The Master's thesis "Swedish innovation policy: success or paradox?" focuses on Sweden's public policy for innovation during the past two decades. It, however, deviates somewhat from the conventional notion that places Sweden in the forefront when it comes to innovation. On the contrary this study follows the line of thought that believes there is an imbalance between the inputs to innovation in terms of R&D investments, which are truly outstanding, and the economic outputs that have been rather unimpressive and could be higher. Using the innovation systems perspective, a theoretical framework that has grown popular with academics and policymakers alike, the thesis analyzes Sweden's innovation policy, aiming to find out, whether the government really performs the activities, that the innovation systems theory views as vital. While it can be said that the innovation policy truly fulfills a wide range of activities that the theory views as key, there is still room for improvement in several areas, due to which the innovation paradox is still in operation, albeit we can view it less as an acute problem but a rather an opportunity, which policy has not been able to capitalize on.

創新帶來的影響，隨著二十一世紀的全球化潮流，開始衝擊世界各地，各國政府因應各式各樣的創新競爭、民主選舉與全球化潮流，為了政府績效與成果，我國在資通訊政策的發展，更注入諸多資源建置新計畫、新科技與新政策，藉以達成政府的設定願景目標。本研究透過政策創新過程來分析資通訊政策創新在行政體系內部的形成因素，探究我國E台灣到U台灣的資通訊發展之創新過程，透過次級資料分析與深度訪談的方式，從政策創新過程的三個階段：議程設定階段、採納說服階段與採納決策階段，分析各階段的影響因素，藉以探討資通訊政策創新過程，及此過程裡阻礙創新之問題。研究結果顯示我國資通訊政策創新乃透過多種管道得到創新資訊來源，諸如內部智庫幕僚、支援部會與外部專家學者、資通訊龍頭產業與國外顧問公司。議程設定主要來自於相關專業社群，諸如行政院科技顧問組與SRB會議的共識，以及科技政務委員的政治理念，並根據國內產業發展問題而觸發的政策創新議程。在說服階段，體系內部創新倡議者與外部支援管道彼此針對資通訊創新的理念與預算競和，篩選出可行的政策創新方案，決策階段則因資通訊政策的集權化現象，因此決策者本身的領導特質與對創新的支持、風險承擔，會對資通訊政策創新的產生影響。然而此創新過程裡，資通訊官僚組織的運作問題會發生官僚組織文化、創新疊床架屋、溝通協商費時、創新的民意基礎與管道薄弱以及之智庫團隊獨佔性等阻礙問題，甚至外部關鍵人士專業獨大、執政輪替與預算問題都會阻礙政策創新。蓋因創新過程之制度與專家社群對於創新形成的限制，建議政府在政策創新過程上，需有制度化的培育人才與建立創新倡議管道，且決策者需具備支持創新提案的心態。由於本研究屬於初探性研究，未來建議針對外部政策企業家、不同創新類型與各國資通訊創新過程等議題分析比較，加強我國政策創新過程的研究發現與經驗累積。

This study examines the deployment of Wireless E9-1-1 Phase One and Wireless E9-1-1 Phase Two as a diffusion of innovation. The research method used in this study is a cross-sectional study employing secondary data in a discriminant function analysis. The study population is Virginia units of local governments (95 counties and 39 cities) that had not deployed Wireless E9-1-1 Phase One or Wireless E9-1-1 Phase Two as of January 1, 2001. The period of time included in this study is from 2001 to 2006. The purpose of the study is to assess the overall accuracy of the three principle theories of policy innovation adoption: diffusion, internal determinants, and unified theory, which are variations of the fundamental diffusion theory, in predicting the deployment of wireless E9-1-1 by Virginia units of local government. This assessment was conducted by identifying Virginia specific variables from models associated with these policy innovation theories to determine the best performing model for the deployment of Wireless E9-1-1 throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia specific variables utilized in this study are: Wealth, Population, Fiscal Health, Dedicated Funding, Financial Dependency, Urbanization, Regionalism, and Proximity to Interstate. Dedicated Funding and Regionalism had the largest absolute size of correlation among the predictor variables for the deployment of Wireless E9-1-1 Phase One and Wireless E9-1-1 Phase Two, thus generating the best performing model. This information will provide the basis from which to develop a statewide comprehensive policy and plan for Next Generation 9-1-1 and will help provide an answer to the question of when and how governments get involved in designing and implementing a 9-1-1 emergency service network.

This paper draws on evidence from Victoria to examine why more innovation takes place in some areas than in others. In so doing, it explores the relationship between innovation and networks. / Despite a large number of recent government policy statements on innovation, there has been very little attention paid to the spatial dimensions of innovation. / The literature on innovation increasingly points to the important role played by local and regional networks in driving innovation. Innovation is the result of the production, use and diffusion of knowledge, and this demands collaboration involving networks of individuals, organisations and institutions. / To test the theory of a connection between networks and innovation across regional Victoria, patent data is used as a proxy measure for innovation. This data is then cross-referenced with various social and economic data sets. / The analysis reveals that innovation in Victoria is substantially concentrated in ‘hot spots’ such as inner Melbourne. In some parts of Victoria very little innovation takes place at all. / This research has found that all things being equal, more innovation will take place in those areas in which there is a greater density of informal networks. However, not all types of networks are positive, and they are more important in provincial areas than in big cities. Innovation clearly has a spatial aspect, and innovation policy needs to give particular attention to the requirements of provincial areas.

- / The PhD thesis is about measurement and effects of environmental policy in the context of the Porter Hypothesis (PH). The first chapter offers a critical review of the large empirical literature on the Porter Hypothesis. The second chapter presents an empirical investigation of the Porter Hypothesis focusing on the manufacturing sectors of European countries between 1997 and 2009. We look at overall innovation and productivity impact that are the most relevant indicators for the “strong” PH. This approach allows us to account for potential opportunity costs of induced innovations. As a proxy of environmental policy stringency we use pollution abatement and control expenditures (PACE), which represent one of the few indicators available at the sectoral level. We remedy upon its main drawback, that of potential endogeneity of PACE, by adopting an instrumental variable estimation approach. The third chapter represents a novel approach, inspired by the literature on multilevel latent models and Item Response Theory, to assessing countries’ environmental and energy policy performance. We use data on energy efficiency policy targeting industrial sectors in 27 EU countries between 2004 and 2009 and rank countries with respect to their ability to implement policy over time. Unlike previous contributions in this respect, our model accounts for the inherent difficulty of a given policy instrument mix. Moreover, the model is extended to deal with the longitudinal data and to adjust the country ranking as a result of economic and institutional observables, which are likely to affect policy design and implementation.

The European Union (EU) puts more emphasis on innovation as a key means for regaining and maintaining competitiveness, a trait it lags behind in when compared to its main global competitors. It therefore possesses a range of tools designed to support innovative activities of firms and to improve the overall environment of innovation in the European Union and Member States. This thesis outlines/describes the major milestones in the development of innovation policies in the Czech Republic and the EU and focuses on supporting innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic via measures derived from the EU's financial tools. Special emphasis is applied to the Operational Programme Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OPIE) that in the Czech Republic is the main tool used to support innovation in firms. The main problem areas that may pose barriers to active impact for this support are identified on the basis of programme documents, assessment reports, statistical data on the programmes and qualitative information yielded from interviews with firm representatives experienced in this type of support. With regard to the findings of this assessment, the thesis attempts to frame suggestions that can eliminate the identified shortcomings and recommendations that can form the position of...

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Cyber attacks by domestic and foreign threat actors are increasing in frequency and sophistication. Cyber adversaries exploit a cybersecurity skill/knowledge gap and an open society, undermining the information security/privacy of citizens and businesses and eroding trust in governments, thus threatening social and political stability. The use of open digital hacking technologies in ethical hacking in higher education and within broader society raises ethical, technical, social, and political challenges for liberal democracies. Programs teaching ethical hacking in higher education are steadily growing but there is a concern that teaching students hacking skills increases crime risk to society by drawing students toward criminal acts. A cybersecurity skill gap undermines the security/viability of business and government institutions. The thesis presents an examination of opportunities and risks involved in using AI powered intelligence gathering/surveillance technologies in ethical hacking teaching practices in Canada. Taking a qualitative exploratory case study approach, technoethical inquiry theory (Bunge-Luppicini) and Weick’s sensemaking model were applied as a sociotechnical theory (STEI-KW) to explore ethical hacking teaching practices in two Canadian universities. In-depth interviews with ethical hacking university experts, industry practitioners, and policy experts, and a document review were conducted. Findings pointed to a skill/knowledge gap in ethical hacking literature regarding the meanings, ethics, values, skills/knowledge, roles and responsibilities, and practices of ethical hacking and ethical hackers which underlies an identity and legitimacy crisis for professional ethical hacking practitioners; and a Teaching vs Practice cybersecurity skill gap in ethical hacking curricula. Two main S&T innovation risk mitigation initiatives were explored: An OSINT Analyst cybersecurity role and associated body of knowledge foundation framework as an interdisciplinary research area, and a networked centre of excellence of ethical hacking communities of practice as a knowledge management and governance/policy innovation approach focusing on the systematization and standardization of an ethical hacking body of knowledge.

This short paper considers all possible stakeholders in different stages of a sustainability transition and matches their behavioral features and diversity to policies. This will involve an assessment of potential or expected responses of stakeholders to a range of policy instruments. Following the Multi-Level Perspective framework to conceptualize sustainability transitions, we classify the various transition policies at niche, regime and landscape levels. Next, we offer a complementary classification of policies based on a distinction between social preferences and bounded rationality. The paper identifies many barriers to making a sustainability transition and how to respond to them. In addition, lessons are drawn from the case of Denmark. The detailed framework and associated literature for the analysis was discussed in Milestone 31 of the WWWforEurope project (Gazheli et al., 2012). / Series: WWWforEurope