National Innovation Policy Research Articles

Antecedent and Consequence of Innovation Output: Evidence from Thailand

The study aims to examine the impact of research and development (R&D) investment (the antecedent) on competitive advantage (the consequence) for the innovation output of private firms in Thailand. The population of this study includes all private Thai firms which have registered with the Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council. Path analysis and factor confirmation, including correlation matrix, are used to test the mediator effect of innovation output on the relationship between R&D investment and firm performance competitive advantage. The research data are tested and analyzed by the structure equation model. The results reveal that R&D investment was not found to directly influence competitive advantage, while R&D investment indirectly affects competitive advantage through innovation output. The findings of this study demonstrate that innovative output plays a mediating role between R&D investment and competitive advantage. In addition, dynamic capability theory can be used to explain the influences of R&D investment and innovation output on competitive advantage for private firms in Thailand.

National innovation policy, entrepreneurial activity, managerial ability and green innovation of agribusinesses

National innovation policy, entrepreneurial activity, managerial ability and green innovation of agribusinesses

Guangdong’s New R&D Institutes

In pursuit of technological development, China has created new organizations to promote innovation. This brief examines New Research and Development Institutes (NRDIs), which are designed to foster knowledge transfer to industry. NRDIs were pioneered in Guangdong province in the 1990s, and have gained prominence in China’s national science, technology, and innovation policies since the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020). NRDIs are defined by their market orientation and extremely flexible organizational form. They work by establishing “innovation platforms” with local governments and private knowledge actors to carry out research and development (R&D), commercialize scientific and technological achievements, incubate local technology industries, and cultivate high-end talent. NRDIs have been instrumental to regional development in Guangdong, and especially Shenzhen, where they have succeeded in attracting talent from outside the region. NRDIs have important policy implications for international competition for talent. Understanding NRDIs is crucial for other countries that want to improve their own inter-regional innovation resources and respond to the challenge of China’s drive to attract global talent and knowledge resources.

Awareness and perception on the use of smartphone applications for crop protection among undergraduate students in Southwestern Nigeria

Mobile applications in crop protection especially for speedy pest diagnosis, monitoring, and management are increasingly gaining global attention and support. An understanding of the awareness and perception of the youths, particularly students in tertiary institutions (who are heavy users of smartphones), on the use of smartphone applications for crop protection, is crucial for sharpening their orientations towards embracing the digital ecosystem in agriculture. The imperativeness is evident in the ongoing government drive towards promoting students’ engagement in digital agriculture as accommodated in the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (2022–2027). Consequently, this study investigated awareness and perception of mobile phone applications among crop and agricultural extension-related final-year students in selected Universities in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 407 students. Data were obtained with the aid of questionnaires. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation using SPSS software. Findings show that very few (less than 8%) of the respondents were aware of the usage of specific smart/android phone applications for pest identification, disease diagnosis, and weather forecasting. Less than 4% ever used smart/android phones for pest identification, crop protection, and information sourcing on disease diagnosis and management. However, their perception of the need for pest and disease diagnosis as a foundation step to enhance crop protection (4.65 points on a scale of 5), and readiness to use android/smartphone applications for this purpose (MS = 4.45) was positive. There are enormous implications for increased awareness and knowledge sharing on the use of android/smartphone applications for crop protection and other interventions to promote digital agriculture among students in Nigeria.

Evaluation of Academic Enhancement Program for Low-Income Students in Rural Malaysia

Malaysia National Science, Technology and Innovation policy 2021-2023highlighted thatScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education plays an important role for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Many countries are now keen on integrating STEM into TVET education to maintain competitiveness and prepare the workforce to be more effective and productive in the knowledge-based economy. Penang Regional Development Authority (PERDA) initiated the B40@PERDA Academic Enhancement Programme to enhance the academic performance of primary and secondary school students from the B40 group, focusing on critical subjects.The study aims to evaluate the program's effectiveness and gauge student and teacher satisfaction. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected via questionnaires from students and teachers at various educational institutions. Respondents were randomly selected to ensure accurate representation. Analysis results showed that more than 95% of primary school students achieved the minimum proficiency level in EMAS with a minimum of 10% reaching the highest proficiency. For secondary school students, at least 50% attained at least a C grade in EMAS and 45.77% did so in Elective Science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Additional Mathematics). This study concluded that the B40@PERDA programme significantly improves EMAS proficiency among rural students and helps reduce dropout rates in these subjects. Furthermore, this programme is crucial for fulfilling the minimum requirements for TVET. By enhancing proficiency in critical subjects such as English, Mathematics, and Science, the B40@PERDA Programme ensures that students are better prepared for TVET pathways, ultimately contributing to their future career opportunities and the development of skilled labor in the region.

The Effectiveness of National Innovation and Startup Policy (NISP) in Cultivating Entrepreneurial Ecosystems within Management Institutions in Pune

This study investigates the effectiveness of the National Innovation and Startup Policy (NISP) in cultivating entrepreneurial ecosystems within management institutions in Pune. A mixed-method approach involving surveys and interviews with students, faculty, and NISP coordinators across 15 HEIs was employed. The findings reveal that NISP has fostered a supportive environment by promoting awareness, offering mentorship, and establishing infrastructure. However, challenges remain, including limited funding, lack of industry partnerships, and insufficient resources for startups. Analysis of student responses indicates a positive influence on entrepreneurial interest and confidence. However, concerns exist around access to funding, infrastructure, and specialized equipment. Additionally, diversifying engagement activities is crucial to reach a wider student base. Based on these results, recommendations are provided to enhance NISP's effectiveness. These include increased funding, fostering industry collaborations, expanding awareness campaigns, and providing high-value resources like seed funding and investor networks. Additionally, dedicated faculty mentors and standardized resource allocation across institutions are recommended. Finally, establishing data-driven evaluation mechanisms with student feedback loops is crucial for continuous improvement. By implementing these recommendations, NISP can be strengthened to cultivate robust entrepreneurial ecosystems within management institutions, fostering innovation and contributing to India's emergence as a global hub for entrepreneurship.

A Proposed Framework for Assessing the Readiness of AI in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have become increasingly important to Malaysia’s economy in recent years. They contribute significantly to GDP growth, job creation, and innovation. However, SMEs often face various challenges such as limited resources, market competition, and technological barriers. In this digital age, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) has tremendous potential to overcome these challenges and drive SMEs towards sustainable growth and competitiveness. Despite this, it remains unclear whether Malaysian SMEs are ready to adopt and use AI technologies. This research aims to bridge this gap by investigating the readiness of Malaysian SMEs to embrace AI, the factors that influence their readiness, and the potential impact of AI integration on their business performance and competitiveness. This initiative aligns with the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (NSTIP) 2021-2030, i.e., promoting the development and readiness of local technology. This study proposes a conceptual framework to provide a detailed understanding of the readiness of Malaysian SMEs to adopt AI, analyze the factors that influence AI readiness, and evaluate the potential impact of AI integration on their business performance and competitiveness. The findings will inform future research initiatives aimed at enhancing SME competitiveness and fostering innovation in Malaysia’s business ecosystem.

Do national innovation policies lead to technological specialization or diversification? The role of path dependence and spatial spillovers

Although most national innovation policy aim to promote urban innovation, their impact on technological specialization and diversification has not been thoroughly explored. This paper examines the impact of the National Innovation City Pilot Policy (NICPP) on technological specialization and diversification in Chinese cities, utilizing data from 282 cities between 2006 and 2019, and employing the difference-in-differences (DID) method. The results indicate that NICPP increases technological specialization while decreasing diversification in cities. The pathways to these outcomes include innovation path dependence, agglomeration effects, and a reduction in breakthrough innovations. Additionally, the policy's spatial spillovers contributed to technological specialization in peripheral areas. The study highlights the heterogeneity of policy effects, suggesting that cities with higher levels of initial specialization are more significantly impacted by these policies, while differences in resource endowment, geographical location, and city size lead to varying patterns of specialization. Moreover, the study verifies the synergistic effect of NICPP with other policies, where initiatives promoting high technology and environmental regulation work in conjunction with NICPP to enhance specialization in corresponding industries. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the multifaceted impacts of NICPP, delivering theoretical insights and empirical evidence for strategic policy deployment, enhancing regional cooperation, and fostering synergies among policies.

Divergent trajectories on frontier innovations: A comparison of international venture capital-invested ventures between China and the United States

How do international venture capital (IVC)-invested ventures (IIVs) between the U.S. and China generate new knowledge differently and follow distinct growth trajectories? Given that venture capital (VC) is critical for financing frontier innovations among new ventures, comparing U.S. and Chinese IIVs is essential for informing national innovation policy. Based on the organizational ecology perspective, we propose that U.S. and Chinese new ventures have divergent trajectories in frontier innovations. We identify 1782 first-round IVC investments in U.S. and Chinese new ventures operating in the computer software, e-commerce, biotechnology, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence sectors between 2010 and 2020 along with their 2825 patents (317 Chinese patents and 2508 U.S. patents). Our findings indicate that Chinese IIVs exhibit greater variation in terms of technological distance, search scope, and knowledge coupling, compared to U.S. IIVs. However, Chinese IIVs’ frontier innovations have more divergent technological trajectories and attract fewer followers than U.S. IIVs, based on patent citations. In a firm-level analysis, we find that Chinese IIVs are less likely to receive a subsequent financing round. Further, IIVs with greater technological distance and search scope, and with higher impact patents, have more opportunities to receive the next round of funding.

China’s digital and green (twin) transition: insights from national and regional innovation policies

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of policy in China’s digital and green (twin) transition, building on a qualitative study of a large corpus of policy documents in green and digital domains. We analyse the multi-level governance of these transitions for three regional case studies: Shanghai, Wuhan and Hangzhou. We find that regions both adopt and adjust green and digital aims and means differently from national policy. A twin transition is not comprehensively addressed at the national level, but is partially implemented in the three regions. Based on our findings, we develop a regional typology sketching top-down policy implementation strategies.

National Research and Innovation Policy the Case of Greece: A Benchmarking Exercise to Assist Evidence-Based Policies on Research, Innovation, and Technological Entrepreneurship

Greece has made considerable effort to develop and implement a concise research and innovation policy during the last decades aiming at a knowledge-intensive economy. New legal frameworks and funding schemes are introduced, funding increased, but evaluation of impact is implemented marginally. The landscape in the early 2020ies has little in common with that in the late 1970ies. The active participation of Greece to the European Union’s framework programs and the European institutions’ prioritization of research and innovation increased the impetus for the policy makers at national level and for an informed policy in this field. Nevertheless, the data are relentless in the demonstration of the effectiveness of the policies. Despite the efforts deployed, Greece continues to lag most European countries, pairing mostly with its neighbors. This proves a strong need for improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the policies. It shows that politicians and policy makers are ill prepared to face the new challenges in global competitiveness. Greece is not the only case in this position.

Innovation Policy Coordination: The Role of Communication for Uzbekistan

Abstract The relative importance of various drivers of economic growth and prosperity has evolved over time, and innovation is the primary driver of economic growth for a growing number of countries. Innovations can be developed in countries where the state innovation policy is effectively implemented, and the state coordinates the subjects of innovation policy. The coordination requires integration, digitalization and sharing of information across departments and sectors. The objective of this paper is to describe how Uzbekistan’s innovation system has evolved during the last decade since Uzbekistan moved from a highly regulated mixed economy to an open market economy. In this process, we start by describing the national innovation system of Uzbekistan, describe some of the key changes in the innovation policy coordination system, the legal acts of reforming the public administration, the bodies responsible for the implementation of laws, monitoring and evaluating the fulfillment of the set strategic tasks. Then we will reveal the state’s role in coordinating and establishing an effective national innovation policy, reveal the theoretical aspects and compare them with the implementation in Uzbekistan. For these purposes, data from open and transparent sources from 2009 to 2021 are analyzed, and the impact of various factors on Uzbekistan’s economic and innovative development using econometric analysis is evaluated. The conclusion of the research consists of the recommendations that are given in order to improve the state innovation policy, establish communication and achieve the goals of the government.

Public procurement and innovation policy in Russia: a perspective of narrative economics

Objective: to identify narratives describing the use of public procurement system for innovation policy implementation and to critically analyze them.Methods: quantitative analysis of the frequency of narratives, qualitative analysis of narratives to identify protomodels, institutions and social context.Results: in the modern Russian economic system, public procurement is used as a tool for implementing the national innovation policy. The analysis of legal acts regulating public procurement of innovative and high-tech goods showed the trends that potentially reduce the variability of procuring entities' actions and the transparency of procurement procedures. Based on the tools of narrative economics, the authors analyzed the attitude of actors (representatives of the state, business and academia) of the Russian innovation system to the existing practice of public procurement in the context of the national innovation policy. As a result, the work presents a typology of public procurement problems, discussed in mass media, for Russia’s innovative development.Scientific novelty: the considered narratives show that, in relation to the Russian innovation system, the public procurement subjects can act in the logic of the “principal-agent” theory, while the tendency to reduce transparency is welcomed by some actors.Practical significance: institutional analysis of the recent changes in public procurement, including the rules governing the procurement of innovative and high-tech products, has revealed the devolution of formalized rules aimed at the implementation of state innovation policy. Together with the increased level of privacy in organizational activities of procuring entities, this carries the risks of not only increasing the level of opportunistic behavior of the public procurement market subjects, but also decreasing confidence in the entire public procurement system.

Toward a decentralized copyright infrastructure as a ‘public service’: the case of Digiciti and Estonia

ABSTRACT This article investigates the process of collaboration between Digiciti Networks, a private company, and the public sector in Estonia, in their experiment of building a decentralized copyright registry for the music industry. Drawing upon existing research in national innovation policy and music industry studies, we examine our case as an endeavour for collaborative public value creation. We demonstrate that while the Estonian government has established innovation policy hubs capable of driving and coordinating challenge-oriented policies, other parts of the national innovation system lack the capacities and dynamic capabilities that could organically host ambitious visions of future infrastructures for the creative industries. Nonetheless, we also show how the developing regulatory and policy frameworks of the European Union influenced the development of the case and provided opportunities to advance it, especially with regard to the ‘public’ or ‘common’ nature of future data infrastructures as part of the European data and blockchain strategies.

Reform of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ability Cultivation System for Undergraduates in the Context of Economic Transformation and New Engineering Disciplines

Abstract Science and technology and new industries are constantly changing, providing a more precise direction for innovation and entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities. To reform the cultivation system of college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability, this paper proposes the cluster core academic competence model (KAI) to analyze the learning process and the degree of knowledge absorption of college students engaged in bi-innovation education. The Group Learning Generation Network (GLGN) is constructed, and the GCN is used to update the GLGN, which can clearly show the practice and degree of difficulty of knowledge implementation, and focus on cultivating college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability. After the experimental research in this paper, the national innovation and entrepreneurship policy and innovation and entrepreneurship courses significantly correlate with the cultivation of innovation and entrepreneurship ability of college students. The Pearson correlation coefficient is 0.233 and 0.183 respectively, and the significance P-value is less than 0.01. From the aspect of the results of the innovation and entrepreneurship ability cultivation, the score of the college students’ participation in innovation and entrepreneurship competitions has risen to 0.098 after the reform, which shows that the reformed training system pays more attention to the education of innovation and entrepreneurship practice of college students.

Optimization Path of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ability of College Students in the Context of High-Quality Development

Abstract Studying the influencing factors of college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability is crucial to optimizing the innovation and entrepreneurship of college students in the context of high-quality development. Based on this, this paper constructs an SEM structural equation model and improves the convergence of the PLS algorithm using the least squares solution and optimal iteration initial value for the PLS algorithm in the SEM model. Then, the correlation analysis is done between six influencing factors, such as national policy, birthplace, and entrepreneurial activities, and college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability, and finally, the hypothesis of the influence of innovation and entrepreneurship ability is verified by the SEM model test. The main results are as follows: this paper constructed a model of influence factors on college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability, with five levels and 18 factors, and ranked their importance. The SEM model’s fit coefficient of 0.927>0.9 is a sign of a high degree of fit in the structural equation model. The regression coefficients of the five dimensions calculated according to the SEM model are 0.781, 0.939, 0.243, 0.935, and 0.839. All five dimensions have a significant positive impact on innovation and entrepreneurship. This paper finds that there is a positive correlation between college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability and national innovation and entrepreneurship policy, place of origin, entrepreneurial activities, education, and internship experience, and constructs the optimization path of college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship ability.

MARKETING MEASURES TO RESTORE WINEMAKING IN UKRAINE

The paper examines problematic aspects of the strategic development of winemaking in Ukraine in the context of implementing the experience of leading companies in the world regarding the use of brands as indicators of the value of intangible assets. A comparative analysis of well-known value ratings of wine brands in the world and in Ukraine was conducted. The inefficiency of the national innovation policy and policy in the field of branding is substantiated. It is difficult to imagine the modern market without a complex of marketing communications, sales promotion systems, product advertising and other related services. But each industry needs specific marketing approaches for product promotion, which take into account the legislative and regional features of its implementation. The main aspects of this process were considered on the example of the promotion of wine production, which was grown in the Odesa region, and its implementation has certain limitations. The role of branded capital in the post-war recovery of Ukraine's economy is analyzed. The proposed measures are aimed at increasing the brand capital of such a brand as Shabo, for its successful management. Among the considered measures: the development of wine or wine tourism, which should positively affect the development of winemaking, the culture of wine consumption, and the economic development of not only the region, but also the country as a whole. Without state support at the legislative level, a breakthrough in the economic growth of winemaking should not be expected. The work considers the most relevant legislative initiatives that would contribute to this process.

Forecasting innovative start-ups through automatic variable selection and MIDAS regressions

ABSTRACT The paper focuses on the role that both macroeconomic indicators and financial factors play as drivers for the birth and the evolution of the Italian innovative start-ups over time. The analysis makes use of a novel machine learning algorithm, working in high-dimensional graphical models, to select, among the multitude of potential determinants, the relevant explanatory variables for the number of innovative start-ups. Being the variables involved in the analysis sampled at different frequencies, mixed data sampling models are employed for estimation and forecasting purposes. The need to reduce the number of regressors of these models, for reasons related to their estimability, is met by resorting to principal component analysis of the potential determinants. An empirical application to the set of Italian innovative start-ups, either in their entirety or split according to some specific requirements, highlights the effectiveness of this approach. The analysis results provides useful information for the assessment of national innovation policies and for the evaluation of the capability of the innovative start-ups to persist and contribute at the recovery during the actual crisis still affected by the pandemic.

ОЦЕНКА НА ИНОВАЦИИТЕ В ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯТА НА ПРИМЕРА НА БЪЛГАРИЯ

The article is devoted to the problem of the evaluation of innovations in enterprises in Bulgaria and its comparability with that of other European countries. In this connection, the conceptual-categorical apparatus, the used databases and the methodology of their collection and interpretation are discussed. Quantitative analyzes and assessments were carried out in compliance with the requirements of the methodological guidelines of the OECD and Eurostat of the "Frascati" family. Difficulties have been identified in more precisely comparing the evaluations of innovations in Bulgarian enterprises with those in other countries of the European Union, and the reasons for these difficulties have been established. Innovations in Bulgarian enterprises are characterized by different signs. For this purpose, a structural analysis and an analysis of the context were carried out. The obtained results give reason to determine important gaps in the formation of the national innovation policy. Among them is the failure to take into account globalization in the formation of a national environment for the market functioning of the economy, which is expressed in decreasing external and internal demand for new products produced in the country, imbalances in the financing of R&D, etc., which lead to a decrease in innovations in the Bulgarian enterprises. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are defined from the point of view of the formation of an innovation policy adequate to the new realities.

Modernity, mobility, and acceleration: cycling as the blind spot in Swedish transport innovation

ABSTRACT As climate ambitions have increased, questions regarding the sustainability of transport systems have been placed on the transport innovation agenda. Yet the relationship between economic competitiveness and sustainability agendas in national innovation policy is an uneven one. We aim to unpack this relationship by analysing the position of cycling in Swedish innovation policy, focusing on the funding of projects within the field of sustainable mobility. We apply a critical theoretical approach and build on Hartmut Rosa’s critical work on modernity and acceleration, Sheller and Urry’s theories on mobilities – including contributions from followers to this field – and critical innovation studies. The result of our analysis for cycling is threefold. First, the conceptualisation of ‘progress’ does not help to place cycling high on the innovation agenda. Second, the bicycle and cycling have difficulties appearing as ‘new’, in contrast to the car and driving. Third, the unreflexivity regarding automation, digitisation, and sharing prevents taking account of negative effects on cycling and obstructs a fundamental questioning of automobility. In our conclusion, we propose a different view of progress, of which the current interpretation seems to be preventing innovation policy from having a stronger sustainability agenda. An alternative interpretation of progress logically also questions the role and primacy of technological novelties.