Product-related Innovation Research Articles

Design measures to address carbon emissions in products’ lifecycle: an empirical analysis

AbstractCompanies need to implement low-carbon operations, including product-related innovation initiatives. The literature on low-carbon product design has grown, but existing studies are primarily theoretical. This empirical study identifies design measures adopted by companies committed to GHG emission reduction. A qualitative analysis of the climate change reports from a sample of companies reporting to the CDP was conducted. Design measures were identified and classified. The findings shed light on design measures contributing to emission reduction in different product lifecycle phases.

Do exports and innovation matter for the demand of skilled labor?

ABSTRACT The objective of the paper is to examine the impact of exports and innovation on the demand for skilled labor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In this matter, we contribute to the existing literature in several ways. First, we examine the connection between exports and skill bias through several innovation and technology adoption indicators, which we divide into core product-related innovation and innovation in auxiliary services. Second, we differentiate between the effect of innovation on skilled blue-collar (production workers) vs. white collar (non-production) workers. We also run the regressions for the manufacturing sector and the services sector separately. Third, we test this relationship for eight MENA countries, using firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (2013). Our results suggest a positive and significant impact of the extensive trade margin on innovation and technology adoption, while trade at the intensive margin is insignificant. Furthermore, demand for skilled workers by firms in the MENA region is likely to be higher for production workers than that for non-production ones. This demand is particularly high when a firm adopts a new product, a new production method or spends on research and development, rather than in the case of spending on auxiliary services. At the sector level, the impact of innovation on the demand for skilled labor is positive and significant in the manufacturing sector.

How Knowledge Acquisition Diversity Affects Innovation Performance during the Technological Catch-Up in Emerging Economies: A Moderated Inverse U-Shape Relationship

Many domestic enterprises in emerging economies are concerned with the question of how to better utilize the portfolio of technology sourcing channels to achieve rapid economic growth by technological innovation. This paper looks at this issue by exploring the impacts of knowledge acquisition diversity (KAD) on innovation performance of domestic enterprises in China and the technological contexts (in terms of technology gap and technology development speed) under which KAD is most likely to contribute. Using panel data of the manufacturing industry in China over the 2001–2009 period, the results show that KAD has an inverse U-shaped relationship with innovation performance in terms of both product-related innovation performance (NPS) and knowledge-related innovation performance (PAT). Specifically, it reveals that the capability to generate technological innovation over time is dependent on how domestic enterprises manage their portfolio of knowledge sourcing channels to learn from foreign enterprises. Moreover, it is shown that the technology gap significantly moderates the inverted U-shaped relationship between KAD and both NPS and PAT. Technology development speed has a moderating effect on the inverted U-shaped relationship between KAD and innovation only in terms of NPS. The results of this study can help us to understand the relationships among technological contexts, KAD and innovation performance of domestic enterprises in emerging countries.

Technology intermediaries and regional innovation performance: an empirical study in China

In this study, we examine the innovation effects of technology intermediaries on different types of innovation and the roles they play in different sectors at a regional level. Using a panel of data for 31 Chinese provinces during the period 2003–2011, we empirically test the relationship between numbers of technology intermediaries and regional innovation performance. The results show that technology intermediaries make positive contributions to regional product-related innovation and have more positive effects on innovation performance in high-tech industries, improving both knowledge-related innovation and product-related innovation in high-tech sectors. These findings could extend our understanding on the innovation effects of intermediary institutions at the regional level. The research also suggests clearer and more specific goals for policies favourable to intermediary institutions.

A study on the relation between manufacturing strategy, company size, country culture and product and process innovation in Europe

With the goal of contributing to the manufacturing strategy formulation discussion within international manufacturing networks, a set of data analyses were performed with the aim of empirically supporting conceptual approaches. This article presents the results of establishing correlations between four sets of data pertaining to 14 European countries. Six inter-relations are investigated between the datasets, pertaining to manufacturing strategy, distribution of company size, product and production related innovation and measures of culture of the countries. The analyses draw on empirical data, collected independently by EU organisms and within the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) IV consortium, with less than three years apart in date of collection. Hofstede’s (1980, 2001) measures of power distance, masculinity, individuality and uncertainty avoidance constitute the cultural measures considered. Pearson correlations resulted mostly in low levels of correlation, but considerable levels of determination were unveiled. These concern inverse correlations between rates of specific kinds of innovation in manufacturing companies and the percentage of large companies per country as well as the employment of a specific kind of manufacturing strategy. The results provide an overview of European specific dimensions of manufacturing and how they match each other, based on a recent time frame (2003 to 2005).

Entrepreneurship from the Innovation Perspective

The aim of the paper is to identify the condition and types of innovation as observable phenomena that remain a manifestation of entrepreneurship. The article is part of the debate on innovation in the perspective of entrepreneurship. In order to recognize the state of process and product-related innovation implemented by small and medium sized enterprises registered in the Świetokrzyskie Voivodeship, the quantitative research has been conducted. The results show the extent of entrepreneurship of these organizations.

Product Innovation Impacts of EMAS: Results of Case Studies and a Survey of German Firms Validated according to the EU Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme

One requirement of the EU Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS) is the inclusion of product planning and an assessment of environmental consequences of new products in the context of environmental policy and programmes, as well as an ecomanagement audit. This paper investigates the effects of EMAS on environmental product-related innovation activities in German firms. The analysis is based on 12 in-depth case studies and telephone interviews with 1277 EMAS-validated company sites. Apart from technical, product-integrated initiatives, we asked for organisational innovations in product planning. The case studies and the survey show a positive impact of EMAS not only on environmental processes and organisational innovation, but also on product-related innovative activities. The impact is dependent on certain external and internal factors, such as the position in the value chain and involvement of the R&D department, but is generally higher than previously expected.