Innovative Generation Research Articles

Teacher Education and Development in Africa: A Modern Perspective

Teacher education programme is a critical component of education and the life of any society. It normally lays the very foundations of the society. It spurs and pushes the various aspects of development in the society through well-established culture and character of such a society. But for this programme of education to perform this development function efficiently it must be well designed, developed and constantly reformed and modernized so as to keep it abreast with the emerging issues both in education and society. This process is only possible through the conduct of regular studies in education and society to establish new developments and also facilitate the generation of relevant innovations to promote the quality of Teacher education programme. However, there is no evidence that such a process has ever been initiated and conducted in Teacher education programme since the inception of this programme in modern Africa. This paper is designed to explore the importance of Teacher education programme in modern Africa, the relationship between Teacher education programme and development in modern Africa, the roe of this programme in modern Africa, strategies of harnessing the programme for development in modern Africa and the challenges of the programme in modern Africa. This narrative is likely to shade light on the need of Teacher education programme in development in modern Africa and the role of innovative research in this process. Hence, set in motion the desired development in modern Africa.

The structural capital, the innovation and the performance of the industrial SMES

PurposeThe objective of this study is to analyze the influence of the structural capital of SMEs in the capacity of innovation and organizational performance, in the context of an emerging country.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of 259 industrial SMEs from the province of Córdoba Argentina. The data was analyzed by Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS–SEM).FindingsThe study provided evidence that acquisition of information and knowledge management, organizational culture and structure, systems and processes have positive and significant effects on the innovation capacity of SMEs. Only the communication and cohesion component did not show positive and significant results on it. It also showed a positive and significant relationship between the capacity for innovation in processes and performance, contributing to the scarce empirical literature in the context of SMEs.Research limitations/implicationsThe research exposes some limitations that uncover a path for the development of future lines of research. In the first place, the work focuses on the use of a single source of information, the consultation at the managerial level of the company, without considering other representative variables to measure the capacity for innovation. Second, the study covered only companies in the industrial sector and country. Future studies should focus on other sectors and countries.Practical implicationsThe results of the study can have important practical implications for the owners and managers of SMEs. The results offer a vision of the dimensions of structural capital that most influence the innovative capacity of the organization. This is especially useful given that in the context of Argentina there is a low level of knowledge and structural capital is key to being more competitive. The managers of SMEs can thus increase the innovative potential of the company and favor the acquisition of information and knowledge and improve its processes and systems to contribute to the development of innovation capabilities to make SMEs more competitive.Social implicationsThe results obtained can be useful for those responsible for making public policy decisions, since in the knowledge of the economy to maintain a developed state and nation, it is necessary to include as one of the main issues on the national agenda the improvement of intellectual capital of its people to promote the competitiveness of companies.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the development of intellectual capital literature focused on the generation of innovation and performance in the perspective of SMEs in emerging countries.

Bureaucrats or Markets in Innovation Policy? \u2013 a critique of the entrepreneurial state

This paper takes stock of recent suggestions that the state apparatus is a central and underappreciated actor in the generation, diffusion and exploitation of innovations enhancing growth and social welfare. We contrast such a view of “the entrepreneurial state” with theories and empirical evidence of the microeconomic processes of innovation in the modern economy which focus on well-functioning markets, free entry and competition among firms, and independent entrepreneurship as central mechanisms in the creation and dissemination of innovations. In doing so, we identify several deficiencies in the notion of an entrepreneurial state by showing that (i) there is weak empirical support in the many hundreds empirical studies and related meta analyses evaluating the effectiveness of active industrial and innovative policies, that (ii) these policies do not take account of the presence of information and incentive problems which together explain why attempts to address purported market failures often result in policy failures, and that (iii) the exclusive focus on knowledge creation through R&D and different forms of firm subsidies ignores the equally important mechanisms of knowledge dissemination and creation through commercial exploitation in markets. We discuss how a more theoretically well-founded focus on the state as investing in knowledge generation and securing the conditions of free and competitive markets will lead to a more innovative economy.

Trends as Future Prompts in the Anticipatory Design Practice

• Metadesign practice as an example of how future’s knowledge got made in the design field. • Analysis shows that trend are meta-narration of the design activity and a tool for communicating and sharing contents • Trend research is incorporated into the innovation generation process, through the Metadesign approach. • Trend research, differing from trend analysis, has a cognitive orientation. • Results highlight that trends’use combine the different depths of futures’ inquiry with the design practice’s one.

Public sector organizations and agricultural catch-up dilemma in emerging markets: The orchestrating role of Embrapa in Brazil

Abstract How can an emerging economy, beset by political, economic and resource challenges, jump-start the technology catch-up process in the agricultural sector and then forge an ecosystem to facilitate the continual generation and dissemination of innovations? Equally important, how can it maintain the viability and salience of its catch-up initiatives subsequent to the entry and inevitable dominance of multinational companies? We answer these questions by studying catch-up in Brazil’s soy seeds sector over four decades (1973–2015). In an environment of political and economic uncertainty, Embrapa, a public sector organization, forged partnerships to first develop absorptive capacity and innovation capabilities, and then build an ecosystem of diverse organizations to generate and disseminate catch-up outcomes to farmers and other end users. Embrapa also developed critical tacit knowledge and complementary assets that – along with its emphasis on environmental sustainability and protecting national interests – helped maintain its salience even after the entry and market dominance by multinational agribusinesses. In addition to demonstrating critical roles for public sector organizations and public private networks in technological catch-up in an emerging economy’s agricultural sector, our study calls into question the prevalent notion of technological catch-up as a rush to reach the technological frontier at any cost.

Charge of the Light Brigade

The use of miniature mechatronic drive motors is supporting the development of the next generation of lighting system and camera platform innovation.

Do we innovate as we believe we do?

PurposeThis research study assessed the mindset of individuals regarding their perception of innovation as a means for successful product or process improvement and their perception of thought processes that underpin innovative practices. It investigated the attitudinal foundation for the development of training, development and assessment of structured innovation methodologies.Design/methodology/approachA combination of qualitative and quantitative research gathered through an anonymous survey designed to explore the basic understanding of innovation and included open-ended questions supported more integrated perceptions of innovation in the sampled population's own experiences. The participants of the survey and research were drawn from the public, but it focused more specifically on demographic groups known for their interest in innovation, either as practitioners or teachers.FindingsThe results found, overwhelmingly, survey participants believed innovation is a skill; however, they also believed, inconsistently, that innovation itself is an unpredictable, unstructured and unsystematic process.Practical implicationsAt a practical level, exploring the propensity for individuals or groups to believe defined innovation practices can be effective and that these practices can be learned, measured and improved drives the overall effectiveness of training and organizational leadership. With research, we can make training professionals aware that the mindset of potential innovators is to favor a belief in brainstorming and random success. Doing so can significantly impact the preparation of training and development programs for developing structured innovation capabilities.Originality/valueTraining a new generation of innovators, especially young children, requires care so that they internalize the right mindset and the right tool strategy to be the best innovators possible.

SHARING INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN BRAZILIAN RESEARCHERS

The CIC among Brazilian researchers refers to the activity of providing information and knowledge that enables the joint work of experts for the resolution of problems and development of new ideas or theories, which usually result in joint scientific publications. Thus, the objective of this article is to elaborate a model that relates the factors that influence the diffusion of the CIC among Brazilian researchers in the modality "productivity" of CNPq, as mechanisms for generating innovations and new knowledge, measured by scientific production. As for the method, in a first moment a bibliographic research was carried out to evaluate existing models in the literature regarding the determining factors of the ICC on the capacity of innovation and generation of innovations in the HEIs, especially in the research groups. Next, the structural and measurement model was elaborated and validated using an online questionnaire for data collection, with five-point likert questions, sent to researchers in the productivity modality in research, levels SR, 2, 1A, 1B and 1C of CNPq. The questionnaire was answered by 262 researchers and the collected data were analyzed using the SEM analysis instrument based on PLS. The results found indicated that the hypotheses of the model were accepted. The results revealed that the individual characteristics of the researchers, the organizational characteristics and the technology contribute to the CIC, which in turn favors the generation of publications and promotion of knowledge. In addition, individual characteristics and publications contribute to the advancement of innovation.

Cryptocurrency potential in the context of transition of global economy to the sixth technological paradigm

This article explores the potential of using cryptocurrency as universal currency in the conditions of transition of the global economic system towards sixth technological paradigm. The goal of this research consists in analysis of the patterns of co-evolution of the global financial system, technological system, and global economy. Based on the historical material, the author demonstrates how shift in technological paradigms is accompanied by financial crises, and result in the changes of the world financial system. Over the course of time, the gold served as the universal currency, but the advancement of technologies demanded the transition towards more flexible forms of world currency based on the national currencies of most industrialized countries. Currently, the transition to the technology of the sixth technological paradigm is followed by the global financial crisis. The U.S. dollar is not handling the functions imposed by the latest technologies upon monetary systems. The conclusion is made that finite currencies are being replaced by an innovative generation of monetary systems that are based on cryptocurrency. The authors systematize the innovation forms of investment, accounting, keeping and saving of funds, which are based on cryptocurrency and blockchain. It is demonstrated that innovation financial instruments, including different types of cryptocurrency, tokens, smart contracts, and cryptocurrency exchanges, open new opportunities for effective investment in the technologies of sixth technological paradigm. The results of research can be valuable for the government branches in establishment of the policy for usage of cryptocurrency and blockchain for entrepreneurs dealing with developments in the area of practical implementation of cryptocurrency as innovative currency.

Human integral assessment methodology capital of the region

An important scientific and practical problem is studied - the development of a mechanism for the formation of a regional innovation subsystem. The exceptional importance of the effective development of innovative subsystems of the regions as the basis for accelerating scientific and technological progress and enhancing innovation throughout the country has been established. Various theoretical and methodological approaches to determining the essence and content of the regional innovative subsystem are analyzed, its specific characteristics are revealed. It is proved that the internal content of the functioning of the innovative subsystem of the region can be described by the action of the triple helix principle. At the same time, stakeholders interact within the framework of this subsystem in the process of generation, distribution and consumption of innovations. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of a regional innovation subsystem, which differs from the previously existing interpretation of its basic structural elements. The authors propose to consider the state authorities of the region as the leading center in this mechanism, whose task is to form the institutional environment for the formation and development of the innovative subsystem. The subjects of the development mechanism of the regional innovation subsystem are: the regional unit for innovative development; scientific organizations; educational organizations; business; local community. It is established that the stakeholders of regional development in the process of their participation in the development of the regional innovative subsystem pursue subjective group interests. This fact actualizes the need to ensure their effective interaction within the framework of this mechanism. The regional innovation subsystem acts as an object of the proposed mechanism as a basis for the sustainable development of the regional economy in modern conditions. The target guide of the proposed mechanism is the possibility of increasing the functioning of the regional innovation subsystem and creating favorable conditions for the development of the regional socio-economic system. The mechanism for the formation and development of the regional innovation subsystem is an important management tool to achieve the desired development indicators of the regional socio-economic system.

How can governance support collaborative innovation in the public sector? A systematic review of the literature

Collaborative innovation has been increasingly adopted by the public sector to address complex issues and improve its efficiency. Despite the developments in the literature on this subject, recent studies still indicate the need to investigate how public governance could be organized to support collaborative processes of innovation. Through a systematic review of 36 empirical studies, this article aims to contribute to bridging this gap by identifying the characteristics that should form governance in order to support the collaborative innovation process in the public sector. The results show that the establishment of relationships of trust, supported by technology tools and promoted by leaders committed to well-established goals, is a characteristic of governance that has a positive influence on collaborative innovation processes. However, there is still a need to develop more studies that indicate the characteristics of governance that may contribute to the implementation of innovation and not just to its creation processes. Points for practitioners Collaboration has been shown to be a more positive strategy for innovation in the public sector in comparison with strategies that seek isolation or competition. However, it is necessary to establish governance mechanisms that contribute to the involvement of stakeholders and to the achievement of the intended results so that this strategy becomes successful. By reviewing the results of prior empirical experiences, this article identifies that in order for collaborative innovation processes in the public sector to be successful, governance must predict: the participation of top management and managers with decision-making power; the setting of clear goals and needs; the generation of useful innovation that benefits stakeholders; and the establishment of tools that facilitate communication, interaction, and the sharing of information and knowledge. This information provides managers and public policymakers with key indicators, learned from prior mistakes and accomplishments, for the implementation of this innovation strategy in their organizations.

Intellectual Capital as a Generator of Innovation in Companies: A Systematic Review

Purpose: In this study, a meticulous summary of all the main investigations in response to the link between intellectual capital and innovation is achieved. Methodology: A meta-analysis technique was implemented to establish the data in context and to determine the proposed research utility, this approach enables systematic review sources of information correlated with two variables predicted research associate intellectual capital and innovation. ” Main findings: The results of the systematic review reveal that intellectual capital is a generator of innovation in corporations. Implications: This paper will provide support to investigators who are intended to work in this area. Novelty: This article sheds some light and gives future researchers answer to questions like what are the signifiers in which works are involved with? What theories are established in this area and data selection mechanisms chosen by scientists in the field?

INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AS A GENERATOR OF INNOVATION IN COMPANIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Purpose: In this study, a meticulous summary of all the main investigations in response to the link between intellectual capital and innovation is achieved. Methodology: A meta-analysis technique was implemented to establish the data in context and to determine the proposed research utility, this approach enables systematic review sources of information correlated with two variables predicted research associate intellectual capital and innovation. Main findings: The results of the systematic review reveal that intellectual capital is a generator of innovation in corporations. Implications: This paper will provide support to investigators who are intended to work in this area. Novelty: This article sheds some light and gives future researchers answer to questions like what are the signifiers in which works are involved with? What theories are established in this area and data selection mechanisms chosen by scientists in the field?

The impact of disruptive powertrain technologies on energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions from heavy-duty vehicles

Abstract Minimising tailpipe emissions and the decarbonisation of transport in a cost effective way remains a major objective for policymakers and vehicle manufacturers. Current trends are rapidly evolving but appear to be moving towards solutions in which vehicles which are increasingly electrified. As a result we will see a greater linkage between the wider energy system and the transportation sector resulting in a more complex and mutual dependency. At the same time, major investments into technological innovation across both sectors are yielding rapid advancements into on-board energy storage and more compact/lightweight on-board electricity generators. In the absence of sufficient technical data on such technology, holistic evaluations of the future transportation sector and its energy sources have not considered the impact of a new generation of innovation in propulsion technologies. In this paper, the potential impact of a number of novel powertrain technologies are evaluated and presented. The analysis considers heavy duty vehicles with conventional reciprocating engines powered by diesel and hydrogen, hybrid and battery electric vehicles and vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, and free-piston engine generators (FPEGs). The benefits are compared for each technology to meet the expectations of representative medium and heavy-duty vehicle drivers. Analysis is presented in terms of vehicle type, vehicle duty cycle, fuel economy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, impact on the vehicle etc.. The work shows that the underpinning energy vector and its primary energy source are the most significant factor for reducing primary energy consumption and net CO2 emissions. Indeed, while an HGV with a BEV powertrain offers no direct tailpipe emissions, it produces significantly worse lifecycle CO2 emissions than a conventional diesel powertrain. Even with a de-carbonised electricity system (100 g CO2/kWh), CO2 emissions are similar to a conventional Diesel fuelled HGV. For the HGV sector, range is key to operator acceptability of new powertrain technologies. This analysis has shown that cumulative benefits of improved electrical powertrains, on-board storage, efficiency improvements and vehicle design in 2025 and 2035 mean that hydrogen and electric fuelled vehicles can be competitive on gravimetric and volumetric density. Overall, the work demonstrates that presently there is no common powertrain solution appropriate for all vehicle types but how subtle improvements at a vehicle component level can have significant impact on the design choices for the wider energy system.

Re-imagining the future of education in the era of the fourth industrial revolution

Purpose Globally, higher education has been, over the years, a source of innovation, policy, new knowledge and a national asset. However, the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is having an impact on the principles of learning from primary to tertiary levels. The purpose of this paper is to consider how the 4IR has and will continue to impact education at the various levels of learning. Design/methodology/approach The paper aims to bridge the perceived information gap and provide insights into the kinds of educational preparation and the skills and qualifications that 4IR jobs require. In response, the following are considered: the need to tweak the curriculum, adopt the right technology for in class and online delivery and the projection of other learning techniques and skills that are often not considered pertinent. Data gathering for the report was by discussion with experts and consultation of relevant articles and write-ups from related websites. Findings The advent of smart communication systems involving artificial intelligence, internet, robotics, virtual reality and digital textbooks has opened a new vista in relation to how and what is learnt in schools. Just as technologies brought about smart communication systems, the 4IR model of higher education is rapidly evolving and as such, curriculum development and review must be dynamic, and it must keep pace with the technological advances and skills required in the twenty first century. Research limitations/implications More purposeful research needs to be conducted in universities and industries with the intention of accelerating internal and external innovations so that markets can be expanded. Furthermore, efforts to reduce the cost and time of generating innovations will need to be intensified. Practical implications The value and emphasis that are placed on the acquisition of degrees and paper qualifications are changing rapidly. Although it is traditional for students to compete for admission to the face-to-face classroom model, it is no longer unusual for a student to take courses online from any part of the world and still be accepted into positions usually reserved for traditional classroom education. Social implications As at today, examples of 4IR services include Uber, Airbnb, Cloud services, Artificial intelligence, Cyber-security, three-dimensional printers, driverless cars and robotics. Machine learning and drone technology are also of growing significance. As yet, subjects dealing with such inventions and innovations are not part of the curriculum of many institutions and this is a cause for concern. Originality/value The 4IR era will bring great changes to how students are taught and what students must learn as the tools for transformational learning are already overwhelming. Jobs will be scarce for those without the requisite skills, whereas those with the right skills will have to keep up with the pace of technological development, otherwise they too will be left behind. Schools will increasingly become centres for the generation of innovation and its incubation and in all this, quality learning, teaching and knowledge impartation can easily be carried out online.

Research on the Development Needs of Young Postgraduate Tutors in Colleges and Universities in the New Era

Young postgraduate tutors of the colleges and universities is a potential for the future development of the school strength, at the same time they also shoulder the important task of leading generation of postgraduate innovation, therefore, to understand the needs of the development of young postgraduate tutors cultivate their positive work attitude and good work ability, improve their comfort level for the work, and strengthen the focus on their health of body and mind development, is the only way for school development and progress. In this paper, the development needs of young postgraduate tutors in universities and colleges are understood through questionnaires, and corresponding suggestions are put forward, in order to enhance their happiness in work, and contribute to the growth of faculty and the construction of double first-class.

ПРО ІНСТИТУЦІОНАЛЬНЕ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ІННОВАЦІЙ В УМОВАХ СТАЛОГО РОЗВИТКУ

The article considers the main forms of social security and social guarantees at the national level, in accordance with the current legislative and regulatory support, state target programs and existing infrastructure. The aim of the article is to represent modern directions of institutional support of social innovations for balanced development of social and economic systems. It has been determined that one of the main directions that contribute to the processes of generation, production and dissemination of social innovations is the institutional support of innovation. Accordingly, the basic bases of state support for these processes are ensuring the institutional development of innovation infrastructure and the interaction of civil society with state and regional authorities and local governments. The coordination of the activity of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine by areas of activity, the most significant world tendencies of support of social innovations and institutional support of social innovations by leading educational institutions through the implementation of educational programs have been analyzed. It has been established that a necessary prerequisite for intensifying social development and implementation of social innovations is institutional support at the national level, which will coordinate the implementation of social initiatives, which can be further produced as social innovations. Therefore, the imperatives for the development of the social component are social innovations, which are characterized by non-standard, but effective solutions to social problems, the priority of which is the social (qualitative) rather than economic (financial) effect. The diversity of social activities of the Ministry of Social Policy and the diversity of ways of its interaction with civil society, but program-targeted conceptual areas, measures and programs to promote social innovation at the national, regional and local levels are currently absent, but the main interest in a wide range manifestations of social innovations and opportunities to raise funds for their financing belong to the initiatives of non-governmental organizations and social entrepreneurship. Accordingly, the main institutional structure that can provide support for the generation, production and dissemination of social innovations is the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, respectively, at the regional level, such structures may be local state administrations. Key words: innovative activity, innovations, social innovations, sustainable development, institutional support, social and economic system.

Grand Innovation Prizes to Address Pandemics: A Primer

The world needs rapid innovation to address the myriad consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden onset of the pandemic and its immense human and economic costs suggests that ordinary processes are not enough. The world also needs innovation in innovation generation. Prizes are an important tool for this purpose. World stock markets have lost trillions in value owing to the pandemic, and the decline in stock market value is only a partial estimate of the decline in economic output. Moreover, the decline in output is only a partial estimate of the decline in welfare. Thus, multiple multibillion-dollar prizes are well within the realm of what is economically sensible.

Supranational transfer of digital innovation in agribusiness through payment market mechanisms

The task of creating a single supranational payment market is to ensure its maximum independence, which correlates with the tasks of the competitive leading economic development of countries - the transition to a digital technological structure. To increase the efficiency of the generation of payment innovations with their subsequent diffusion into the agricultural sector, to strengthen the economy’s resistance to risks, a transfer of innovative institutional, organizational and informational forms of activity is necessary. The strategy of integration of payment markets of interstate economic associations in time and space should be based on the consolidation and symbiosis of innovative technology platforms of sovereign payment systems of the participating countries. For this, a conceptual model of a supranational transfer of digital innovations to the agricultural sector through the transmission mechanisms of payment systems is proposed. The model characterizes the mega-economic system, which provides for the heterarchical and hierarchical interaction of payment systems of donor countries and recipient countries in the framework of economic associations, in which the transfer of forms of innovative development to the agricultural sector is carried out. Digital innovations are transferred to the subjects of the agricultural market horizontally and vertically. The transfer of digital innovation occurs through institutional, organizational and informational communications with the parallel creation of structures for the subsequent evolution of the model.

Preferences, Altruism, Technocracy, & Power Grabbing: Cumulative Effects on Equilibriums induced by Ability and `Doubtfulness'

Suppose an economy within which rational expectations equilibriums (REE) are predicated on the distribution of ability, and the extent to which economic agents are doubtful (`doubtfulness') as to true realizations of their ability. Let a `societal REE' denote an REE that, simultaneously constitutes a dominant equilibrium for each of individual economic agents, and society. This study provides formal theoretical evidence that cumulative layering of each of risk preferences (risk aversion or risk seeking) and heterogeneity as to altruism on economic agents does not induce any alterations to societal REE that are predicated on ability and doubtfulness. Layering of heterogeneity with respect to preference for a (professional) Technocracy on all of the preceding factors induces a societal REE that Pareto Dominates all preceding REE. Suppose technocrats that are appointees of politicians (`political technocrats') coexist with professional technocrats and do not practice `power grabbing', that is, arrive at policy decisions on basis of scientific, as opposed to political merits of alternate courses for action. In presence of stated coexistence, there is arrival at a societal REE, which Pareto Dominates the societal REE that is induced by presence only of professional technocrats. In this respect, presence of political technocrats who act on scientific merits induces unilateral increase to incomes of professional technocrats. In the societal REE in context of which political technocrats practice power grabbing, resources of society are sub-optimally directed away from efforts at generation and implementation of innovations. There is arrival then at an economy that revolves around government. Consistent with sub-optimality of a `power grabbing' economy, while government consists of three-tenths of the workforce in context of political technocrats who act on scientific merits, introduction of power grabbing induces allocation of five-sixths of the workforce to the government sector.