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- Lundberg, Heléne, 1960-, et al.
(author)
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Teachers, researchers, but not innovators? : Rethinking university-industry collaboration
- 2021
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In: Journal of business & industrial marketing. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0885-8624 .- 2052-1189. ; 36:13, s. 161-173
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Universities, when collaborating with industry, are generally assumed to be the motors for innovation. Inspired by a case on a university's collaboration with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a regional strategic network (RSN), this paper aims to put forth how the university makes important contributions through transferring knowledge on innovation processes that is a teaching role, rather than sees itself as the party producing innovations. This paper describes and discusses the university's teaching role and its consequences in university-industry collaborations for innovation. Design/methodology/approach Empirically, the paper departs from a mid-Swedish RSN where nine SMEs started to work with a university. Interviews with representatives of the nine SMEs participating in the innovation project, along with university and RSN representatives, comprise the main data source. The paper analyzes the university's teaching role and the consequences of it. Findings Findings point at how the SMEs developed structured innovation processes, improved their market intelligence and increased their efficiency in providing new solutions. The university facilitated knowledge, while the SMEs responded through creating knowledge both on how to innovate and in terms of innovations. Originality/value The teaching role, which would mean that the university stays with one of its core functions, indicates a need to rethink university-industry collaboration related to expectations and role division. Moving from producing innovations to facilitating knowledge on how to innovate, would, for universities, mean that they minimize those conflicts emerging from their various roles and indicate that the production of innovation is placed at those devoted to run and grow businesses.
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| 3. |
- Lundberg, Heléne, 1960-, et al.
(author)
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The matter of locality : Family firms in sparsely populated regions
- 2021
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In: Entrepreneurship and Regional Development. - : Routledge. - 0898-5626 .- 1464-5114. ; 33:7-8, s. 493-513
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper explores the interaction and interdependence between family firms and sparsely populated regions. Interactivity underlines the dynamics of the setting and how it changes based on activities between the firm and the context, whereas interdependence refers to how the family firm and the region become mutually reliant on one another. Five case studies show that while the firms act under similar conditions in terms of disparity, their interplay with and dependence on the region differ. The study points to how the citizenship of the family firms is fundamental and how employment is at the heart of the interdependence, while those firms interacting most strongly with the region are those expanding beyond what would be expected by a family firm in terms of traditions and risk aversion. This again indicates a complex pattern of interactivities and interdependencies between family firms and sparsely populated regions. The paper provides important dimensions to theories on family firms' local contexts specifically related to under-researched settings of sparsely populated regions and important implications for managers, public actors and policy makers, not the least related to support to such contexts.
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- Öberg, Christina, 1970-, et al.
(author)
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Mechanisms of knowledge development in a knowledge ecosystem
- 2022
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In: Journal of Knowledge Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1367-3270 .- 1758-7484. ; 26:11, s. 293-307
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeAlthough ecosystems have been researched extensively over the past decade, we know little about how they should be organised. Focusing on a knowledge ecosystem comprising a university and a regional strategic network (RSN), this paper aims to describe and discuss the mechanisms for knowledge development in knowledge ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachThis paper studies the integration of a university into a Swedish RSN. Data were collected through interviews with representatives of the university, the RSN and all firms comprising the RSN. A qualitative content analysis helped to detect mechanisms for knowledge development.FindingsTwo reinforcing mechanisms for knowledge development in the knowledge ecosystem are identified: structure and openness, which relate to insight and outlook, respectively. The findings also indicate a knowledge division, with the university representing the transfer of knowledge capabilities as a linear process, whereas the content-related knowledge is collaborative.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to research on knowledge ecosystems by describing how their organisation is based on a number of contradictions (structure and openness, insight and outlook, linearity and collaboration) to accomplish the development of knowledge capabilities and content-related knowledge.
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