National systems of innovation, innovation niches, and diversity in university systems

Datta, Surja; Saad, Mohammed; Sarpong, David

Abstract

Universities have come to represent strategic sites for the production of knowledge and innovations driving major
economic and societal transformations. In this paper, we examine the role universities play in national innovation
systems. Developing our contribution within the context of the UK university system, we present a conceptual organizing framework to capture different university models and the multifaceted contributions of the university to the
innovation system. Beyond finding considerable heterogeneity in the university models, we attempt to group the universities into strategic clusters where each cluster consist of institutions that specialize in the provision of similar kinds of innovation inputs with knowledge as necessary by-products that in turn drives innovation output. In an era of global innovation race, the diversity factor which is central but not often seen as crucial, we argue, shapes innovation output and give form to the university sector as a whole as an active player in national and regional systems of innovation.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 12, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Mar 7, 2019
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Mar 19, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 8, 2020
• Journal: Technological Forecasting and Social Change
• Print ISSN: 0040-1625
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 143
• Pages: 27-36
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.02.005
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/845985
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.02.005
• Related Public URLs: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.02.005
• Additional Information: Additional Information : HIGHLIGHTS We examine the role universities play in national innovation systems. We identified heterogeneity in the university models and group them into strategic clusters based on their innovation inputs. Model diversity which is central but not often seen as crucial, we argue, shapes innovation output. This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published version is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.02.005.; Corporate Creators : Brookes University, University of the West of England Bristol, Brunel University
• Contract Date: Mar 19, 2019