Projects / Programmes
Knowledge Transfer in Innovation Networks
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.03.00 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S210 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
innovation networks, knowledge transfer, innovations
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
25829 |
PhD Helena Kovačič |
Administrative and organisational sciences |
Head |
2011 - 2013 |
57 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Abstract
Our research project is specially designed to uncover the phenomenon of innovation networks which have become an important aspect of the superior innovation results in today’s society. The main reason for carrying out this project is the problem of a lack of data and knowledge about how to manage innovation process (from generating ideas to implementing results), how to collaborate to innovate and how to sustain the impact of innovation networks professional and scientific discipline is facing. Lack of data on innovation is mainly caused by the narrow understanding of the innovation activity in research that does not include different forms of innovation, economic sectors and stakeholders involved in innovation, and therefore has only limited value in providing consistent findings on innovation networks. Many initiatives throughout Europe have been established to promote the formation of inter-firm networks to innovate. Experiences show that many network initiatives face a number of problems, resulting in a fairly low level and un-intensive inter-firm interaction.
This research project will propose a new approach to explore innovation activity that will supplement the existing economic understanding of innovation networks. Innovation networks represent an alternative mechanism for reaching knowledge and important environment to bring about various processes of knowledge development, accumulation, transfer and implementation in support for improvements. Innovation networks bring together different stakeholders and comprise all institutions involved in various stages of innovation activity. Firms are compelled to cooperate for innovation because they do not have all the necessary resources internally and because knowledge which underpins innovation is often tacit. This project will examine specific innovations and processes of knowledge transfer that lead to innovations, identify key partner organizations inside and outside of the organizations that are involved in this process and their level of involvement. The companies and their embededness in innovation networks is the main focus of this research. Project will provide original data on company innovation activity and thus fill the existing gap in the field of innovation research. Data collection will be performed at the micro level, which means we will be able to focus on the whole process of innovations and be able to detect the impact of these innovations on performance. This research project has a potential to provide high added value in the fields of sociology of organizations and is highly relevant at the national as well as international level, since its main contributions will be new knowledge on innovation activity, new approach in measuring innovations and new model that will integrate the role of various partners of innovation networks.
Significance for science
Our research project was specially designed to uncover the phenomenon of innovation networks which have become an important aspect of the superior innovation results in today’s society. Innovation networks represent an alternative mechanism for reaching knowledge. Firms are compelled to cooperate for innovation because they do not have all the necessary resources internally and to overcome hierarchical rigidity and market rigidity, which is a consequence of limited information. Knowledge which underpins innovation is often tacit and hard to articulate but at the same time creating knowledge has become a key to sustaining a competitive advantage. Innovation networks have become an environment that brings about various processes of knowledge development, accumulation, transfer and implementation in support for improvements. In our research approach, we assumed that innovation networks bring together different stakeholders, besides firms, and comprise all institutions involved in the generation, commercialization and diffusion of new and improved products, processes and services. With our research project, we tried to contribute new knowledge about the innovation networks, by looking at the successful processes of generating new ideas, how companies enter the process of knowledge transfer in their environment, the roles of different innovation networks’ organizations in the innovation process, and the impacts of innovations on company performance, economic development and broader society. This research project contributes to the development of science in three different areas: - New approach to innovation measurement: our methodological framework develops sociological approach to explore innovation networks which assumes that innovation activity of these networks is not a pure mechanic process of imitation, where innovation comes from the transposition of ideas, but an organic process of learning and knowledge transfer, which requires time and high level of involvement of all network partners. Our approach to research supplements the existing economic understanding of innovation. Data collection was performed at the micro level, which means we were able to focus on the whole process of innovations, from the idea formation to the actual impacts of innovations on performance; - New model on innovation networks’ performance: our research on innovation networks’ performance builds on the original data on company innovation activity and thus fills the existing gap in the field of innovation research. Based on the results of our research we developed a research model that includes different partner organizations at different stages of the innovation process and their input and synergistic effects in the innovation development process. - New knowledge on innovation activity: theoretical and applicative parts of the project contribute new knowledge and scientific evidence on how innovations develop through connection with different actors of the innovation network, knowledge about the knowledge transfer and collaboration between the actors in different phases of the innovation cycle and evidence on the impact of innovations on different levels of society and added value in the field of sociology of organizations.
Significance for the country
Slovene companies and their innovation activity is, according to several research, highly dependent on the external sources of knowledge, which means that companies are involved in different innovation networks. This research project contributes with some important insights in the field of innovations, which are based on the sociological perspective of the innovation process and use of different methodological approach to innovation research. Research on innovation activity based on the innovation networks’ analysis represents upgrading of the existing approaches based on the macroeconomic indicators. Lack of data on innovation is mainly caused by the narrow understanding of the innovation activity in research that does not include different forms of innovation, economic sectors and stakeholders involved in innovation and therefore have only limited value in providing consistent findings on innovation networks. Our research project on innovation networks' performance is based on a holistic approach to innovation networks that identifications cooperation between a company and their partners throughout the whole innovation development cycle. The project thus contributes to the two main goals: new knowledge on innovation activity and scientific basis for the future national and European policy making in the field of innovations that are important element of economic as well as social development. . Interfirm collaboration was one of the main goals of cohesion policy of the EU (2007-2013) and a tool for innovation success. Regional development guidelines in Slovenia also recognize the importance of interfirm collaboration. Slovene government adopted the Programme of Measures to Promote Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness for period 2007-2013, which only partly follows the goal of the EU cohesion policy on increasing firm collaboration to promote innovation. These incentives mainly aim to promote innovativeness of SMEs and investments in R&D. Financial incentives available to firms via public invitations to tender often do not achieve the pursued goals. Results of our project can be indirectly used as a feedback on the efficiency of measures taken to enhance entrepreneurship and competitiveness and can be used as policy recommendations. Our project has a potential to have a direct impact for the spin-off companies that are facing the problem when making decision as how to use various sources of innovation, as well as for the mature companies that need to improve their performance. The results of our survey will also serve as a feedback on the level of efficiency of the current measures in promoting competitiveness and as recommendations for future policy making in the field of innovations that are important element of economic as well as social development. New knowledge on innovation networks and elements of their performance will contribute to the identification of innovation productivity, at the companies’ level as well as in the field of higher education, research and broader social community. Innovation activity comprising various partner organizations from different parts of the society will allow for the detection of shortcomings and unused development opportunities.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2011,
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
