Innovative Research Articles

The governance of the recovery and resilience facility. The incremental innovation of standard conditionality regime

AbstractHow can we explain the system of governance underlying the conditionality regime of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)? Two contrasting instruments were adopted by the European Union to deal with the economic impact of the COVID‐19 crisis. The initial adaptation of the intergovernmental European stability mechanism was followed by the RRF, an instrument adopted as an add‐on to the EU budget and combining both supranational delegation and intergovernmental filters. Using the lenses of historical institutionalism, and a coalition‐based explanatory framework, this article examines the impact of past institutionalization patterns on the shift towards the RRF combined model. It argues that space for supranational delegation occurred as the result of the incremental innovation of the standard Community regime at work in EU budget‐related policies.

Proactive market orientation towards export performance within SMEs: a comparative study between the US and South Korea

ABSTRACT Drawing on dynamic capabilities (DC) theory, this paper examines the relationships between proactive market orientation (PMO) that captures new knowledge or information for a business market and export performance through exploration innovation (i.e. radical innovation) (EOR) and exploitation innovation (EOI) (i.e. incremental innovation) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in both the United States (US) and South Korea. As a quantitative research, data sets in each country were collected employing a non-probability sampling approach. For theoretical extension and identifying a crucial construct for export performance, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed, including multi-group analysis (MGA). This paper has demonstrated that PMO can influence export performance through EOR in combined data, including the US and South Korea. While PMO can affect export performance through EOR in the US, PMO cannot lead to export performance through either EOR or EOI in South Korea. For better export performance, this research proposes that SMEs in the US should keep re-shaping digital business models for EOR attributed to PMO. However, due to reliance on venture capital, both EOR and EOI should be pursued simultaneously for long-term export performance. In contrast, SMEs in South Korea should facilitate business process innovation (i.e. innovating firms) first to enhance export performance.

Exploiting a non-mainstream financial scheme to innovate: SMEs in the developing world

PurposeThe study aims to explore the role of non-mainstream financial schemes in supporting innovation within SMEs in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It investigates how informal credit, business group affiliation and foreign and state ownership arrangements influence SMEs’ innovative activities in environments with limited access to formal financial resources.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilizes data from the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys, focusing on 8,466 firms across 11 sub-Saharan African countries from 2011 to 2020. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the impact of various financial sources on SMEs’ innovation outputs, particularly incremental innovations, due to data constraints on radical innovations.FindingsThe findings reveal that informal credit significantly supports SME innovation, while business group resources can hinder innovative activities by restricting firms to routine tasks. State ownership positively influences innovation, whereas the impact of foreign ownership is inconclusive. These results highlight the critical role of alternative financial mechanisms in the innovation activities of SMEs in resource-limited settings.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the effects of non-mainstream financial schemes on SME innovation in developing countries. It offers new theoretical insights into how SMEs navigate financial constraints to foster innovation and suggests policy implications for improving financial support systems for SMEs in such contexts. The research underscores the importance of contextualizing entrepreneurship studies to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs in developing regions.

Learning Omni-Dimensional Spatio-Temporal Dependencies for Millimeter-Wave Radar Perception

Reliable environmental perception capabilities are a prerequisite for achieving autonomous driving. Cameras and LiDAR are sensitive to illumination and weather conditions, while millimeter-wave radar avoids these issues. Existing models rely heavily on image-based approaches, which may not be able to fully characterize radar sensor data or efficiently further utilize them for perception tasks. This paper rethinks the approach to modeling radar signals and proposes a novel U-shaped multilayer perceptron network (U-MLPNet) that aims to enhance the learning of omni-dimensional spatio-temporal dependencies. Our method involves innovative signal processing techniques, including a 3D CNN for spatio-temporal feature extraction and an encoder–decoder framework with cross-shaped receptive fields specifically designed to capture the sparse and non-uniform characteristics of radar signals. We conducted extensive experiments using a diverse dataset of urban driving scenarios to characterize the sensor’s performance in multi-view semantic segmentation and object detection tasks. Experiments showed that U-MLPNet achieves competitive performance against state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods, improving the mAP by 3.0% and mDice by 2.7% in RD segmentation and AR and AP by 1.77% and 2.03%, respectively, in object detection. These improvements signify an advancement in radar-based perception for autonomous vehicles, potentially enhancing their reliability and safety across diverse driving conditions.

Imaginative storytelling – novel immersive production practices and processes for mobile cinematic, interactive 360-degree and real-time VR

ABSTRACT This article adopts creative practice research to explore novel Virtual Reality (VR) production practices and processes for mobile cinematic VR (MCVR), parallel interactive narratives in VR (PIN VR) and real-time VR (RT VR). As a result of Creative Practice research, Imaginative Storytelling analyses and describes these original production approaches and processes for immersive storytelling and illustrates emerging aesthetic formations, which shape new imaginative experiences in VR. These diverse representations of VR are examined through three case studies, A New Dawn [A New Dawn. 2021. Dir. Schleser (VR). Australia. Swinburne University of Technology.], Table for Two [Table for Two. 2022. Dir. Remedios (VR). India. Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad].) and Phases of Motion [Phases of Motion. 2021/2023. Dir. Berrett (VR). Australia. Swinburne University of Technology]. Each experience focuses on exploring innovative production processes for moile cinematic, interactive 360-degree and real-time VR. By means of outlining three distinctive approaches to VR production, contemporary developments and new directions in immersive storytelling are demonstrated. This research contributes to the expansion of storytelling and storyliving approaches in which navigators become co-creators of VR experiences.

Problematising environmental governance and the politics of natural resource sovereignty in Brazil

ABSTRACT Locating the analysis in the context of the various shifts in Brazil’s development trajectory since 2003, this article problematises the dynamics underpinning processes of environmental governance. Adopting a critical institutionalist approach, the article analyses how evolving claims of sovereignty over natural resources are used to legitimise contested policy agendas for environmental governance of the Amazon region within Brazil’s coalition politics, and how bricolage processes (innovation, adaptation, and legitimisation) shape these agendas and their outcomes. In a context of territorial fragmentation and ideological differences between an expanding network of actors (federal, state, municipal and non-state) involved in the institutional bricolage of environmental policy-making, the analysis demonstrates that the coalition dynamics of each administration determines the extent to which environmental policies are implemented within Brazil as well as the social-environmental outcomes.

What innovation and technology delivers to internationalization? The case of European and Central Asia regions

Purpose This study aims to analyze the impact of technology and innovation on businesses’ internationalization process as well as the relationship between innovation and technology and internationalization. Design/methodology/approach The study was based on quantitative analysis of secondary data from 30 economies in Europe and Central Asia, extracted from the Enterprise Surveys – The World Bank database, using the multivariate statistical techniques of multiple linear regression and cluster analysis. Findings The results suggest that innovation and technology (I&T) mutually and positively influence the internationalization of firms. In this sense, innovative firms are more successful in competing internationally and exposure to alternative business contexts culminates in innovation. The results suggest a positive relationship between the percentage of firms that introduced a process innovation, the percentage of firms with websites and the businesses’ internationalization. Originality/value The originality of this research is based on the methodological approach that allowed the identification of the most significant variables for stimulating the internationalization of firms based on innovation and technology. Given the predominance of economies with higher I&T and internationalization in Europe, it is proposed as future research projects to ascertain the reasons for such a phenomenon.

Enhancing Manganese Peroxidase: Innovations in Genetic Modification, Screening Processes, and Sustainable Agricultural Applications.

Manganese peroxidase (MnP), a vital extracellular enzyme for the degradation of lignin and other organic pollutants, has demonstrated immense potential for agricultural and environmental applications, including straw pretreatment, feed fermentation, mycotoxin degradation, and water treatment. However, current research remains in its exploratory phase, with naturally sourced MnP unable to meet industrial-scale demands and no mature commercial enzyme preparations available on the market. This comprehensive review innovatively constructs a framework for MnP research, probing into its molecular conformation and catalytic principles, while providing an overview of the advancements in high-throughput screening and In silco designing strategies. Specifically, this review focuses on the practical applications of MnP in sustainable agriculture, elaborating on its potential and challenges in straw resource utilization, efficient feed fermentation, mycotoxin control, and water quality improvement. Furthermore, this review summarizes the recent achievements in optimizing MnP activity through enzyme engineering techniques and discuss customized mutation strategies tailored to specific agricultural and environmental requirements, thereby laying a solid theoretical foundation and scientific basis for the industrial production and commercialization of MnP.

OVERVIEW OF HEALTHCARE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The healthcare system is under constant pressure from a growing and aging population, escalating healthcare costs, limited resources and increasing demand. Achieving the triple aim of healthcare – improving care, improving health and reducing costs – requires innovation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health innovation is the development of new or improved health policies, systems, products and technologies, services and delivery methods that improve people’s health, with a particular focus on the needs of vulnerable populations. Health innovations have both technological (innovative products, services or processes) and non-technological (organizational, policy, educational and social innovations) dimensions and play a critical role in improving the productivity, effi ciency, reliability, sustainability, safety and cost-eff ectiveness of health care. This article is the fi rst in a series of publications on innovation and entrepreneurship in health care. The paper examines the main types and categories of innovation and entrepreneurship, analyzes current innovation trends and directions in healthcare, factors that infl uence the adoption of innovative technologies in medical practice, and the characteristics of a human- centered approach to design thinking in healthcare. The article also discusses the concept of value- based healthcare, which focuses on providing the best possible care to achieve the best possible outcomes for each patient, using available resources effi ciently, and how innovation can improve the cost, quality, and access to healthcare.

Exploring legitimacy in a municipal budget decision in Switzerland: empirical insights into citizens' perceptions.

This study examines legitimacy in municipal budgeting decisions, focusing on input, throughput and output dimensions. Using data from four Swiss studies, we explore how citizens assess these dimensions across traditional and innovative decision-making processes and investigate the impact of different voting methods on legitimacy perceptions. Our findings reveal that in routine processes using traditional voting, legitimacy dimensions are considered collectively. Conversely, in innovative participatory budgeting, dimensions are judged separately, involving more active evaluation. Throughput legitimacy (perceived fairness) emerges as crucial in both contexts, while input and output legitimacy's importance varies by process type. The Method of Equal Shares voting system shifts focus towards procedural fairness, increases representation and is perceived as fairer than the traditional Greedy method. However, even fair processes cannot fully compensate for outcome dissatisfaction, highlighting the complex interplay of legitimacy dimensions. This research contributes to understanding legitimacy construction in municipal decision-making, offering insights into the relationship between voting methods and legitimacy perceptions. The findings have implications for policy-makers seeking to enhance the effectiveness and acceptance of budgeting processes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Co-creating the future: participatory cities and digital governance'.

How do digital tools support family caregivers in peer learning and innovation? A media analysis

Family caregivers develop considerable expertise in managing daily life and share this expertise in online peer support groups. A media analysis was conducted to evaluate whether digital tools meet family caregivers’ needs and requirements, especially concerning social learning and innovation processes, finding that existing German-speaking tools meet family caregivers’ needs to a low degree. An evidence-based criterion catalogue for the evaluation of digital tools assisting peer groups of family caregivers is developed, and a need for the development and evaluation of functions and features that specifically support social learning and innovation processes is specified.

The road less travelled: An exploratory study of the association between top management team dissimilarity and innovation capability

Abstract This study extends the upper echelons literature by shedding light on the role of top management team (TMT) dissimilarity, a specific conceptualization of team diversity. TMTs are typically composed of members from different functional areas who have unique information and values. The perception of the degree to which TMT members view themselves as dissimilar from other team members affects the TMT’s decision-making and, therefore, organizational outcomes. However, research does not address this perspective of TMT diversity. We examine how informational and value dissimilarity among TMT members is associated with incremental and radical innovation capability. We survey top managers from various industries and use partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis to explore the association between TMT dissimilarity and innovation capability empirically. The findings show that informational dissimilarity is positively associated with incremental innovation capability. Value dissimilarity is negatively associated with incremental innovation capability, whereas it is positively associated with radical innovation capability.

Communication design logics and innovation management

AbstractEffective communication with external or internal stakeholders is crucial for innovation processes. The fourth wave of digital technologies and the fifth industrial revolution have increased the range of communication possibilities, amplifying both the number of communication channels and the availability of data. Yet in existing research that tends to treat communication as an art instead of a science, the evidence only scratches the surface of its mechanics and inner logic. To provide a unified theoretical framework, this study highlights the importance of the four pillars of communication design logic (source, situation, intentions, and impact) in the innovation processes. According to communication theories, individual differences in stakeholders' backgrounds, situations, and intentions might result in systematic variations in what and how they communicate, which influences their subsequent beliefs and reactions to innovation outcomes. By examining relevant communications in terms of their design logic, innovation researchers can address a wide range of questions across ideation, development, and implementation stages. Using novel techniques and unstructured data (e.g., text, image, video, audio mining), the current study reveals tactics for exploring such topics across communication types. The proposed framework also raises several research questions that can be pursued to enhance knowledge of how communication design influences innovation management.

SOCIALIZATION OF COUNSELING AND INNOVATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SLAM TEA PRODUCTS

Counseling on bay leaf tea bag MSME products is expected so that the residents of Salam Hamlet can understand and understand the benefits of bay leaves for health, especially in overcoming hypertension. And can set an example to make similar herbal tea products that can be used as a product that can be sold by residents. The place where community service activities are carried out is Salam Hamlet, Sarewu Village, RW 03, Pancalang District, Kuningan Regency has high-quality knowledge and health degrees so that a healthy community and environment are created. Community service activities are in the form of counseling, tea making, and the design and packaging of bay leaf tea. The participants of this counseling activity were very enthusiastic and were conducive. Many people ask in terms of its use in the manufacturing process. However, the testers of bay leaf tea bags and bay leaf tea bags distributed to participants were very limited because there were obstacles in the manufacturing process, namely in the drying because it always rained every day, so it hindered the drying process because we dried with sunlight (not using an oven) due to the limitations of the tools at the post. In the next development and innovation process, we have also made logo and packaging designs for bay leaf tea.

Artificial Neural Network Modeling to Predict Electrical Conductivity and Moisture Content of Milk During Non-Thermal Pasteurization: New Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Food Processing

This study proposed applying artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the actual electrical conductivity (EC) of raw and pasteurized milk using moderate electric field (MEF) based on the electric field strength (EFS) and mass flow rate (MFR) along with modeling moisture content (MC) based on the EC. To this end, an artificial neural network (ANN) was implemented for conventionally (CP) and non-thermally (NP) pasteurized milk. The findings indicated no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the experimental and predicted data for EC and MC. The MFR and EFS affected the actual EC. The raw milk samples had an EC of 0.468812–0.46913 S/m and MC of 87.3218–87.35941%, while these values in NP pasteurized milk were 0.457441–0.638224 S/m and 87.33986–87.40851%. With correlation coefficients (R) of 0.736478106–0.951840323 and mean square errors (MSE) of 0.005539–0.0064, the ANN accurately predicted the raw and pasteurized milk MC based on the EC using the sixth-order polynomial model and the EC based on the EFS and MFR using a quadratic model. The EC of pasteurized milk by NP was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that of CP and raw dairy by 15.44% and 11.30%, respectively. The results show that the EFS and MFR might be used for the online assessment of milk’s physical attributes (e.g., EC), followed by using the assessed parameter to determine other properties (e.g., MC) by developing AI approaches based on optimized models. These observations showcase the innovative use of ANN-based AI to predict milk’s EC and MC accurately. Integrating such AI platforms into non-thermal food processing could eventually develop more sustainable food production and enhance food security and quality through process innovation and sustainable manufacturing, contributing to the industrial revolution and sustainable development goals.

The essential factors in higher education – Industry collaboration when developing video-supported collaborative learning

The collaboration between higher education (HE) and education technology (EdTech) companies plays a vital role in developing digitallyembedded learning in the contemporary digital era. The partnership between HE and industry is widely recognized as a means to promote innovation. Moreover, it provides advantages to companies striving to fulfill client requirements. The HE-industry collaboration has garnered increasing attention in academic research. However, there is a lack of studies on the actors’ perspectives and on the required processes and other elements for conducting effective HE-EdTech collaboration in developing learning and teaching in HE. This study addresses this research gap by examining the interprofessional collaborative development process involved in the creation of video-supported collaborative learning. The qualitative research examines the factors of successful collaboration between HE and EdTech companies within the knowledge-building ecosystem framework, using ethnographic data. The findings indicate that the establishment of a knowledge-building ecosystem for the development of digitally-embedded learning in based on collaboration between key actors: teachers, teacher educators, EdTech companies, HE institutions, and students, the end-users and ultimate beneficiaries. The collaboration is manifested in open innovation, practice-based research, and research-based service development processes, and relies on goal setting, continuous dialogue, reflective assessment, commitment, and trust as key elements.

Harnessing salinity gradient energy: Pushing forward in water reclamation via on-site reverse electrodialysis technology

Effluents from urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) discharged into water bodies such as the sea or ocean, offer a potential source of renewable energy through the salinity gradient (SGE) between seawater and treated water. The European project Life-3E: Environment-Energy-Economy aims to demonstrate an innovative process integrating renewable energy production with water reclamation. Using reverse electrodialysis (RED) technology, SGE can power tertiary wastewater treatment processes in coastal UWWTPs, offsetting energy costs associated with water regeneration and reuse.This study pioneers a pilot-scale RED system with a 20.125 m2 membrane area at a coastal UWWTP in Comillas, Spain. The initial tests with synthetic solutions in the up-scaled RED module have reached a peak power density of 1.39 W/m2. Under real environmental conditions, using natural seawater and treated water at ambient temperatures (289 ± 0.5 K), the system achieved a peak power density of 0.95 W/m2, outperforming previous setups in stability and efficiency.The results show competitive energy metrics, with an energy efficiency of 1.9 W/m2·m³LC and up to 38.2 Wh/m³LC generated. The treated water, with an inlet conductivity to the RED stack of <1 mS/cm, exits the pilot with a conductivity of around 4 mS/cm (measured under a load of 2A and a flow rate of 500 L/h), maintaining the quality standards for urban reuse.This study demonstrates the effective integration of RED technology into water reclamation stages, creating a self-sustained energy loop and enhancing the efficiency in water management. By harnessing blue energy and supporting sustainable water reuse, this research contributes to the global shift toward a circular water economy and critical sustainability goals.

Authentic feedback

Authentic assessment calls for authentic feedback (Dawson et al., 2021). Authentic feedback promotes the development of capabilities that transfer effectively from university to the workplace. I showcase an innovative process to improve the feedback on an assessment task that simulates a real-life scenario to undergraduate finance students at the University of Sydney. Authentic feedback inspires students to engage in higher-order thinking, decision-making and problem-solving to resolve the feedback comments (Molloy et al., 2020). I schedule a series of pre-submission classes that are dedicated to debating the assessment task and required standards with students. Feedback can motivate students to evaluate their own work and incorporate the insights for better quality performance. I focus on developing students’ understanding of the criteria that concern practitioners. The impact of the process to deliver authentic feedback is reflected in students’ perceptions of the extent to which they were guided by helpful feedback on their learning. The context is an undergraduate third-year elective unit, Bank Financial Management, which the University of Sydney Business School offers to students as part of its Bachelor of Commerce program. The objective of the unit is to expose students to the management of financial risks in banks. The unit’s assessment includes a group assignment on cybersecurity preparedness. The assignment is based on a case prepared by Korinek and Allayannis (2022). The case is framed from the perspective of the chief information officer of a mid-sized financial institution that has experienced a massive and unprecedented cyberattack in which $450 million of customer funds were stolen. The objectives of the assignment are for students to recognise the frequency and tremendous costs of cyberattacks, devise an incident response plan to cyberattacks and understand the cyber regulatory regime in which corporations operate. The unit attracts more than 500 enrolments per year. I deploy strategies for students to engage productively in the kinds of feedback practices that take place in the workplace. The grading rubric describes qualities sought by employers. The pre-submission classes provide opportunities for students to debate the issues with their instructors and peers and to develop practical solutions. The instructions require students to write a business-style report and to treat a bank’s managers as their target audience for the report. The process relies upon the Canvas learning management system. The feedback is delivered through a series of discussions between students and educators. The feedback process has contributed to improvements in students’ impressions of the assessment task and the quality of the feedback itself. This poster fits within the conference theme of technology enhanced learning (TEL) pedagogies. To deliver authentic feedback, the instructors augment face-to-face teaching with TEL including through video recordings, video conferencing and online discussion forums. I outline the opportunities and threats to educational quality posed by using TEL applications to generate authentic feedback. By presenting and analysing an example from university teaching in finance, I demonstrate implications and issues arising from Dawson et al.’s (2021) framework for authentic feedback. Dawson et al.’s framework contains the five elements of realism, cognitive challenge, affective challenge, evaluative judgement and enactment. I apply the framework to a feedback process as a way of identifying its authenticity and guiding its adjustment in a more authentic direction.

Role of networks in driving innovation and global growth: Enhancing women-led start-ups in the internationalisation arena

This article investigates the influence of networking on innovation and internationalisation within U.K.-based, female-led small and medium-sized tech enterprises. It utilises data from the 2021 Longitudinal Small Business Survey to evaluate a model that incorporates networking, three forms of innovation (product, process, and market), and international performance across 156 technology start-ups founded by women. The study employs orchestration theory to explore how female entrepreneurs strategically manage resources like networking to foster innovation and promote international growth. Findings suggest that while networking significantly boosts product innovation, it does not have a direct effect on process or market innovation. Nonetheless, networking indirectly strengthens the impact of process and market innovations on internationalisation. This highlights that women entrepreneurs initially use networks to enhance product innovation, then leverage them to convert process and organisational innovations into international expansion. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of the intersection between gender and international entrepreneurship from an orchestration perspective and provides practical insights for female entrepreneurs on optimising networks to drive innovation and facilitate global scaling.

Innovation in the sharing economy: Examining Uber's transformation

AbstractThe sharing economy has altered transactions between providers and users in at least two pivotal ways. First, sharing economy offerings are often crowdsourced from a wide range of providers rather than a single firm. Second, these offerings are typically temporarily accessed rather than permanently owned. The effect of these two characteristics on how offerings are exchanged has generated considerable interest from scholars across a wide range of domains, including economics, management, and marketing. However, little is known about the impact of the sharing economy (and crowdsourced provision and temporary access), upon the way offerings are created. As a result, the degree to which innovation in the sharing economy differs from how it is typically conducted is largely unknown. Our research seeks to address this question. Specifically, we begin by reviewing the literature on innovation in the sharing economy and then offer a conceptual framework that focuses on the role of crowdsourced provision and temporary access within the innovation process. We then assess this framework by examining innovations introduced by Uber since its inception. In addition, we explore the degree to which sharing platforms differ from a typical profit maximizing firm by conducting an econometric analysis of the price differences between Uber and a traditional taxi service. We conclude by highlighting the implications of our research and suggesting avenues for future inquiry in this domain.