INNOVATION THEORY, SYSTEMS AND INDICATORS

This paper attempts a conceptual framework for innovative entrepreneurship (‘innovapreneurship’). Nowadays, the term entrepreneurship is used very broadly, so much so that its essence may become lost. Even people who get business from the state have jokingly been referred to as ‘tenderpreneurs’. However the original construct of an entrepreneur from the Schumpeterian perspective was that of a...

This paper traces the development of thought on the economics of innovation from perspective of discourse formations in order to assess the placement of the system of innovation approach in economic theory. In order to do this, a genealogical approach is used in order to chart the development of the study of innovation within an evolutionary perspective, in relation to the evolution of liberal...

In this paper an attempt will be made to identify what has been explicitly recognised as central and peripheral within the systems of innovation concept; the inclusion or exclusion of the factors that are important in understanding the political economy of innovation systems; the themes, issues and range of actors and spaces that must be included in NSI types of appreciative theory or...

This paper uses the concepts of means of innovation and modes of innovation to introduce an alternative approach to the understanding of the evolution of the South African system of innovation. Modes of innovation are defined in terms of ownership and control patterns of the means of innovation, as well as the role played by human capital. The relationship between ideology and modes of...

The intellectual assets underpinning the modern knowledge economy are not normally associated with activities in the primary sector. This raises the question whether resourcebased developing countries are eternally relegated to the Also-Runs in global competition or at least whether they need to disassociate themselves from their economic mainstay in order for catch-up to materialise. The...

The paper illustrates the role of political and social dynamics upon technological change. Examining dynamics transforming excavation practices on South Africa’s goldmines, it describes how a technology that opened up a range of social and economic opportunities became a constraint on those opportunities. This technology’s development and diffusion thereby established a critical precedent in...

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This volume looks at the relationship between small and medium enterprises and national systems of innovation across the BRICS countries. It brings to fore crucial issues in the evolution and future trends of industrial or innovation policies for small...

‘This book brings together original contributions from world leading experts on innovation indicators and is unique in several respects. First, the focus is upon innovation in terms of commercialized products and processes and not on secondary indicators of research or patenting. Second, it combines academic perspectives with user perspectives from industry and international organizations....

In recent years, the need to address social and environmental challenges has grown in urgency. Climate change, global health, food security and many other global challenges cross national borders and affect a wide range of actors. Yet, in most cases, single governments cannot provide effective solutions. Global challenges call for co-operation on a global scale to build capacity in...

This five volume set examines various aspects of the BRICS economies from a national system of innovation perspective. Original and detailed data together with expert analyses by contributing authors on wide-ranging issues make this an invaluable resource for researchers and scholars in economics,...

Innovation drives long-term economic growth. It has a crucial role to play as global economies recover from the current financial crisis. This book examines the role of innovation in developing countries, with a focus on Africa. It investigates innovation systems and their application; the key role of knowledge in innovation for development; and the importance of comparable country studies and...

The two time-honoured tasks of universities are teaching and research which have long provided society with specific skills and new knowledge and ideas. Expectations have increased exponentially and demands are originating from a much wider range of stakeholders. Universities are now given progressively more important roles in economic expansion, social development, better forms of political...

Innovation provides a path to sustainable growth but a strategy for innovation in a global economy is no longer national. Countries must attract people and investment from abroad and participate in world markets and institutions. This book starts with the language and system framework used to discuss innovation, and the statistical indicators needed to describe the activity. It then looks at...

This paper is the first part of a larger project which includes other collaborators and that aims to construct a framework of the policy imperatives and challenges that have implications for the performance and success of the Technology Innovation Agency. This larger project will assess the performance of the agency in terms of creating public value (Moore, 1995) and examine any unintended...

The intensified pace of scientific advancements and technological progress reflected in newspaper headlines around the world today is related to the unprecedented and ever-accelerating speed of knowledge creation, accumulation and depreciation.

It is widely accepted that innovation is key to economic growth. Countries where research and innovation are high on the national agenda are best suited to prosper in the knowledge-based economy. Conversely, countries whose economies are mainly dependent on natural resources and basic industries tend to lack competitiveness and flexibility in adapting to changing global trends. The...

When Muchie and Lundvall initiated the international conference ‘African Systems of Innovation and Competence Building’ March 2001 in Aalborg the intention was to reexamine the problems of African development by mobilising the scholarship on innovation systems. The major objective was to respond to academic and analytical questions: what lessons could be drawn from applying the innovation...

Goods-producing sectors (i.e. Agriculture, forestry & fishing, Mining, Manufacturing) accounted for 25.5% of overall economic activity (GDP) in 2011, compared to 32% in 2002.

World Crises of the 3rd Millennium

• Social inclusion sustains dynamic domestic market
• de-mystifying the need to dissociate andantagonize economic and social policies
• Robust banking system not exposed to problematic assets
• Investment growing above consumption Several investment opportunities:
  Oil & Gas, Energy, Infrastructure, PAC...

• Concurrent crisis's all emanate from the current mode of production and consumption, waste, and environmental degradation
• Accelerated distribution through neo-liberal globalisation
• Hegemonic World System, Unilateralism & State violence

• Economic growth - development programmes - seek to improve the quality of life of the general population
• Rising rates of change
  • unaccompanied by any significant improvement in most of the indicators of human development & 'jobless growth'
• Growing gap between Africa, & especially sub-Saharan Africa, and most of the rest of the world in...

• For meaningful adaptation to and mitigation of climate change,
  • Information and knowledge - essential
• If rural households, communities have access to information,
  • it will enhance their awareness; adaptation and mitigation capacity
• How do we enhance climate change awareness?
• There are various ways in which...

• Overview insights of biofuels
• Problem statement
• Objectives of the study
• Research Hypothesis
• Research methodology
• Findings and discussion
• Recommendations and conclusion

The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the role that benchmarking can play in rural and agricultural innovations. Although generally known as ‗traditional sectors‘, rural activities are far from static but rather driven by old and new challenges pleading for innovative responses. Despite the broad range of insights from the burgeoning literature on innovation systems during the last decade...

Let me start by congratulating the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation on its fifth anniversary, an important milestone if one considers that, in business terms, passing the three and a half year mark mean that you have made it beyond start-up. This is no mean feat.

The contribution of innovation to social and economic progress of developing countries is widely recognised. Governments and other actors are actively seeking to increase the firms' ability to deliver successful innovation to multiple sectors, particularly those related to emerging technologies - such as ICTs.

There were a number of options in the naming of this institute whose anniversary wen have gathered here today to celebrate. This was due to the nature of our object of analysis, innovation, where a number of disciplines intersect and where, therefore, a strong degree of multi-disciplinarity is called for.

• National System of Innovation
  – Policy – Strategy – Plan - Agency
• Higher Education Landscape
  - Reform & Qualifications
• Sustainable Development
• Challenges

Local Economic Development is important for:

• Growth in Productivity and Competitiveness
• Social Cohesion
• Good governance a.k.a. Accountability

Science Parks contribute to:

• Capacity mobilisation
• Capability formation
• Competency creation

National Systems of Innovation provide the conceptual framework to:

• Research, Science & Innovation contributes to increased and expanded performance of institutions, firms & agency
  • “core dimension for political prioritisation in improving society’s efficiency in resource use”
• KISS: How, Why, Where & When are important metrics
  • Requires a deep understanding of underlying political economy, history...

• Evidence-based policy research
  • shaping policy from a scientific assessment of phenomena through testing hypothetical explanations of natural and social facts and systems
  • Theory from facts...
• Key issues
  • Question, evidence, interpretation
  • Uncertainty & probability
  • Methodological rigour
  • Stakeholder sentiment
  ...