Energy generation and use is one of the main contributors to climate change, as it is responsible for two thirds of the global greenhouse gas emissions (IEA 2015). In this context, renewable energies (RE) are increasingly gaining momentum as a key driver for the transition towards a low-carbon society (REN21 2016) and a source of technological and social innovation. The deployment of RE and its integration in large-scale power generation systems has been progressively driven by supportive policy frameworks adopted by pioneering countries such as Germany, Spain and France. This has subsequently fostered a process of learning and spreading of policies between leading countries and other governments willing to implement RE support schemes. Within the field of comparative public policy, different but interrelated approaches of the phenomenon of policy spreading have been developed, among which the most rehearsed are policy diffusion, policy transfer, policy convergence and lesson-drawing. The present study addresses a specific case of policy transfer between Germany-Spain and Peru for the implementation in the latter of a policy framework to foster the development of RE technologies (Legislative Decree 1002) in 2008, and the subsequent adoption of a support policy mechanism, Renewable Auctions (RA) in 2009. The assessment of the policy transfer process has been carried out by applying the Dolowitz and Marsh Model (Dolowitz and Marsh 1996, 2000). Furthermore, an exploratory analysis of the impacts of the policy transfer process in the development of the Peruvian Solar PV technology innovation system has been conducted in order to assess the outcomes of the policy transfer process in terms of RE technological deployment in the country, tackling Solar PV as the RE technology in focus. For this purpose, a simplified adaptation of the technology innovation system framework (TIS) developed by Hekkert et al. 2007 and Bergek et al 2008 has been employed. The results of the study show that the transfer of knowledge related to RE policy-making involved both voluntary and coercive causes. The drivers for the occurrence of policy transfer were the pressure exerted by a foreigner actor (US) for the enforcement of the RE policy framework (LD 1002) in Peru and the institutional support provided by a “convinced bureaucrat” (the former Vice Minister of Energy). The choice of adopting RA instead of other instruments such as  Feed-in-tariffs or Feed-in-premiums is related to the know-how of the country in terms of infrastructure investments and its traditional “modus-operandi”, the availability of natural and financial resources within the country, the perception of technical and financial risks, the negative lessons drawn from the experiences of Spain and Germany regarding the implementation of FITs, and the current state of development of the global RE sector. The policy transfer process has contributed to the development of some components of the Peruvian Solar PV innovation system. From a structural point of view, it has triggered a diversification of the actors involved, mainly driven by the incorporation of large foreign companies specialized in RE, as well as conventional energy companies that have diversified their core activities towards RE. From a dynamic perspective, the implementation of RA has promoted the increase in Solar PV installed capacity and its contribution to the electricity mix, promoting chiefly the function of market formation.

The dual interaction of science and technology with defence, security and infrastructures for service provision as energy is a major theme in modern times. The era after the Second World War and in the course of the Cold War was accompanied and spurred by an amazing number of great technological advances and changes.  The study investigates and discusses dimensions of the interaction between technology changes and innovation and defence, security and infrastructure systems in a small country as Sweden after the Cold War. The main result of the study is a proposal for an anatomy of technology innovation which can be seen as a predecessor to a system (or enterprise) architecture for technology innovation in defence, security and infrastructure systems.  The approach is developed from previous international research and theories of innovation systems. Infrastructure and defence systems are investigated on three levels, technologies, system integration and services provided. Establishing an anatomy is supported by case studies which apply a stake holder perspective on development and innovation in systems.  Prominent elements of the proposed anatomy for technology innovation are framework conditions or context, economic organizational factors such as people, knowledge, business models and finance, and last but not least culture for development and innovation, and the customer and user in the processes.  Contexts and environmental conditions in recent times are characterised by more complicated threats and disturbances which potentially imply larger disruptions. The study explores how contexts and emerging conditions translate into plausible scenarios and their effect on the anatomy and the various stages of the innovation processes.  The vital role in the anatomical framework played by culture for innovation is illuminated in the case studies. Other basic elements of the anatomy are the people, inventors and developers as the knowledge underpinning. Risk taking and sharing and the rights and responsibilities of the stake holders play substantial roles in the anatomy as some main economic organizational factors and elements of innovation. / QC 20110317

Fostering innovation, managing the innovation process, and promoting entrepreneurial activities have long been identified as critical elements of successful economic and social systems. By their very nature, both innovation and entrepreneurship relate to the creation of novelty and the introduction of change, i.e., dynamics. This means that despite the considerable progress that has been made in our understanding of both the theoretical characteristics as well as practical applications of innovation and entrepreneurship, many aspects of these analyses require constant updating. Further, the evidence increasingly suggests that many relevant aspects are not only context specific but also undergoing significant structural change. These include the micro and macro stimuli of innovation and entrepreneurship processes, the factors that contribute to start-up and innovative firm performance, as well as the broader effects of innovation and entrepreneurship on economies and societies. This dissertation explores how innovation and entrepreneurial processes and outcomes vary across linguistic, geographic, regulatory and technological contexts. The empirical evidence regarding all of these aspects remains mixed and ambiguous, indicating a need for more nuanced conceptualizing. The relevance of contextual idiosyncrasies to innovation and entrepreneurial processes of these aspects remains understudied, presenting an opportunity to extend theory and make a valuable contribution. In the first chapter of this dissertation, I introduce the groundwork for the dissertation, and review the conceptual foundations of each of the three dissertation studies. I also summarize the findings and insights, braiding them together to show how my findings reinforce each other, forming an organic whole. Each subsequent chapter addresses different aspects of innovation and entrepreneurial processes mentioned above. In the second chapter, I evaluate how linguistic variability relates to cross-national innovation processes and outcomes. In the third chapter, I assess how different forms of connectivity across geographic space among innovators contribute to the development of regional innovation systems across Italy’s core and peripheral areas. In the fourth and final chapter, I evaluate the relevance of regulation and technological change to the entrepreneurial process in a specific context within the financial services industry. / Business Administration/Strategic Management

La presente tesis se encuadra dentro del debate sobre el papel de las universidades en el desarrollo socioeconómico de las regiones. En la primera parte de la tesis se presenta una revisión de la literatura sobre economía regional, centrada en cómo tres conceptos principales ¿distrito industrial, cluster y sistema local de innovación-- han tratado desde sus respectivos enfoques teóricos, el papel de las instituciones de educación superior. En la segunda parte de la tesis se presentan los aspectos metodológicos de cómo abordar el análisis de un fenómeno tan complejo como es el de la evolución del papel de una universidad, atendiendo a la selección del caso estudio, los diferentes niveles de análisis, así como las técnicas de investigación y de recolección y posterior análisis de datos. En la tercera parte de la tesis se muestran los resultados empíricos traducidos en la presentación, tanto del contexto en donde se inserta la universidad objeto de estudio, como de las tres etapas identificadas en la historia de la institución que, si bien presentan características propias de una región de baja tecnología, han sufrido cambios institucionales que conviene tener en cuenta no sólo desde el punto de vista de las políticas universitarias, sino también desde el punto de vista de la gestión de las instituciones de educación superior. Definitivamente, en la cuarta y última parte de la tesis se presentan las principales conclusiones que se desprenden del estudio realizado a lo largo de esta tesis. / This thesis is framed within the debate on the role of universities in the socioeconomic development of regions. It has three distinct parts. The first part of the thesis presents a review of the literature on regional economy, focusing on how three main concepts - industrial district, cluster and local innovation system - have addressed from their respective theoretical approaches, the role of Higher Education Institutions. The second part of the thesis presents the methodological aspects of how to approach the analysis of a phenomenon as complex as is the changing role of a university, based on the selection of the case study, different levels of analysis and research techniques and collection and subsequent data analysis. The third part of the PhD dissertation presents the empirical results of the thesis translated into the presentation of the context in which to insert the university under study, and the three stages identified in the history of the institution, although their characteristics specific to a region of low-tech, have been institutional changes should take into account not only from the viewpoint of university policies, but also from the standpoint of managing Higher Education Institutions. Definitely, the fourth and final part of the thesis presents the main findings from the study along this thesis. / Ortega Colomer, FJ. (2013). The evolution of a higher education institution's local role in a peripheral low-tech region [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/34789

[pt] A difusão de sistemas locais de inovação pode ser entendida como uma das expressões de uma nova forma de cooperação que se manifesta no contexto amplo das mudanças estruturais enfrentadas pela sociedade, com impacto nas organizações produtivas. O objetivo deste trabalho é entender a dinâmica de um Sistema Local de Inovação - SLI, em particular, dos de base universitária, identificando seus principais atores (stakeholders) e as políticas mais eficazes para garantir seu funcionamento por parte do governo, universidades e setor privado. Faz-se um estudo sobre a dinâmica da inovação tecnológica e sobre as mudanças no ambiente das organizações, sendo também analisada a proposta da PUC-Rio em estabelecer um SLI de base universitária no bairro da Gávea, avaliando-se seus possíveis impactos na economia da região e sua capacidade para promover a transferência de resultados da pesquisa científica para a sociedade. Tal esforço enfrenta o desafio de planejar uma estrutura de governança que contenda com as várias questões envolvidas no gerenciamento de complexos sistemas sociotécnicos. Esse sistema é entendido como uma ecologia organizacional, sendo portanto utilizado o instrumental teórico fornecido pela abordagem socioecológica com o intuito de visualizar o complexo ambiente como um sistema aberto, mais dinâmico e apropriado para as características dos sistemas locais de inovação. O trabalho não se constitui em um estudo de caso, mas em uma tentativa de auxiliar a Universidade no esforço de planejamento de um SLI de Base Universitária. / [en] The diffusion of Local Innovation Systems - LIS can be understood as one of the expressions of a new form of cooperation manifested in the context of the organizational changes faced by modern societies. In this regard, the diffusion of this one particular organizational form - that brings together the advantages of clustering and networking - can be understood in light of the perceived benefits from heightened cooperation to innovative activities. The objective of this dissertation is to understand the properties and dynamics of a LIS and, in particular, of University-based LIS, to shed more light into the elements of its structure and governance that promote cooperation among the many players involved. The dynamics of technological innovation, as well as the environmental changes faced by productive firms are also studied. One particular contextual interest presented in this dissertation is the ongoing effort of PUC-Rio to establish an University-based LIS in order to increase its capacity to transfer results of its academic research to society. Such effort faces the challenge of planning a governance structure that contends with the many issues involved in managing such complex social-technical system, a rather new subject of academic research. To assist in meeting this challenge, the PUC-Rio LIS will be understood as an organizational ecology. Hence, the theoretical framework provided by the socioecological approach will be used in understanding the environment as an open system, which is more dynamic and appropriate for the characteristics of LIS. Therefore, rather than a case study on innovation systems, this dissertation is an attempt to contribute to the Universitys effort of planning its LIS.

This paper focuses on the local additive manufacturing AM for life science ecosystem. It aims to study the roles of the different stakeholders, and the strengths and weaknesses of the local AM ecosystem through the lens of the research on Innovation ecosystems (IE), Innovation Systems (IS), and Innovation clusters (IC). The main framework used in this study is technological innovation systems (TIS). The methodology of this research relies on a mixed-methods approach that involved surveys administered through structured interviews and self-completion questionnaire. The stakeholders involved in the study include organizations from the industrial sector, healthcare providers, academia, public agencies, and innovation support. Data collected from twenty-two participants was compiled and used to determine response frequencies on nine multiple response questions, and mean scores for thirty-two Likert scale questions. The frequency response tables were used to determine the stakeholder roles, while mean scores were used to determine the TIS functional components ratings and overall standings.  The roles of the stakeholders were determined through the lens of the existing literature on IE. The stakeholders have mixed involvement across the ecosystem, sometimes occupying multiple role categories within the ecosystem. It was found that healthcare stakeholders, and industry stakeholders fill direct value creation and value support roles due to their active participation in defining medical needs and supporting the ecosystem. Next, Public agency stakeholders fill leadership roles, due to their regulatory and actor integration roles. Finally Academic stakeholders fill leadership roles by providing research and knowledge to the ecosystem.   In terms of strengths and weaknesses, the TIS framework was used to evaluate the seven original functional components, and an additional component that was added based on the IE research. It was found that Function 3 Knowledge Diffusion was the strongest function, due to the noncompetitive environment that the local AM ecosystem has established. Meanwhile, Function 2 Knowledge Development scored lowest and was determined to be the weakest functional component due to a lack in the number of patents within the innovation ecosystem. In addition, individual strengths and weaknesses within the functional components were highlighted for a more nuanced look into the strengths and weaknesses of individual functional components. The highest rated strength of the ecosystem was determined to be collaboration, and its weakest area was the noncompetitive environment.

As a purposive sustainability transition requires environmental innovation and innovation policy, we discuss potentials and limitations of three dominant strands of literature in this field, namely the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions (MLP), the innovation systems approach (IS), and the long-wave theory of techno-economic paradigm shifts (LWT). All three are epistemologically rooted in an evolutionary understanding of socio-technical change. While these approaches are appropriate to understand market-driven processes of change, they may be deficient as analytical tools for exploring and designing processes of purposive societal transformation. In particular, we argue that the evolutionary mechanism of selection is the key to introducing the strong directionality required for purposive transformative change. In all three innovation theories, we find that the prime selection environment is constituted by the market and, thus, normative societal goals like sustainability are sidelined. Consequently, selection is depoliticised and neither strong directionality nor incumbent regime destabilisation are societally steered. Finally, we offer an analytical framework that builds upon a more political conception of selection and retention and calls for new political institutions to make normatively guided selections. Institutions for transformative innovation need to improve the capacities of complex societies to make binding decisions in politically contested fields.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Anapatrícia Morales Vilha / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Humanas e Sociais, 2014. / Com as economias globalizadas, a inovação ganha um papel fundamental para o desenvolvimento econômico e social dos países. É a partir desta perspectiva é que os parques tecnológicos são inseridos com o objetivo de articular os atores que compõem um sistema local de inovação de modo a fortalecer as competências inovativas de uma determinada região. É dentro deste contexto que a região do ABC paulista se coloca porque é uma região industrial que passou por transformações em seu setor produtivo na década de 1990 com reflexos significativos para a economia local. Outro ponto é a discussão, a partir da mesma década, da estruturação de um polo tecnológico regional com o intuito de reposicionar a região de modo que ela se alinhasse aos novos paradigmas produtivo, tecnológico e econômico que acabou não avançando neste sentido. Por outro lado, há iniciativas locais para a estruturação de parques tecnológicos na região, mais especificamente nas cidades de Santo André e São Bernardo do Campo. Portanto, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar estas iniciativas e, ao mesmo tempo, mensurar o sistema local de inovação e seu grau de articulação, via entrevistas de campo qualitativa, semiestruturada e exploratória, além de investigar as implicações que a estruturação de parques tecnológicos pode oferecer ao sistema local de inovação da região do ponto de vista dos atores mais representativos do sistema local de inovação, bem como discutir desafios e potencialidades para alavancar competências tecnológicas e inovativas locais a partir da implantação destes empreendimentos. Como principais resultados da pesquisa, o sistema local de inovação apresenta-se fragmentado e desarticulado, pois as empresas pouco interagem com as instituições de ensino e mesmo entre si, visando melhorias e inovações tecnológicas. As empresas são favoráveis à implantação de parques tecnológicos na região, porém apresentam um comportamento reativo em relação a esta questão, entendendo que estas iniciativas devam ser deflagradas pelo poder público, desconhecendo os esboços destas iniciativas porque estão circunscritas à esfera pública e política. Outro ponto identificado é a carência de espaço físico disponível e de recursos financeiros próprios para a implantação destes empreendimentos; a ausência de um projeto estruturado; definição de competências tecnológicas; empresas âncoras e um corpo gestor já definido demonstram que os projetos ainda são embrionários. Em contrapartida, a região possui um tecido industrial diversificado, algumas instituições ensino superior no campo das engenharias e esforços para a constituição e fortalecimento de arranjos produtivos locais, além de uma regionalidade construída ao longo das últimas duas décadas que não podem ser negligenciadas, fazendo com que estas inciativas possam ser consolidadas de modo que seja um elemento capaz de contribuir com o fortalecimento e articulação do sistema local de inovação da região. / With globalized economies, innovation assumes a fundamental role to economic and social development of the countries. It is from this perspective that technology parks are inserted with the purpose of coordinating the actors that composes a local innovation system in order to strengthen the innovative competences of a particular region. It is within this context that the ABC Paulista arises because it is an industrial area that has suffered changes in its productive sector in the 1990s with significant consequences for the local economy. Another point is the discussion, from the same decade, the structuring of a regional science park in order to replace the region into a new production, technological and economic paradigms but without positive results in this direction. On the other hand, there are local initiatives for structuring science parks in the region, more specifically in the cities of Santo André and São Bernardo do Campo. Therefore, this study aims to examine these initiatives and at the same time, measure the local innovation system and its articulation applying qualitative interviews, semi-structured and exploratory interviews and investigate the implications of structuring science parks can offer to the local innovation system in the point of view of the stakeholders of the local innovation system region and discuss challenges and opportunities to leverage local technological and innovative competences from the implementation of these enterprises. The main results of the research, the local innovation system is fragmented and disarticulated because the interaction among companies and educational institutions is inexpressive and even among themselves, seeking improvements and technological innovations. The companies agree with the implementation science parks in the region, however with a reactive attitude towards this issue, understanding that these initiatives should be triggered by the government, ignoring the efforts of these initiatives because they are tied to public and political sphere. Another point identified is the lack of available physical space and own financial resources for the implementation of these projects; the absence of a structured design; definition of technological skills; anchor companies and a managing team already set demonstrate that the projects are still embryonic. In contrast, the region has a diversified industrial base, some higher education institutions in the field of engineering and efforts to build and strengthen local productive arrangements, plus a regionality built over the past two decades can¿t be neglected, causing that these initiatives can be consolidated so that it is an element that can contribute to the strengthening and coordination of the local innovation system in the region.

This dissertation draws on the burgeoning field of innovation of low carbon technologies. Using the functions of innovation systems, this study explores the process of innovation of biofuel ethanol in the U.S. and in Brazil. It uses "process theory" to build a narrative of historical events that represent the innovation trajectory of ethanol biofuel in the U.S. and in Brazil over a period of thirty years. The data is drawn from newspaper articles from the New York Times, Washington Post, and O Estado de Sao Paulo published between 1975 and 2008. Results of this research confirm findings published previously that innovation performs better when the main actors in the innovation process act under clear and well defined policy targets, and when the innovation environment contributes to building positive expectations about the technology. The empirical findings build upon the literature and validate early claims that the alignment of goals between technology producers and users is an inducer of innovation. Moreover, the analysis presented shows that by developing new capabilities, technology users in the downstream market broaden the innovation environment and facilitate the adoption of the emerging technology by new users and markets. For example, the automobile sector has been participating actively in the ethanol technological innovation system in Brazil, facilitating the innovation flow between upstream and the downstream market. This has not been the case in the U.S., where the automobile sector has not found incentives to participate in the ethanol technological innovation systems.

Regenerative medicine (RM) has the potential to develop new treatments for chronic disease and injury that are desperately needed in developing countries. Several emerging economies are actively participating in RM, producing new knowledge and initiating clinical trials. This thesis presents case studies of RM in China and Brazil and a comparative analysis of RM across Brazil, China and India. I aim to better understand the state of RM, how it has developed and what is needed for RM innovation to succeed within these countries. Case studies were conducted using face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews with RM experts from different areas including research institutes, hospitals, firms, educational institutes, government, policy agencies, and bioethics groups. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis and triangulated with the analysis of research articles, government reports, laws and other primary and grey literature. China is now the 5th most prolific publisher on stem cells in the world. Chinese RM benefits from permissive regulations and the expertise of Chinese returnees that have trained abroad, but the field’s reputation is challenged by a weak regulatory system and the clinical availability of untested stem cell therapies. Brazil has created a small but strong RM program, but needs to address challenges to the field including inconsistent funding, slow importation of materials, and weak linkages between stake-holders. Comparative analysis of the three countries identifies several common elements that support RM, including linkages between stake-holders, government support, infrastructure, human resources, and good governance. RM capacity is clustered in large urban centres, which could exacerbate socio-economic and health disparities unless measures are taken to ensure equitable distribution of benefits. RM does not adhere to classical views of southern innovation, suggesting that new models are needed to describe innovation in emerging technologies, where countries are keeping up instead of catching up.