SMS extension in Padova: Innovation, Entrepreneuship, and Invention Networks Call for proposal June, 8-9 2016

09.06.2016

The theme of the workshop will be the role of innovation, entrepreneurship and invention network in the modern context. In particular, as an important stream of managerial literature on innovation has emphasized, the role of knowledge recombination as one of the most important sources of technological novelty (Weitzman, 1998; Strumsky et al., 2012; Youn et al., 2014). Important knowledge flows (Strumsky et al., 2011) are activated by networks of inventors that recombine their already existing knowledge, at different scale level.

Technological innovation is becoming more and more a “collective phenomenon” that involves not only numerous firms and organizations, but also a variety of inventors (Allen, 1983; Powell and Giannella, 2010) belonging to different organizations which are in coopetion (Dagnino, 2007). Business studies, economic geography, and regional science have an established tradition in studying the importance of geographic proximity for innovation and the formation of inventive networks. Moreover, knowledge creation is also supported by the entrepreneurial dynamics in high-knowledge sectors, specifically in two main domains: high-tech manufacturing and knowledge intensive business services (KIBS), where we could observe the rise of new firms.

Another important path for understanding knowledge entrepreneurial dynamics is the creation of spin-off from both universities and existing firms (Winter, 2011; Weeks and Galunic 2003). Where does the spin-off idea originate, how it develops and transforms over time, how beliefs, assumptions and heuristics changes over time, how they are absorbed by the other members of the new firm, and how do they approach the market?

The discussion among speakers and presenters will animate the following thematic issues:

1) Assessing the relative importance of reusing, recombining and creating technologies in the process of invention

2) The spatial dimension of invention networks between scale effects and urban connectivity.

3) The emerging business models of knowledge intensive entrepreneurship and spin-offs

4) The evolution of the start-up phenomena, the role of business incubators and crowdfunding platforms, including also venture capitals and TTOs.