PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the most prominent barriers to public sector innovation, but also display what an innovation hub can do to help bypass such barriers.Design/methodology/approachThis is an embedded case study with a deductive approach investigating innovation barriers in the public sector after a model of 8 different barriers which are all examined through a theoretical thematic analysis.FindingsLimited resources, poor leadership as well as limiting laws and regulations were revealed to be the greatest barriers to public sector innovation. A lack of incentives and rewards and resistant users and suppliers were deemed not to hinder innovation especially. Innovation hubs can help bypass these barriers by bringing in external resources as money and substitutes, but also by offering public sector employees a platform to meet between organizational units, thereby allowing them to circumvent risk-avoiding cultures and ill-fitting structures to innovation that tend to exist in the public sector.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to innovational projects of one hub, situated in a relatively small town in Sweden. The results might not be fully transferable to other countries or contexts.Practical implicationsThe results of the study could give an indication to public sectors what use an innovation hub can have in bypassing barriers to innovation.Originality/valueFew studies have addressed the role of innovation hubs in the public sector, especially in combination with innovation barriers.

The concept of innovation hubs are increasingly being adopted by different sectors as a means to accelerate innovation. Previous research on innovation hubs have focused on large-scale and trans-regional hubs on its managerial practices instead of its geographical situation. This paper studies an innovation hub in the Northern Swedish city of Skellefteå, in a region historically relying on heavy industry trying to transform into a high technology economy. The study aims to answer the research question: “what are the challenges and opportunities in building and managing an innovation hub to foster innovation in a geographically isolated region with a relatively small population?” To answer this question, interviews with stakeholders in the innovation hub has been conducted as part of a qualitative case study. The results indicate that the region’s large heavy industry companies provide a fertile ecosystem for startups in the digital industry by enabling the necessary supporting industries and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the lack of certain important elements needed in the startup process, most prominently private funding in the form of angel investors and venture capital, pose challenges to the development of the digital startup community in the region.

This study provides valuable insights into the factors making an innovation hub attractive to potential tenants, with a specific emphasis on the role of cognitive social capital (CSC). Drawing on semi-structured interviews with industry professionals, the research uses thematic analysis to parse out key themes and sub-themes. It uncovers the multi-layered value offered by innovation hubs, highlighting the significance of not only tangible elements like physical infrastructure, but also intangible aspects such as networking, collaboration, knowledge, and learning opportunities. Moreover, the strategic role of an innovation hub in helping businesses meet their objectives is accentuated. The research delves deeper into CSC, revealing the intricate interplay of shared values and understanding, trust, and recognition in enriching the attractiveness of innovation hubs. Furthermore, the study suggests potential avenues for additional services, underscoring the desire for consultancy expertise and wellness facilities. The findings underscore the critical role innovation hubs play in fostering entrepreneurship and the potential they hold in contributing to economic development when they focus on building a supportive and interconnected community. The research not only illuminates the importance of CSC in the context of innovation hubs but also indicates future areas of investigation for scholars and practitioners alike.

The world is changing. With more complex products and services available, shortened life cycles, and shifts in customers behavior due to the increased availability of information, companies needs to explore new capabilities and organizational practices to effectively preserve a competitive advantage through new innovations. A competitive advantage is said to be difficult to create and sustain in today’s markets. Many startups and corporates, are therefore, changing their innovation processes from a traditional linear process to more of an open process. Many scholars have studied this phenomenon from a corporate perspective, leaving a gap in existing literature on how startups are contributing with their innovative and entrepreneurial mindset to the context of open innovation. It is visible that startups are possessing an extensive amount of exploration capabilities, while lacking capabilities related to exploitation. Finding a balance between exploration and exploitation capabilities is an issue for startups due to its limitations of resources. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to distinguish how an innovation hub enables startups with balancing exploration and exploitation capabilities. For this study, the innovation hub of our choosing is Ignite. Based on the literature review and the identified research gaps, the following research question has been formulated to investigate the phenomenon of balancing organizational capabilities from a startup perspective: RQ: How can an innovation hub help startups find a balance between exploration and exploitation capabilities? To properly answer the research question, the chosen research approach was selected as a qualitative research method. The empirical findings were gathered from 11 semi-structured interviews, where nine interviews have been with managers from startups active in Ignite and two interviews with team members from Ignite. In addition to the empirical findings, we developed a proposed framework that explains the whole process of startups being active in Ignite from pre-intervention, addressing challenges related to startups and the reasons why they should engage in being active in an innovation hub, to post-intervention, addressing the possible outcomes received by being active in Ignite. To conclude, this thesis contributes with an understanding on how startups may use a third party, such as Ignite, to get help with the balancing act of exploration and exploitation capabilities. The findings show that the third party is helping the startups with balancing their organizational capabilities in an indirect way. This is done through Ignite’s accurate matchmaking process and their deep understanding about which capabilities the big corporations are looking for, which Ignite gathers from a needs analysis together with the big corporation. From this thesis, startups as well as big corporations, will understand the importance of involving a third party for the purpose of creating and sustaining a competitive advantage by balancing their exploration and exploitation capabilities.

Title: Factors Influencing Innovation Capacity of Regional Innovation Hubs Authors: Sanvida Vishani Sawunda Hannadige & Dona Kithmini Chiranthini Weerasinghe Supervisor: Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Examiner: Maria Fregidou-Malama Date: 28- Jan- 2021   Aim: This study aims to identify the factors influencing innovation capacity of innovation hubs and explore how innovation hubs influence regional innovation process.    Methodology: This is a qualitative study which follows the inductive approach and the strategy of multiple case study. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten respondents in the network of an innovation hub.   Findings: The findings of this study suggest five main factors which positively influence the innovation capacity of an innovation hub. Those are infrastructure, knowledge sharing, culture, marketing strategies and supporting network of the hub. Further through the findings we identified that innovation hub creates a well-balanced socio-economic impact on the region it operates.   Contribution: This study provides a comprehensive knowledge to the existing theories by discovering five theoretical areas which influence innovation capacity. Also it assists the stakeholders of innovation hubs to overcome their deficiencies in order to build a strong innovation capacity. Further, this study encourages innovators, entrepreneurs and investors to work in collaboration with innovation hubs.   Suggestions for Future Research: Qualitative or quantitative methods can be used to explore the outcomes in different perspectives. The newly identified features under marketing strategies can be further studied for their importance in other domains such as ecosystem and stakeholders. The revised framework can be tested in future researches.

Under de senaste åren har finanssektorn förändrats och en bidragande faktor är teknisk innovation. Teknisk innovation kan utveckla tillhandahållandet av finansiella tjänster som finansiella aktörer såsom banker erbjuder till sina kunder. En jurisdiktion kan främja utvecklingen av finansiella tjänster, antingen genom en finansiell sandlåda eller en innovationshubb. En finansiell sandlåda är en säker miljö där banker och bolag vars verksamhet endast består av teknisk innovation (FinTech-bolag), kan testa sina oreglerade affärsmodeller. Testutrymmet kontrolleras av en tillsynsmyndighet. För närvarande har över 50 jurisdiktioner upprättat en finansiell sandlåda och flera europeiska länder har redan en sandlåda i drift eller överväger att införa en. Flera olika EU-institut, som exempelvis Europeiska kommissionen och Europaparlamentet, är positiva för att införa en reglering av finansiella sandlådor på EU-nivå. Finansiella sandlådor är endast utformade som nationella finansiella sandlådor. Syftet med denna masteruppsats är att utreda huruvida EU behöver reglera finansiella sandlådor och i så fall om regelverket bör antas som ett direktiv eller en förordning. Slutsatsen av denna uppsats är att finansiella sandlådor behöver regleras även om vissa medlemsstater inte vill upprätta en egen nationell sandlåda. En anledning till varför finansiella sandlådor är behövliga i EU är för att de främjar konkurrensen mellan olika finansiella aktörer. Dessutom är finansiella sandlådor ett tillfälle för nya marknadsaktörer såsom FinTech-bolag att växa. Väljer EU att inte reglera finansiella sandlådor kommer det att hämma den fria rörligheten för finansiella tjänster. Den mest effektiva lösningen för EU hade varit att anta ett direktiv om harmoniserade nationella finansiella sandlådor. Genom att anta regelverket som ett direktiv får medlemsländerna själva bestämma vilka bestämmelser som ska implementeras i den nationella lagstiftningen. / In recent times, the financial market has changed and a contributing factor is technological innovation. Technological innovation can develop the provision of financial services which companies such as banks offers their consumers. There are two ways a jurisdiction can promote the development of financial services; either through a regulatory sandbox or an innovation hub. A regulatory sandbox is a safe environment where banks and companies who only works with technological innovation (FinTech-companies) can test their unregulated business models. The environment is controlled and monitored by a supervisory authority. Regulatory sandboxes are available in more than 50 different jurisdictions, and an increasing number of European countries are either thinking of establishing one or have already done it.   Within the European Union, some organisations such as the European Commission and the European Parliament have expressed their willingness to regulate regulatory sandboxes at Union level. For now, sandboxes can only be set up as a national regulatory sandbox. The purpose of this master’s thesis is to investigate whether the Union needs to regulate regulatory sandboxes and if so, should the Union introduce a directive or a regulation on harmonized national regulatory sandboxes.    The investigation of this thesis shows that regulatory sandboxes are needed even though some Member States are unwilling to establish one. Regulatory sandboxes are needed in the Union because it furthers the competition between companies offering financial services. Regulatory sandboxes also help new entrants such as FinTech-companies to grow. If the Union does not regulate regulatory sandboxes, it will hinder the free movement of services. The best outcome for regulation, would be if the Union adopted a directive on harmonized national regulatory sandboxes. The regulation should be adopted as a directive because it facilitates Member States in determining which provisions should be implemented in national legislation.

The Innovation Hub project is a strategic partnership between the Gauteng Provincial Government's Blue IQ initiative, and SERA, the Southern Education and Research Alliance, a partnership between the University of Pretoria and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The site for the proposed development forms part of the Agricultural Research Farm of the University of Pretoria and calls for a synergy between urban development, architecture, and the natural surrounding. The Naledi 3D Virtual Reality factory forms part of numerous companies involved in cutting edge technology which is to be associated with the development. In this computer age, which can be compared to the industrial era in terms of the revolutionisation of our daily lives, architecture has to respond. Buildings need to be designed to ensure the productive interaction between man, machine and the natural environment. Copyright 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Bergh, FS 2003, Hyperlink : the Naledi 3D virtual reality factory, MArch(Prof) dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11242003-105302 / > / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Architecture / unrestricted

Sedan den finanskris som uppstod år 2008 har ökade krav ställts beträffande säkerhet ochstabilitet inom den finansiella sektorn. Av den orsaken har etablerade aktörer, vilka omfattas avde alltmer extensiva regelverken, påförts ytterligare krav avseende exempelvis tillsyn ochlikviditet. De ökade säkerhetskraven har, i sin tur, tvingat berörda aktörer att agera merrestriktivt beträffande finansiell innovation och vid utvecklandet av nya finansiella lösningar. Den tekniska utvecklingen har möjliggjort för uppkomsten av nya typer av betaltjänster ochprodukter. Det har resulterat i att etablerade finansiella aktörer, under det senaste decenniet, harmött nya utmaningar i form av en ökad konkurrens från fintechbolag vilka, vid sidan avbefintliga regelverk, har utvecklat innovativa tjänster och produkter specialiserade inom ettspecifikt led inom kundkontaktskedjan. Med anledning av ikraftträdandet av det andrabetaltjänstdirektivet omfattas även fintechbolag av de bestämmelser som reglerarbetaltjänstmarknaden. Genom införandet av regelverket utökas omfattningen till att äveninbegripa leverantörer av kontoinformationstjänster och betalningsinitieringstjänster, så kalladetredjepartsleverantörer. Syftet med det andra betaltjänstdirektivet är bland annat att främjakonkurrens samt att effektivisera den finansiella marknaden. Samtidigt får inte den finansiellastabiliteten äventyras på bekostnad av ifrågavarande ändamål. För att främja finansiell innovation har vissa nationella tillsynsmyndigheter vidtagit olikaregleringsrelaterade åtgärder, såsom exempelvis en regulatorisk sandlåda, en innovationshubbeller ett innovationscenter. Med åtgärderna avses att med olika medel tillvarata den potentialsom fintech har att erbjuda finansmarknaden. Regleringsrelaterade åtgärder, vidtagna pånationell nivå, måste emellertid utvecklas och förhållas till gällande regelverk och får inte sättakonsumentskyddet på spel. I förevarande uppsats behandlas huruvida såväl det andra betaltjänstdirektivet som nationelltvidtagna regleringsrelaterade åtgärder förmår att främja tredjepartsleverantörersinnovationsförmåga på betaltjänstmarknaden, särskilt med beaktande av deras möjligheter attkonkurrera på den finansiella marknaden, utan att det sker på bekostnad av det finansiellasystemets stabilitet och säkerhet.

Innovation has proven to be an important way for companies to be competitive and relevant in a dynamic market. The construction industry has tended to focus on incremental innovations and is not as familiar with methods for developing radical innovations. Scenario-based portfolio management is a way of structuring radical innovation projects according to possible future scenarios. Within these portfolios, it is necessary to assign the different areas a priority order where the most prioritized areas require a sufficiently high inflow of ideas. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate how the innovation hub of a large Swedish company in the construction industry can steer the idea generation of radical innovations towards specific areas of development. By conducting internal and external semi-structured interviews, difficulties and opportunities in the company's idea generation could be identified. The results showed that the case company is missing specific methods to increase the number of generated ideas and that there is a lack of communication of the priority domains that exist in the innovation portfolio. It was also shown that there are some organizational difficulties for innovation in the construction industry. An analysis based on the results and a detailed literature study resulted in a number of recommendations. These recommendations demonstrate how open innovation as well as communication and changes in organizational structure should be implemented to achieve an increased number of ideas for the priority areas in a company's innovation portfolio. The recommendations from this study apply to large companies in the construction industry that work actively with innovation. / Innovation har visat sig vara ett viktigt sätt för företag att vara konkurrenskraftiga och relevanta på en dynamisk marknad. Byggindustrin har haft en tendens att fokusera på inkrementella innovationer och saknar i många fall utarbetade metoder för utveckling av radikala innovationer. Scenariobaserad portföljhantering är ett sätt att strukturera radikala innovationsprojekt efter möjliga framtidsscenarion. Inom dessa portföljer är det nödvändigt att tilldela de olika områdena en prioriteringsordning där de mest prioriterade områdena kräver ett tillräckligt högt inflöde av idéer. Syftet med denna studie var därför att undersöka hur innovationshubben på stort svenskt företag inom byggbranschen kan styra idégenerering av radikala innovationer mot ett specifikt utvecklingsområde. Genom att utföra interna samt externa semistrukturerade intervjuer kunde svårigheter och möjligheter i företagets idégenerering identifieras. Resultatet visade att det saknas specifika metoder för att öka mängden idéer som genereras, samt att det finns en brist på kommunikation av de prioriterade domäner som existerar i företagets innovationsportfölj. Det påvisades även att det finns vissa organisatoriska svårigheter för innovation kopplade till byggbranschen. En analys baserad på resultatet samt en utförlig litteraturstudie resulterade i ett antal rekommendationer. Dessa rekommendationer påvisar hur öppen innovation samt kommunikation och förändringar i organisationsstruktur bör implementeras för att uppnå en ökad mängd idéer till de prioriterade områdena i ett företags innovationsportfölj. Rekommendationerna från denna studie är applicerbara på stora företag inom byggbranschen som arbetar aktivt med innovation.