Call for Papers

This sub-theme examines the process of innovation in the light of developments in technology and the changing global context in which innovation occurs. In particular we are interested in:

1. models of 'open' and 'user-led' innovation which seek to more directly engage the user in the innovation process – for example by exploiting new possibilities offered by the Internet and digital technologies to engage the customer and user base in the development process;
2. 'translational' innovation which seeks to bring about innovation through co-production between knowledge generating institutions (e.g. Universities, government research agencies) and commercialising or knowledge exploiting organizations (e.g. business organizations) often facilitated through partnerships with local and regional government and engineered in new 'translational spaces'; and
3. 'social' innovation that occurs with the implementation of new ideas that succeed in resolving social challenges (problems or opportunities) by meeting social goals and improving societal well-being.

The need to move beyond the confines of a single organizations or clusters of the same types of organizations/sectors when theorising the innovation process will be examined and consideration given to the nature of new relationships and links between different, broader and more varied set of actors in innovation systems. Attention will also given to the blurring of the traditional boundaries between producer/developer and user in the innovation process as well as the nature and extent of role-taking/switching between new partners in the innovation process involving universities/research agencies, local and regional government and business organizations.

This sub-theme session is therefore interested in how we can further re-conceptualise the innovation process and move beyond the single enterprise or cluster of similar enterprise models which are the dominant focus of much previous thinking to embrace these new practices that emphasis innovation as a complex and multi-faceted process influenced, among other things, by contextual, political, technical and social factors. We encourage contributions from academics interested in recent debates and developments in the theory and practice of innovation in reassembling organizations.