation, both independently and by influencing the effects of government and legal system constraints. Emphasizing the need for a dynamic legislative framework that actively supports innovation evolution, the study advocates for an environment conducive to sustained technological progress and societal well-being. Incorporating these insights into policymaking is deemed essential for cultivating a socially responsible, global innovation ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lebanon faces several social, political, and economic challenges delaying the efforts to develop a sustainable economy and inclusive society. The advancement of the knowledge economy is critical to the future economic prosperity of Lebanon. This paper aims to scrutinize the state of the knowledge-based economy in Lebanon, focusing on five pillars, such as education and human capital, entrepreneurship, innovation system, economic and institutional regime, and information and communications technology (ICT), and to present recommendations for future action. The methodology is based on semi-structured face-to-face and phone interviews with stakeholders using two questionnaires. The paper finds that the process of transitioning towards a knowledge-based economy in Lebanon is influenced by two contrasting factors: the education system and the entrepreneurship culture, on the one hand, and the country's political turmoil, on the other. Indeed, moving toward a knowledge-based economy in Lebanon is supported by its highly qualified and multilingual human resources, which is an outcome of the reliable educational system and reinforced by a robust entrepreneurial spirit. However, several issues, such as weak ICT infrastructure, incompetent public institutions, and the brain drain, hinder the transition to a knowledge-based economy. These results help clarify and critically analyze the present state of the knowledge-based economy in Lebanon, which has various policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the metaverse may represent the line between the most avant-garde innovations of the present and the possible development potential of the next years. The present article aims to show for the first time the potential that this innovative technological opportunity offers in the coming years. By looking at the current state of knowledge and, above all, with the help of empirical evidence from the metaverse's main application business cases in the food sector, it is possible to understand how food companies can survive in the increasingly fierce world competition. The considerations that derive from the observation of these corporate excellent examples highlight that it is increasingly necessary to strategically invest in all three dimensions of sustainability, but also in novel new technological innovations. So, from the analysis of the most important available case studies, it is clear that metaverse is definitely a very particular innovation capable of opening up new and sustainable economic opportunities for companies in the food industry. At the current state of research, there are no comparable studies on this topic, especially in agri-food systems. Yet, this is only a starting point for further research in the future. Nonetheless, we can already recognize the strategic potential of virtual universes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring innovation accurately and efficiently is crucial for policymakers to encourage innovation activity. However, the established indicator landscape lacks timeliness and accuracy. In this study, we focus on the country of Mauritius that is transforming its economy towards the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. We seek to extend the knowledge base on innovation activity and the status quo of innovation in Mauritius by applying an unsupervised machine learning approach. Building on previous work on new experimental innovation indicators, we combine recent advances in web mining and topic modeling and address the following research questions: What are potential areas of innovation activity in the ICT sector of Mauritius? Furthermore, do web mining and topic modeling provide sufficient indicators to understand innovation activities in emerging countries? To answer these questions, we apply the natural language processing (NLP) technique of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to ICT companies' website text data. We then generate topic models from the scraped text data. As a result, we derive seven categories that describe the innovation activities of ICT firms in Mauritius. Albeit the model approach fulfills the requirements for innovation indicators as suggested in the Oslo Manual, it needs to be combined with additional metrics for innovation, for example, with traditional indicators such as patents, to unfold its potential. Furthermore, our approach carries methodological implications and is intended to be reproduced in similar contexts of scarce or unavailable data or where traditional metrics have demonstrated insufficient explanatory power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of an innovation system, how it works and how to achieve high performance, represents a significant management challenge. As in any complex system, in an innovation system it is mandatory to operate with a clear idea of the various key elements and relationships in the system, what constitutes the emerging properties of the system and to identify effective channels to influence the performance of such a system. Bearing this in mind, we adopt a systemism approach, applying the principles of Mario Bunge's CESM metamodel. We suggest a new generic model that can be adapted to fit many different aspects of real-life innovation decision making. An important objective for this generic model is to combine all critical internal and external systemic factors, i.e., to depict all critical nodes and interaction processes between subsystems (internal factors) and all critical nodes and interactions processes with the broader innovation ecosystem (external factors). Another key objective was to establish a model suitable for communication and decision making that is compatible with the key terms and the definitions in the new ISO 56000 standard on innovation management. The paper defines the main elements of a generic innovation model and exemplifies the potential usefulness of the model by showcasing three distinct applications. We hope that our new systemism model could be an additional tool for better strategic management with respect to emerging properties of knowledge dynamics, risk assessment and mitigation, and the monitoring and continuous improvement of critical innovation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an indicator for identifying innovation clusters that transcend traditional sectoral taxonomies and integrate the creation and use of knowledge in regional economic systems. Such clusters can be expected, based on the literature, to provide fertile ground for feedback mechanisms between knowledge supply and demand, hence contributing to circular cumulative growth dynamics through interactive learning. However, when it comes to operationalising the study of innovation, the creation and use of knowledge have been treated as distinct processes in related work. It is this gap that this paper seeks to address. Applying principal component analysis on location quotients of manufacturing employment data and patent microdata for 152 EU regions, we generate a mapping of co-located innovation-related activity that highlights the complex techno-economic structures of regional economies. Our analysis reveals clusters which include industries traditionally labelled as 'high-tech', as well as clusters that reflect centuries-old trajectories of geographically concentrated production specialisation. This research sheds new light on the co-location of innovation-related activity in regional economies and provides insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to foster innovation and economic development in the context of evolving knowledge and production eco-systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of university-industry collaboration is extensively studied at the firm and regional levels. Although collaboration is considered a source of competitive advantage for universities and industry, no studies are conducted internationally. However, many studies recommended that university-industry collaboration can affect economic growth, but the effect of university-industry R&D collaboration still needs to be tested in the international context. The triple helix concept suggests collaboration impacts economic growth, but its mechanism has yet to be explained extensively. This study aimed to investigate the causal effect of the university-industry R&D collaboration on economic growth through capital formation and human capital, which are variables of the endogenous growth model. Baron and Kenny's approach with fixed effect regression is applied. The result suggests that the university-industry R&D collaboration significantly and positively affects economic growth through capital formation. There is no such indirect effect in high and upper-middle-income countries separately. For 124 country panel data, we found a significant indirect impact of the university-industry R&D collaboration on log of real GDP per capita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisational competitive advantage is highly dependent on the ability to innovate and knowledge is a key component of innovation. Our understanding of knowledge processes and mechanisms is an emerging field of study and consequently, an understanding of how micro-level, knowledge governance mechanisms can assist in managing knowledge for innovation has received limited attention in the literature. Projects have additional difficulty being innovative due to their temporality and focus on their immediate performance rather than on building capability. This qualitative case study research explores the role of knowledge governance in contributing to better management of knowledge in the context of an innovation project in a government-owned, water utility in Queensland, Australia. This research contributes to the existing literature by bringing together insights from knowledge management, knowledge governance and innovation frameworks which culminated in a new knowledge-based innovation framework. The research further demonstrates how two knowledge governance mechanisms—trust and energy—influence the innovation process to make innovative outcomes more effective through the creation and transfer of new knowledge from projects to the organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exists ample literature on the effect of democracy on innovation, with mix results. The present study includes the variable good governance, to study its potential effect on innovation. The research main goal consists in building upon and going beyond existing research dedicated to fostering innovation by identifying key good governance indicators at a country and supranational level, and their potential synergies and interactions with variables that complete the new model. The methodology used for the statistical analysis is based on Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), due to the exploratory nature of the study. The research analyzes interactions between good governance indicators, innovation, education, and democracy, along with gross domestic product per capita as a mediating variable. The findings reveal that good governance, education, and gross domestic product indicators have a positive effect on innovation within EU countries and supranational government-controlled institutions. Furthermore, the research identifies the mediation role of gross domestic product between good governance and innovation as well as between education and innovation and the critical role of management to promote good governance and innovation. Based on these findings and the study limitations, the research proposes specific policies to promote innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the effects of captive offshoring on firm innovation have increasingly become a subject of study, the literature did so far not distinguish between the effects on introducing innovation as opposed to the effects their market diffusion. This distinction is important. By integrating insights from the innovation diffusion literature, we argue that the effects of captive offshoring on home base innovation are likely to differ between the generation and the diffusion phases. Using a matched employer-employee panel dataset drawn from consecutive waves of the Swedish Community Innovation Survey (CIS) between 2009 and 2015, it is shown that captive offshoring, as measured by the share of employees at foreign locations, has an inverted u-shape effect on innovation propensity (with positive effects for the average firm). In contrast, employment offshoring does not, on average, affect the rate of diffusion as measured by the share of turnover from new products. For firms with more novel product innovations, the effects are even negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer participation is an external knowledge source that could be used for enterprise innovation. However, extant studies on the effect of customer participation are inconsistent, casting doubt on what success factors affect customer participation innovation performance. With customers and employees increasingly forming enterprise's collaborative team and their interaction of knowledge shaping a knowledge collaboration network, micro-individual factors become vital. Drawing on complex network and evolutionary game theory, this study explores the effects of dynamic strategy (cooperation choice) and updating network structure (network rewiring) towards customer participation innovation performance. Based on multiagent simulation method, a knowledge collaboration network model was built to characterize the process of customer's interaction with employees, with statistical measures, i.e., average knowledge, knowledge increase rate, knowledge standard deviation rate of the customer, employee, and the total, respectively. Through the comparison and analysis of the effects of dynamic strategy and updating network structure, this study concludes the following: (1) the cooperation decades over time when the initial cooperation rate is less than half; (2) a higher cooperation rate benefits innovation; (3) dynamic strategy proceeds fixed strategy; however, when strategy is dynamic but is updated fast, innovation falls; (4) updating network structure is superior to fixed structure, and when team members could update their network ties fast, innovation gets higher level; and (5) however, when both strategy and network structure could be updated fast, innovation level performs better than other cases. Accordingly, innovation team managers need to give team members a chance to update connections and coordinate the updating frequency of strategy and structure properly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfirm network can provide enhanced access to competitive resources and capabilities in an innovation ecosystem. This study uses a simulation approach to explore the impact of interfirm network structures on the creation of innovations. Based on the network structure theory, this study tests different network structures and knowledge exchange rules and their impact on the process of innovation creation. The simulation results show that a random network structure is more effective in promoting innovation creation and a mixture knowledge trade rule (a combination of barter rule and gift rule) is better for the focus firms for innovation creation in innovation ecosystems. Implications for building innovation efficient ecosystems are then discussed for better innovation management in the era of the knowledge economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean countries face common challenges in adapting their agro-systems to climate change and demographic threats. It is on this basis that ARIMNet (Agricultural Research in the Mediterranean Network) programme was implemented by 15 Euro-Mediterranean partners to foster agricultural research and innovation with the support of two successive grants from the European Commission. Our work aims to evaluate the impact of this collaborative work of 10 years over the period (2008–2017) on the implementation of a EURO-MED Research and Innovation Area. Considering ARIMNet as the first regional experience of joint programming and co-funding, it has allowed the funding of 46 research projects in the Mediterranean region with a budget of €25 M. The carried survey with coordinators shows that ARIMNet activities have a positive effect on regional networking, mobility, scientific production, innovation and the construction of a regional common vision regarding societal challenges regarding food security and sustainable agriculture. This transnational programme has consolidated collaboration between EU-MED policymakers and impacted as well national research governance in South Mediterranean countries, as stated by the questionnaire sent to partners from these countries. The ARIMNet experience inspired the current PRIMA initiative (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) which represents a step ahead for the reinforcement of the scientific Euro-Mediterranean collaboration in agriculture. The lessons learned from ARIMNet can benefit the Mediterranean and other regions in developing future common science and technology-based approaches to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the comparative analysis of different attributes of Google and Facebook business model and their novel features for handling innovative business framework. We have compared Google and Facebook business model on different key attributes and also discussed the statistical analysis of business models using Google business analytics platform. We have argued performance analysis of these models. One important point which we discuss and analyze in this paper is that a business model is not about just building revenue generating machine, but it is indeed more than that. It explores the strategy and business approaches of both the models of revenue generating line of attacks. Our research contributes a considerate understanding of Google and Facebook architectural model and its influence on business framework. Statistical enactment and results are analyzed, precisely when big data and media are applied. This paper also provides better understanding of the digital marketplace for both of the platforms and its earning methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of knowledge application and digital marketing on innovation and sustainable performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector in an emerging market. It also examines the role of innovation as a mediating factor in the relationship between knowledge application and digital marketing on the sustainable performance of manufacturing SMEs. The Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to analyse the data from 428 Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. The results show that knowledge application indirectly affects the sustainable performance of manufacturing SMEs through innovation in partial mediation. In contrast, digital marketing indirectly affects the sustainable performance of manufacturing SMEs through innovation in full mediation. Manufacturing SMEs fulfil their responsibility to sustainably improve the safety and health of their employees in the course of their business while focusing on innovation in new product development and new business creation. They also promote awareness and protection of community entitlements and rights and reduce environmental impacts and risks to the community. This empirical study is unique in that it highlights the significant mediating role of innovation on the sustainable performance of manufacturing SMEs, which was examined in the empirical context of Malaysia's emerging market economy. The finding complements previous research conducted mainly in developed (Western) economies. In terms of practical contributions, this study helps SMEs realise the importance of innovation through frequent experimentation with new ideas to maintain consistent innovation and competitive advantage in a challenging business environment. Directions for future research are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question of the impact of demand reductions on firms' concentration of innovation investments. Evidence is drawn from the PITEC database, which includes a stable panel of firms yearly surveyed in the 2006–2013 period. Controlling for selection, firms in the sample are found, following a demand decrease, to reduce the number of innovation investment categories. The effect of demand decreases is stronger for small firms. No evidence is found of exporting being a moderator of the relationship between demand fluctuations and the concentration of innovation investments. These findings suggest that downturns reduce the diversity in the innovation of firms, which could potentially have long-lasting effects on their innovation activities, and, ultimately, on their competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines and distinguishes the impact of innovation input, innovation output, and energy consumption in two distinct groups of countries classified by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). It contributes to the literature by taking innovation in disaggregate form as innovation input index and innovation output index instead of a single proxy variable. Innovation input has a higher positive impact in developing countries as compared to developed countries, whereas innovation output has a higher positive impact in developed countries as compared to developing countries. It also validates the findings of the new trade theory of Krugman (NTTK) along with the technology push model of innovation. The findings are based on the system generalized method of moments (GMM) to avoid endogeneity, simultaneity, and short panel data issues. The study re-confirms that innovation spurs exports of goods and services. Energy consumption and foreign direct investment (FDI) have a higher impact on exports in developing countries as compared to developed countries. However, the impact of the real effective exchange rate (REER) is less important for developing countries as compared to developed countries. The study suggests a greater emphasis on innovation input, energy consumption, and FDI by developing countries to catch up with the developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaining more insights on how R&D&i subsidies are allocated is highly relevant for companies and policymakers. This article provides new evidence of the identification of some key drivers for companies participating in R&D&i project selection processes. It extends the existing literature by providing insight based on sophisticated, accurate methodology. A metaheuristic optimization algorithm is employed to select the most useful variables. Their importance is then ranked using a machine learning process, namely a random forest. A sample of 1252 cases of R&D&i subsidies is used for more than 800 companies based in Spain between 2014 and 2018. The study contributes by providing useful knowledge into how the value of received subsidies are associated with some firm characteristics. The findings allow the implementation of transparent public innovation policies and the reduction of the gap between the aspects that are considered important and those that actually determine the destination of these subsidies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of ethical strategy and innovation to achieve sustainable economic performance has been recommended by researchers for a long time. However, less attention is given to this area till now by the research. Therefore, literature is scarce in explaining the relationship between ethical strategy and innovation that leads to economic performance. Further, there is literature gap explaining the mediating role of innovation between ethical strategy and economic performance. The main objective of the study was to investigate the relationships between ethical strategy, innovation, and economic performance and investigate the mediating role of innovation. A quantitative study using cross-sectional survey method was performed, and data were collected from 66 business-to-business (B2B) firms in Tunisia by using purposive sampling method. The data analysis findings explain the positive relationship between ethical strategy, innovation, and economic performance of the firms. Further, it was also found that innovation has a mediating effect on the relationship between ethical strategy and economic performance. The study findings enrich the ethical and innovation domains of business research. Further, business leaders will get the insight on the variables that have effects on enterprise performance and lead them to translate their beliefs, views and culture into generating new ideas. The research ends by suggesting some directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is a general measure of the success of a company and shows a positive relationship with several key factors such as collaboration with universities and technology centers or belonging to medium- and high-tech sectors. While many studies have found that gender diversity in company management teams has a positive influence on companies' economic success, few have focused on the impact that the inclusion of women in the board of directors has on product, process, and organizational innovation. This paper builds on previous knowledge about the determinants of innovations and shows that greater gender management team diversity, compared to male-only teams, positively affects the achievement of said innovations. However, these results change when we incorporate the size of the companies as a moderating variable. In this case, we identify a turning point corresponding to firm size in the impact of gender diversity on product and process innovations, but not for innovations in organizational methods, where the impact is positive and significant for both SMEs and large enterprises. Collaboration with universities and technological centers is an important determinant of innovation for both SMEs and large enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade has undergone rapid changes in the last decades. Eastern-European countries opened up and China joined the WTO. These and many other countries that initially played a minor role in international trade have now become major competitors of traditional industrial countries. This paper analyzes the impact of import competition on patent activities by Dutch manufacturing firms for the period 2000–2010. Using a combination of patent, firm, and trade data, we show that more intense import competition leads to a higher number of patent applications. It has also a positive influence on the number of forward citations and entry of new patents, and in firms entering new technology fields. In short, import competition fosters innovation. For firms only engaged in domestic innovation, this positive import competition effect is also confirmed. Whereas most studies only consider import competition from China and other emerging markets, we also take high-developed countries into account. We find that import competition from all high-wage countries as one region together has only an effect on the number of patents and patent quality. But there is no statistically significant influence from EU member states, China, or the group of countries in the rest of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to assess the S&T innovation-education integration (STIEI) mechanism's efficacy in the fast-evolving knowledge economy and to provide strategies for boosting the role of technology and knowledge in economic growth. Using data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods to process STIEI input-output panel data from 2006 to 2015, this paper first uses the coastal regions as an example, which are the frontier of China's development, to measure and compare the efficiency of the three systems, including STIEI, S&T innovation, and education. Then, using the panel threshold regression method, we examine the effects of the innovation environment and the foundation of educational activities on economic performance in the coastal, central, and western regions individually, taking into account the reality of regional disparities in China. The results show that first, the STIEI mechanism, which considers S&T innovation and education as a whole, makes significantly more efficient use of human and financial resources. Second, the STIEI mechanism is unable to function at its best and leads to noticeable regional disparities in coastal regions due to the lack of synchronization between S&T innovation and education. Third, the effects of the innovation environment and the basis of educational activities on economic performance vary significantly across various Chinese areas. Our empirical evidence is valuable for local governments and policymakers to create more effective STIEI strategies and planning in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities have a pivotal role to play in the challenging restructuring process that economies are undergoing due to higher education's critical role in the information age. Universities can contribute to this process of change by creating new knowledge as well as by shaping new skills, which are necessary for exploiting modern technologies and understanding how technology interacts with society. The aim of this paper is to compare universities from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in terms of creativity related to research and educational activity. The knowledge triangle concept is employed to compare involvement of universities in education, research, and innovation. The divisive hierarchical clustering was used to group countries by knowledge triangle performance. Five clusters have been identified regarding research-education-innovation interactions. The study contributes by shedding light on education as the missing link between research and innovation in the CEE countries and extends knowledge about heterogeneity of this region in terms of creativity. It also contributes to the discourse how innovation policies can support universities' structural transformations towards integration of their education, research, and innovation activities that will enable to confront an array of societal challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are considered as factors that accelerate the pace of innovation and increase the firm's innovation performance. However, few studies have investigated whether this claim is conditioned by other elements that contribute to innovation. Furthermore, firms increasingly rely on external knowledge sources to expand their internal knowledge base for the development of innovations. In this context, absorptive capacity can be considered as an essential organizational capability to embrace adoption of digital technologies and enhance their positive effect on innovation performance. This paper builds on this discussion and studies the contribution of digital capacity on innovation performance, proposing the mediating role of absorptive capacity in the context of the digital transformation. It uses evidence from an extensive Greek survey in 1014 manufacturing firms and analyzes the complex relationships underlying the role of digital transformation to innovation. The contribution of the paper is two-fold: (i) it provides a deeper insight into the underlying mechanisms through which firms can leverage their digital capacity to accelerate innovation, and (ii) it highlights the important mediating role of absorptive capacity in enhancing the positive effects of digitalization indicating that digital capacity is not an unquestionable asset for innovation performance. Accordingly, our results show a positive direct contribution of digital capacity to innovation performance, which is enhanced in the presence of absorptive capacity as a mediator. In fact, the indirect effect of digital capacity to innovation performance through absorptive capacity is stronger. These findings present important policy implications, as there is need for improvement in other innovation-related aspects of the business ecosystem to efficiently address the challenge of digital transformation, such as R&D efforts, training, interaction among actors, and building of communities of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze the strategic effects of the association of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in knowledge networks (k-networks) on their information and knowledge management (IKM) and intellectual capital (IC). Taking as the object of study two innovative and successful Brazilian experiences, a descriptive survey with top-level executives (managing partners, presidents, and executive directors — henceforth CEOs) was held. Based on theories of management and economics, the findings revealed (i) that the network formation process (encompassing culture, context, incentives for information and knowledge sharing and especially strategy) is an important factor to explain IKM (for creating, systematizing and sharing data, information and knowledge) and IC in its three dimensions (human, relational and structural capital), promoting long-term sustainable growth (perceived by improvements in innovation, competitiveness and corporate results) for SMEs and their networks — a very relevant issue, but whose theoretical and managerial understanding is very incipient in international literature, especially in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the performance of the partnership between European and non-European participating states after 2 years of implementation of the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) programme. A total of 742 participating entities were involved in 83 funded projects based on two funding calls of 2018 and 2019. The results show that while extensive partnerships were established between southern and northern Mediterranean countries, there was lower project coordination by non-European states. As a result, the grant distribution was in favour of European countries which received the majority of funds. A networking analysis was performed, and it demonstrates low cooperation between Northern African countries and Eastern Mediterranean countries. Italy, France and Spain are clustered with Northern African countries; however, Germany and Portugal are more affiliated with Eastern Mediterranean countries. The private sector analysis shows an excellent participation of SMEs in Sect. 1 (funded by PRIMA) for both calls in 2018 and 2019. SMEs received 22% of EU funds — well in line with Horizon 2020 target — demonstrating the vital role that PRIMA plays for the development of SMEs. However, for Sect. 2 (funded by participating states), the participation of SMEs was low and received only 6.4% of participating state funds. The participation of SMEs from non-European countries was low and represented 30% in Sect. 1 of the total number of SMEs and only 15% in Sect. 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current business environment demands enterprises to innovate, address needs of customers, and capture value. This requires them to take a relook at their business models. With very less research exploring the business models and their contribution to innovation initiatives of SMEs in an emerging country like India, the current study attempts to fill the gap. Methodology is qualitative consisting of four case studies of Indian SMEs, in the manufacturing and services sector, exploring their business models, through the lens of open vs closed, and the innovation initiatives taken by them. Results show that the SMEs have business models that are primarily closed or partially open. A partially open approach drives the initial stages of innovation, that is, opportunity recognition and solution selection, with the approach being primarily closed during the latter stages of solution development and commercialization. Manufacturing and service SMEs exhibit different shades of openness in the business model elements. These findings can be used by SMEs to take decisions with respect to opening up certain elements of their business model to drive innovation and competitiveness. Theoretically, this research documents the findings of different business model elements of SMEs, presents them through the lens of open vs closed business models, and links them to different stages of innovation. The results of the study based on four case studies, however, cannot be taken as conclusive and need to be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was made in the faculty of Social Communication and Journalism of a Colombian private university, renowned for its high-quality standards, with the goal to identify the actual characteristics of its organizational culture and its relationship in favor of innovation. This study was made with a mixed approach and involved compiled information gathered by using two instruments: the Inventory of Organizational Culture in Education Institutions (ICOE), designed by Marcone and Martin in Psycothema, 15(2), 292–299 (2003), and the TB Test, designed by Bridges in The character of organizations: Using personality type in organization development. Davies-Black Publishers (2000), as well as semi-structured interviews done to professors and administrative staff. The gathered information was compared with both theoretical models of cultural analysis built for superior education organizations and representative researchers in the area of organizational culture for innovation, a field of study broad and consolidated nowadays but one that is not usually geared toward understanding and explaining the relationship between organizational culture and innovation in high education organizations. Our findings let us make a characterization of the organizational culture of the faculty and identify its cultural strengths and weaknesses regarding adopting and favoring innovation. Also, this empirical research adds up to an effort to make studies regarding organizational culture for innovation specifically geared toward high-education organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the general attributes as drivers to initiate intention of hotel managers to adopt an innovative product—copper-impregnated mask. An adapted prior diffusion of innovation model is employed to investigate the relevance of attributes. Methodologically, forty semi-structured interviews with hotel managers were conducted to solicit their views for the industry-specific attributes. Our study identifies 31 attributes as relevant criteria to diffuse the adoption of the innovated mask in upscale hotels. Hoteliers are capable of facilitating the formation of 17 attributes, and manufacturers have to continue to step up research and development in the rest of other 14 attributes. This study represents the first of its kind to explore the diffusion of innovation of masks which is envisaged to grow in market under new normal era. The study establishes the diffusion model of innovation specific to design and development of masks for upscale hotels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a chronology of OECD business cycles for the period 1983–2019. The findings showed that the OECD economies had experienced a total of ten economic boom and recession periods. The average duration of recession and boom periods was 5.9 quarters and 6.8 quarters, respectively. The lengthiest boom and recession periods in the OECD economies occurred from 1985Q1–1987Q4 and 2003Q1–2005Q3, respectively. The average decrease in research and development expenditures during recession periods was smaller than the average increase in research and development expenditures during the boom periods. The two completed research and development expenditures cycles in the OECD states included the ten-quarter peak-peak and nine-quarter trough-trough cycles. The amplitude (percent change) measure indicated that the average increase in research and development expenditures during expansions (about 4.7%) was substantially larger than the average decrease during recession periods (about 4.4%). The results also showed a negative skewness in research and development expenditures, indicating that there were slightly more significant downward spikes (rather than upward) in research and development expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization processes are main drivers of innovation activities, so promoting digital technology is priority of economic and industrial policy. Examining digital technology patent surge, the article analyzes German innovation positions in digital technology filings at European Patent Office in 2010–2019. Germany belongs to largest originations with computer technology as major field. Compared with USA and China, it finds in second innovation league and loses ground. Chinese strengths derive from specialization advantages in digital technologies. However, analysis of entire digital technology filings at EPO reveals no evidence for innovation advantages of increased specializations in European perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to understand how clusters influence the innovation of firms. Clustered firms have consistently been considered more innovative than isolated firms. However, how geographic clusters influence firms to innovate is still a black box in the literature. To fill this gap, we conducted an exploratory study of four firms in two clusters: the emerging cluster Alto do Camaquã in Brazil and the growing cluster Sisteron in France. We identify the elements of the cluster that influence the innovation of firms: context, collective strategy, public policy, commercialization, proactivity, external relations, collaboration, assimilation, transformation and application of knowledge, governance, infrastructure, and financial and human resources. We compare these elements with field research and offer four propositions in relation to how clusters influence firms in terms of innovation strategy, culture, management, and infrastructure. The findings indicate that the influence of the cluster varies according to the development stage. We thus identify two development stages and propose a model to understand the relationship between clusters and the innovation of their firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese firms have made considerable progress in the space industry within recent decades; some larger state entities have joined the Fortune Global 500 list. The market liberalization, since 2014, has further attracted aspiring new entrants. This article develops a conceptual model by synthesizing business process and knowledge management among high-tech employees to understand technological accumulation within the context of the quadruple helix. We examine the case study of Zhuhai Orbita Aerospace Science and Technology in the Southern Guangdong Province of China, based on extensive primary and secondary data collection. The findings in this article suggest that technological accumulation within the firm is linked to cultural mechanisms, and therefore provides a broad perspective on knowledge management. The findings in this article also suggest that global firms that connect with China's past are more likely to motivate talented employees in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is inspired by Schumpeter's theory of economic development and aims at analysing the outcomes of innovative and non-innovative changes implemented within economic evolution. A multiplicity of outcomes of economic processes leads to complexity of the structure of economic evolution. In order to examine innovative processes, the role of the circular flow, i.e. a form of the economy, which for Schumpeter was both the starting and ending points in the analysis of economic development, should be taken into account. In this context, we determine a simple model of economic evolution in line with Schumpeter's theory, using Hurwicz's concept of the adjustment process. This allows us to examine an impact of accessed information on diversification of economic processes. It should be added that in the model presented, non-innovative changes also play important roles, which is coherent with Schumpeter's theory. As a result, we prove, under some initial conditions coming from the mainstream of the Schumpeter's thought, that the economy under study can evolve in the direction of equilibrium and take a form of circular flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role that IT capability (IT-c) plays in firm innovation performance through the channel of organisational learning (OL) in Kenya. It frames OL in two dimensions: explorative and exploitative OL. The former entails seeking new knowledge, which mainly exists outside the firm's competence. The latter is an activity or process that builds on existing competence and knowledge in the firm. Using mediation analysis of 481 firms drawn from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (2013) and Innovation Follow-up Survey 2014, it demonstrates that IT-c has a significant effect on innovation performance of firms (capability to simultaneously improve products, processes, organising and market development). It finds that the mediative role of OL in the relationship between IT-c and innovation performance is realised mainly through explorative learning, whilst enabling the firm exploit existing (in-house) knowledge base. The paper puts forward some managerial, policy and further research suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]