Journal of Technology Management & Innovation
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An Empirical Study of Capability Development within Product Innovation Projects
Get PDFThe objective of this paper is to develop insights into firms’ strategic capability development processes within product innovation projects. In particular, the research aims at investigating the interactions among product innovation, knowledge processes, and capability development within firms. Building on qualitative data from the auto-industry, our analysis reveals that across four product innovation projects, the case company developed architectural knowledge and capability. Findings reveal that, along with changes at each level of product architecture, “design knowledge” and “design capability” have been developed at the same level of product architecture, leading to capability development at that level. Furthermore, findings suggest that such capability transformation resulting from knowledge and capability creation over the course of case projects leads to modularization of product architecture. Overall, the research contributes to identifying and emphasizing the role of micro processes in capability development and renewal, which in turn enhances our understanding of strategic capability development processes
Mapping the Connection between Knowledge Transfer and Firm Competitiveness: An Empirical Research in the Basque Country
Get PDFKnowledge transfer (KT) is a trending topic phenomenon, widely studied due to its connection with the innovation processes in the firms and the competitiveness gained. Evidence of a close relationship between effective impact of KT processes, successful innovation, and higher business performance is already found out. Therefore, a corporate management guide instrument to rule the company through an optimal global KT tactic might become a noteworthy competitive improvement. Thus, the aim of this research is to depict an extensive model for optimal KT for those organizations who handle this resource as a strategic asset for competitiveness. We firstly analyze a set of theoretical KT models and taxonomies of recent formulation in order to develop a conceptual model which encompasses all factors enabling a successful result of KT. Then, we proceed with an empirical fieldwork, with the purpose of comparing and enhancing the discovery. The study is based on qualitative interviews with companies and institutions sited in the Basque Country and whose KT activities are frequent and heterogeneous. The model is conceived and illustrated as a compilation of dimensions of influences, highlighting the key performance factors for the firm. Finally, we display the findings of the study, bringing to light a direct link between KT impact and the extent of competitiveness of a company, and revealing a set of main success factors: suitable design and implementation of mechanisms to perform KT, effective cooperation between players, skilled management of the mix of knowledge, and propitious organisational culture
The Role of Regional Innovation Systems (RIS) in Translating R&D Investments into Economic and Employment Growth
Get PDFThe emergence of the so-called “European Paradox” shows that increasing Governmental R&D Investment is far from being a ‘panacea’ for stagnant growth. It is worth noting that Governmental R&D Investment does not have a statistically significant impact on employment, indicating the need to assess the trade-offs of policies that could lead to significant increases in government expenditure. Surprisingly, Governmental R&D Employment does not contribute to ‘mass-market’ employment, despite its quite important role in reducing Youth-Unemployment. Despite the negative side-effects of Governmental R&D Employment on both GVA and GDP, University R&D Employment appears to have a quite important role in reducing Unemployment, especially Youth-Unemployment, while it also does not have a downside in terms of economic growth. Technological Capacity enhancement is the most effective instrument for reducing Unemployment and is a policy without any downside regarding sustainable economic development
Benefits of University-Industry Cooperation for Innovations of Sustainable Biological Control
Get PDFThis study aims to identify the benefits of technological cooperation between the College of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz – University of São Paulo (Esalq/USP) and the start-up Bug, a company that operates in the biological control of pests as a sustainable alternative to traditional methods. This research was based on a case study regarding a technological cooperation, which resulted in sustainable innovation involving a biological control of pests through the use of a parasite wasp that naturally parasitize the sugarcane borer’s eggs, preventing the growth of caterpillars in field crops. The technological cooperation led the company to extend its cooperation to other educational and research institutions
Una Metodología Sistémica y Creativa para la Gestión Estratégica: Caso de Estudio Región de Atacama-Chile
Get PDFA strategic analysis can be considered as a complex process that requires specific analytical skills as technique, knowledge and intuition. A new methodology needs to be capable of obtaining new knowledge to anticipate a more holistic strategic directions. With this perspective, in this article is proposed a creative and systematic methodology to develop strategic analysis considering different context, the methodology is based on traditional tools from strategic literature and creative tools from problem solving literature known as TRIZ. Moreover, the methodology was conceived as step by step structure in order to support beginners for the application of this type of analysis. Finally, an interesting and real case study was developed in order to show the applicability of the methodology in a relevant industry of Chile as the mining industry
Project Stakeholder Management: A Case Study of a Brazilian Science Park
Get PDFThe stakeholder management has been a topic increasingly discussed in the literature about project management, though still existing, large gaps to be filled, especially in complex projects such as the implementation of science parks. Thus, in this paper is presented a case of a Brazilian Science Park which shows how the management team of the project identified key stakeholders and established strategies for engagement and collaboration that sought to increase their engagement, get resources and make use of specific capabilities that were required during the lifecycle of the project to the reaching of its goals
Obstacles to Small Innovative Companies’ Development: Case Study of Nizhny Novgorod Region
Get PDFThe article presents the survey results of obstacles to small innovative companies as a case study of Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia as an area with high innovative potential and great level of socio-economic indicators. Based on the semi-structural personal interviews with 19 experts - the management of support infrastructure, results shows some typical for this region impediments: bureaucracy; lack of trust, poor collaboration within the innovation system; poor information support; legislative obstacles to innovations and intellectual property protection; low interest of large companies in collaboration with small ones. The findings and recommendations can help policy-makers to meet the needs of small innovative companies, and increase the innovative activity of small firms through the improvement of the assistance programs
Procedural Priorities of the Pork Loin Supply Chain
Get PDFThe pork meat production industry is facing new challenges as a consequence of consumers’ expectations regarding the quality and safety of food products. For the present study, experts and consumers in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil were interviewed to identify the attributes of pork loin that need to be improved. Consumers have particular concerns about the juiciness, fibrousness, and portion size of the meat, the diversity of cuts and safety and animal welfare. The supply chain was also analyzed in order to verify the procedural priorities that need to be improved in order to meet the demands of consumers. Experts were interviewed using the quality function deployment methodology. The findings of the study indicate that, improvements must be made in the production sector in terms of animal handling and transportation. In the processing sector, improvements are required regarding slaughter control of PSE and DFD, the development of new packaging, and product fractionation. The requirements in the distribution sector relate to information campaigns for consumers to diffuse the nutritional characteristics of pork loin and in the product safety through sanitary inspection
Generation and Diffusion of Innovations in a District Innovation System: The Case of Ink-Jet Printing
Get PDFThis paper provides an in-depth case study of the ink-jet printing (IJP) technology that emerged from the ceramic industry in a Spanish region (Castellon) in the first decade of 2000. We propose an analytical framework that combines the theoretical perspectives of Industrial Districts and Innovation Systems, and exploit a qualitative methodology that includes information from patent and scientific article databases and 21 in-depth interviews. Our results show that IJP is a major innovation that breaks with the tradition of machinery innovations in this industry in Spain. Micro-level evidences show the complex external and internal relationships in the sharing of knowledge and innovation process, being the role of internal ties, trust, secrecy and strong in-house R&D strategies determinants of the IJP innovation
Social Networks and Knowledge Transfer in Technological Park Companies in Brazil
Get PDFThis paper aims to propose a framework for a digital social network designed to support the knowledge transfer for innovation among companies located in a Technology Park of Florianópolis, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. From a methodological point of view, the study is characterized by a qualitative approach and it was developed in three phases: (1) definition of the assumptions, requirements, functionalities and strategies for use of the social network; (2) development of the prototype for the social network and; (3) focus group sessions. The research data were analyzed using content analysis techniques. As for the results, this paper identifies four main pillars for the conception of digital social networks in the context of the technology park: types of knowledge; transmitters and receivers of knowledge, context for knowledge transfer and the nature of the knowledge transfer