Abstract
The universities’ innovation capabilities depend on internal, structural, and contextual factors. This study explores the European Union case which, through a series of initiatives, organizations, and public agendas, aims to foster university innovation ecosystem. These objectives are not exempt from difficulties and challenges; in this chapter, we analyze the European Union case as a territory that has implemented collaborative innovation capacity-building programs among countries, universities, and public–private organizations. By using data from the European University Association, the European Commission, and Eurostat, we provide insights about the university innovation capabilities panorama. Results show that funding stands out as one of the main filters/barriers for the materialization of innovative capabilities, solutions and research. In addition, results reveal inclusivity and sustainability challenges regarding university innovation capabilities. Interestingly, the chapter provides interesting insights regarding the public policy and management approach adopted by the European Union governments to facilitate university sustainable innovation capabilities.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
For further information, visit: https://european-union.europa.eu/priorities-and-actions/actions-topic/research-and-innovation_es
- 2.
Methodological note: The survey was divided into five sections comprising 32 open-ended, ranking, multiple and single-choice questions covering a wide variety of topics related to innovation at universities. The survey was open from 4 May to 28 June 2021. It was preceded by a pilot phase involving six organizations of different sizes, profiles and geographical locations. This study obtained 166 valid responses from organizations in 28 European countries. Concretely, of the total 166 responses, 134 are from EUA members, and 32 from non-member organizations. For further details, review European University Association (2022a, p. 12) and (Kozirog et al., 2022).
References
Aguiar, L., & Gagnepain, P. (2017). European cooperative R & D and firm performance: Evidence based on funding differences in key actions. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 53, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.i**dorg.2016.12.007. WE – Social Science Citation Index (SSCI).
Audretsch, D. B., Belitski, M., & Guerrero, M. (2022a). The dynamic contribution of innovation ecosystems to Schumpeterian firms: A multi-level analysis. Journal of Business Research, 144, 975–986.
Audretsch, D. B., Belitski, M., Guerrero, M., & Siegel, D. S. (2022b). Assessing the impact of the UK’s research excellence framework on the relationship between university scholarly output and education and regional economic growth. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 21(3), 394–421.
Audretsch, D., Belitski, M., & Guerrero, M. (2022c). Seizing spin-offs’ and parent universities’ resources and capabilities: An intertemporal resilience. In Academy of Management Proceedings, 2022(1), 12882. Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Ávila, L. V., Leal Filho, W., Brandli, L., Macgregor, C. J., Molthan-Hill, P., Özuyar, P. G., & Moreira, R. M. (2017). Barriers to innovation and sustainability at universities around the world. Journal of Cleaner Production, 164, 1268–1278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.025
Balocco, R., Cavallo, A., Ghezzi, A., & Berbegal-Mirabent, J. (2019). Lean business models change process in digital entrepreneurship. Business Process Management Journal, 25, 1520. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-07-2018-0194
Barnes, S. J. (2020). Information management research and practice in the post-COVID-19 world. International Journal of Information Management, 55, 102175.
Bauer, J. M. (2018). The internet and income inequality: Socio-economic challenges in a hyperconnected society. Telecommunications Policy, 42(4), 333–343.
Beliaeva, T., Ferasso, M., Kraus, S., & Damke, E. J. (2019). Dynamics of digital entrepreneurship and the innovation ecosystem. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research (Vol. 26, p. 266).
Bellini, E., Piroli, G., & Pennacchio, L. (2019). Collaborative know-how and trust in university–industry collaborations: Empirical evidence from ICT firms. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 44(6), 1939–1963.
Bormann, I., Brøgger, K., Pol, M., & Lazarová, B. (2021). COVID-19 and its effects: On the risk of social inequality through digitalization and the loss of trust in three European education systems. European Educational Research Journal, 20(5), 610–635.
Bozkurt, A., Jung, I., **ao, J., Vladimirschi, V., Schuwer, R., Egorov, G., Lambert, S., Al-Freih, M., Pete, J., & Olcott, D., Jr. (2020). A global outlook to the interruption of education due to COVID-19 pandemic: Navigating in a time of uncertainty and crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 1–126.
Brammer, S., & Clark, T. (2020). COVID-19 and management education: Reflections on challenges, opportunities, and potential futures. British Journal of Management, 31(3), 453.
Bukhari, E., Dabic, M., Shifrer, D., Daim, T., & Meissner, D. (2021). Entrepreneurial university: The relationship between smart specialization innovation strategies and university-region collaboration. Technology in Society, 65, 101560.
Castro, R. (2019). Blended learning in higher education: Trends and capabilities. Education and Information Technologies, 24(4), 2523–2546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-09886-3
Chesbrough, H. (2020). To recover faster from Covid-19, open up: Managerial implications from an open innovation perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 88, 410–413.
Chin, T., Yang, Y., Zhang, P., Yu, X., & Cao, L. (2019). Co-creation of social innovation: Corporate universities as innovative strategies for Chinese firms to engage with society. Sustainability, 11(5), 1438.
Chung, S. (2002). Building a national innovation system through regional innovation systems. Technovation, 22(8), 485–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0166-4972(01)00035-9
Dabić, M., Vlačić, B., Guerrero, M., & Daim, T. U. (2022a). University spin-offs: the past, the present, and the future. Studies in Higher Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2022.2122656
Dabić, M., Obradović, T., Vlačić, B., Sahasranamam, S., & Paul, J. (2022b). Frugal innovations: A multidisciplinary review & agenda for future research. Journal of Business Research, 142, 914–929.
De Wit-de Vries, E., Dolfsma, W. A., van der Windt, H. J., & Gerkema, M. P. (2019). Knowledge transfer in university–industry research partnerships: A review. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 44(4), 1236–1255.
Dienel, H.-L., & Fava, V. (2021). Digital and sustainable innovation policies in Europe: Comparative lessons. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 34(4), 423–425. https://doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2021.2000786
Dwyer, B., & Gigliotti, R. A. (2017). From institutional diversity and inclusion to societal equity and justice: Higher education as a leadership training ground for the public good. En Breaking the zero-sum game. Emerald Publishing Limited.
European Commission. (2018). Proposal for a council recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning. European Commission.
European University Association. (2022a). Universities as key drivers of sustainable innovation ecosystems. https://www.eua.eu/downloads/publications/innovation%20report.pdf
European University Association. (2022b). Digital skills – Improving their provision.
Fischer, B. B., Schaeffer, P. R., Vonortas, N. S., & Queiroz, S. (2018). Quality comes first: University-industry collaboration as a source of academic entrepreneurship in a develo** country. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 43(2), 263–284.
Fischer, B., Guerrero, M., Guimón, J., & Schaeffer, P. R. (2020). Knowledge transfer for frugal innovation: Where do entrepreneurial universities stand? Journal of Knowledge Management, 25(2), 360–379. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2020-0040
Fischer, B., Meissner, D., Vonortas, N., & Guerrero, M. (2022). Spatial features of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Journal of Business Research, 147, 27–36.
George, G., Merrill, R. K., & Schillebeeckx, S. J. D. (2020). Digital sustainability and entrepreneurship: How digital innovations are hel** tackle climate change and sustainable development. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258719899425
Guerrero, M. (2021). Ambidexterity and entrepreneurship studies: A literature review and research agenda. Foundations and Trends® in Entrepreneurship, 17(5–6), 436–650.
Guerrero, M., & Pugh, R. (2022). Entrepreneurial universities’ metamorphosis: Encountering technological and emotional disruptions in the COVID-19 ERA. Technovation, 102584, 102584.
Guerrero, M., & Urbano, D. (2012). The development of an entrepreneurial university. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 37(1), 43–74.
Guerrero, M., & Urbano, D. (2014). Academics’ start-up intentions and knowledge filters: An individual perspective of the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics, 43(1), 57–74.
Guerrero, M., Urbano, D., Fayolle, A., Klofsten, M., & Mian, S. (2016). Entrepreneurial universities: emerging models in the new social and economic landscape. Small Business Economics, 47(3), 551–563.
Guerrero, M., Urbano, D., & Herrera, F. (2019). Innovation practices in emerging economies: Do university partnerships matter? The Journal of Technology Transfer, 44(2), 615–646.
Guerrero, M., Heaton, S., & Urbano, D. (2021). Building universities’ intrapreneurial capabilities in the digital era: The role and impacts of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Technovation, 99, 102139.
Hayat, E., Liyanage, C., Haigh, R., & Amaratunga, D. (2018). Development of research and innovation capacity index of HEIs on disaster resilience related studies. Procedia Engineering, 212, 1249–1256.
Hayter, C. S., Fischer, B., & Rasmussen, E. (2022). Becoming an academic entrepreneur: how scientists develop an entrepreneurial identity. Small Business Economics, 59, 1469–1487.
Huybrechts, B., & Haugh, H. (2018). The roles of networks in institutionalizing new hybrid organizational forms: Insights from the European renewable energy cooperative network. Organization Studies, 39(8), 1085–1108.
Ibáñez, M. J., Guerrero, M., Yáñez-Valdés, C., & Barros-Celume, S. (2022). Digital social entrepreneurship: The N-helix response to stakeholders’ COVID-19 needs. Journal of Technology Transfer, 47(2), 556–579.
Kirby, D. A., Guerrero, M., & Urbano, D. (2011). Making universities more entrepreneurial: Development of a model. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l’Administration, 28(3), 302–316.
Klofsten, M., Fayolle, A., Guerrero, M., Mian, S., Urbano, D., & Wright, M. (2019). The entrepreneurial university as driver for economic growth and social change—Key strategic challenges. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 141, 149–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.12.004
Kozirog, K., Lucaci, S., & Berghmans, S. (2022). Results of EUA survey on universities and innovation [data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5910909
Lawson, B., & Samson, D. (2001). Develo** innovation capability in organisations: A dynamic capabilities approach. International Journal of Innovation Management, 5(03), 377–400.
Lee, J., Suh, T., Roy, D., & Baucus, M. (2019). Emerging technology and business model innovation: The case of artificial intelligence. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 5(3), 44.
Mascarenhas, C., Ferreira, J. J., & Marques, C. (2018). University–industry cooperation: A systematic literature review and research agenda. Science and Public Policy, 45(5), 708–718.
Morrar, R., Arman, H., & Mousa, S. (2017). The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0): A social innovation perspective. Technology Innovation Management Review, 7(11), 12–20.
Peng, F., Zhang, Q., Han, Z., Ding, Y., & Fu, N. (2019). Evolution characteristics of government-industry-university cooperative innovation network of electronic information industry in Liaoning Province, China. Chinese Geographical Science, 29(3), 528–540.
Perkmann, M., Salandra, R., Tartari, V., McKelvey, M., & Hughes, A. (2021). Academic engagement: A review of the literature 2011–2019. Research Policy, 50(1), 104114.
Perkmann, M., Tartari, V., McKelvey, M., Autio, E., Broström, A., D’Este, P., Fini, R., Geuna, A., Grimaldi, R., Hughes, A., Krabel, S., Kitson, M., Llerena, P., Lissoni, F., Salter, A., & Sobrero, M. (2013). Academic engagement and commercialisation: A review of the literature on university–industry relations. Research Policy, 42(2), 423–442.
Pugh, R., Hamilton, E., Soetanto, D., Jack, S., Gibbons, A., & Ronan, N. (2022). Nuancing the roles of entrepreneurial universities in regional economic development. Studies in Higher Education, 47(5), 964–972.
Rådberg, K. K., & Löfsten, H. (2023). Develo** a knowledge ecosystem for large-scale research infrastructure. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 48(1), 441–467.
Rippa, P., & Secundo, G. (2019). Digital academic entrepreneurship: The potential of digital technologies on academic entrepreneurship. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 146, 900–911.
Salmi, J., & D’Addio, A. (2021). Policies for achieving inclusion in higher education. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 5(1), 47–72.
Schaeffer, P. R., Guerrero, M., & Fischer, B. B. (2021). Mutualism in ecosystems of innovation and entrepreneurship: A bidirectional perspective on universities’ linkages. Journal of Business Research, 134, 184–197.
Siegel, D. S., & Guerrero, M. (2021). The impact of quarantines, lockdowns, and ‘reopenings’ on the commercialization of science: Micro and macro issues. Journal of Management Studies, 58(5), 1389–1394.
Švarc, J., & Dabić, M. (2021). Transformative innovation policy or how to escape peripheral policy paradox in European research peripheral countries. Technology in Society, 67101705, 101705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101705
Teece, D. J. (2010). Business models, business strategy and innovation. Long Range Planning, 43(2–3), 172–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2009.07.003
Teece, D. J. (2023). The evolution of the dynamic capabilities framework. In Artificiality and sustainability in entrepreneurship (pp. 113–129). Springer.
Teece, D., & Leih, S. (2016). Uncertainty, innovation, and dynamic capabilities: An introduction. California Management Review, 58(4), 5–12.
Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.
Teece, D. J., Peteraf, M., & Leih, S. (2016). Dynamic capabilities and organizational agility: Risk, uncertainty, and strategy in the innovation economy. California Management Review, 58(4), 13–35.
Temel, S., Dabić, M., Ar, I. M., Howells, J., Mert, A., & Yesilay, R. B. (2021). Exploring the relationship between university innovation intermediaries and patenting performance. Technology in Society, 66, 101665.
Tseng, F.-C., Huang, M.-H., & Chen, D.-Z. (2020). Factors of university–industry collaboration affecting university innovation performance. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 45(2), 560–577.
Van den Berg, C. (2018). Enriching the information systems curriculum to enable digital innovation capacity. South African Journal of Higher Education, 32(6), 215–233.
Vicente-Saez, R., Gustafsson, R., & Van den Brande, L. (2020). The dawn of an open exploration era: Emergent principles and practices of open science and innovation of university research teams in a digital world. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 156, 120037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120037
Vincent-Lancrin, S., Jacotin, G., Urgel, J., Kar, S., & González-Sancho, C. (2017). Measuring innovation in education: A journey to the future. OECD Publishing.
Vivar-Simon, M., Errasti, N., & Markuerkiaga, L. (2022). An analysis of the organisational factors that determine education-related university-business cooperation activities in manufacturing SMEs. Studies in Higher Education, 47(5), 982–989.
Wakkee, I., van der Sijde, P., Vaupell, C., & Ghuman, K. (2019). The university’s role in sustainable development: Activating entrepreneurial scholars as agents of change. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 141, 195–205.
Yáñez-Valdés, C., & Guerrero, M. (2021). Technology transfer policy framework in Chile. In Technology transfer and entrepreneurial innovations (pp. 103–113). Springer.
Yáñez-Valdés, C., & Guerrero, M. (2022). Technology transfer and frugal social innovations: Looking inside an emerging economy. In Handbook of technology transfer (pp. 249–265). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Younis, H., Katsioloudes, M., & Al Bakri, A. (2020). Digital entrepreneurship intentions of Qatar university students motivational factors identification: Digital entrepreneurship intentions. International Journal of E-Entrepreneurship and Innovation (IJEEI), 10(1), 56–74.
Acknowledgments
Claudia Yáñez-Valdés acknowledges the financial support during her Ph.D. studies from the Facultad de Economía y Negocios at the Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile, as well as from the ANID [Agencia Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo en Chile].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Yáñez-Valdés, C., Guerrero, M., Dabić, M. (2023). An Empirical Approach. In: Guerrero, M., Dabić, M. (eds) Re-Building University Capabilities. Applied Innovation and Technology Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31667-8_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31667-8_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-31666-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-31667-8
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)