Innovation Systems Perspective Research Articles

Understanding the evolution of photovoltaic value chain from a global perspective: Based on the patent analysis

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is one of the optimal alternatives to solve the problem of traditional fuel shortage due to its clean and safe characteristics. However, the boundaries of PV national innovation systems are blurring, and the PV value chain is gradually modularized in the context of innovation and product globalization. The paper explores the spatiotemporal evolution of the PV value chain based on priority patent applications from a global perspective. Our findings highlight the global innovation activities in developing PV technology are uneven in the temporal dimension, and the center of PV technology innovation has experienced a rapid spatial shift in the context of globalization. Developing the PV technological components was initially concentrated in a few countries or regions and then showed a tendency for spatial dispersion. However, the development of PV technology concentrated again after the global financial crisis. Moreover, there are distinct comparative technology advantages and disadvantages of the PV technological components or trajectories across crucial countries or regions. Our findings contribute to a theoretical description of the spatiotemporal evolution of developing PV technology at a global level and help policy-makers or company managers better understand the evolution of the PV industrial value chain from the perspective of the global innovation system.

Forever niche: Why do organically bred vegetable varieties not diffuse?

While organic food increased its market share in conventional food retail, virtually all organic vegetables are still conventionally bred. For decades, organically bred vegetable varieties remained a market niche, despite their socio-ecological benefits. This paper conceptualizes actors and activities around organic breeding as a Technological Innovation System (TIS) and analyzes what prevents these varieties from widely diffusing into conventional supermarkets. Investigated systemic barriers relate to knowledge, market formation, investments, and legitimacy. The study is based on interviews with food retailers and (commons-based) breeding initiatives across Germany. Theoretically, the paper adds an innovation system perspective on the diffusion of organically bred varieties, a blind spot in the emerging seed commons debate. Furthermore, it contributes to sustainability transitions literature by introducing a novel empirical topic and reframing the TIS framework to analyze agri-food innovations. Identifying barriers and vicious cycles might support practitioners and policymakers seeking to diffuse this agri-food niche.

Transition pathways, transition failure, and sustainable transition in developing countries: Insights from wind turbines in Iran

This study aims to investigate transition pathways, identify transition failures and propose policy solutions based on functions of technological innovation system (TIS) to overcome transition failures in the wind turbine industry in Iran. To this end, this paper employs a qualitative approach and case study research strategy. In this regard, the historical evolution of the wind turbines in Iran from 1988 to 2020 is investigated through the lens of sustainable transitions pathways, the integrated theoretical framework (combination of technological innovation system and multi-level perspective) with identifying a kind of pathway in each. Then, the reasons for the transition failure in each stage are extracted by employing a transition failure theoretical framework. Finally, to address the transition failures, appropriate policy solutions are proposed based on each function of the technological innovation system (TIS) theory. This paper contributes to the literature of sustainability transition by shedding light on the evolution of a renewable energy sector in a developing country with huge underground oil and gas reserves.

New regional industrial path development and innovation networks in times of economic crisis

ABSTRACT This paper presents novel research on how exogenous shocks and economic crises affect innovation, knowledge networks, and new path development in regions. Conceptually, we take a regional innovation systems perspective which views new path development as the outcome of innovation and knowledge exchange between firms and other actors, facilitated by a common institutional framework. Empirically, we draw on interviews and network data from the oil and gas industry in southern Norway. Following a long period of prosperity, the industry was hit by the oil price shock in 2014 and entered an economic crisis. The findings suggest that the shock triggered the firms to commit even more forcefully to innovation and to expand their knowledge networks geographically. To cope with the crisis, they applied a variety of strategies, which can be associated with different forms of path development. We draw conclusions for innovation policy in the context of exogenous shocks and crises.

The role of culture on pest management innovation; a comparative analysis of two farmer communities in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT The Agricultural Innovation System perspective highlights the importance of interaction for learning and innovation, but so far little research is done on the cultural differences of farmers and the effect this has on interaction, knowledge sharing and innovation. We took a cultural perspective to better understand local interaction, knowledge sharing and learning dynamics, and uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Bangladesh where the Department of Agricultural Extension organizes Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for IPM. However, the success of the FFS approach at farmer level is quite diverse. We coupled an ethnographic study with an analysis, based on Cultural Theory, to identify the cultural pattern of behaviour, underlying preferences of social organization, and the effect this has on pest management innovation in two farmer communities. Findings showed that in one village with strong group solidarity, farmers tended to share knowledge in a wide network, and started to apply IPM while reducing pesticide use. In the other community, individualism and fatalism prevailed and farmers only shared knowledge within their close network, distrusted outsiders and continued to rely on pesticides. We conclude that it is important to include cultural studies in cross-disciplinary research and design of local innovation interventions.

The farm to fork strategy and the digital transformation of the agrifood sector—An assessment from the perspective of innovation systems

AbstractThe article assesses the European Union's Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy from the perspective of innovation systems, focusing on digital technologies in agriculture. It employs the Technical Innovation Systems framework to analyze how the policies proposed in the F2F strategy affect essential functions of the innovation system. The analysis shows that the F2F strategy significantly contributes to innovation system performance by providing a clear and coherent agenda and various concrete measures designed to support innovation, knowledge and skill development. However, the strategy falls short in creating favorable market conditions for innovative technologies and building legitimacy with farmers as the most important user group.

An actor-oriented perspective on innovation systems: Functional analysis of drivers and barriers to innovation and technology adoption in the mining sector

Technology developers are key actors in an innovation system. Applying the technological innovation systems perspective as an analytical framework, our study unpacks drivers and barriers to technology development, adoption and diffusion in an innovation system and relates these to firm-level innovation processes. We approach this by situating our enquiry at the intersection of system- and firm-level perspectives. Based on case study data, our research highlights drivers and barriers prevailing in the mining innovation system affecting technology developers and establishes links to key innovation processes relevant to these firms. We complement these findings with insights into strategies firms employ to mitigate or overcome barriers identified, with the potential to positively affect innovation processes at the firm level. We argue that enablers and barriers to innovation encountered by firms have their effect by affording or impeding opportunities for firms to undertake the innovation processes required to attain technological innovation outcomes.

Multi-actor Horizon 2020 projects in agriculture, forestry and related sectors: A Multi-level Innovation System framework (MINOS) for identifying multi-level system failures

CONTEXTThe key European Union (EU) policy instrument in support of innovation in agriculture, forestry and related sectors is the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability. It applies the ‘interactive innovation model’ which brings together actors with complementary types of knowledge. This policy instrument is implemented inter alia through multi-actor projects funded via the Horizon 2020 (H2020) Research and Innovation (R&I) programme. OBJECTIVEAlthough the multi-actor H2020 projects account for a substantial part of EU project funding for agriculture, forestry and related sector R&I, systematic and comparative research on the multi-actor H2020 projects is scarce. This is partly due to a lack of a structured analytical approach to accommodate the differences in institutional, cultural and social contexts which influence the co-innovation and social learning processes in these multinational, multi-actor partnerships. To this end, we argue that the analytical integration of the micro- and macro-level innovation system (IS) perspectives is necessary to understand fully the mechanisms underlying the functioning of, and the co-innovation process within, multi-actor H2020 projects. METHODSThis analytical gap is addressed with the development of an integrated, Multi-level Innovation System framework (MINOS) and its application to 50 multi-actor H2020 projects. MINOS recognises the presence, influence of and interaction between multiple levels of IS in such projects. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe distinguish four levels of IS: the European Agricultural Innovation System (EU AIS), the National Agricultural Innovation System (NAIS), the H2020 project and the partner organisations involved in the project (Partner). Our analysis of the system failures that occurred across most of the 50 cases allowed us to identify and conceptualise two categories of ‘multi-level system failures’, namely multipliers and stackers, and the presence of mitigating factors. SIGNIFICANCEThe MINOS analytical framework enabled a) a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of co-innovation in multi-actor H2020 projects and b) contributed to addressing the theoretical and conceptual gaps in terms of studying the interconnection and interdependence of different IS levels.

Decarbonising the refinery sector: A socio-technical analysis of advanced biofuels, green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage developments in Sweden

The oil refinery industry is one of the major energy users and responsible for a large proportion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This sector is facing multiple sustainability-related transformation pressures, forcing the industry to adapt to changing market conditions. The transition to a low-carbon economy will require oil refineries to adopt decarbonisation technologies like advanced biofuels, green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS). However, the development and implementation of these technologies is not a straightforward process and may be inhibited by lock-in and path dependency. This paper draws on expert interviews and combines the Technological Innovation Systems (TIS) and Multi-level Perspective (MLP) frameworks to examining the niche level development of three emerging technologies in the context of deep decarbonisation of refinery. This research finds that the development of the three decarbonisation technologies shares some of the challenges and opportunities and exhibits technology interdependency to some extent. Among the three TISs, advanced biofuel is the most mature in terms of knowledge base, actor-network, legislation framework and market function. Green hydrogen and CCS encounter stronger momentum than before and can benefit from possible synergies across various sectors. However, the analysis also reveals the lack of market formation, mainly due to the lack of policy instruments for niche markets. Here, policy recommendations for accelerating deep decarbonisation of the oil refinery industry are discussed. Finally, we contribute to the sustainability transitions literature by exploring the dynamics of emerging TISs for industrial decarbonisation.

Technology diffusion and firm agency from a technological innovation systems perspective: A case study of fatigue monitoring in the mining industry

The diffusion of new technological innovations occurs within an ecosystem of stakeholders, institutions and networks. Dynamic interactions and processes need to unfold in order for an innovation to be diffused successfully. This study borrows from the perspectives of the technological innovation systems (TIS) framework and agency to investigate how a firm can be agentic in overcoming barriers to the diffusion of its technology; by removing blockages to the fulfilment of innovation functions outlined by TIS. As such, we analyse firm- and system-level structures and processes relevant to a new fatigue monitoring device primarily developed for application in the mining sector. Our results highlight impediments and drivers for the diffusion of the new device at different levels and at different stages throughout the diffusion process. The study also suggests that new entrants into an innovation system need to critically analyse its structure and functions and devise strategies to overcome blocking mechanisms.

Innovation systems and affordances in climate smart agriculture

There is significant international investment and effort in the development, piloting and upscaling of climate smart agriculture (CSA), with particular emphasis on delivering benefits to smallholder farmers through programmes of CSA interventions. However, there is poor understanding of how smallholder farmers access beneficial outcomes from changes in agricultural practices, beyond narrow and simplistic metrics, such as adoption rates and yield increases. Furthermore, binary notions of adopters and non-adopters provides a poor basis for understanding innovation within complex farming systems. By integrating an innovation systems perspective with the theory of affordances, we explore how agricultural innovation happens in the context of two CSA interventions in the Tanga Region of Tanzania, to examine who has access to, and is able to benefit from interventions, who does not, and why. Drawing on ethnographic and interview data involving over 200 participants, we demonstrate how innovation processes in this context are diverse and non-linear, and discuss how potential outcomes derived from programmes are shaped by farmers’ affordances. We argue that common programme reporting metrics fail to account for the dynamic and nonlinearity of innovation processes and risk overlooking unintended outcomes of interventions. We propose that interventions should be conceived with an appreciation of context and affordances from the outset, to support how they engage with the least capable from the very beginning.

Reconciling higher productivity with innovation paradox: mode of learning and innovation in India's manufacturing sector

ABSTRACT This study analyzed the factors behind the innovation paradox in developing countries using the innovation system perspective. Considering the central role of interactive learning in innovation, we analyzed the relative role of Science Technology Inovation (STI) and Doing Using Interacting (DUI) mode of learning in determining TFP and the inter-industry variation therein. The study used the firm-level panel data from India’s manufacturing sector. The results highlight the significance of interactive learning, both STI and DUI, on firm productivity. While STI mode of learning has a greater role in high-technology industries, in the case of low-technology industries DUI is more important. Despite the positive role of STI mode, DUI mode turns out to be the most widely preferred strategy. These findings suggest that innovation policy in developing countries needs to be cognizant of the crucial role of DUI in innovation and make the case for a balanced approach towards promoting STI and DUI mode of learning.

국가혁신시스템 관점에서 바라본, SDGs 달성을 위한 과학·기술·혁신 지표 개발 탐색적 연구

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015, by the United Nations (UN). In achieving the SDGs, science·technology·innovation (STI) has been emphasized as one of means of implementation in achieving SDGs. Hence, in order to reflect an STI perspective, the UN established the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) in September 2015. One of the main activities of the TFM is to formulate the guideline of ‘STI for SDGs Roadmaps’ and to encourage countries to create such individual national roadmaps. Along this line of work, recent discussion has centered around the development of indicators to measure activities and performance of STI for SDGs. This engendered a series of questions regarding i) what the proper STI indicators are for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of SDGs, ii) whether and what kinds of STI indicators are needed, iii) and how STI indicators are to be reflected at the global and national levels. Based on these, this paper attempts to explore whether and what kinds of STI indicators are reflected in the current indicators of the UN-SDGs and Korean SDGs (K-SDGs). For this analysis, this paper reviews the existing STI indicators in use, takes a national innovation system (NIS) perspective as a theoretical basis, and formulates four STI criteria and related specific STI indicators: i) R&D input and output, ii) STI institution/governance, iii) STI network, and iv) STI infrastructure. With four categories and their respective indicators, this paper examines how the indicators of the UN-SDGs and K-SDGs are relevant to the STI indicators and draws policy implications for each criterion. The analytical result reveals that the indicators of the UN-SDGs and K-SDGs include the STI indicators of all four criteria, though the patterns of reflection are different. This paper ends with some ideas for future policy and research approaches to the STI indicators for SDGs.

Research on the Impact of Government R&D Funding on Regional Innovation Quality: Analysis of Spatial Durbin Model Based on 283 Cities in China

Based on the perspective of the regional innovation system, this study constructs an analytical framework for the influence of government R&D funding on regional innovation quality and uses 283 Chinese cities as research samples to empirically test the influence of government R&D funding methods such as subsidies and tax preferences on regional innovation quality by the spatial Durbin model. According to the study, China’s regional innovation quality has a positive spatial correlation. Subsidies can improve regional innovation quality, which is mainly realized by increasing the input of innovation resources from local direct innovation subjects, attracting the inflow of innovation resources from neighboring areas, and increasing the innovation support from local indirect innovation subjects. Besides, spatial competition for subsidies makes it beneficial to improve the regional innovation quality in neighboring regions, while the promotion effect of tax preferences is not significant. When considering the heterogeneity of the city location and administrative hierarchy, it shows that the government R&D funding cannot improve the innovation quality of the Eastern cities and higher-administrative-hierarchy cities, while it can improve that of the Middle and Western cities and general-administrative-hierarchy cities. Furthermore, government R&D funding widens the gap of regional innovation quality, which may be related to the existing “insufficient intervention” and “excessive intervention” of government R&D funding. This study provides insights into the implementation of R&D funding by the government to promote the development of regional innovation quality.

CURRENT STATUS OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The development of functional foods requires extensive research and development (R&D) activities for product development, technology development and commercialization. However, it becomes rather a complex issue in developing countries, including Indonesia. This study briefly discusses the status of functional foods R&D in Indonesia by understanding the opportunities and challenges. Employing scientometrics with bibliometric data from Scopus Database from the early retrievable date to October 29, 2018, the study finds out that R&D on functional foods in Indonesia indicates a substantially increasing trend in the last decade. The research activities are mostly conducted by public research institutes (PRIs) and universities in the area of identification of bioactive compounds and their effects on health. They explore the abundant potentially indigenous biodiversity from Indonesia, both land and marine resources. Nonetheless, the R&D activities are still lacking of network and integration between the subject areas. Underdeveloped infrastructure, limited human resources and financial support, costly preparation for the clinical test to satisfy health claims regulation and the gap between academic research and industry have been key issues in Indonesian functional foods R&D. By using innovation system perspectives, this study suggests that public R&D on functional foods demands active collaboration between PRIs, universities and industry as well as the supportive regulation system from policymakers to enhance the development of functional foods in the future.

Community-Based Livestock Breeding: Coordinated Action or Relational Process?

Over the past decade, community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) have been promoted as a viable approach to improving smallholder livelihoods through a systematic livestock breeding. CBBPs aim to initiate systematic breeding at the community level, including an organized animal identification and recording of performance and pedigree data. To ensure the breeding programs' continuity, building capacities, and ownership among participants are essential to the approach. This study's purpose was to understand how CBBPs have evolved in specific institutional settings and which dynamics occur in the course of implementation. We addressed these questions in reflective conversations with six coordinators of a diverse sample of CBBPs: goats (Malawi, Uganda, and Mexico), sheep (Ethiopia), alpaca (Peru), and cattle (Burkina Faso). The interviews and analysis were guided by categories of the multi-level perspective. The respondents considered lack of funding and weak institutionalization as the main constraints on the CBBPs. While the idea of participation and localized ownership was at the center of the programs, linear paradigms of knowledge transfer prevailed. In all cases, the impulse to start a CBBP came from individual researchers, who relied on intermediaries, such as extension agents, for implementation. Personal relations and trust were seen as both a factor in the success and a positive outcome of CBBPs. We conclude that these findings have different implications depending on how rural development is conceptualized: proponents of the innovation systems perspective would call for stakeholders to further align their interests and coordinate their actions. Proponents of process-relational concepts, in contrast, would not consider the CBBP a product but a starting-point for initiators and participants to continuously discover new ways of collaboration and engagement.

The Indian venture capital emergence, development, and boom: A southern contextualization

AbstractEven during the current COVID‐19 crisis, venture capital (VC) is booming in India. Indian‐based VC funds grew from less than 10 at the start of the 1990s to more than 500 nowadays, with the amount of total investment continuously increasing since 2000. The aim of this paper is to contextualize the process of emergence, development, and boom of the Indian VC industry from the theoretical perspective of innovation and entrepreneurial systems, particularly incorporating contributions from Latin American and Indian authors. In doing so, we present a global, historical, and territorially grounded narrative of the Indian VC development stressing the relevance of: (a) the institutional and technological capabilities accumulated by the Indian National Innovation System (NIS) and the Indian Computer and Information Services Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (CISEE), particularly around Bangalore, (b) the role of the State (and the institutional entrepreneurs) and the timing of the STI policy oriented to the software industry, (c) the growing influence of global players such as the World Bank, the Indian American argonauts and multinational enterprises, and (d) the U.S. offshoring opportunities and the growing Indian domestic demand. We discuss these processes with a wider relevance for theoretical and policy advancement in Global South settings.

Does a National Innovation System Encourage Sustainability? Lessons from the Construction Industry in Serbia

Influences from the modern business environment indicate the need for the incorporation of sustainability concepts from an innovation system perspective. In the presented research, we emphasize the energy efficiency concept within the frame of sustainability and innovation. The aim of this research was to underline and explore the relationships between innovation, energy efficiency, and sustainability in the construction industry. To answer the research questions, a questionnaire was created to explore the impact of the energy efficiency certification process on the innovation behavior of construction industry enterprises in Serbia. The results show that energy efficiency has supported innovation, and that there exists a relationship between sustainability and innovativeness in the construction industry. Applying energy efficiency passports has influenced the co-operation of enterprises in the construction sector and other actors in the national innovation system in Serbia. The innovation concept demonstrates that enterprises in the construction industry should be observed as a part of the wider picture—the national innovation system. In turn, the specific context of a particular national innovation system should be seen within the wider picture of national innovation systems of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs).

Analysis of the European energy innovation system: Contribution of the Framework Programmes to the EU policy objectives

This study analyses the properties of the networks constructed by the funded energy-related research consortia to assess their support to the objectives of the European Union’s energy technologies and research policies. By developing research consortia, partners and projects are linked to form a network that generates relationship networks (innovation systems). Although many authors assessed this innovation system from different perspectives, few studies aim to identify the properties of its networks. From the innovation systems perspective, this study fills this gap in the literature by applying Social Network Analysis to determine the network cohesion properties and the centrality measures of its nodes, thereby enlarging the innovation systems literature in the field of modelling and performance assessment. The results indicate that the effectiveness of the innovation systems depends on the geographical distribution of the consortia and the diversity of the participants, revealing significant performance differences in each of the research fields within the energy programme. Based on these conclusions, this paper provides recommendations for policymakers and participants in these European research programmes.

The transitions of technological innovation systems in the transnational context: the example of China’s solar photovoltaic industry (1970s–2010s)

ABSTRACT This article investigates the trajectory of China’s solar photovoltaic industry through the perspective of technological innovation systems (TISs). Based on the directed content analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews, we find that as each domestic TIS is simultaneously embedded within the national and global arenas, the components of the domestic TISs in terms of actors, networks and institutions are developed in both national and transnational scopes. Although the international linkages between national institutions and transnational networks of governance shape the exogenous environment of actors’ networks on a macro level, national institutions govern the domestic actors and their networks on a meso level. If the domestic TIS’s functions are appropriately guided by institutions on higher levels, novel technologies that sustainably transit the systems would then emerge and rapidly grow on a micro level.