Trouble in Paradise? Barriers to Open Innovation in Regional Clusters in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the barriers faced by clusters as open innovation intermediaries. Literature review and an empirical study were performed, involving a nation-wide survey, case studies, and in-depth interviews with cluster actors involved in open innovation activities. This article conceptually links open innovation and clusters in the context of the fourth industrial revolution, empirically identifies barriers hindering open innovation in clusters, and indicates factors that might affect the open innovation processes in networked ecosystems. The findings confirm that the perception of barriers hindering open innovation in clusters differs between clusters already implementing open innovation and those which are still not active in this area. The findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the potential roles of clusters as open innovation intermediaries in the context of transitioning economies. With clusters playing a role in open innovation intermediary, public support at cluster level could increase openness to cooperation not only for member companies, but all participants in the regional innovation ecosystem.

Adoption of Big Data Analytics and Its Impact on Organizational Performance in Higher Education Mediated by Knowledge Management

“…Regarding environmental factors, external support has a significant effect on BDA adoption, which was concluded in previous investigations [129] and is consistent with studies that indicate that open innovation requires external collaboration [87,[130][131][132], while competitive pressure has a negligible effect on BDA adoption, consistent with the…”

“…Regarding environmental factors, external support has a significant effect on BDA adoption, which was concluded in previous investigations [129] and is consistent with studies that indicate that open innovation requires external collaboration [87,[130][131][132], while competitive pressure has a negligible effect on BDA adoption, consistent with the results of other studies [33] but inconsistent with other results [31,133]. This may be due to the early stage of adoption in HEIs, which are using BDA as a process of learning and verifying its potential and not as a necessity triggered by competitive pressure.…”

“…This is how BDA enables the improvement of key educational performance indicators such as student retention and success [85]. Other studies have focused on specific aspects such as evaluating the courses' contents and their effectiveness in the learning process [86]; improving graduate employability based on the study of learning and competencies, human resource strategy, and market dynamics [87]; predicting teacher morality levels and teacher ability [88]; and predicting candidate research focus and tuition fees [89].…”

Open-Innovation Practices: Diversity in Portuguese SMEs

“…Despite the unequivocal benefits associated with the practices of innovation in SMEs, studies have also shown that these types of companies have greater difficulty in developing mechanisms capable of effectively implementing open innovation due to their size [75,76]. In these studies, it was emphasized that the greater flexibility and adaptability of these organizations did not compensate for the lack of resources and skills to develop a culture of permanent innovation.…”

Determinants of Innovation Ecosystem in Underdeveloped Areas—Take Nanning High-Tech Zone in Western China as an Example

“…High-tech industrial development zones (hereinafter referred to as "high-tech zones") are special areas that rely on policies and environmental advantages to aggregate innovative resources to promote the development of high-tech industries. From a global perspective, the high-tech zone has become the preferred development mode for various countries and regions to create innovation highlands, cultivate innovative enterprises, build innovation ecology, improve innovation performance, and lead economic innovation driven development [1,2].…”