cy Lu

Strategic challenges for creating knowledge‐based innovation in China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the strategic challenges for creating knowledge‐based innovation in China.Design/methodology/approach – The paper outlines the context of innovation in China and describes the triple helix model of knowledge‐based innovation.Findings – Chinas re‐emergence as a major power in the world economy points to the needs of integrating China into the global innovation networks. However, there are a number of challenges facing Chinese firms, academics, government agencies and policy makers.Originality/value – The paper gives notice of launch in 2009 of the Journal of Knowledge‐based Innovation in China which will address the innovation challenges facing China in the transition from a planned to a market‐driven economy in the twenty‐first century. The new journal will provide a platform for the development of new ideas and research on knowledge‐based innovation.

Knowledge transfer through effective university‐industry interactions: Empirical experiences from China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a strategic framework of successful knowledge transfer through the development of university‐industry interactions in China.Design/methodology/approach – The research is designed based on a single case study with qualitative analysis. Data were collected through documentary analysis, semi‐structured interviews and participated observations of the commercialization project within Tsinghua University (China), which is one of the world leading research universities in science and technological innovation.Findings – Four modes of university‐industry interactions during the process of knowledge transfer have been identified, which contribute to the success of knowledge transfer at different stages of university‐industry relations. They are: university‐dependent low sticky interaction; university‐dependent high sticky interaction; mutual‐dependent high sticky interaction; mutual‐dependent low sticky interaction. In addition, the development of entrepreneurial sp...

Creating knowledge‐based innovation in China

Purpose – This research paper attempts to address the strategic challenges of developing knowledge‐based innovation (KBI) in China through the analysis of the triple helix (TH) innovation networks between university, government and industry in China. In so doing, the TH model is adopted as an analytical framework to investigate the format and operations of knowledge networks within university, government and industry during the economic transitions in China.Design/methodology/approach – The paper incorporates field observation, interviews with senior government officials, desk research on various government policy document as well as critical review of the existing literature related to KBI and the TH model in order to build up the strategic overview of the current state of KBI in China.Findings – Based on the critical literature review and interviews, it is identified that the formation and operation of knowledge production system in China on the one hand reflects the three dimensions within TH model: no...

Technology strategy and sustainability of business: Empirical experiences from Chinese cases

Purpose – This paper sets out to review the literature of technology strategy, competitive advantage and sustainability of international business, in particular, the contribution that the enactment of technology strategy can make toward the effective implementation of business sustainability in the post-recession. It examines what kind of role technology strategy plays in Chinese business and how business sustainability could be leveraged through the implementation of appropriate technology strategy. This paper attempts to address various crucial issues in the establishment of a proper technology strategy for the sustainability of the business in the global market place based upon case study of five vanguard Chinese companies. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory study primarily adapts a qualitative multiple-case-study method which attempts to understand how Chinese firms perceive the role of technology strategy in their business, to capture the practical terms and concepts underpinning technolo...

Interorganizational Networks and Open Innovation Environments: Addressing Emerging Paradoxes

This paper examines the formation, structuring and internal dynamics of networks in an open innovation environment. Based on a case study conducted at the Creapolis Innovation Centre in Spain, it highlights the significance of several paradoxes which emerge from the interaction between organizations that share an open environment. These paradoxes have been shown to compromise the stability and performance of an effective innovation network and to represent a double-edged sword that may both facilitate and constrain the development of the innovative capacities of firms. This paper stresses the importance of a deeper understanding of such critical issues, and suggests mechanisms for creating and facilitating an appropriate and effective open innovation environment, in which knowledge is shared and exchanged between innovation actors.

Knowledge transfer through effective university‐industry interactions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a strategic framework of successful knowledge transfer through the development of university‐industry interactions in China.Design/methodology/approach – The research is designed based on a single case study with qualitative analysis. Data were collected through documentary analysis, semi‐structured interviews and participated observations of the commercialization project within Tsinghua University (China), which is one of the world leading research universities in science and technological innovation.Findings – Four modes of university‐industry interactions during the process of knowledge transfer have been identified, which contribute to the success of knowledge transfer at different stages of university‐industry relations. They are: university‐dependent low sticky interaction; university‐dependent high sticky interaction; mutual‐dependent high sticky interaction; mutual‐dependent low sticky interaction. In addition, the development of entrepreneurial sp...

Innovation networks: Exploring inter-organizational dynamics in open innovation environments

The present study explores the formation, structuring and dynamics of inter-organizational networks in open innovation environments. Based on a case study conducted at the Creapolis innovation center, it stresses the significance of a number of paradoxes that emerge when the conceptual combination of networking, diversity, openness and collaboration is shaped in reality. This paper stresses the importance of a deeper understanding of these paradoxes as an integral part of the phenomenon. It has been demonstrated that, beyond the hypothetical benefits of open innovation, these critical issues constitute a double-edged sword that compromise not only the innovative capacities of firms but also the stability and performance of the entire network. This represents immediate challenges for participating firms, governance teams and scholars towards accelerating the development of theory and new solutions aimed at facilitating the interplay between inter-organizational networks and open innovation environments.

R&D team governance and R&D performance: Empirical evidence from Chinese software enterprises

Purpose – With the clarification of three effective methods (share holding, decision participation and promotion of technical grade) to govern R&D teams in software enterprises, the purpose of this paper is to provide an empirical investigation of the application of these methods in Chinese software enterprises.Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on a quantitative approach with 34 items designed in the questionnaire to measure the indicators. All items were rated by respondents on a five‐point Likert‐type scale. In order to testify the validity of the three methods of R&D team governance, a correlation analysis and a linear regression were made to examine the relationship between these methods of R&D team governance and R&D performance.Findings – The evidence shows that decision participation and promotion of technical grades are the two most effective methods to govern R&D teams in Chinese software enterprises, while share holding is not conducive to R&D performance. The share holding lev...

Knowledge Transfer and University-Industry Interactions: An Empirical Experiences from China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a strategic framework of successful knowledge transfer through the development of university‐industry interactions in China.Design/methodology/approach – The research is designed based on a single case study with qualitative analysis. Data were collected through documentary analysis, semi‐structured interviews and participated observations of the commercialization project within Tsinghua University (China), which is one of the world leading research universities in science and technological innovation.Findings – Four modes of university‐industry interactions during the process of knowledge transfer have been identified, which contribute to the success of knowledge transfer at different stages of university‐industry relations. They are: university‐dependent low sticky interaction; university‐dependent high sticky interaction; mutual‐dependent high sticky interaction; mutual‐dependent low sticky interaction. In addition, the development of entrepreneurial sp...