Radical Innovation for the Enhancement of the Swedish Economy

Transcription

1 Radical Innovation for the Enhancement of the Swedish Economy Progress Report 2014 & Research Plan 2015 Maureen McKelvey, Professor, Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Gothenburg Principal Investigator Rick Middel, Assistant Professor, Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Gothenburg Programme Coordinator

2 The Radical Research Programme, Progress Report Introduction Professor Maureen McKelvey is the principal investigator, with Assistant Professor Rick Middel as programme coordinator. The involved researchers are employed at the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE), Department of Economy and Society, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg. In order to facilitate the continued progressive growth and development of the Swedish economy, a structural transformation, whereby focus in business and society is shifted from the current knowledge-based view to one where innovation is the center of attention, is needed. To achieve this goal, radical innovations are essential, a phenomenon proven difficult to both enable and implement for societies, organizations and individuals alike. These issues show that extensive research on the topic is needed. Our research addresses how and why structural transformation occurs, as well as how it stimulates change in society. Firms, universities, NGOs and policy makers must find ways to stimulate the conditions enabling more radical changes. Through collaboration, exchange of knowledge, and a break of path-dependency set in the existing routines and organizational mindsets, both the economy at large and the individual actors are made more competitive. The main aims of the project, as stated in the application and 2013 Progress Report, remain: Contribute to the international research frontier on innovation and entrepreneurship Interact with firms and practitioners on these issues Inform teaching practices within the area of innovation and entrepreneurship at GU Thereby, through the study, promotion, and encouraged dissemination of radical innovations, we will support the enhancement of Sweden s transformation to an innovation economy, through radical innovations In contrast to the 2013 application 1, our Radical Research Programme has evolved to: Increase the intensity and impact in the international research community through our results 2. We are publishing three times more than projected in the original application. Impact more Masters students than originally anticipated. During 2014, we taught119 Masters students taking our MSc programmes. Focused on societal impact, by strengthen the development of radical innovations with selected large companies, entrepreneurial companies, as well as project ideas developed by Masters students. Develop selected Masters theses into conference publications, through collaboration with researchers. Augment our work-packages, in order to tap into the breadth of scientific competencies on radical innovation in various projects, at IIE and by publishing with collaborators. 1 Specific details of modifications as compared to the application, can be found in the 2013 progress report, delivered by Professor McKelvey and Asssistant Professor Middel, dated Jan See Table 2 below. The original application specified that the total final outputs would be 10 publications and some presentations. This progress report specifies 36 publications as well as 66 activities for societal impact, including 41 conference presentations.

3 Section 2 provides an overview of our results in numbers. Section 3 provides an overview of the persons involved as well as partner organizations and research collaborators. Section 4 introduces the projects, including an update on progress and the main results for each project. Section 5 sketches three promising trajectories for future research. These trajectories are described, based upon reflections about our current results as well as interesting ideas to be explored further. 2. Our Results in Numbers This section provides an overview of our results in numbers, from the Radical Research Programme. Table 1: Results (Annual totals 3 for 2013 & 2014 and planned for 2015) 1. Academic publications 2013, annual total 2014 annual total Journal articles accepted for publication 2 5 Article submissions (e.g. not yet accepted for journal publication) 2015 planned 3 10 Book chapters accepted for publication 8 6 Academic book, edited by IIE authors 1 Academic book, written in Swedish for a popular audience, edited by IIE authors 2. Societal diffusion of information and results Total publications Web, mass media and popular science Presentations at academic conferences Conferences organized by IIE Total societal diffusion PhD student and MSc student involvement PhD degrees granted 1 PhD students involved Number of Masters students enrolled in our MSc programs and impacted by this research Total students The new website for Radical Research Programme can be found at olssons-stiftelse-for-forskning-och-kultur- 1 3 Annual total means new since previous progress report.

4 3. People Involved in the Radical Research Programme This section provides an overview of the persons involved as well as partner organizations and research collaborators. Figure 1 provides an overview of persons. Figure 1: People: Overview of Researchers and PhD students at IIE and MSc students in our two MSc programmes (2014) 8 Researchers at IIE involved PhD students involved MSc students, e.g. taking our MSc programmes (IIM and KBE) The MSc students are enrolled in the Masters of Science programmes, Innovation and Industrial Management (IIM) and Knowledge-based Entrepreneurship (KBE). The researchers at IIE who are involved in the Radical Research Programme are: Albinsson, Staffan: Assistant professor/ Post-doctoral scholar Bourelos, Evangelos: Post-doctoral scholar Brink, Johan: Lecturer Ljungberg, Daniel: Assistant professor McKelvey, Maureen: Professor Middel, Rick: Lecturer Saemundsson, Rögnvaldur: Associate Professor Zaring, Olof: Associate Professor The PhD students are: Gifford, Ethan: PhD student at IIE/GU Gustafsson, Erik: PhD student at IIE/GU Hermansson, Ida: IIE project assistant and PhD student in Borås Herou Börjesson, Snöfrid: PhD student at IIE/GU

5 Figure 2 provides an overview of networks, specifically partner companies, research collaborators, and business coaches. Figure 2: Networks: Companies, collaborators and business coaches, Companies involved in action research and student projects National & international research collaborators 12 2 Business coaches at IIE and at GU Holding The companies or ventures (projects) involved in action research and student projects are: Volvo Cars Volvo Group MAN SCA AstraZeneca ABB Realize AB Apivita Inventive Board Mymo AB Capturest Co-Brand Concept The horse hoof project Pinyata Our international and national research collaborators, including guest professors and guest researchers at IIE, are: Bagchi-Sen, Sharmistha: Professor of Geography at State University of New York, Buffalo, USA and Guest Professor at University of Gothenburg, Sweden Beyhan, Berna: Assistant Professor in Management Engineering at Bahcesehir University, Turkey and previous Broman Post-Doctoral Scholar at University of Gothenburg, Sweden

6 Dang, Rani: Assistant professor at Université Nice Sophia-Antipolis and CNRS - GREDEG Research Group (UMR 7321), Nice, France and visiting researcher and Broman Post-Doctoral Scholar at University of Gothenburg, Sweden Holgersson, Marcus: Assistant professor in Innovation Technologies, at Chalmers, Sweden and previous Broman Post-Doctoral Scholar at University of Gothenburg, Sweden Holmén, Magnus: Professor of Innovation Science at Halmstad university, Sweden and visiting researcher at IIE, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Jin, Jun: Associate Professor in Business, at Zheijang University, China Lassen, Astrid Heidemann: Associate Professor, Department of Business and Management, Center for Industrial Production, Aalborg University, Denmark Laage-Hellman, Jens: Associate Professor in Industrial Marketing, Chalmers, Sweden Rake, Bastian: Assistant Professor in Technology Management at University of Passau, Germany Slepniov, Dmitrij: Associate Professor, Department of Business and Management, Center for Industrial Production, Aalborg University, Denmark Szücs Stefan: Associate Professor in Political Science, at University of Gothenburg, Sweden Veiderpass, Ann: Associate Professor in Economics at University of Gothenburg, Sweden The Business Coaches (Senior business advisors) working with student projects are: Anders Nilsson, IIE/GU Håkan Torbjörnsson, GU Holding AB 4. The Projects Included within the Radical Research Programme This section introduces the projects. It provides an update on progress and the main results for each project called a work-package (WP). See Appendix A for details. Table 2: Projects Projects / Work-packages (WP) Plans 2015: Synthesis and Societal Impact WPI: Business Model Innovation WPII: Universities and Entrepreneurship WPIII: Emerging Technologies: Science and Technology in Relation to Entrepreneurship WPIV: Public Policy: Governance of Regions in a Globalized World WPV: Venture Creation Researcher(s) responsible McKelvey and Middel Middel McKelvey Bourelos Zaring McKelvey

7 Plans 2015: Synthesis and Societal Impact Our work on synthesis and societal impact is in focus during the final phase of the Radical Research Programme. We will focus on impact by organizing 3 conferences in Gothenburg; supporting a 4 th conference in Spain; being engaged in Vetenskapsfestivalen; developing new activities for MSc students and companies; and implementing our strategy for marketing and visibility towards different societal stake-holders. This activity is delivering in line with the 2013 progress report. WPI: Business Model Innovation Our research concentrates on how companies can renew their offerings of products and/or services by innovating around their business model. Actually changing business models in a radical way is difficult. We focus upon helping change, as well as understanding these processes, within companies. This WP is delivering in line with the 2013 progress report. WP II: Universities and Entrepreneurship Our research focuses upon the university as an actor in society, and a key one in radical change. Universities help society, by preserving large bodies of systemic knowledge in all fields. They do so by having highly knowledgeable employees (human capital); because they educate students who later use that knowledge and techniques to change society; and because research whether applied or basic provides the source of knowledge for radical changes in technology used in society, at least in the long-run. The foci are in line with the 2013 progress report, but during 2014, we have defined three sub-themes: A) Universities impacting industrial invention and entrepreneurship; B) Productivity and Multiple Tasks of the University; and C) Impact on Society of Changing Education. This WP is producing much more than planned. WP III: Emerging Technologies: Science and Technology in Relation to Entrepreneurship Our project focuses upon the emergence of technological and scientific fields, and related entrepreneurship, which is a source for structural transformation. The foci have been expanded and made more ambitious. This WP has expanded from a sub-project in the original application. Last year, the progress report stated it was more ambitious but only about nanotechnology in Sweden. As of this 2014 Progress Report, we have divided this WP into three sub-themes: A) Development of nanotechnology in Sweden and China; B) Medical innovations and pharmaceuticals; C) Knowledge intensive entrepreneurship This WP is producing much more than planned.

8 WP IV: Public Policy: Governance of Regions in a Globalized World Our project focuses upon the innovation economy from the perspective of how collaboration between firms, universities and other organizations in regions may stimulate radical changes. By this, we mean that public policy may start, but that collaborators must develop norms and institutions, in order to stimulate interaction and capacity building within regions. This turns out to be intrinsically linked to globalization. The foci have been expanded and made more ambitious. In the original application, this WP was focused on a different topic, namely public policy, regenerative medicine and sustainability in the automobile industry. As of the 2013 progress report, the focus of this WP is upon governance. As of the 2014 progress report, we have divided this WP into two sub-themes: A) Governance and impact upon regions; B) Regions in a Globalized World This WP is producing much more than planned. WP V: Venture Creation Our work here focuses upon business coaching in relation to teaching in the Masters programme KBE and in related courses. The development of our venture creation process has been quite ambitious. We are successfully partnering with other organizations and financers in the region, as specified below. This WP has a visible and important impact upon the region through education of entrepreneurship students, through the further development of existing ideas and projects (from external idea providers); and as of 2014, through the development of students own projects. This WP is delivering in line with the 2013 progress report.