This dissertation consists of three independent studies - two empirical studies and one literature review - that examine different issues regarding the involvement of employees in innovation within the growing open innovation environment. In particular, I focus on the different facets and vital enablers that influence involving the general workforce in innovation, among which trust plays a critical role for their active involvement and their decision to contribute to innovation. In the first study, the focus is on a powerful set of enablers of high involvement innovation, namely; the new corporate web technologies, and their role in accelerating a wider base of collective innovation. The second study then examines the involvement of a very specialized category of the workforce in innovation which is the highly qualified external workforce. Those employees represent a rich yet underexplored resource of employee innovation. Finally, in the third study, I focus on exploring the different roles played by innovation intermediaries and argue that intermediaries could take a more active role in open innovation, through proposing the ‘trust incubator’ role. New insights coming from this thesis advance the current discussion of actively and effectively involving employees in innovation, as well as uncover important and current related issues and allow us to draw conclusions that are useful for both research and practice.:Introduction I Accelerating high involvement: The role of new technologies in enabling employee participation in innovation II Exploring the involvement of highly qualified external employees in innovation – an organizational perspective 1 INTRODUCTION 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The flexible external workforce 2.2 Employee involvement in innovation 2.3 The involvement of HQEE in innovation 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 4 EMPIRICAL FINDINGS 5 CONCLUSION III Rethinking the role of trust in open innovation 1 INTRODUCTION 2 AN OVERVIEW OF TRUST 3 CONTEXTS OF TRUST IN OPEN INNOVATION 3.1 Supply chain development 3.2 Innovation clusters 3.3 Employee involvement in innovation 4 TRUST IN OPEN INNOVATION 4.1 Open innovation: The shift from knowledge creation to knowledge sharing 4.2 Open innovation opportunities & emerging trust challenges 5 TRUSTED INTERMEDIARIES IN HIGHLY INNOVATIVE CINTEXTS 5.1 Intermediaries – from brokers to trust incubators 5.2 Trusted intermediaries in the literature 6 CONCLUSION AND DIRECTION FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Further research in the innovation management field

[ES] Los centros tecnológicos (en adelante, CCTT) son uno de los agentes clave de los sistemas de innovación (en adelante, SI) y actúan como pieza fundamental para fomentar y apoyar la innovación empresarial a través de la tecnología. El objetivo principal de esta tesis ha sido el estudio del rol de los CCTT en diferentes contextos identificando, a través de varias técnicas de análisis cuantitativas y cualitativas, su papel como intermediarios de innovación en los SI, así como los factores y variables clave para su competitividad. Para ello, en la primera parte de esta tesis se ha investigado sobre los SI, con el objetivo de analizar el entorno en el que operan los CCTT, aplicando tanto el método comparativo a través del estudio del caso de varios SI de referencia a nivel internacional, como la metodología del Análisis de las Condiciones Necesarias para identificar los factores críticos de mayor incidencia en la innovación y la competitividad de un territorio. La segunda parte de la tesis se ha dedicado a la investigación sobre los intermediarios de la innovación, analizando de forma particular el rol de los CCTT mediante la aplicación de la metodología del Análisis Cualitativo de Datos a la revisión bibliométrica de las publicaciones sobre CCTT. Por último, se ha aplicado la metodología del Proceso de Análisis Jerárquico para identificar y priorizar los elementos que inciden en la eficiencia y la competitividad de un CT. Con todo ello, se establecen conclusiones de utilidad tanto para la mejora de la gestión de los CCTT, como para el establecimiento de políticas de innovación que tengan como resultado una mayor eficiencia de los propios Centros, así como un incremento de la competitividad del territorio. / [CA] Els Centres Tecnològics (d'ara en avant, CCTT) són un dels agents clau dels Sistemes d'Innovació (d'ara en avant, SI) i actuen com a peça funda per a fomentar i donar suport a la innovació empresarial a través de la tecnologia. L'objectiu principal d'esta tesi ha sigut l'estudi del rol dels CCTT en diferents contextos identificant, a través de diverses tècniques d'anàlisis quantitatives i qualitatives, el seu paper com a intermediaris en els SI, així com els factors i variables clau per a la seua competitivitat. Per a això, en la primera part d'esta tesi s'ha investigat sobre els SI, amb l'objectiu d'analitzar l'entorn en què operen els CCTT, aplicant tant el mètode comparatiu a través de l'estudi del cas de diversos SI de referència a nivell internacional, com la metodologia de l'Anàlisi de les Condicions Necessàries per a identificar els factors crítics de major incidència en la innovació i la competitivitat d'un territori. La segona part de la tesi s'ha dedicat a la investigació sobre els intermediaris de la innovació, analitzant de forma particular el rol dels CCTT per mitjà de l'aplicació de la metodologia de l'Anàlisi Qualitativa de Dades a la revisió bibliométrica de les publicacions sobre CCTT. Finalment, s'ha aplicat la metodologia del Procés d'Anàlisi Jeràrquica per a identificar i prioritzar els elements que incidixen en l'eficiència i la competitivitat d'un CT. Amb tot això, s'establixen conclusions d'utilitat tant per a la millora de la gestió dels CCTT, com per a l'establiment de polítiques d'innovació que tinguen com resultat una major eficiència dels propis Centres, així com un increment de la competitivitat del territori. / [EN] Technology Centers (hereinafter, TTCC) are one of the key agents of Innovation Systems (hereinafter, IS) and act as a fundamental piece to promote and support business innovation through technology. The main objective of this thesis has been to study the role of TTCC in different contexts by identifying, through various quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques, their role as intermediaries in IS, as well as the key factors and variables for their competitiveness. To this end, the first part of this thesis has investigated the IS, with the aim of analyzing the environment in which the TTCC operate, applying both the comparative method through the case study of several international reference IS, and the methodology of the Necessary Conditions Analysis to identify the critical factors of greater impact on the innovation and competitiveness of a territory. The second part of the thesis was devoted to research on innovation intermediaries, analyzing in particular the role of the TTCC by applying the Qualitative Data Analysis methodology to the bibliometric review of publications on TTCC. Finally, the Hierarchical Analysis Process methodology has been applied to identify and prioritize the elements that affect the efficiency and competitiveness of a TC. With all this, useful conclusions are drawn both for the improvement of the management of the TTCC and for the establishment of innovation policies that will result in greater efficiency of the centers themselves, as well as an increase in the competitiveness of the territory. / Del Campo Asenjo, C. (2023). El rol de los CCTT como intermediarios de innovación: un análisis mutidimensional [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/201137

Innovation intermediaries provide a range of services to assist firms during the process of innovation. How SMEs perceive innovation intermediaries is an area of investigation that would provide important information on how innovation intermediaries’ assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study focuses on the cleantech industry and explores SMEs’ expectations and perceptions of an established community-based intermediary (CBI) moving into their sector. A qualitative research methodology was adopted to collect data from 15 sample SMEs. In regards to SMEs, the findings show that cleantech companies face financing, partnerships, marketing, sales, regulatory and bureaucratic challenges. In regards to innovation intermediaries, the findings showcase how CBI, a regional intermediary, is not effective in supporting cleantech SMEs with their sector specific needs or challenges.

Innovation intermediaries provide a range of services to assist firms during the process of innovation. How SMEs perceive innovation intermediaries is an area of investigation that would provide important information on how innovation intermediaries’ assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study focuses on the cleantech industry and explores SMEs’ expectations and perceptions of an established community-based intermediary (CBI) moving into their sector. A qualitative research methodology was adopted to collect data from 15 sample SMEs. In regards to SMEs, the findings show that cleantech companies face financing, partnerships, marketing, sales, regulatory and bureaucratic challenges. In regards to innovation intermediaries, the findings showcase how CBI, a regional intermediary, is not effective in supporting cleantech SMEs with their sector specific needs or challenges.

Innovation intermediaries provide a range of services to assist firms during the process of innovation. How SMEs perceive innovation intermediaries is an area of investigation that would provide important information on how innovation intermediaries’ assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study focuses on the cleantech industry and explores SMEs’ expectations and perceptions of an established community-based intermediary (CBI) moving into their sector. A qualitative research methodology was adopted to collect data from 15 sample SMEs. In regards to SMEs, the findings show that cleantech companies face financing, partnerships, marketing, sales, regulatory and bureaucratic challenges. In regards to innovation intermediaries, the findings showcase how CBI, a regional intermediary, is not effective in supporting cleantech SMEs with their sector specific needs or challenges.