Innovation Policy Research Articles

AI Consciousness and Technological Advancement in Bangladesh's Higher Education: AI Awareness among the Learners

This comprehensive research article explores the transformative potential and multifaceted challenges of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) consciousness and technological advancements into the higher education system in Bangladesh. The study delves into various dimensions of this integration, including its implications for pedagogy, curriculum, institutional policy, and technological innovation. A particular emphasis is placed on addressing disparities in AI awareness among future students in Bangladesh's higher education system. The research adopts a balanced approach, juxtaposing the promise of technological advancements with critical concerns related to data privacy, educational equity, and cultural preservation. Through interdisciplinary analysis and a robust set of policy recommendations, the study posits that Bangladesh stands at a pivotal moment. It can either seize this technological epoch to elevate its higher education system to global standards while mitigating AI awareness disparities or risk exacerbating existing educational inequities.

Trends and opportunities for growth of agro-industrial production in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Goal – modern popular models for development of agro-industrial production are proposed, which are based on factors reflecting current and potential directions of innovative activity in agricultural industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In the process of preparing the article, a wide range of general scientific and specific scientific methods was involved: generalization of theoretical approaches, comparative analysis, system-dynamic and economic-mathematical modeling, trend analysis method, dialectical. The theoretical and methodological basis was provided by fundamental developments of domestic and foreign scientists on issues of innovation policy in agro-industrial complex of the republic. Results - the current state of agricultural sector has been studied, including main trends and problems of introducing modern technological and organizational innovations used in agriculture in Kazakhstan. The factors that have significant impact on increasing competitiveness of agricultural sector are analyzed. Forecasts for structural restructuring of production, increasing the level of investment, etc. are presented. Practical recommendations for stimulating innovative activity in agro-industrial complex are given, taking into account its characteristics. The following competencies of agro-industrial complex are defined as basic: creating food potential, ensuring structural and sectoral balance of national economic system, forming technological platform. Conclusions - further growth in the volume of gross output of economic entities is possible in the conditions of significant financial investment in environmental protection, scientific research that contributes to production of environmentally friendly products and increase in GDP in the industry. In general, over the past years, the situation in Kazakhstan’s agriculture has been stabilizing, which is manifested in strengthening of financial and economic position of large and medium-sized agricultural enterprises.

Инновационная среда России на современном этапе развития экономики

Modern leadership of economies is ensured by the trend of innovative development. Innovation-oriented economic growth is the number one issue for developed countries. The new stage of Russia's technological development, achievement of technological sovereignty requires new actions. An important condition for the implementation of in-novation activity is the innovation environment. Effective development of innovation environment favors innovative development. This article analyzes the external conditions and internal environment defined as the innovation environment. The article analyzes the current state of Russia's innovation environment on the basis of international inno-vation indices and ratings affecting various aspects of countries, participants, statistical surveys of innovation process-es in the Russian economy. The peculiarities of Russia's innovative development in the scientific and production, insti-tutional environment, the totality of resources, the characteristics of internal capabilities have been revealed. It is estab-lished that the positions of intellectual, material and infrastructural factors, the degree of impact of the results of inno-vation activity on the economy and society are low. Indicators demonstrate insufficient efficiency of resource utiliza-tion, the results of scientific and technological innovation activity. The efficiency of innovation activity of economies depends on the state scientific, technological and innovation policy that provides incentive priority development of various industries, institutional conditions that ensure technological leadership, research and development work for enterprises that create innovative products. Thus, it is necessary to increase the level of innovation activity of economic entities, to increase the amount of funding for research and development, the implementation of measures contributing to the innovative development of the Russian Federation.

Postgraduate Students’ Perceptions on the Benefits Associated with Artificial Intelligence Tools on Academic Success: In Case of ChatGPT AI tool

Postgraduate students in developing nations, such as South Africa, are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to elevate their academic success in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. This study aims to explore postgraduate students' perceptions of the benefits associated with the utilisation of artificial intelligence tools, with a specific focus on ChatGPT, in their academic success in South Africa’s historically disadvantaged universities. Employing a qualitative approach, the study aims to gain a deeper understanding of postgraduate views on this subject. The sample size comprised 10 postgraduate students pursuing master's degrees within the two selected South Africa’s historically disadvantaged universities, selected through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather insights from the postgraduate students. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the collected data. The study's findings shed light on the significant advantages of incorporating ChatGPT in students' academic journey with special focus on research success. The study found that ChatGPT proves beneficial for postgraduate students, with some utilising the AI tool to refine their research topics before submission to their supervisors. Moreover, ChatGPT assists postgraduate students in identifying grammatical errors and paraphrasing their academic writing, contributing to the enhancement of their writing skills. In light of these findings, the study recommends the immediate development of an innovative AI ethical use policy in South Africa’s historically disadvantaged universities. This policy should emphasise ethical guidelines for postgraduate students when utilising AI tools, such as ChatGPT to ensure responsible and effective integration into their academic success.

Innovative approaches for sustainable marine ecosystem conservation and pollution mitigation in the Philippines: A comprehensive analysis of technological and policy innovations

The marine ecosystem is one of the most important natural resources that provide food, income, and livelihood to millions of people worldwide. In the Philippines, marine resources play a significant role in the economy, with the fishing industry alone providing jobs to more than a million people. However, the exploitation of these resources has led to numerous environmental problems such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction, which have detrimental effects on the ecosystem's health and productivity. This review paper aims to provide an overview of innovative approaches that have been developed in the Philippines to address these environmental issues. These approaches include technological innovations such as ocean monitoring systems, marine robotics, and bioremediation, as well as policy innovations such as the establishment of marine protected areas, the implementation of sustainable fishing practices, and the reduction of plastic waste. The paper highlights the importance of collaboration between stakeholders, including government agencies, non-government organizations, and local communities, in the development and implementation of these approaches. Furthermore, the paper stresses the need for continuous monitoring and evaluation of these innovations to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability. In conclusion, this review paper provides valuable insights into the innovative approaches that have been developed in the Philippines to address environmental issues in the marine ecosystem. These approaches offer potential solutions that could be applied in other regions of the world, where similar environmental problems exist.be present in the body of the article. Keywords: Marine ecosystem, Pollution, Sustainable conservation, Technological innovations, Policy innovations

Why Do Some Countries Innovate Better than Others? A New Perspective of Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Regimes and National Absorptive Capacity

This paper looks into the determinants of national innovation performance from the perspective of policy regime and establishes a theoretical model on how a country’s dual Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy regimes, democratic and meritocratic, and national absorptive capacity (NAC) jointly determine its national innovation performance. A democratic STI policy regime promotes innovation through channels of freedom, social equality, and public participation. A meritocratic STI policy regime promotes innovation through channels of good governance and rational policymaking. The model further proposes that the relationships between STI policy regimes and national innovation performance are moderated by potential NAC (PNAC) and realized NAC (RNAC) in opposing directions. The fixed-effects panel regression of OECD countries confirms that both democratic and meritocratic STI policy regimes have positive effects on national innovation performance. Moreover, the democratic effect is positively moderated by PNAC but negatively moderated by RNAC. In contrast, the meritocratic effect is positively moderated by RNAC but negatively moderated by PNAC. The major contribution of this paper is to highlight the importance of a country’s STI policy regimes as the bedrock and NAC as the leverage to generate more homegrown innovations.

Evaluating offsetting as a component of biodiversity governance

AbstractBiodiversity offsetting is considered to be an innovative policy instrument to balance land use changes with conservation priorities. Although advocates have pushed to establish biodiversity offset markets for over 20 years and critics have contested the social and ecological implications of such policy innovations, in practice, offsetting schemes have been difficult to set up, replicate, and sustain over time. Observing the underperformance of biodiversity offsetting, we argue that a critical analysis is urgently needed. We identify a need to analyze offsetting in relation to other features of biodiversity governance rather than focus on the merits and flaws of offsetting as a standalone policy instrument. Using a set‐theoretic model, we consider how different institutional arrangements determine if and when biodiversity offsetting produces positive environmental outcomes. We find that offsetting adds to biodiversity governance only when three thorny challenges are met—muscular enforcement of environmental regulations, rigorous impact management aligned with the mitigation hierarchy, and the existence of evidence‐based and cost‐effective platforms for offsetting. Short of these conditions, outcomes are either uncertain or outright harmful to biodiversity. Reflecting more broadly on the prospects of institutionalizing offsetting mechanisms for protecting biodiversity, we conclude a need to recenter attention toward the supportive role of the state in facilitating effective policy innovations.

Kids are all in the same storm but not in the same boat.

The present article reviews the scholarship and policy landscape about the state of child and youth well-being, as well as the scope of health/mental health and education inequities and the factors driving them. The research and policy literature are reviewed to provide exemplars of innovation in science, practice, prevention, policy, and public education that can advance progress and support optimism. Several guiding principles emerge that provide a foundation for improving well-being and equity for the next generation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of warning labels on sugary beverages on risk perception, attention, and purchase intentions

The issue of warning labels on sweet beverage product packaging needs to be tested to determine its role in reducing product consumption. This study aims to examine the impact of warning labels on attention, risk perception, and purchase intention for sweet drink products. The paper conducted an experiment involving 120 participants. Most respondents fall within the age range of 25 to 34 years (38.30%). The analysis was conducted at sports facilities, schools, and playgrounds – in three major cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya). Two stimuli, sugar content labels and visual warning labels, were used after a pilot study. For data analysis, the study used univariate analysis of variance to assess the significance of each label stimulus interaction. Furthermore, this paper employed t-tests to check the significance of comparisons between cells. Through the difference test, the three hypotheses were accepted and had a significant effect. The findings reveal that the influence of visual warning labels on attention (t-value = 66.015), perceived risk (t-value = 68.064), and purchase intention (t-value = 60.483) is more significant than sugar content labels. These findings can serve as a set of innovative policies to support the success of demarketing strategies for sweet beverage products by governments and social marketing activists.

The Influence of Demand-Based Policy Instruments on Urban Innovation Quality—Evidence from 269 Cities in China

Enhancing the quality of urban innovation is a powerful strategy for advancing urban sustainability. A strong public innovation policy is a crucial building block for advancing urban innovation quality. This study identifies innovative procurement instances from over 640,000 public procurement contract data through textual analysis to investigate how urban innovation quality could benefit from demand-based policy instruments. The study’s findings indicate the following: (1) It provides evidence that the adoption of public innovation procurement has a significant impact on urban innovation quality, suggesting an inverse U-shaped relationship between the two. (2) Heterogeneity analysis reveals public innovation procurement stimulates urban innovation quality more remarkably in cities with provincial status and provincial capitals, as well as in eastern cities. (3) We discovered that it is not possible to increase the quality of urban innovation in the city when human capital in the city is performing poorly and when there is also a lack of external technology and entrepreneurial activity. Finally, this paper argues that our findings also provide important insights for the development of proactive innovation policy instruments, the construction of innovative cities, and the realization of sustainable development in countries around the world, especially in developing countries.

Policy role, information disclosure, and enterprise innovation

The interactive relationship between policy, information disclosure and Enterprise innovation is crucial for the development of modern Enterprises. This paper examines how disclosure regulations imposed by regulators stimulate Enterprise innovation by shaping the dissemination of critical information that supports competitive advantage. This paper uses fixed effects and Bayesian model analysis methods for analysis. The study finds that policy and information disclosure drive corporate executives to make strategic choices, which will promote corporate innovation to ensure sustainable development and competitive advantage of enterprises.

Towards mission-driven investment in new antimicrobials? What role for Chinese strategic industrial financing vehicles in responding to the challenge of antimicrobial resistance?

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes high levels of global mortality. There is a global need to develop new antimicrobials to replace those whose efficacy is being eroded, but limited incentive for companies to engage in R&D, and a limited pipeline of new drugs. There is a recognised need for policies in the form of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ incentives to support this R&D. This article discusses China, a country with a rapidly emerging pharmaceuticals and biotech (P&B) sector, and a history of using coordinated innovation and industrial policy for strategic and developmental ends. We investigate the extent to which ‘government guidance funds’ (GGFs), strategic industrial financing vehicles (a ‘push’ mechanism), support the development of antimicrobials as part of China’s ‘mission-driven’ approach to innovation and industrial policy. GGFs are potentially globally significant, having raised approximately US$ 872 billion to 2020.ResultsGGFs have a substantial role in P&B, but almost no role in developing new antimicrobials, despite this being a priority in the country’s AMR National Action Plan. There are multiple constraints on GGFs’ ability to function as part of a mission-driven approach to innovation at present, linked to their business model and the absence of standard markets for antimicrobials (or other effective ‘pull’ mechanisms), their unclear ‘social’ mandate, and limited technical capacity. However, GGFs are highly responsive to changing policy demands and can be used strategically by government in response to changing needs.ConclusionsDespite the very limited role of GGFs in developing new antimicrobials, their responsiveness to policy means they are likely to play a larger role as P&B becomes an increasingly important component of China’s innovation and industrial strategy. However, for GGFs to effectively play that role, there is a need for reforms to their governance model, an increase in technical and managerial capacity, and supporting (‘pull’) incentives, particularly for pharmaceuticals such as antimicrobials for which there is strong social need, but a limited market. Given GGFs' scale and strategic importance, they deserve further research as China’s P&B sector becomes increasingly globally important, and as the Chinese government commits to a larger role in global health.

A warming climate will make Australian soil a net emitter of atmospheric CO2

Understanding the change in soil organic carbon (C) stock in a warmer climate and the effect of current land management on that stock is critical for soil and environmental conservation and climate policy. By simulation modeling, we predicted changes in Australia’s soil organic C stock from 2010 to 2100. These vary from losses of 0.014–0.077 t C ha−1 year−1 between 2020 and 2045 and 0.013–0.047 t C ha−1 year−1 between 2070 and 2100, under increasing emissions of greenhouse gases and temperature. Thus, Australian soil will be a net emitter of CO2. Depending on the future socio-economic conditions, we predict that croplands will accrue as much as 0.19 t C ha−1 year−1 between 2020 and 2045 due to their management, but accrual will decrease with warming and increased emissions by 2070–2100. The gains will be too small to counteract the losses of C from the larger areas of rangelands and coastal regions that are more sensitive to a warmer climate. In principle, prudent management of the rangelands, for example, improving grazing management and regenerating biodiverse, endemic native plant communities, could sequester more C and mitigate the loss; in practice, it may be more difficult, requiring innovation, interdisciplinary science, cultural awareness and effective policies.

Implementation of Information and Communication Technology Innovation Policy through E-Government in Public Services

The development of information and communication technology encourages changes in community activities in various sectors. One of them is in the public service sector brought by the government through e-government. This research aims to discover how information and communication technology innovation policies are implemented through e-government in public services. The method used in this research is Systematic Literature Review (SLR) from the Google Scholar site within the year of 2012-2023. From the search results, a selection process was performed, resulting in 20 journals for analysis. The research results show that many of the current researchers are focusing on e-government, specifically regarding public services at the local government level. Interviews and observations are widely used data collection techniques. Elements that help the implementation of e-authorities offerings in public offerings are supported via way of means of a organized bureaucratic structure, making plans and a centralized and ok system. Obstacles for the implementation of e-authorities offerings in public offerings are encouraged via way of means of the exceptional of human resources, incomplete making plans, the exceptional of centers and infrastructure, and public recognition of e-authorities itself

Evaluation of Mechanisms’ Effectiveness of State Regulation of Innovative Activity

Main problem: Rapidly changing trends in development of economies of countries require a rational approach to state regulation of innovative activity and investments directed to organization of real sector of the economy. At the same time, for analysis of modern state policy in the system of innovative development, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of state regulation mechanisms of innovative activity in the economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Purpose: to assess mechanisms of state regulation of innovative activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the global competitiveness system. Methods: synthesis, content analysis, accommodation, monographic method, factor analysis, economic and statistical research method. Results and their significance: The assessment of the mechanisms of state regulation of innovative activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the global competitiveness system allowed to fully assess effectiveness of mechanisms of state regulation of innovative activity in the economy. Examining the sub-indices of international rating of the World Economic Forum for 2021-2022 in relation to 2017-2018, the authors came to conclusion that in Kazakhstan today there is the decrease in all the sub-indices of rating and their factors (“basic requirements” and “business complexity”), with exception of “innovation” sub-index. This sub-index was significantly reduced due to a sharp deterioration in macroeconomic environment, which is directly related, according to the authors, to significant losses in oil export revenues. This, in turn, affected the deterioration of the state budget indicators. The article pays special attention to place and role of state regulation of innovative activity in the socio-economic policy of the country. Organizational and methodological problems in development and implementation of innovative policy in the Republic of Kazakhstan are researched in detail, which makes it necessary to solve them in order to achieve the effectiveness of innovative policy at the regional and national levels.

Public Procurement Policies to Foster Innovation Development

Government and public sector demand from the perspective of demand-push policies as a tool of technology and innovation policy have been discussed in detail in the literature. Policymakers have always considered advantages such as promoting local production goals, reducing imports and dependence upon foreign countries, and meeting domestic needs with technology development and innovation. In Iran such policies have been designed and implemented and can be classified into two categories: horizontal and vertical policies. Horizontal policies refer to policy programs that regulate the general government market and the public sector. In vertical policies, however, government demand in a particular product area is regulated. In order to analyze the different types of application of these policies in Iran, several cases of horizontal and vertical policies have been studied and compared in this article. From the horizontal policies, the law of maximum use of domestic power and Foreign Finance Credit have been selected. Among the vertical policies, the policy of 10 basic oil products and the experience of the Iran-Lab-Expo have been examined. Attempts have been made to analyze and compare the above policies based on the general pattern of government programs to stimulate government demand for technology and innovation. Finally, the lessons learned from Iran’s policy experiences in the field of public sector demand orientation as a tool of technology and innovation policy are described.

Differentiation of innovation ecosystems of the countries being the Global Innovation Index leaders in the global competitive context

Innovations have become pivotal for the growth and competitiveness of national economies. Generating innovations necessitates a comprehensive ecosystem as a set of conducive conditions. With competition intensifying and focusing on innovation, countries increasingly prioritize the enhancement of their innovation ecosystems. The foundation for this lies in international comparisons, particularly among countries that are global leaders, as it aids in identifying their specific characteristics and advantages. The aim of the study is to differentiate the innovation ecosystems of world-leading countries by highlighting the indicators in which they differ the most.The paper covered the top 15 countries according to the Global Innovation Index, each characterized by 23 indicators in their innovation ecosystems. In the first stage, using mathematical processing (the k-means method), the countries were divided into six clusters. Then, to find the parameters that differentiate the obtained clusters, a classification analysis was conducted (the “decision tree” method), resulting in 11 indicators that, in various pairwise combinations, most differentiate the analyzed countries. These indicators reflect the features and most important advantages (or weaknesses) of each innovation ecosystem and are also priorities for increasing the parameters of these ecosystems to improve the position of countries. It is advisable to use these indicators to form state innovation policy.

Facilitating Policy Innovation in the Middle East

There is a need to ensure the effective transfer and diffusion of successful policy innovations that facilitate sustainable development in the Middle East region. However, to date there has been limited research on policy innovation in the Middle East region through theories such as policy diffusion, with most studies focused on North America and Western Europe. The following short essay represents an attempt to highlight this shortfall, stimulate discussion on what key factors could facilitate policy innovation in the Middle East, and promote further studies to address this imbalance. This is a theoretical study that primarily examines three theories that address the spread of policy innovation between governments: policy diffusion, policy laboratories, and borrowing strength. These theories are applied to different factors that influence policy innovation (geographic proximity, political ideology, culture, and networks and individuals) considered within the context of the Middle East to assess their relevance and applicability. Based on the application of these theories and key factors, the essay proposes three novel hypotheses for policy innovation, which are linked to the different factors. Each hypothesis identifies an area where it is expected that policy innovation would occur, if the theories hold true in a Middle Eastern Context. The essay contains an accompanying call to test these hypotheses within the region. It is expected that further studies in this area will be able to both test and build on the proposed hypotheses to determine the applicability of current (Western) theories to explain policy innovation in the Middle East and move towards a more comprehensive and targeted theory of policy in this region.

Environmental protection policy and green innovation in China

ABSTRACT Based on institutional theory, this letter examines the effects of a nationwide environmental protection policy, i.e. the New Development Philosophy (NDP), on green innovation in China. Our predictions were tested based on a dataset of 2,645 Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2017. Results obtained from Poisson regressions indicate that firms respond actively to NDP by engaging more extensively in green innovation. This relationship is positively moderated by CEO attributes, i.e. CEO tenure, technical background, political connections, and international education. Our findings suggest that policymakers should exert efforts to enact policies that promote green innovation. Also, the study will help managers to make more informed decisions about investing in green innovation.

Local Housing Policies and Corporate Social Financial Logics: Insights from the Financialization of Housing in Barcelona

ABSTRACT This article explores the way local states can challenge the process of housing financialization, by focusing on policy innovation for housing vulnerability. Building upon theoretical discourses that emphasize the influence of financial investors in shaping policy frameworks, we suggest that institutional settings that develop independently of financial logics and prioritize social policies can both incite shifts in financial investors’ strategies and change the dynamics in the financialization of housing. This is the case even within rental systems where local states demonstrate limited capacity to intervene in housing markets. Using desk-based research and interviews with expert informants, this study investigates the way new municipalism policies have addressed housing vulnerability in Barcelona. It considers investors’ responses to an institutional framework that prioritized social criteria, and interrogates the relation between housing policy and financial innovation. Key findings suggest that housing financialization is a dynamic process, contingent on the way different actors interrelate and mutually redefine power relations in housing affairs.