Types Of Innovation Research Articles

Preventing type 2 diabetes in Portugal: a novel person-centered digital intervention

Abstract Introduction Diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes (T2D), stands as one of the leading noncommunicable diseases worldwide. In Portugal, the prevalence of diabetes has surged, with T2D affecting 14% of adults in 2021. Its repercussions extend beyond individual health, deeply impacting familial, social, and community dynamics, presenting a significant public health challenge globally. Objectives The VA|PREVENTION project (https://doi.org/10.54499/2022.02969.PTDC) aims to assess the (cost-) effectiveness and implementation of an innovative person-centered digital intervention to prevent T2D among high-risk adults. Methodology A comprehensive approach encompasses the Behavior Change Wheel for intervention design, scalability principles, the WHO guidelines for digital health interventions, co-design, and the ISO framework for usability assessment. Evaluation will be pursued through a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study (randomized controlled trial), supplemented by qualitative and economic studies. Results The web application prototype features Ema, an automated virtual human coach (VHC), educational menus and a dashboard (version 1.0). Co-design included 2 workshops with 11 representatives of end-users and health professionals. Ema uses standardized techniques from an ontology to support behavior change, based on an initial assessment of low-level target behaviors (e.g. walking, fruit consumption, and reducing red meat intake), and barriers to performing these behaviors. Ema communicates in a helpful-cooperative style using a synthetic voice in European Portuguese, with its speech also appearing as subtitles on the interface. Users interact with Ema by pressing buttons or entering data, such as the daily number of steps. Ethics approval was granted for usability assessment with end-users. Conclusions The project is expected to yield health, scientific, technological, and policy impacts, powered by an exploitation and sustainability roadmap. Key messages • Innovative type 2 diabetes prevention through a scalable web app with a virtual human coach. • Comprehensive and robust approach for developing and evaluating the digital behavior change intervention.

A Review of Advanced Hydrogel Applications for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery Systems as Biomaterials

Hydrogels are known for their high water retention capacity and biocompatibility and have become essential materials in tissue engineering and drug delivery systems. This review explores recent advancements in hydrogel technology, focusing on innovative types such as self-healing, tough, smart, and hybrid hydrogels, each engineered to overcome the limitations of conventional hydrogels. Self-healing hydrogels can autonomously repair structural damage, making them well-suited for applications in dynamic biomedical environments. Tough hydrogels are designed with enhanced mechanical properties, enabling their use in load-bearing applications such as cartilage regeneration. Smart hydrogels respond to external stimuli, including changes in pH, temperature, and electromagnetic fields, making them ideal for controlled drug release tailored to specific medical needs. Hybrid hydrogels, made from both natural and synthetic polymers, combine bioactivity and mechanical resilience, which is particularly valuable in engineering complex tissues. Despite these innovations, challenges such as optimizing biocompatibility, adjusting degradation rates, and scaling up production remain. This review provides an in-depth analysis of these emerging hydrogel technologies, highlighting their transformative potential in both tissue engineering and drug delivery while outlining future directions for their development in biomedical applications.

Telling (mis)fitting new product stories: The role of consumer orientations, product innovativeness, and message framing on new product evaluations

AbstractExtant research proposes that consumer goal orientation‐message frame fit (consumer–message fit) leads to favorable product evaluations. However, there is evidence that consumer goal orientation‐message frame misfit (consumer–message misfit) at times also result in favorable evaluations of new products. This study develops and tests a novel prediction that shows how consumer–message misfit results in consumers having more favorable responses toward new products when the type of innovation (incremental vs. radical) is perceived as instrumental to achieving the consumer's goals with the product (innovation–consumer fit), creating a kind of fit–misfit effect. Results from four experiments encompassing multiple new product categories support this fit–misfit prediction. We further show that surprise mediates the effect of fit–misfit. This research builds on current theory involving goal orientations and schema‐incongruity, recommends several areas for future research, and presents practical implications for managing new product communication messages.

Which innovation capabilities are relevant for technological and non-technological innovation? Implications for manufacturing firms' financial performance

PurposeThis paper investigates which innovation capabilities are more important for driving technological and non-technological innovations and which of the two innovation types has the greatest impact on the financial performance of manufacturing companies.Design/methodology/approachBased on a theoretical model of four innovation capabilities – two technological: Technology Development Capability and Operations Capability, and two non-technological: Management Capability and Transaction Capability – a database of 1,331 Brazilian manufacturing companies was analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that technological capabilities (Technology Development and Operations) have a greater impact on technological innovation. However, both technological capabilities also affect non-technological innovation, with the Technology Development Capability being the most influential in this relationship. Results also indicate that non-technological capabilities (Management and Transaction) have a greater impact on non-technological innovation. Nevertheless, both non-technological capabilities also impact technological innovation, especially the Transaction Capability, which is the most influential in this relationship. Furthermore, it was identified that non-technological innovation has a more significant impact on financial performance than technological innovation, presenting a novel finding to the field of innovation in manufacturing.Originality/valueThis manuscript refutes prior discussions and opens new possibilities for the interconnection of dynamic and ordinary innovation capabilities in two different arrangements, each aimed at improving a specific type of innovation. A theoretical framework is proposed to highlight that, depending on the innovation type focused on, ordinary innovation capabilities can be more relevant than dynamic ones for innovation in the manufacturing sector. From these theoretical advancements, practitioners can understand that investments in non-technological resources, skills and routines can also boost technological innovation, as well as sales, profit and market share growth.

Innovative Management Strategies and Competitive Advantage of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Service Providers in Taraba State, Nigeria

This study investigates the effects of product, service, process, and technological innovations on the competitive advantage of GSM service providers in Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria. It aims to determine how these different types of innovations influence market positioning and operational efficiency within the regional telecommunications sector. The research is framed using Dynamic Capabilities Theory, which emphasizes the role of strategic adaptability and resource reconfiguration in achieving and sustaining competitive advantage in rapidly changing markets. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative data from structured questionnaires distributed to 115 staff across major telecom providers and qualitative insights from industry reports. A total of 102 responses were analyzed using regression analysis in SPSS to evaluate the effect of innovation types on competitive advantage. The findings reveal that all types of innovation—product, service, process, and technological—significantly enhance the competitive advantage of GSM providers in Jalingo. Service innovation showed the strongest effect, followed by technological, product, and process innovations. The study underscores the critical importance of a holistic innovation strategy that includes diverse forms of innovation to improve competitive advantage. GSM providers in Jalingo who embrace comprehensive innovation strategies are more likely to secure greater market share and achieve long-term profitability. The study recommends that GSM service providers should prioritize developing new service offerings and enhancing existing services. This could include investing in customer relationship management systems to personalize services, implementing loyalty programs, or introducing flexible pricing models that cater to different customer segments.

Towards the Concept of Digital Grassroots Youth Innovation

In recent years, young people have acquired a more active role in different areas of public life, such as culture, politics and gender debates. However, the relevance of their role in innovation processes has remained largely undiscussed. Are young people, in particular those from working class backgrounds, a forgotten actor for innovation and technological change policies? This study aims to understand whether the youth population—who are widely connected to the Internet, who do not necessarily participate in formal educational spaces but are increasingly acquiring digital skills autonomously—can be considered as an agent of innovation. Specifically, this study aims to propose and define the concept of Digital Grassroots Youth Innovation. It is based on both empirical and theoretical sources. On the one hand, it relies on a compilation of experiences of innovative activities related to digital technologies led by young people in Argentina. On the other hand, it is supported by a theoretical discussion on (a) the different types of innovations and their subjects, (b) the specificities of the ‘marginal mass’ in informational capitalism and (c) the characterisation of the young population in Argentina as ‘NEET’ (not in education, employment or training). Finally, we ask about the role played by digital technologies and non-formal learning in these particular innovation processes.

Effects of product and process innovation on growth and unemployment

In economic growth theory, product and process innovations are critical factors contributing to technological progress. This study constructs an economic growth model that considers product and process innovations and theoretically investigates how these two types of innovation affect economic growth and unemployment rates. Using our model, based on Zagler (Int Rev Appl Econ 18:209–224, 2004), we obtain the following three main findings: (1) an increase in the efficiency of product innovation increases both the economic growth and unemployment rates; (2) an increase in the efficiency of process innovation increases the economic growth rate but does not affect the unemployment rate; and (3) a decrease in labor allocation to product innovation and an increase in labor allocation to process innovation in the R & D sector increase the economic growth rate and decrease the unemployment rate depending on the conditions. These findings suggest that to simultaneously raise employment and increase economic growth, we need not only a policy for fostering product innovation but also another policy to improve employment.

A relay race or an ironman? A systematic review of the literature on innovation in the mining sector

As global demand for minerals and metals surges, the mining industry is faced with the triple challenge of finite resources, societal resistance, and environmental considerations. To address these challenges the mining sector is relying on innovation and technological advancements to enable exploitation of so far inaccessible deposits, minimize energy consumption, and improve sustainability. This study presents a systematic review of the literature on innovation in mining and the unique management approach being adopted to respond to the above challenges. From an initial corpus of 4059 scientific articles, a reproducible process filtered out 222 documents, published between 1996 and 2023. The analysis reveals that the literature on innovation in the mining industry, predominantly qualitative and exploratory in nature, is showing a shift towards empirical validation using advanced quantitative methods. Mining innovation appears to be shaped by the industry's inherent features such as a conservative culture, market volatility, emphasis on productivity, and profitability. While the industry somewhat risk-averse approach favours stability and specialization which could hamper innovation, its simultaneous focus on productivity encourages innovation to achieve cost reductions, enhanced processes, and implementation of new technology. However, the uniformity of ore and the position of miners in the value chain is not favorable to product innovation and the focus tends to be on —mainly supplier-led— process innovation. The review also shows the potential benefits of non-technological innovations, including marketing and organizational changes although these are infrequent. The study concludes by addressing conceptualizations of innovation and mining management and highlighting gaps in research that focuses on regions, minerals, and innovation types. It also discusses the knowledge management implications in this context.

Innovation in Geographical Indications: An Integrative Literature Review and Research Agenda

ABSTRACT Geographical indications (GIs), as intellectual property (IP) instruments, are a value-adding strategy that can be driven by innovation. Innovation has been systematically studied in GIs since the mid-2000s, but this knowledge is fragmented. Our contribution seeks to fill this gap by organizing knowledge about innovation in GIs, identifying the types of innovation predominant in the literature and the returns associated with different types of innovation for GIs. To carry out the study, we conducted a systematic review with a sample of 40 scientific articles extracted from the Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Science Direct scientific databases. The results indicate a clear emphasis on innovation in production processes, in marketing and sales, and in the administration of GIs. However, product innovation remains a less explored area, due to challenges related to preserving the traditional characteristics of certified products. The innovative strategies adopted by GIs highlight the relevance of innovation in various domains, resulting in improvements in operational performance, differentiation, business management and improvement of the portfolio and product quality. Our findings have theoretical and practical implications.

Assessing health technology implementation during academic research and early-stage development: support tools for awareness and guidance: a review.

For successful health technology innovation and implementation it is key to, in an early phase, understand the problem and whether a proposed innovation is the best way to solve the problem. This review performed an initial exploration of published tools that support innovators in academic research and early stage development with awareness and guidance along the end-to-end process of development, evaluation and implementation of health technology innovations. Tools were identified from scientific literature as well as in grey literature by non-systematic searches in public research databases and search engines, and based on expert referral. A total number of 14 tools were included. Tools were classified as either readiness level tool (n = 6), questionnaire/checklist tool (n = 5) or guidance tool (n = 3). A qualitative analysis of the tools identified 5 key domains, 5 innovation phases and 3 implementation principles. All tools were mapped for (partially) addressing the identified domains, phases, and principles. The present review provides awareness of available tools and of important aspects of health technology innovation and implementation (vs. non-technological or non-health related technological innovations). Considerations for tool selection include for example the purpose of use (awareness or guidance) and the type of health technology innovation. Considerations for novel tool development include the specific challenges in academic and early stage development settings, the translation of implementation to early innovation phases, and the importance of multi-disciplinary strategic decision-making. A remaining attention point for future studies is the validation and effectiveness of (self-assessment) tools, especially in the context of support preferences and available support alternatives.

Static Power Equipment for the Active Elimination of Harmonics from the National Energy Grid

Taking into account the long-term (2020-2050) Energy Strategy of Romania, and the Integrated National Plan in the Energy and Climate Changing 2021-2030, Dunărea de Jos University of Galati, utilizing the industrial partners, will conduct the applied industrial research to provide in the National Grid a clean energy, by harmonics mitigation. This paper deals with the Shunt Active Power solution to efficiently mitigate the current harmonics within the national power grid. Both numerical and experimental results are presented in this paper. The results of this paper are obtained by the beneficiary and the industrial partner of the „Knowledge transfer regarding the increase of energy efficiency and intelligent power systems” project, acronym CRESC-INTEL, within the POC Competitiveness Operational Program. The obtained results of this project will conduct one innovation-based ecosystem in the European Union research and technological development field. Innovative static power types of equipment ensure an increased energy efficiency of the power system with a high power factor. Based on the obtained prototype, a mass production of the innovative static power equipment will be delivered to the specific market, by complying with the available power quality standards. In this way, based on the static power equipment series production, by considering alternative power ranges, harmonic cleaning of the national grid is obtained.

Input-output-outcome innovation model: an analysis of the Brazilian manufacturing companies

PurposeThe objectives of this study are to identify which inputs are most relevant for development and successful introduction of product and process innovations and identify the impacts of these two types of innovation on the performance of Brazilian manufacturing companies.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes the relationships between input, output and outcome for a sample of 5,586 Brazilian manufacturing companies by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that (1) product innovations are favored by internal resources, (2) process innovations are favored by external resources, (3) product innovations mainly affect a range of products offered by companies and (4) process innovations mainly affect performance in manufacturing capacity, flexibility and costs.Practical implicationsBy identifying the main efforts to improve the innovation performance and input-output-outcome relationships, the results can contribute to a better decision-making process for innovation investments and management in companies as well as for policymakers. The results are particularly relevant given that the Brazilian case can serve as a reference for other emerging countries.Originality/valueAnalyses of the innovation in input-output-outcome relationships were performed in a comprehensive way by using a set of variables for defining each construct. This allowed each construct to be better measured, which improved the understanding of the relationships between inputs and outcomes mediated by product and process innovations.

Using Scrum in Solving Business Reality Cases

Objective: This teaching innovation proposal aims to dynamise and bring the teaching of the subject Business Management and Organisation, taken in the fourth semester of the bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management (GAD), closer to the business world. Theoretical Framework: It is necessary to bring the university closer to business in order to reduce the gap in the skills training demanded by companies and to achieve better employability of graduates. Method: To do this, we propose the resolution of a production case by workshops, through the formation of agile teams, using Scrum and Kanban, using the Trello application for the latter, the iterative and incremental approach of this methodology will allow the student to learn in a simple and practical way concepts that grow in complexity, as it evolves in the resolution of the same. Results and Discussion: This teaching methodology allows the student to simultaneously acquire the specific competences of the subject and the so-called soft competences demanded by the working environment. Research Implications: This type of innovation is necessary in university institutions in order to include in their curricula the competences demanded by recruiters, and can also be used in other disciplines and careers. Originality/Value: The originality of the research lies in the practice of a learning process that makes it possible to include the training required by companies in curricula.

Unpacking innovation in digital multi-sided platform startups: making sense of path creation in generating two distinct types of innovation

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of effectual logic as the basis of entrepreneurial action in path creation for influencing the performance of open innovation outcomes within the context of digital multi-sided platform (MSP) startups. Design/methodology/approach We utilize the PLS-SEM method with a sample of 70 Indonesian digital MSP startups that have implemented open innovation practices. Findings The empirical findings indicate a path creation between effectual logic and the open innovation process, particularly through the integration of absorptive capacity and crowds or communities management practices. Absorptive capacity development fosters incremental innovation, whereas crowds or communities management practices lead to radical innovation. Originality/value The research findings suggest that, despite limited resources and experience, young entrepreneurs can successfully implement an open innovation strategy for their digital MSP platforms by utilizing effectual logic principles, which capitalize on the external resources provided by digital platform ecosystem members.

An agent‐based model to simulate the public acceptability of social innovations

AbstractThe successful adoption of social innovations, such as renewable energy systems or pollution reduction plans in cities, depends, to a large extent, on the willingness and participation of the population in their development and implementation. We present an agent‐based model (ABM) to analyze the process of citizen acceptability of a social innovation that uses a variety of agents to represent individual citizens and relevant groups of citizens. Citizen agents make use of the HUMAT cognitive decision‐making model, based on psychosocial theories, to decide on their support for the social innovation considering how their needs will be satisfied if they decide to support (or not) the innovation project, and the influence exerted by the agents in their environment. The ABM was initially developed to represent the urban and transport planning superblock project in the city of Vitoria‐Gasteiz (Spain). The ABM simulations make it possible to study the evolution of public acceptance of social innovation, with the results providing insights to the social dynamics and individual factors that affect the acceptance of the project, enabling an evaluation of how to devise new policies that increase public acceptance. Sufficiently generic to be easily adaptable to different types of social innovations, the ABM is a powerful tool to explore different scenarios and design strategies that foster the acceptance and sustainable adoption of social innovations.

Trio/hybrid fiber effect on the geopolymer reinforced concrete for flexural and shear behavior

AbstractGeopolymer concrete (GC) is an innovative and sustainable type of composite resulting from the chemical reaction between waste materials containing and alkaline activators. The researchers have been focused to reduction of the greenhouse‐gas release, especially during the production of cement. Although numerous studies have been conducted on alkali‐activated cement or GC at the material level, there is limited research in the literature on the structural performance of reinforced GC members. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of fiber combination on the shear and flexural performance of RC beams with maximum and minimum reinforcement ratio. To investigate the shear and flexural behavior of GC beam, four‐point and three‐point tests were performed on 12 GC with hybrid fibers, 4 GC with trio fibers, and 2 GC fiber‐free as references beams. The test parameters were the combination of fibers (steel, glass, carbon, and basalt), the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, and loading type. The key test results include the load‐deflection behavior, characteristics of the cracks, the effect of fiber type on the shear and flexural performance, ductility and stiffness properties, microstructure, the strain in the concrete, and the bars and code predictions. The test results showed that as expected, reducing the longitudinal reinforcement ratio decreased the strength, but the decrease in strength was tolerated by using different types of fibers. The use of trio fibers in beams under bending increased the strength capacity, considerably. Finally, the capacity prediction performance of current codes, that is, GB50010, EuroCode‐2, TS500, and ACI318, were also examined, and the calculations resulted that the current code equations had a percentage error of approximately 25% and 82% on average for flexural and shear, respectively, although EuroCode‐2 equations performed slightly better.

Small but innovative: Unveiling the impact of micro-entrepreneurs' personality traits on a spectrum of innovations

This article investigates whether a micro-entrepreneur's personality influences their innovativeness. Using the Big Five theory and a broad definition of innovation from the 4th version of the Oslo Manual (two types and nine categories of innovations in total), the study analyses data from 1,848 Polish micro-entrepreneurs. Since innovativeness is a complex process with several interdependencies, and previous research shows that introducing one type of innovation is not independent of introducing other types, Multivariate Probit (MVP) regression was used to estimate the models. The results allow two conclusions to be drawn. Firstly, in the case of product innovations implemented by micro-entrepreneurs, three personality traits have a positive impact. These are Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Extroversion. Secondly, in the case of business process innovations, all 7 types are positively influenced by two personality traits, namely Openness to experience and Extroversion.

Consensus on innovations and future directions of community first responder schemes in United Kingdom: a national nominal group technique study

AimWe aimed to achieve consensus among NHS and community stakeholders to identify and prioritise innovations in Community First Responder (CFR) schemes.MethodsWe conducted a mixed-methods study, adopting a modified nominal group technique with participants from ambulance services, CFR schemes and community stakeholders. The 1-day consensus workshop consisted of four sessions: introduction of innovations derived from primary research; round-robin discussions to generate new ideas; discussion and ranking of innovations; feedback of ranking, re-ranking and concluding statements. Innovations were ranked on a 5-point Likert scale and descriptive statistics of median and interquartile range calculated. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically.ResultsThe innovations found were classified into two categories: process innovations and technological innovations. The process innovations included six types of innovations: roles, governance, training, policies and protocols, recruitment, and awareness. The technological innovations included three aspects: information and communication; transport; and health technology. The descriptive statistics revealed that innovations such as counselling and support for CFRs (median: 5 IQR 5,5), peer support [5 (4,5)], and enhanced communication with control room [5 (4,5)] were essential priorities. Contrastingly, innovations such as the provision of dual CFR crew [1.5 (1,3)], CFR responsibilities in patient transport to hospital [1 (1,2)], and CFR access to emergency blue light [1 (1,1.5)] were deemed non-priorities.ConclusionsThis article established consensus on innovations in the CFR schemes and their ranking for improving the provision of care delivered by CFRs in communities. The consensus-building process also informed policy- and decision-makers on the potential future change agenda for CFR schemes.

Collaborations as a Source of Innovations and Strengthening Social Performance in Nonprofit Organization Settings: The Case of Museums

ABSTRACT The research focuses on exploring the role of collaborations in the functioning of such nonprofit organizations as museums. In this vein, we traced the impact of collaborations on both innovations (technological, product) and social performance applying the museum sector as an example. The data were collected from an online survey of museum directors (n = 197). Employing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and the Hayes process macro, our analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between collaborative orientation and the development of both product and technological innovations. Furthermore, both types of innovation positively contribute to social performance. Nevertheless, we found that only product innovation serves as a mediator of the relationship between collaborative orientation and social performance. This research highlights the importance of fostering collaborative partnerships for museums seeking to innovate and achieve their social goals.

Edible innovations: Testing the WOW impact of 3D printed chocolate packaging

3D food printing is an emerging processing technology with a profound impact on both the food industry and consumer experiences. It currently makes it possible to process a wide range of food materials into custom-designed and safe-to-consume 3D printed foods. One notable application lies in the creation of customized, fully edible packaging using ingredients that are safe for human consumption. The study presented in this paper examined consumer attitudes and emotions to 3D printed edible packaging in gastronomic experiences, comparing a milk chocolate snack served in a fully 3D printed edible chocolate packaging to one served in a traditional ceramic packaging. The results show that compared to the ceramic packaging, the edible packaging elicits higher levels of surprise, fascination, and desire, thereby increasing the overall positive consumer experience by more than 10 %. Part of this work aims to familiarize consumers with this innovative type of 3D food, demonstrating its relevance and potential to the food industry. The findings contribute to understanding consumer attitudes towards 3D printed foods and suggest a new potential field of research establishing a path to strengthen its common application in gastronomy.