Fueling Innovation through Information Technology in SMES *by Clay Dibrell, Peter S. Davis, and Justin Craig
Program in the College of Business at Oregon State university Clay Dibrell is associate professor of strategic management in the College of Business at
Oregon State university and research fellow at Bond University Peter S. Davis is professor and chair of the Department of Management in the Belk College
of Business at the University of North Carolina†Charlotte Justin Craig is associate professor of family business and entrepreneurship at Bond
University Address correspondence to: Clay Dibrell, 200 Bexell Hall, College of Business, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331.
Tel:(541) 737-6061. E-mail: Clay. Dibrell@bus. oregonstate. edu Journal of Small Business Management 2008 46 (2), pp. 203†218
DIBRELL, DAVIS, AND CRAIG 203 specific skills and capabilities. For example, substantial evidence has begun to accumulate that suggests that appro
-priate strategic employment of informa -tion technology (IT) may be essential in translating strategies (e g.,, innovation
into enhanced firm performance (e g Ray, Muhanna, and Barney 2005 Sakaguchi, Nicovich, and Dibrell 2004
A direct linkage between IT and firm performance was established by Powell and Dent-Micallef (1997.
for these scholars include the role of communication in facilitating successful innovation, best practices in terms of
Health education, Social services n=23; Mining, Construction (n=72 Transportation, Communication, Utilities n=26; Retail, Hotel, Restaurant
-mation systems scholars (e g.,, Sakagu -chi and Dibrell 1998; Mahmood and Mann 1993) suggest that an appropriate
Business school Press Anderson, J. C, . and D. W. Gerbing 1988). ) â€oestructural Equation Modeling In practice: A Review and Recom
Harvard Business school Press Brown, S, . and K. Blackmon (2005 â€oealigning Manufacturing Strategy and Business-Level Competitive Strategy in
South Western College Publishing Damanpour, F. 1991. â€oeorganizational Innovation: A Meta-Analysis of Effects of Determinants and Moderators, â€
University of Chicago Press Hax, A, . and N. Majluf (1991). The Strat -egy Concept and Process.
-ties as Dynamic Accumulation Pro -cesses, †Simulation Modeling Practice and Theory 10, 271†296
that offers excellent on-the-job-training opportunities both citizens and private companies that are proactive at adapting the latest technologies, and labor markets
boosting university enrollment, which continues to lag behind that of many other high-innovation countries
focus on education, which has translated into a steady improvement in the higher education and training pillar 2nd) in recent years,
thus providing individuals with the skills needed for a rapidly changing global economy Finland moves up one place since last year to
and primary education pillar as well as the higher education and training pillar, the result of a strong focus
on education over recent decades. This has provided the workforce with the skills needed to adapt rapidly to
a changing environment and has laid the groundwork for high levels of technological adoption and innovation
Combined with a strong focus on education over the years and a high level of technological readiness (1st
Its excellent educational system ranked 5th for health and primary education and 6th for its higher education and training) and efficient
markets†especially its goods market (6th) †are highly supportive of business activity. And although the country
has registered fiscal deficits in recent years (5. 0 percent of GDP in 2011), its macroeconomic environment is
the quality of the educational system†where the country continues to trail its top 10 peers at 28th
innovative, supported by an excellent university system that collaborates admirably with the business sector in R&d.
areas†higher education (22nd) and innovation (26th) †will be necessary. Although the quality of education in Hong kong is good (12th), participation remains
below levels found in other advanced economies 53rd). ) Improving educational outcomes will also help boost Hong Kong†s innovative capacity, which remains
first-rate assessment for its higher education and training system (14th), which has provided the Danish workforce with the skills needed to adapt rapidly to a changing
strong focus on education would help to reverse the downward trend (from 3rd place in 2010 to 14th this
7th for health and primary education and 15th for higher education and training), the data suggest a slight
downward trend of its performance in higher education ranking 8th place on higher education and training two
years ago), driven by lower university enrollment rates and a decline in the extent to which staff is being trained
at the workplace Norway is ranked 15th this year, up by one place and showing progress in a number of areas
Specifically, the country features a notable improvement in its innovative capacity (up from 20th to 15th place
Education and training also gets strong marks, particularly for on-the-job training 3rd). ) Austria†s competitiveness would be further
enhanced by greater flexibility in the labor market the country is ranked 72nd in this subpillar), and by
and a primary education system that is among the best in the world (2nd. Belgium also boasts an exceptional
higher education and training system (4th), with excellent math and science education, topnotch management schools, and a strong propensity for on-the-job training
that contribute to an overall high capacity to innovate 11th). ) Its goods market is characterized by high levels
of competition and an environment that facilitates new business creation. Business operations are also distinguished by high levels of sophistication and
workforce and the quality and quantity of education are ranked other strengths 21st for health and primary
education and 27th for higher education and training These elements have provided the basis for a business
including its excellent health and primary education (12th and strong higher education and training (20th), along with its well-functioning goods and labor markets, ranked
9th and 16th, respectively. These attributes have fostered a sophisticated and innovative business culture (ranked 18th for business sophistication and 21st for innovation
educational system at all levels (6th and 13th in the health and primary education and higher education and training pillars, respectively) coupled with an innovative
business sector (20th) that is highly adept at adopting new technologies for productivity enhancements (8th Business activity is supported further by an extremely
flexible labor market (12th) and well-developed infrastructure (20th. On the other hand, a weakened macroeconomic environment (123rd) and financial
the highest tertiary education enrollment rates (18th which provides a large pool of skilled labor force that if properly mobilized, could help the country†s much
They rely on excellent education and highly efficient and well-developed goods and financial markets, as well as their strong commitment
large market size (19th) and high educational standards in particular its high enrollment rates (it is ranked 20th on
the quantity of education subpillar. The financial sector is developed well (37th), and confidence in this sector
intensified collaboration between universities and the private sector would help the country to move toward a
through better primary education and healthcare (63rd and higher education and training (74th), increasing the efficiency of its labor market (124th), and reinforcing
the efficiency and transparency of its public institutions 67th Portugal falls by four places in the rankings
market size (38th) and a solid educational system that provides easy access to all levels of education (ranked
47th on higher education and training and 54th on primary education. The good educational outcomes provide a basis for further developing the innovation
capacity of the country (71st. Putting economic growth on a more stable footing in future will require Ukraine to
address important challenges. Arguably, the country†s most important challenge is needed the overhaul of its institutional framework,
primary education (92nd), business sophistication (99th and innovation (103rd) remain The Russian Federation, at 67th place, drops
hand, its high level of education enrollment, especially at the tertiary level; its fairly good infrastructure; and its
primary education (11th) and higher education (17th) are universal and of high quality. These factors, combined with the country†s high degree of technological
very good marks in education, placing 15th in primary education and 11th in higher education and training
Australia†s macroeconomic situation is satisfactory in the current context (26th. Despite repeated budget deficits its public debt amounts to a low 23 percent of GDP
high marks in health and basic education (35th) and enrollment figures for higher education are also on the
rise, even though the quality of education†in particular the quality of management schools (68th) †and the
health (71st) and basic education standards (89th), two other critical building blocks of competitiveness, require urgent attention.
provides almost universal basic education of satisfactory quality (51st) and the macroeconomic environment is stable, judging by the country†s 25th rank on the related
in the health and basic education pillar (101st. Despite improvements across the board over the past few years
poor public health and education standards remain a prime cause of India†s low productivity. Turning to the
health and basic education pillar (64th. The challenges going forward are therefore numerous and significant and will require decisive policy action in order to put the
the quality of its educational system (91st), which has created a heated public debate in the country.
improvements to its education, research, and innovation systems will be crucial for Panama to continue raising its
) Moreover, a very high quality educational system 11th), a high use of ICT (32nd), and a fairly sophisticated
longstanding challenge and the quality of education 116th) does not seem to match the increasing need for a skilled labor force.
the low quality of education (100th) especially in math and science (124th), the low use of ICT (81st), and the
thanks to a high-quality educational system (21st), an acceptable use of ICT (58th), and an above-average
of education (132nd), poor use of ICT (89th), and low R&d and technological capacity (118th) work against
quality of education in the country (77th), and its low research and innovation capacity (70th. As the economy
the result of a low-quality educational system (130th scarce use of ICT (99th), and low R&d-related innovation
university enrollment rates (20th) that should provide local firms with a skilled labor force. Argentina†s weak
although tertiary education enrollment is one of the 12 The Global Competitiveness Report 2012†2013: Country Profile Highlights
highest in the world (11th), the quality of the educational system is assessed as poor (122nd. This and the low
and education do not reach the standards of other countries at similar income levels. Although some
education pillar (58th), and room for improvement remains on the higher education and training pillar (40th
as well. Boosting these areas, in addition to fostering a more efficient labor market (59th), will be of great significance to Saudi arabia given its growing number
respect to education will require not only measures to improve the quality of teaching and the relevance of
of the quality of education. If not addressed, poor educational quality†particularly in math and science 89th) †could undermine the country†s innovation
strong collaboration between universities and the business sector in innovation (30th These combined attributes make South africa the
must also be made to increase the university enrollment rate in order to better develop its innovation potential
still required in education. Enrollment rates remain low at all levels, and the country†s educational system gets
only mediocre marks for quality. Beyond its educational weaknesses, its labor markets could be made more efficient†it has stringent hiring and firing practices
country†s infrastructure, its low secondary and university enrollment rates, and the poor health of its workforce
Education enrollment rates at all levels remain low by international standards and the quality of the educational system receives
mediocre marks. Yet it is clear that by far the biggest obstacle facing Botswana in its efforts to improve its
the region, Namibia†s health and education indicators are worrisome. The country is ranked a low 120th on
the educational system remains poor, ranked 127th In addition, Namibia could do more to harness new technologies to improve its productivity levels;
Education levels also continue to lag behind international standards at all levels, labor markets are characterized still by
this innovative potential is an educational system that†although educating a relatively small proportion of the
for on-the-job training (62nd. The economy is also supported by financial markets that are developed well
human resources by improving the health and education levels of the country†s workforce, as well as encouraging
primary education levels (142nd. Furthermore, the country is not harnessing the latest technologies for productivity enhancements,
primary education enrollment is commendably high providing universal access, enrollment rates at the secondary and university levels are among the lowest in
the world (both at 137th place. In addition, the quality of the educational system needs upgrading. A related area
of concern is the low level of technological readiness in Tanzania (122nd), with very low uptake of ICT such as
health subpillar), low education enrollment rates, and official markets that continue to function with difficulty
and primary education (137th) as well as higher education and training (138th NOTES 1 See World Economic Forum 2012a
2 The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa 3 IMF 2012b
Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 116b,2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark e-mail: hnpsar@transport. dtu. dk V. Recagno ï¿
National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 15773 Zografou, Greece e-mail: panzac@mail. ntua. gr
University of Applied sciences Technikum Wien ï 2011 ï research leading to these results has received funding from the European
 †17 industrial participants and 8 universities/research institutes  •Funding-/programme mechanismen
research in universities  †Italian Roundtable on Smart Grids: Initiative of Ministry of Economic
 †co-funded by Technology Agency, Ministry of Higher education Science and Technology, European Regional Development Fund
University of Applied sciences Technikum Wien The authors are thankful for all the contributions from Oihana Blanco Mendizabal, Marina Peniã Levada, Jeannette Møller Jørgensen, Aare
The general R&d (research & development) law and laws for universities, research institutions and the Austrian Research Promotion Agencyâ'†s law (à sterreichische
-General R&d framework in the Austrian Law for Universities -R&d Directive -Research Agency's (FFG) Law
Education and Sport (www. mzos. hr. The thematic research programme related to Smart Grids is the Croatian Electric power System Sustainable Development
Available-R&d Franework in general-Ministry of Science, Education and Sport R&d-programmes Available-R&d Programme"Croatian Electric power System Sustainable Development",Programme Code:
Ministry of Science, Education and Sport (http://zprojekti. mzos. hr. This is the main data base of all the projects with national funding
Education and Sport www. mzos. hr Croatian Energy Regulatory agency www. hera. hr Energy Development Strategy of the Republic of
University of Denmark-DTU R&d Framework, Programmes & Policy Denmark The Danish Commission on Climate Change Policy, appointed in March 2008 by the
Energy Risã¸at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) annually publishes an Energy Report. A reprint of the recommendations and conclusions of the current
"Knowledge-Based Estonia"(Ministery of Education and Research R&d Framework, Programmes & Policy Estonia ï
 â€oeknowledge-based Estoniaâ †is published by the Ministry of Education and Research www. hm. ee.
providing financial assistance, advisory, cooperation opportunities and training for entrepreneurs, research establishments, public and third sector.
programmes and projects in the field of training, education, research, technological development and innovation. The Estonian Science Foundation (ETF) is an
-Ministry of Education and Research (www. hm. ee: Archimedes Foundation Estonian Science Foundation -Ministry of Finance (www. fin. ee
Estonian Ministry of Education and Research www. hm. ee Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Estonia www. fin. ee
business, laboratories, universities, training centres, professional associations financial and regional collectives involved in the network of renewable energy
between companies, research institutions, training and institutional stakeholders Table 31 Scenarios, Project Information & Platforms in France
university researchis carried out under the supervision of MIUR (Ministero dell'Istruzione Universitã e Ricerca),
Learning and experimentalâ â€-category. Additionally,  â€oea smart -ï grid electricity network for plug-in hybrids and fully electric carsâ †is a major objective
-Support programmes for Research/Education Communities -Technology and Inovation Funding Programmes -Industrial Thesis Supporting Programme SAN-TEZ (Turkish
R&d support programmes related to Smart Grids are the Research/Education Communities Programmes and the Technology and Innovation Funding Programmes
Support programmes for Research/Education Communities www. tubitak. gov. tr/sid/991/pid/547/index. htm
Dr. Mila Gascã, ESADE Business school Peter Baeck, Nesta Dr. Harry Halpin, IRI Dr. Esteve Almirall, ESADE Business school
Frank Kresin, Waag Society This study was carried out for the European Commission by PARTNER DESCRIPTIONS
the majority focused on education and skills (254) and developing new models for participation and democracy (251
share learning and best practice, and seek funding and sustainable new business models This research has identified the goals of policy, the policy tools and funding instruments
†such as new approaches to money, consumption, democracy, education and health †to thrive: Policymakers need to provide space for more radical ideas
and training: This could be done through growing the digitalsocial. eu network to enable more opportunities for collaboration;
democracy and education. Â Â Its forms are still emergent, some growing very fast, others still being quite marginal.
5. 4 Dissemination & learning 5. 5 Evaluation 6. 1 What should policymakers do REINVENTING
education and (6) public services DSI Icons: 1 Organisation Type: Social Enterprise Charity or Foundation, Business, Grass roots Organization or Community Network, Academia and
-ing, Maker and hacker spaces, Investing and Funding, Event, Incubators and Accelerators, Advisory or expert body, Education And Training. 3 Technology
Environment, Education and Skills, Culture and Arts, Work and Employment, Participation and Democracy, Neighbourhood Regeneration, Science
Organisations, from grassroots movements, think-tanks and universities to big charities and public museums are hosting small-scale workshop spaces often with digital tools and
and developed in high schools, with the 25 best Call4school projects invited to participate in the fair
Education Pubblic spending Openspending is a data sharing community and web application that aims to track every government and corporate financial
state of education. It brings primary sources into every classroom and allows for more open and rapid communication between teachers and students.
For instance, The Open University, based in the United kingdom, and other models of distance learning have made education much more widely available.
The same goes for the way scientific research is being done with its culture being influenced through the ability to globally
access and share knowledge, culture, information and code and to undertake better collaboration within the research community
A good example of where developments in DSI could lead us is the project Primo which was born out of collaboration between Arduino and designers in the Master
of Advanced Studies in Interaction design at SUSPI in Lugano. Primo is made from an Arduino board, a car and a set of instruction blocks all made out of wood.
Its objective is to teach the high-level abstraction of programming as a sequence of instructions to
to combine open hardware technologies with new learning methods to experiment with new educational practices, enhanced by the way technology is integrated within the
learning environment Open standards A number of organisations affect DSI in Europe through acting as expert bodies on the
development of policy and strategies and advocating and campaigning for standards for DSI 35growing a Digital Social Innovation Ecosystem for Europe
-ing, online learning and e-petitions The main technological trends in DSI 0 100 200 300
One of these policy proposals is around skills and training. A fundamental requirement for DSI is that innovators with an ambition to use technology for social good have the
education and training organisations. To cater to this need a number of projects have emerged, such as Apps for Goodi or the Open Data Institute†s (UK) open data training
sessions for charities. Real empowerment through access to knowledge and education happens when groups and individual can acquire skills
and gain access to resources and opportunities to develop the knowledge and self-sufficiency toachieve inclusion
& constructing informal learning networks Fab academy; Institute for network culture; Coder dojo†s; and more generally the
and designer, started the Arduino project to enable students at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea (IDII) to build electronic
EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTICIPATION AND DEM OCRACY CULTURE AND ARTS HEALTH AND WELLBEING WORK AND EMPLOYMENT
Education and skills Culture and Arts Work and Employment DSI AREAS AREAS OF SOCIETY New ways of making
EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTICIPATION AND DEM OCRACY CULTURE AND ARTS HEALTH AND WELLBEING WORK AND EMPLOYMENT
Education and skills Culture and Arts Work and Employment DSI AREAS AREAS OF SOCIETY New ways of making
EDUCATION AND TRAINING NETWORK ADVOCATING AND CAMPAIGNING EVENT INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS MAKER AND HACKER SPACES
ADVISORY OR EXPERT BODY INVESTMENT AND FUNDING 152 26 13 7674 70 32313030 0 Pr
content, open access, science education and ethics across all research initiatives 60 Growing a Digital Social Innovation Ecosystem for Europe
information, education and work opportunities for women SECTOR SPECIFIC REGULATION/DEREGULATION 8. Establish a European
education, healthtmaking it easier to grow and spread digital SI (eg public procurement, support for evidence
Dissemination & learning 5. 5 Evaluation 4. 4 THE BETA â€oebottom-UP€ POLICY WORKSHOP TOOLKIT
Dissemination & learning 5. 5 Evaluation 66 Growing a Digital Social Innovation Ecosystem for Europe
DISSEMINATION & LEARNING EVALUATION In order to implement future DSI policy goals and strategies, several tools and in
money, and education. However, the European commission has also very relevant competences, and some regula -tory and policy issues are cross-sectoral
DISSEMINATION & LEARNING EVALUATION There is a common sentiment that a strong public intervention at EU level is need
A report published by Nesta and University of Cambridge in November 2014 forecasts the growth of alternative finance (including peer-to-peer business lending, peer-to
or playground installations †are funded by citizens themselves Seed funding is a very early-stage investment,
waste, data to education. In 2014 Nesta revived the 300 year old Longitude Prize and
your data (in energy, education and the Veterans Administration respectively 76 Growing a Digital Social Innovation Ecosystem for Europe
energy or education. The innovation foundation Sitra in Finland, which has has taken on large systemic challenges to Finnish society,
create new digital products, new public services or learning programmes The creation of a European network that would encompass regional innovation
5. 4 DISSEMINATION & LEARNING 81growing a Digital Social Innovation Ecosystem for Europe Firstly, tools for general dissemination should be included.
Training will also be essential, especially in bridging the digital skills gap, but also in empowering the DSI community
Specific training could be setup but the DSI community itself, as is done today by Fablabs with the Fabacademy, by Hacklabs
and Makerspaces with free software and open hardware training, or by the Open Data Institute (ODI) and Open Knowledge
universities and public research institutes, and could include DSI products and services generated, as well as new types of actors such as Fab Labs and makerspaces
à Provide link between academic evaluation and evaluation reports (more professional, consultancy based, etc à Explore DSI specific indicators such as Open Data access, digital skills
as well as national research institutes and traditional universities. Building on existing schemes, such as innovation partnerships and PPPS with bigger telecommunications corporations, new schemes
for cities, regions, health authorities and universities to pilot large-scale DSI experiments around collaborative economy, direct
such as new approaches to money, consumption, democracy, education and health 5. Expand the European Digital Social Innovation network
development of skills and training As in other sectors, some of the innovations in this field have very radical implications †for instance, for the future of money or
education. Policymakers need to provide space for more radical ideas to be tested out in towns and cities across Europe, using
University Press D. Watts and S. Strogatz (1998 â€oecollective dynamics of †small-world†networksâ€.
goal it is to help †students use new technologies to design and make products that can make a difference to
Universities...79 Digital Agenda for Europe...82 Key enabling technologies...88 Cultural and creative industries...
creating a virtuous policy learning cycle13. As the Fifth Cohesion Report states,'the starting point for a result-oriented approach is
such as in universities or public research institutes. Collaborative projects with local firms can help to reveal information about the future
higher education institutions, public research institutes, independent innovators; whoever is best placed to discover the domains of R&d
higher education and research infrastructure to new areas such as satellites and GPS technologies 14 ï¿Finally, radical foundation of a new domain:
In this case, links between local universities and strong public-private partnerships are the types of strategies that may be essential for smart
Specialisation, Regional Growth and Applications to EU Cohesion Policy',Groningen University 15 existence of industries that are in tune with the relevant socioeconomic conditions and can
evaluation component associated with policy learning capabilities, etc This section presents each of the steps as defined above,
common, tripartite governance model based on the involvement of industry, education and research institutions, and government (the so-called Triple Helix model), is no longer enough in
public investment in research/education/innovation in the region (by all levels of government predictability of the innovation policy framework for regional stakeholders;
the relevant policies (R&d, innovation, education, ICT â€; coordination of all the relevant policies within the region;
Education and research: Existence of policies to ensure proper supply and mix of skills; existence and
coverage of training on entrepreneurship and creative problem-solving; autonomy and transparency of education and research organisations;
existence of policies to support the regular and long-term collaboration of education and research organisations with businesses;
explicit consideration of the role of Key Enabling Technologies (KETS Evaluation system: Institutionalisation of ex-post assessment of innovation policy and support measures
stability of public investment in research, education and innovation; proper balance between institutional and competitive funding for innovation;
3.'Cluster'in depth case studies and peer reviews: to move beyond the figures that are available for comparison, more qualitative studies can be carried out on activity domains
account innovation opportunities identified by leading actors (companies, universities intermediaries, etc. Mixing regional experts with international experts helps to give more
Potential actors relevant to the RIS3 process span from public authorities to universities and other knowledge-based institutions, investors and enterprises, civil society actors, and external
Interactive learning with customers and suppliers Experimentation in studios and project teams Strong codified knowledge content
authorities, universities and other knowledge-based institutions, investors and enterprises, civil society actors, and international experts who can offer benchmarking
a leading role in connecting their universities to the worlds in and beyond their regions.
University of Tampere, Work Research center, Working Paper No. 85 (Final Report on Quadruple Helix Research for the CLIQ
professions and they are fashioned invariably in action learning environments where there is a high degree of novelty associated with the activity.
and its significance for universities businesses and the regional economy, would do much to promote a skill set that is critically
of action learning which generated useful information as well as helped to maintain the active engagement of the business community
Getting firms, universities, development agencies and regional governments to accept that innovation is a collective social endeavour †where participants freely acknowledge that
bodies, especially universities, development agencies and regional governments. Learning by doing will help these public sector bodies to appreciate the needs of firms, but more formal
action learning programmes will also be needed. A good example of such a programme is the Place-Based Leadership Development Programme,
which regions may wish to adapt and adopt to help them acquire the iterative skills needed in the RIS3 exercise (see Figure 2
Under such a programme, universities, development agencies and regional governments could jointly identify a project to explore the prospects for related variety in the regional economy
alliance between universities, development agencies and regional governments Finally, as the original RIS programme took consensus-building seriously,
universities, the development of the region will not be their primary focus. While regional public authorities do have a territorial responsibility,
In this respect, universities can be critical actors How does regional funding fit into this multilevel system?
foresight and scenario-planning exercises involving the public, private and higher education sectors, the chief aim of which would be to produce a regionally-attuned smart specialisation
But in most Member States, research and education policies are in the exclusive competence of the nation state.
Education Types of strategies National competitiveness programme Regional programmes 45 Step 3-Elaboration of an overall vision for the future of the region
companies, universities, transfer institutions, business intermediaries, local and regional authorities, national bodies, the media, etc. have a different understanding and expectations
Training and awareness -raising for innovation Public private partnerships for innovation Research networks/poles Innovation voucher
Certifications/accreditations Industrial Phds Support to creativity Innovation benchmarking Emerging instruments Competitiveness poles Competence centres
Proactive tools focusing on learning to innovate Global connections Excellence poles Cross-border technology centres
Innovation coach/innovation management training Techno-economic intelligence schemes Source: OECD 2011, expanding from Asheim et al.
If such learning mechanisms are introduced properly in pilot projects, they can provide a model for performance-based funding mechanisms,
bases, ad hoc surveys, peer reviews, and more rarely, regional or national statistics. If the programmers use the latter,
Training sessions staff exchanges Improved technical competencies of staff increase effectiveness of in-house R&d
Student placements academic-industry cooperation projects or networks Improved skill technical competence and knowledge base change of behaviours
universities/research centres Increase in research expenditure in firms increase in patents or publications Improved innovation
support a process of policy learning and adaptation Formulating and implementing a national/regional research and innovation
implementation of the strategy, pilot projects and others, learning activities (inside and outside the region), new events that have occurred after formal adoption of
•Universities-enterprise cooperation •Digital agenda •Key enabling technologies •Cultural and creative industries
Connecting universities Key enabling technologies Research infrastructures Cultural and creative industries Innovation PP CO 2 ne
•provision of training to potential project managers •provision of mentoring and coaching to EU project partners (from the
advice and training support to European SMES to protect and enforce their IPR in China. 54
computing resources, software and data repositories) for research and education and any other entity of a unique nature essential to achieving or enabling
education. The resulting innovation ecosystem spurs new ideas, solutions and innovations of benefit to the European economy and society, as well as science
itself be a facility of national or regional importance in terms of socioeconomic return, training and attracting researchers and technicians.
university. They provide the necessary infrastructure for research, such as advanced ICTS, and are expected also to create proper conditions for informal
Universities Why should universities be part of smart specialisation In the framework of the Education, Research and Innovation triangle, the so
-called knowledge triangle, universities71 have a crucial role to play in creating knowledge and translating it into innovative products and services, in cooperation
with research centres and businesses. Successful mobilisation of the resources of universities can have a strong positive effect on the achievement of
comprehensive regional strategies Universities dealing with economics, public policy and administration, as well as those dealing with specific policy areas (such as industry, health, agriculture
environment and culture) can provide public authorities and private sectors with strategic advice, as well as experts to work directly on regional development
Universities are a critical'asset'of the region, mainly in the less developed regions where private sector may be weak or relatively small, with low
which universities can contribute to regional innovation systems. Universities can, for instance, stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit of their staff and students, provide advice and services to SMES, and
participate in schemes promoting the training and placement of high level graduates in innovative businesses. They can also host incubators for spin-offs in
science and technology parks and provide valuable input to innovative clusters and networks. These mechanisms can be delivered as stand-alone projects or
within wider strategies. The latter is the ideal and will ensure maximum impact but is difficult to achieve as there are many barriers to overcome
and there are few good practice examples to draw on. Furthermore, Universities and Businesses should directly cooperate in curricula design
and curricula delivery to ensure that graduates have the right skills and transversal competences. By having businesses
cooperating with the educational side of Universities, talent attraction and retention would be enhanced in the region.
Universities can also play an important role in the field of vocational training Barriers and challenges
Improving the contribution of universities to regional growth by implementing such mechanisms requires the interconnection of the partners in the innovation
systems.''Disconnections'may occur between the partners and the barriers to overcome are of a different nature.
They can be internal to the university and involve the capacity to †reach out†to the wider region (i e. supply side.
instance, universities are focused usually on teaching and research (driven by academic outputs) and are part of national academic systems that are targeted not
71 The term'university'includes all higher education institutions, in line with the Commission's Communication on the modernisation agenda for universities COM (2006) 208
80 to respond to regional needs. As a result, some universities are viewed as being 'in'the region but not'of'the region where they are located
These barriers can also be linked to the capacity and willingness of the public and private sector actors in the region to'reach in'to the university to seek expertise
and knowledge that can contribute to regional growth and development (i e demand side. Successful partnerships involve'boundary spanners'providing
leadership within and across the partners and enabling a mutual understanding of the drivers affecting all the partners.
Universities will appreciate the opportunities that their regions present for their activities as'living laboratories'opened to
Universities and other knowledge institutions should be linked closely to the process of designing national/regional innovation strategies for smart
Cohesion Policy cover these aspects with an emphasis on connecting universities to regional growth and developing stronger partnerships within the knowledge
'Connecting universities to regional growth'that presents processes and delivery mechanisms for building capacity and incentives for universities and their
regional partners to work together. Based on examples, it explores the following issues •establishing a regional higher education partnership to better understand the
regional situation and to overcome the barriers, with a possible technical assistance budget •ensuring mechanisms allowing universities and business in the region to
cooperate in curricula design and in jointly delivering education in an innovative way, fostering graduates with regional relevant competences and
with transversal skills including entrepreneurial attitude •mapping the regional higher education system in terms of their degree
-awarding ability, research activities and possible cooperation with regional partners •assessing the connectivity of the universities to the regional public and
private sectors to move towards a situation where universities are key players •selecting, designing and evaluating interventions that strengthen the
connectivity of universities in the region to the region, by moving from simple to complex projects
In the future programming period 2014-2020, support under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) could be provided to
Universities in the following areas 81 •Knowledge transfer and information actions for the provision of vocational
training and skills acquisition actions, demonstration activities and information actions. These should be provided for persons engaged in the
agriculture, food and forestry sectors, land managers and other economic actors which are SMES operating in rural areas
forestry sector and among other actors (including Universities) that contribute to achieving the objectives and priorities of rural development
Partnership where universities could also take part References The European commission promotes several support tools at European level
•EU Guide'Connecting universities to regional growth':'Available on the website of the Smart Specialisation Platform, 72
•University Business Forum: A platform to promote cooperation between HEI and businesses at European level, 73
•Marie Curie †Initial Training Networks †Industrial doctorates: A pilot action promoting industrial Phd schemes, 74
•Knowledge Alliances: Between higher education and businesses in educational issues, 75 •Erasmus for all:
The Union Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport for the programming period 2014-2020.76
72 http://ipts. jrc. ec. europa. eu/activities/research-and-innovation/s3 a. cfm 73 http://ec. europa. eu/education/universitybusinessforum. html
74 http://cordis. europa. eu/fp7/people/initial-training en. html 75 Further information can be found in the UB Forum link above
76 http://ec. europa. eu/education/erasmus-for-all/doc/legal en. pdf 82 Digital Agenda for Europe
Healthy Ageing Partnership), social inclusion and education (einclusion, eskills elearning), a more effective public administration (egovernment Action plan
eprocurement, ejustice) and dialogue between citizens and decision-makers eparticipation), safer and more efficient transport solutions (Intelligent Transport
services, e-education, e-inclusion, e-skills, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, e -content, creativity, culture, living labs, smart buildings and neighbourhoods
Broadband Investment as well as specific assistance through a range of training modules, workshops and training events
The EBP will also continue to work on the guide on broadband investment models with the provision of additional models and with the evaluation of the impact of
universities, research and technology organisations), start-ups, SMES and manufacturers. Consequently, a KET-focused innovation policy allows most
research, education and can increase the attractiveness of regions in terms of human resources and 98 http://ec. europa. eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/key technologies/kets high level group en. htm
The Alliance and its Policy Learning Platform might prove another useful forum for managers of European Structural
higher education and culture. Successful CCI strategies most often depend on excellent internal and external networks and communication channels
accelerate the learning path Strategic and inclusive approach to investments and the use of financial
training issues) investment should equally be encouraged 94 Internationalisation Why should internationalisation be part of smart specialisation
and joint ventures, research institutes, universities, science and technology parks, and research infrastructures (covering suppliers, the infrastructures
energy, environment, transport, land-use, education or social services. The coordination of different policies and different levels of government is always a
policy, education and information as well as labelling •Taking an exemplary role, for instance in engaging the administration in
empowerment, co-creation and learning For these reasons social innovations offer a way of tackling societal challenges
like health and education. It can also play an important role in the modernisation and transformation of the public sector and public services, through cooperation
synergy with national research/education policies 6. 2 Is the strategy based on interdepartmental/inter-ministerial/interagency
regard to other relevant policies such as education, employment and rural development policies? Does it assess/take into account the existing level of policy
This may involve enhancing R&i infrastructures, the modernisation of universities and research organisations as well as developing technology auditing, international partner search and
support a process of policy learning and adaptation? How is it to be communicated 7. 1 Does the document identify concrete, achievable goals?
support a process of continuous policy learning and adaptation? If not, are actions foreseen to build up capabilities for that
Universities Digital Agenda for Europe Key enabling technologies Cultural and creative industries Internationalisation Financial engineering instruments
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