<p>Abstract</p><p>The purpose of this study is to reach conclusions that pertain to the key steps involved in the development of a system of innovation. Once identifiable procedures have been reached, then the research seeks to address the characteristics, or roles, that the actors must adhere to in order to keep the system sustainable. When these two areas of research have been concluded, not only will the research question be addressed, but the general applicability of the system of innovation theories will also be challenged in a scientifically relevant way. The main theoretical concepts that will guide the study are Triple Helix, Sustainability, and Innovation.</p><p>The research approach used is deductive, where the information gathered will deem the study as being qualitative. In order to gather the information, six interviews were conducted with various individuals representing actors within the Triple Helix model, and that information was analyzed through interpretism. Due to the social relations occurring in the study, a hermeneutic positioning will derive an underlying positioning in the approach to theory. Once this approach is used, the empirical information gathered from the interviews will be analyzed versus that of the theoretical framework where the conclusions for the study will be generated.</p><p>The practical issue that inspired this study is the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic occurring in British Columbia, Canada. The timber industry is being decimated due to an increase in the number of beetles, and the result is unusable wood. Because of the resource-reliance in certain milieus that are being effected by the beetle, this study seeks an alternative system for economic stability through a system of innovation.</p><p>The conclusions for the study have very pragmatic characteristics about them. The development of an innovation system begins with the identification of a system leader to mediate the process. The findings suggest that mediation will harmonize the agendas of the actors in the system and work towards a consensus. In addition, contextual issues in the form of knowledge and communication create cultural roadblocks in the implementation process; therefore need to be overcome in order to divert the actors from strict resource dependency. Sustainability in this system involves exclusive responsibilities between the actors involved, but the fundamental challenge rests in routinization of the process. Routinization encompasses micro-level procedures each actor must adhere to, and once this challenge has been overcome, the innovation system will remain sustained.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:umu-1319 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Roberts, Allan Cole |
| Publisher | Umeå University, Umeå School of Business, Umeå : Handelshögskolan vid Umeå universitet |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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