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ItemInstitutions and policy learning supporting economic development(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-10-07) Gregersen, Birgitte ; Johnson, BjörnThe paper argues that a narrow conceptualization of institutions as more or less similar to ‘good governance’ is not conductive for an understanding of the institutional underpinnings of the learning economy. In stead an explicit focus on a broad set of institutions that support learning is needed. Improving learning and innovation capabilities is not only a question of more resources for education and research (more and better schools and universities) but also of better institutions supporting interactive learning and innovation in all parts of society. A key issue is to create institutions that support utilization of indigenous knowledge and develop new ways to combine indigenous knowledge with science and technology based knowledge. It is to a large extent also a question of improving the coordination and coherence between different policy areas. Policy learning has to be institutionalized as an ongoing process of minor as well as major institutional adaptations and innovations.
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ItemA Policy Learning Perspective on Developing Sustainable Energy Technologies(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-09) Gregersen, Birgitte ; Johnson, BjörnSince the late 1970s wind power has played an increasing role in the Danish energy production and consumption and during the same period the Danish wind industry has obtained a leading world market position. The development of this “new” sector is in many ways an illustrating example of the systemic nature of innovation processes and its dependency on co-evolution and interaction between technological, economic, political, and institutional elements. It is also a clear example on the importance of long-term regulation and determined government energy policy if obtained industrial strongholds are to be maintained. When a liberal-conservative government in 2001 replaced a social democratic one, it put the renewable energy plans on stand by with negative consequences for both the environment and the renewable energy sector. The home market for new wind power installations nearly disappeared, and other emerging growth sectors as for instance solar energy and bio-fuel simply lost momentum after 2001. Only recently there are tendencies towards a return to a more renewable energy friendly policy.4 We argue that an innovation system approach and a related policy learning perspective can provide essential insights into the elements and relations influencing both the mutual success story of industry growth and energy policy based on wind power and the less constructive story of missing opportunities when renewable energy policies are given less political attention. The point of departure for the analysis is a ‘learning economy’ concept where learning and knowledge are central aspects of the economic process. Section 2 shortly lists some key characteristics of a modern learning economy. Section 3 emphasizes the policy learning concept. Policymaking is described, not as a means-ends, rational choice activity, but as a process of policy learning including vision building, institutional learning, organizational learning, integration of different area-specific policies, etc. In section 4 the Danish Wind Power Innovation System is used as reference case to illustrate the mutual relations between industrial dynamics and policy learning. Focus is on central factors and actors shaping the path of learning and innovation. Policy lessons learnt from the Danish wind industry ‘adventure’ are discussed in section 5 and section 6 summarizes the main conclusions.
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ItemForms of Knowledge, Modes of Innovation and Innovation Systems(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008) Berg Jensen, Morten ; Johnson, Björn ; Lorenz, Edward ; Lundvall, Bengt-ÅkeInspired by the concepts tacit and codified knowledge introduced by Polanyi, this paper makes a distinction between two modes of innovation. On the one hand there are innovation strategies (Science, Technology, and Innovation, STI-mode) that give main emphasis to promoting R&D and creating access to explicit codified knowledge. On the other hand there are innovation strategies (Doing, Using, and Interacting, DUImode) mainly based on learning by doing, using and interacting. We show that firms using mixed strategies that combine a strong version of the STI-mode with a strong version of the DUI-mode excel in product innovation. The distinctions made and the results obtained have important implications for innovation policy and for the analysis of innovation systems. They help to avoid biased approaches exaggerating the role of science-based innovation while also indicating limits for experience-based innovation strategies.
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ItemEconomic Development and the National System of Innovation Approach(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004) Johnson, Björn ; Edquist, Charles ; Lundvall, Bengt-Åke“One major academic aim of the conference is to enrich and enhance the quality of innovation research by applying some of its fundamental concepts such as 'innovation systems', 'competence building' and 'interactive learning' to issues at the core of economic development. It is well known that applying a theoretical framework outside the arena where it was first developed may bring fundamental new theoretical insights.” In this paper we will try to substantiate what is referred to in the above text taken from the conference web-site for the first Globelics conference. We will try to demonstrate that the application of the innovation system concept on economic development makes more visible some general weaknesses of the concept and gives strong incentives to develop it further. In the development context it becomes clear that we need to understand better the formation of as well as the openness of national systems and the role of power relationships as well as the broader institutional context supporting competence building.