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TCI2013 Transnational innovation networks - what role for cluster organizations?
1. Transnational innovation networks – what role for
cluster organizations?
Emily Wise
Academic Summit: Transnational cluster collaboration
4 September 2013
2. Transnational Innovation Networks –
what role for cluster organizations?
TCI Annual Conference
4 September 2013, Kolding
Emily Wise, RPI, Lund University and VINNOVA
3. Outline of the presentation
• Quick review of theoretical concepts
• The StarDust case – approach and findings
• Managerial and cluster policy implications
• Discussion
4. Theoretical Building Blocks
Innovation,
collaboration and the
role of intermediaries
Globalization trends
and transnational
innovation networks
Public policy and
international innovation
processes
Cluster organization or
other innovation intermediary
Company
Research actor
How do cluster organizations foster
international innovation processes?
Collaborative linkages
International collaborative linkages
5. Analyzing support needs and support
functions
Innovation Actors’ Support Needs Innovation Intermediaries’ Support Functions
Sensing
- understanding foreign markets/systems and
needs/opportunities there
- accessing complementary knowledge,
expertise, or infrastructure in foreign locations
Intelligence and innovation initiation
- Providing access to unique market information
- Providing access to benchmarking
- Providing access to external knowledge
sources (e.g. individuals or centres with
specific skills/expertise, customer insights)
- Providing access to external technology (e.g.
patented R&D)
- Providing access to external infrastructure (e.g.
physical or virtual laboratories, demonstration
or test facilities)
Mobilizing
- marshaling globally-dispersed knowledge
around a shared problem or opportunity
- engaging actors in collaborative activities or
joint projects
Network composition and knowledge
transformation
- Providing access to new international contacts/
cooperation partners
- Providing access to new markets
- Building a common identity and stronger
international visibility
Operationalizing
- establishing common practices and operational
business models
- accessing needed investments in order to
implement common activities
Innovation process management and
commercialization
- Facilitating access to funding for joint research
and innovation activities
- Influencing government and policy
Author‟s elaboration drawing from Doz et al. 2001, Howells 2006 and Batterink 2010
6. Embedded units within the StarDust case
The StarDust project
Active for Life
(well-being and
health)
• Culminatum
Innovation Oy, FI
• Aalborg University,
Dept of Health
Science and
Technology, DK
• BioCon Valley
GmbH, DE
• Community
Building
Consultants, LT
• New Tools for
Health, SE
Clean Water
(cleantech and future
energy)
• Lahti
Development
Company, FI
• Kaunas University
of Technology, LT
• Sustainable
Sweden Southeast,
SE
• Institute of
Oceanology of
Polish Academy of
Science, PL
Comfort in Living
(living spaces for
ageing population)
• IDC West Sweden,
SE
• Art Academy of
Latvia, LV
• Business
Cooperation Center
of Southern
Lithuania, LT
• Faculty of Wood
Technology,
Poznan University
of Life Science, PL
MarChain
(future transport)
• Klaipeda Science
and Technology
Park, LT
• WTSH, DE
• Maritime Academy
Gdynia, PL
• Tallinn University of
Technology, EE
• Latvian Logistics
Association, LV
• Turku University, FI
• SP Technical
Research Institute
of Sweden, SE
Mobile Vikings
(digital business and
services)
• Mobile Heights,
SE
• Cluster 55, DK/SE
• Hermia
Competence
Cluster for
Ubiquitous
Computing, FI
• Visorial Information
Technology, LT
• Latvian ICT
Cluster, LV
Five embedded transnational innovation networks
7. The research
approach
Qualitative research methods:
• Structured interviews
• Digital survey
• Participant observation
Three research phases:
1. Baseline measurement
• Research nodes and cluster/intermediary
organizations
• Firms and research organizations working with an
cluster/intermediary organization
2. Follow-up structured/semi-structured
interviews with sample of survey
respondents
3. Follow-up measurement (second round
of structured interviews with research
nodes and cluster/intermediary
organization
Cluster organization or
other innovation intermediary
Company (>250 employees)
Company (<250 employees)
Research actor
Innovation node is research milieu
8. Overlapping Process of Data Collection
and Analysis
Interviews with innovation nodes (of
which 14 function as innovation
intermediaries)
Phase 1: Initial interviews and survey
Survey of innovation actors
• What strategic importance of
internationalization of innovation
processes?
• What knowledge sourcing and
innovation collaboration patterns?
• Which support functions provided, and
which viewed as most useful by
different innovation actor groups?
Comparingperspectives
Follow-up interviews with selected
innovation actors
Phase 2: Follow-up interviews
Follow-up interviews with innovation
nodes
• Elaboration of reasons behind the
prioritization of internationalization
• Elaboration on challenges/barriers to
internationalization that are experienced
• Elaboration of support needs
• Discussion of trends in supporting
international innovation processes
• Discussion of activities and services
provided to innovation actors to support
international innovation processes
Comparingperspectives
9. Research Organizations: Support Needs
and Intermediary Support Functions
Capability Gaps/Support Needs Functions of innovation intermediaries in
international innovation processes
Sensing
- understanding foreign systems of
innovation and market environments
- identifying and plugging-in to relevant
company contacts in international
markets
Intelligence and innovation initiation
- Providing access to external knowledge
sources (e.g. individuals or centres with
specific skills/expertise, customer
insights)
- Providing access to unique market
information
Mobilizing
- Developing competencies for working
in international innovation projects
- Setting up international innovation
projects that make use of specialized
research capabilities (to solve a shared
problem)
- Facilitating better international
researcher mobility and collaboration
with companies (in connection with
innovation projects)
Network composition and knowledge
transformation
- Providing access to new international
contacts/ cooperation partners
Operationalizing Innovation process management and
commercialization
The darker the shading, the stronger the expressed support need
10. Lg/Med Companies: Support Needs and
Intermediary Support Functions
The darker the shading, the stronger the expressed support need
Capability Gaps/Support Needs Functions of innovation intermediaries in
international innovation processes
Sensing
- identifying relevant partners (SMEs
particularly interesting) and
opportunities for joint development
activities/collaborative partnerships
Intelligence and innovation initiation
- Providing access to external knowledge
sources (e.g. individuals or centres with
specific skills/expertise, customer
insights)
- Providing access to benchmarking
- Providing access to unique market
information
Mobilizing
- being exposed to a broader
international network and new
partners/opportunities (e.g. through
innovation platforms/arenas where can
be put in touch with a variety of
relevant players)
- being profiled internationally as part of
a broader context (e.g. a specialized
node or eco-systems)
Network composition and knowledge
transformation
- Providing access to new international
contacts/ cooperation partners
- Building a common identity and
stronger international visibility
Operationalizing Innovation process management and
commercialization
11. Small Companies: Support Needs and
Intermediary Support Functions
The darker the shading, the stronger the expressed support need
Capability Gaps/Support Needs Functions of innovation intermediaries in
international innovation processes
Sensing
- providing opportunities to learn about
innovation systems in relevant foreign
markets, and needs/opportunities there
- developing insights on how international
innovation activities can strengthen own
strategic idea
- developing capabilities for partnering
international (e.g. mentorship or
advisory support from experienced
entrepreneurs)
Intelligence and innovation initiation
- Providing access to external knowledge
sources (e.g. individuals or centres with
specific skills/expertise, customer
insights)
- Providing access to unique market
information
- Providing access to benchmarking
Mobilizing
- providing contextual legitimacy (and
branding) of actors’ areas of specialized
expertise
- helping to open the “relevant doors” in
foreign markets
- proactive networking and matchmaking
with relevant players (tailored to own
areas of expertise and potential growth)
Network composition and knowledge
transformation
- Providing access to new markets
- Providing access to new international
contacts/ cooperation partners
- Building a common identity and
stronger international visibility
Operationalizing
- Attaining financing to enable
engagement in collaboration
opportunities internationally
- Enabling access to partners who can
invest both capital and expertise in the
collaboration
Innovation process management and
commercialization
- Facilitating access to funding for joint
research and innovation activities
13. How do cluster organizations support the
internationalization of innovation processes?
• Information on external innovation systems (who is
who, and ”rules of the game”)
• Support in communicating ‟own unique
offering‟/value-added internationally (SMEs)
• Identification of new opportunities (e.g. partners,
projects, financing)
• Access to new knowledge sources and
collaboration partners
• ”Branded” as belonging to a broader context
• ”Stamps” of legitimacy/RIGHT entry points and
proactive door opening to ‟outside‟ knowledge
sources and partners)
• Financing or risk sharing arrangements (SMEs)
• Mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs
(SMEs)
Role of ‟cluster organization‟:
• Understand the companies‟ particular field of
business – and stage of development – of their
“client” companies and research organizations
• Provide a broader context and brand for the area
of expertise
• Bridge public authorities and companies,
companies and research actors
• Constantly scout for and „filter through‟ relevant
opportunities
• Proactively offer services that are tailored to
specific needs of „cluster members‟ in collaboration
with other support actors (e.g. trade councils)
• Active facilitation and involvement of companies in
practical activities as early as possible
Cluster actor needs:
15. Lessons for cluster management
1. Ensure Clear Strategic Direction and Commitment
over Time
2. Facilitate Availability of Resources for Concrete
Collaboration Activities
3. Support Strong (Core) Leadership and Active
Dialogue/Anchoring
16. Implications for Cluster Policy
1. Establish Clear “Basic Entry Requirements” for
International Cluster Partnerships
2. Offer Process Support as a Component of
International Cluster Cooperation Programmes
3. Offer Flexible Financing Mechanisms to enable
Operational Experimentation
17. Questions for Discussion
Cluster organizations...
A legitimate mandate to work with global linkages?
What balance between facilitating local collaboration and
global linkages?
Cluster policy...
How are cluster organizations perceived within my
system/instruments facilitating international innovation
linkages?
Should systems/instruments be adjusted to leverage
cluster organizations?
Notes de l'éditeur
Nd cluster policy
- For each pilot, held structured interviews (with scaled questions) with the lead and 3 partners/associated partners (identified by the lead).Then, for those nodes interviewed that functioned as innovation intermediaries (14 COs or similar), collected lists of five ’cluster actors’ (companies or research organizations) who received digital surveys (also scaled questions). Survey was sent to 69 cluster actors (missed contact information from one node). 50 responses received (as of early September). Limitations: method of selection not random – and may therefore not be representative (in particular since the StarDust project is already a select/internationalization-focused group of actors) limited scope of survey and lack of knowledge on total population of cluster actors (to estimate relevance/robustness of results) Questions on importance of internationalization of R&I, usefulness of intermediary (cluster actors only), functions/services provided by the CO/intermediary to facilitate outside knowledge inputs and collaboration