Analysing Micro-Innovation Processes: Universities and Enterprises Collaboration

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1 Analysing Micr-Innvatin Prcesses: Universities and Enterprises Cllabratin 19 Analysing Micr-Innvatin Prcesses: Universities and Enterprises Cllabratin Pertti Saariluma, University f Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland, psa@jyu.fi Esa Kannist, University f Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland, esa.kannist@jyu.fi Tum Kujala, University f Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland, tum.kujala@jyu.fi Abstract Purpse: This paper discusses ne frm f innvatin wrk in the area f human technlgy and its research at universities with The fcus is n hw t get swiftly advancing basic research knwledge quickly int prduct develpment prcesses. Design/methdlgy/apprach: The paper discusses a innvatin imprvement mdel. Findings: The industrial feedback demnstrates that the innvatin imprvement mdel wrks well in rganizing the implementatin f basic research int prduct develpment Originality: The innvatin cycle is new in the area f human technlgy fr cnveying basic research findings int industrial innvatin prcess. Paper type: Cnceptual-empirical Keywrds: Innvatin, research, enterprise, cllabratin, Human Technlgy, human system interactin, cperatin prject Intrductin We divide innvatin prcesses int tw types. Natinal ecnmy level innvatin prcesses can be called macr-innvatin prcesses. Hwever, belw these financing, resurce sharing and scial engineering prcesses ne can find such simple phenmena as innvative thinking, infrmatin flw t innvative persns, and the flw f critical infrmatin t critical actrs. The latter type f prcesses we call micrinnvatin prcesses. The rle f universities in innvatin management has been widely acknwledged and researched (Etzkvitz 2003, Gldfarb and Henrekssn 2003, Sutz 2000, Zucker and Darby 1996). Nevertheless, the creatin f cncrete innvatin mechanisms ffers many challenges and develpment pssibilities. Especially imprtant t wrk with a fcus n micrlevel driving mechanisms that prvide cncrete cntents fr innvatin imprvement, because the success f macr-level, gvernment-driven peratins is ultimately dependent upn hw the actual inventin innvatin prcesses succeed. Macr-level innvatin imprvement peratins and plicies have been intensively studied and develped during recent decades and we have slid understanding f these mechanisms (Dieren, Stneman Tivanen and Wlters 1999, Sundb 2003). Hwever, the micr-level mechanisms the cncrete practices fstering innvatin in generating thinking ften fcus n varius issues typical t persnnel management and the develpment f rganizatinal cmpetencies (Cantell and Fai 1999, Ekvall 1996, Eisenberg, Fasl and Davis-LaMastr 1990, Pitt and Clarke 1999, Ritter and Gemünden 2003). Scial innvatin capacity depends significantly n basic scientific research. Such fundatinal research breakthrughs and ideas spread int scial innvatin capital and enable prduct develpers t find new ideas t be used in innvatin develpment. Therefre, basic research knwledge plays a crucially imprtant rle within the full scial innvatin cncept. As a result, it shuld be pssible t imprve innvatin prcesses by imprving the flw f basic research knwledge frm universities t enterprise prduct develpment prcesses. The challenge is finding a suitable mechanism fr this transfer. Our earlier experiences have shwn that mere lectures are relatively unsuccessful in furthering the integratin f basic research knwledge int enterprise prduct develpment systems. Prduct designers, fr the mst part, d nt derive much infrmatin in this frm f infrmatin disseminatin. On the ther hand, these lectures d allw fr explaining basic ntins and ideas s that the enterprises can frm an idea abut what was happening in basic science and can grasp the basic cncepts. Nevertheless, a lack f cnnectin between the ideas and understanding and the applicatin f such was bvius What seemed t be needed was a mre practical means fr cnveying infrmatin and envisining applicability within design develpment. This resulted in the mdel fr infrmatin transfer, in which lectures, the media, and ther general infrmatin methds were applied t deliver an verview f the mst imprtant develp- Cmmunicatins f the IBIMA Vlume 9, 2009 ISSN:

2 20 Pertti Saariluma, Esa Kannist, and Tum Kujala ments in basic scientific research, which was then fllwed by wrkshp practices where academics and enterprise persnnel actively participated in the prcess f explring the practical uses f basic research knwledge fr prduct develpment ptential. Human Technlgy: The Research Area Human device interactin is an increasingly imprtant factr fr new prduct develpment. It has played a decisive rle in many imprtant ICT develpments, such as the grwth in Nkia r Razr sales. One can n lnger ignre the significance f the users and the user interactin prcess when cnceiving and enhancing prduct innvatin prcesses. Basic research in this area has grwn substantially since the 1980s While this research has fcused primarily n human cmputer interactin, it applies equally, and mre frequently nwadays t mbile devices and mbility issues because f the increase in mbile devices. This means that basic research in the field can quickly enhance prduct prgress. Yet, it is well knwn that the use f the basic research ideas in industry is nt always ptimal (Carrll 1997). The field f human system interactin is new but has prduced already a substantial amunt f relevant research knwledge. The challenge is hw this knwledge can be cnveyed int active prduct develpment within enterprises. University research in this field typically des nt meet readily the needs f practical wrk in enterprises. Therefre, a new type f innvatin thinking is required. Human system interactin is a specifically challenging area fr the advancement f innvatins. It must be based n human research, i.e., n psychlgy, ergnmics, scial psychlgy and scilgy. Prduct designers seldm are specialists in these human sciences fields and they rarely have mre than a rudimentary understanding f apprpriate methds r particularly relevant theretical knwledge required fr slving user prblems. Secndly, because user interactin design is a very cmplicated and challenging field, with numerus cmplex prblems, it takes time fr develpers t master such knwledge and skills. Innvatin enhancing prcedure allwed us t address bth the challenge f making significant research infrmatin knwn t enterprises, and the challenge t help them address the specific theretical and research requirements regarding users. As a result, basic knwledge in the frm f targeted state-f-theart lectures were prvided initially, and were fllwed with wrkshp prcesses that allwed fr teaching and discussin f the theries and practices f user research in a detailed manner. Research We pursued an actin research perspective because it seemed t be the mst lgical manner when the gal was t develp micr-level innvatin mechanisms (fr the applicatin f actin research in management peratins see Cghlan and Cghlan 2002). This apprach prved mst practical in investigating management system designs because it allwed direct testing f hw well the designed mechanisms wrk, as well as t identify the apprach s strengths and weaknesses. In a way, actin research allws analgical iterative generatin and testing prcesses t engineering design fr micr innvatins systems design. Innvatin prcedure was designed fr cnveying basic research knwledge int prduct develpment prcesses. The gal was t eliminate bstacles that keep university research knwledge frm being incrprated int the practical prduct develpment prcesses. The fundamental cncept f the prcedure was t use general lectures, as well as the media, t disseminate interest and the basic research knwledge t prduct develpment practitiners. This was then fllwed by an active and cllabrative wrkshptype schema with representatives f the enterprises. The latter stage allwed researchers t guide prduct designers in a hands-n manner t address cncrete issues related t transfrming basic research int prduct cncepts. This latter prcess has been deemed a useful prcedure by the participating prduct develpers. Empirical research n the tw-stage prcedure was cnducted. In the first stage f the research we investigated hw well enterprises accepted the idea f mdel. Empirical Results Three prjects that reflected the cncretized visin f the mdel t facilitate the transfer f basic research int prduct develpment were cnducted and evaluated. Each had a different fcus and each prvided essential findings t enhance the cncept f the mdel. Each prject is described briefly here, and mre fully t fllw. The first prject, the Mitek-prject, aimed t explre the prcess f mdeling and adapting the human technlgy research prcess. It ran frm August 2004 until December Analysis f this prject identified the elements f research disseminatin and the rles f partners in the innvatins cycle. Cmmunicatins f the IBIMA Vlume 9, 2009 ISSN:

3 Analysing Micr-Innvatin Prcesses: Universities and Enterprises Cllabratin 21 The secnd prject was the Innvatin Cycle (Innkehä) prject. Findings demnstrated the value f the prcess f knwledge disseminatin. The first level perated within general infrmatin frums, where the gal was t prvide general infrmatin abut basic and applied science research, with the flw f knwledge frm the universities t enterprises. The secnd level invlved cllabrative prjects with enterprises. The primary emphasis f this prject was a seminar frmat t deliver infrmatin. The third prject, the Käytech prject, was empirical study t cncrete cllabrative prjects with enterprises. This prject prved t be effective in raising awareness f and knwledge abut the research activities f universities as well as imprving the cllabratin between universities and enterprises. This prject s primary emphasis was the wrkshps as a means f underscring knwledge transfer. The enterprises invlved in these prjects were primarily drawn frm a grup f enterprises that need human technlgy knwledge in their prduct develpment. Such cmpanies within the greater Jyväskylä district ttal between enterprises, but tw f them are wrld leaders in their technlgy fields. Backgrund f the Empirical Study Mitek Prject: Mdeling and Adapting Human Technlgy ( ) This prject was carried ut within three mediumsized municipal regins in Finland. The twns and their regins f Pri, Jyväskylä, and Tampere participated. The starting pint fr the prject was the knw-hw f the Human Technlgies in these regins. The bjective f the prject was that the persns f the cmpanies and ther rganizatins are able t use new technlgies and innvatins. The bjective was the netwrking between research and business. As part f the prject, a study was made f the expertise f the technlgy, as well as the strengths and best practices within these regins. On the basis f this reprt, mdels were created fr develping f these regins. The prject supprted the develping f technlgies within these regins based n the systems develpment mdels and ther materials. Fr example reprts n the Infrmatin Sciety and its factr were the reprts and publicatins f EU Cmmissin. Main results f the prject 1. A reprt f the technlgy f the regins, including the knw-hw f the cmpanies and ther rganizatins there, as well as the develpment activities and innvatin activities related them. 2. A mdel t develp the knwledge f the Human Technlgies in regins 3. Actin plans t carry ut these mdels 4. A series f seminars in all three regins in Human Technlgy 5. A plan f a prject f Human Technlgies tgether with the key cmpanies and small and mediumsized cmpanies Innkehä Prject: Innvatin Cycle ( ) The University f Jyväskylä has created a multidisciplinary cnsrtium, cmprising varius university faculties and internatinal cmpanies, which aims at develping innvative envirnments and netwrks within FinlandCurrently, diverse hurdles hinder efficient cperatin between universities and cmpanies. The Innkehä prject brught tgether representatives f these parties in rder t define a radmap that can lead t an ptimized explitatin f research results and innvatins. Fr these purpses, innvatin discussin frums, scalled Innfrums, were rganized. The Innfrums prvided an excellent platfrm fr researchers and cmpany representatives t exchange ideas as well as t determine ways fr imprved interactins, cllabratins, and knwledge-transfer frm the university t cmpanies. One element f these discussins fcused n the utilizatin f pen surce methds t guarantee a maximum range f participatin and t facilitate pen discussins via the Internet. Hence, a website has been established t prvide unrestricted access t research knwledge and an eased methd fr participants t cntribute t nging discussins. In additin t prviding discussin platfrms, the Innkehä prject examined fur case studies in which knwledge transfer frm the university t cmpanies ccurred. The gal was t gain a fuller understanding f these circumstances in which research results and innvatin were successfully explited. Cllabrative partners: University f Jyväskylä and cmpanies such as Mets Paper, Nkia Mbile, ISS, TeliaSnera, TietEnatr Oyj, Midinvest Management Oy Käytech-Prject The Käytech prject ( ) was crdinated by the Agra Human Technlgy Center in the University f Jyväskylä. In this prject, researchers cnducted Cmmunicatins f the IBIMA Vlume 9, 2009 ISSN:

4 22 Pertti Saariluma, Esa Kannist, and Tum Kujala several usability evaluatins with 15 small, midsized, and large cmpanies and rganizatins, perating primarily in the area f central Finland. The gals f the prject were t establish a user psychlgical research labratry within the Agra Center and t develp methds f interactin research in clse cllabratin with key prduct and service develpment persnnel f the cmpanies. The prject s research cases were planned and evaluated tgether with the participating cmpanies in 84 wrkshp meetings. In additin, seven public seminars, ne frm each f the university s faculties, were rganized fr educating participants n significant research findings. General Discussin The rle f universities in innvatin prcesses has been lng recgnized. Hwever, mechanisms fr hw scientific knwledge, especially basic research, can best be cnveyed int prduct develpment prcesses remain imprtant. In this paper, we discussed An innvatin imprvement mdel that is intended t enhance human technlgy innvatins. In this mdel, universities first ffer t enterprises lectures n basic research and the latest develpments. After that, the knwledge is elabrated within cmmn wrkshps and prjects based n the cncrete prduct develpment prcesses. Empirical knwledge f the receptin f the mdel has been cllected and, n these data, the mdel seems t be acceptable by the industry. The prcedure was quite psitively accepted by the participating enterprises. It demnstrated that basic science infrmatin in the field f human technlgy is imprtant t the enterprises. It means als that wrkshp prcedure is a genuine innvatin mechanism. An interesting additinal feature f the present actin research was its psitive influence n and imprvement in the university researchers understanding the field f Human Technlgy. Wrkshps als directed the research int mre actual prblems. Feedback frm the researchers pint t several benefits they gained frm participating in the wrkshps: experience in wrkshp methds, experience f the cllabratin between academic research and cmpany R&D applicatin, experience with cmpany R&D methds and practices, expanded knwledge f technlgies, new skills in applying a wider range f usability methds, imprved knwledge f HCI, knwledge f HCI practices and methds within cmpanies, and experience in applying HCI knwledge. Innvatin cycle describes the flw f innvatincritical knwledge within the innvatin mdel. Basic science leads t applied research, which leads t research and develpment. In turn, the resulting prduct develpment influences the directin f basic research. Basic research fllws the basic lgic f science. It is a lng chain f individual inventins and bservatins (Saariluma 1997). Slving fundamental prblems pens the pssibilities t ask new questins and seek slutins t them. This mvement is cntrlled by basic science s wn lgic. Hwever, pssible directins fr develping basic science are quite diverse and therefre interactin with industrial innvatin prcess is imprtant in develping strategies fr basic science. The innvatin cycle thus has a feedback lp. A gd histrical example f industry-inspired basic research is Pasteur s investigatin f spiling wine, thus discvering the rle f micrbes in wine prcessing, which in turn resulted in the develpment f a new scientific field: micrbilgy. It was nt nly cllabrative business partners which have gt smething special frm wrkshps fr their business, als researchers gt lt f practical experience and knwledge frm thse wrkshps. The researchers listed they gt mre: experience f wrkshp methds experience f academic research and cmpany R&D c-peratin experience f cmpany R&D wrking methds knwledge f technlgy skills t apply wide range f usability methds knwledge f HCI knwledge f HCI practical methds in cmpanies experience f applying HCI knwledge In reviewing the utcme f this knwledge transfer prject, we can see that the mdel prvides a slutin t the challenges f develping micr-level innvatin mechanisms in the area f human technlgy fr cnveying basic research knwledge t enterprises. Overall, this type f actin research enables innvatin researchers t design new types f micr-level innvatin mechanisms as well as t design ptimal mdes fr them. References Ahammad, M.F., Glaister, K.W., 2008, "Recent trends in UK crss-brder mergers and acquisitins" Management Research News, Vl. 31, Number: 2, 2008, pp: Cmmunicatins f the IBIMA Vlume 9, 2009 ISSN:

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