Clusters,innovation and tertiary education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the integration between research findings produced at the University and Community College levels and local SMEs (small and medium enterprises) as it impacts regional innovation systems and in particular the prospect of cluster formation. The paper explores certain factors that have been identified in international literature as being critical to fostering innovation in non‐metropolitan regions. These factors include government policies and programmes, internal and external infrastructure, partnership or research links among educational institutions, and support from local business and civic leaders. Stakeholders from non‐metropolitan regions were asked to judge the level of effectiveness with reference to these development “factors” while highlighting weaknesses, strengths, and effects on innovation in their locale.     

中国高校合并前后科研生产率动态变化的Malmquist指数分析

This paper describes the dynamic changes in research productivity of Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) before and after merger with Malmquist index, and decomposes the total factor productivity change index into catching-up effect, scale effect and frontier-shift effect. The main finding is that technological improvement and innovation are important factors to improve scientific research productivity of Chinese HEIs. __________ Translated from Qinghua Daxue Jiaoyu Yanjiu 清华大学教育研究 (Tsinghua Journal of Education), 2007, 28 (1): 62–70     

地方大学科技园单一产业创新集群动力学模型研究

以大学科技园区单一产业的创新力为研究对象,通过创新集群的经济学原理,在分析大学科技园区单一产业集群的特征基础上,从定性角度构建了大学园区创新产业集群与环境要素作用模型、大学园区具有创新能力单一产业集群模型;为了进一步对大学科技园区具有创新能力单一产业集群模型运行规律进行研究,借助数学中的逻辑斯蒂(Logistic)模型,研究了大学科技园区具有创新能力单一产业集群模型的动力学模型;最后,从数据分析角度运用实例化研究,证明了所构建的动力学模型对定量化分析大学园区创新集群模型的有效性。     

Between vocational education and training centres and companies: study of their relations under the regional innovation system approach

In the current context of economic crisis, the European Union seeks to promote the integration of the vocational education and training system (VET) system and foster greater cooperation between this system and enterprises. Education and innovation are part of the answer to achieve this goal. This research explores the relationship between the VET centres and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and what aspects of that relationship could be improved. Methodologically, it combines case studies of VET centres in relation to local SMEs and the use of a survey to SMEs in two industrialised Spanish regions. The paper examines, in the context of the regional innovation system approach, how the local environment and the characteristics of local actors are crucial to understanding the level of interaction between the VET system and companies, and the contributions of the former to the innovation system of the regions.     

Changing contexts: Teacher professional development and ICT pedagogy

This paper examines data from a series of visits to secondary schools in England which have been identified as doing innovative work with ICT. The paper argues that stable definitions of innovation are difficult in this context and require an understanding of both the technological contexts of innovation and the concept of a school as a dynamic learning community. Data is presented in the form of vignettes to demonstrate how the school visits formed a kind of “performance” in relation to the schools’ own claims about innovations and the enquiries of the research team. Discussion of the data focuses on three key themes which emerge: the changing roles of teachers; new technologies/new pedagogies and the public face of the school. The paper concludes with the observation that innovation is necessarily complex but pupil agency and creativity should always play a vital part.     

Business as usual? Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to research,development and innovation (RDI) activities of universities of applied sciences

Universities of applied sciences (UAS) have a strong mandate to carry out research, development and innovation (RDI) activities in collaboration with local stakeholders. Geographical proximity is one of the key factors for the creation and success of RDI activities because of the positive balance between costs and benefits of local knowledge transfer, but they also depend on the networks of individual staff members. This paper aims to explore how maintaining and developing purpose-built and individual RDI partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic has been managed. An enhanced conceptual framework for assessing contextual dimensions of the RDI activities beyond academic entrepreneurship as business ventures has been developed. The paper focuses on a single case study drawing on semi-structured research interviews investigating how the swap to remote working have affected RDI activities at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, one of the biggest UAS in Finland with intense regional linkages. The contribution of the study is twofold; firstly, the paper introduces an expanded theoretical approach for assessing the external and internal factors having an impact on the RDI activities beyond academic entrepreneurship. Secondly, by testing the proposed framework, it shares insights and good practices derived from empirical evidence, namely binary data and semi-structured interviews revealing experiences of RDI personnel and project managers involved with different phases of RDI process, for optimising high-quality innovation support, knowledge transfer activities and co-creation of new knowledge in exceptional circumstances.

     

中国高校科技创新效率的区域差异及其收敛性分析——基于2000-2016年面板数据

高校是国家创新体系的重要组成部分,是科技产出的重要基地,其对国家创新体系建设和创新驱动战略实施具有巨大的推动作用。运用DEA-Malmquist指数法分析国内28个省(市、自治区)2000-2016年高校科技创新效率的变化规律,可以探明高校科技创新效率的收敛性及其影响因素。研究显示:我国高校科技创新全要素生产率整体呈增长态势,东部地区高校科技创新全要素生产率最大,主要得益于技术水平的提高;我国区域高校科技创新全要素生产率的差异有所下降,逐渐趋于σ收敛;全国及其东、中、西部地区均存在绝对β收敛和条件β收敛现象。为了进一步提升高校的科技创新效率,建议从合理配置科技资源、缩小科技创新效率地域差异、提升科研项目质量、建立完善的科研激励机制等方面进行改进。     

中国内地专利的空间分布及其影响因素分析

专利数据是衡量区域创新能力的常用指标之一。在我国,专利具有集中于沿海分 布的特点;动态数据表明区域创新能力的差距在不断扩大。专利的空间分布受到社会、经济等因 素的影响。计量模型分析表明,以“社会消费品零售总额”反映的区域市场发展整体水平对我国 区域创新能力的影响最大,其次是企业研发投入、外商直接投资、科研人员比例等因素。由此可 以得出一些有针对性的政策建议,来增强各地区以专利数量衡量的创新能力,具体为:对创新能 力落后的地区给予科技政策上的扶持;增加研发投入,提高各地区企业研发能力;重视外商投资 项目中技术的引进;发挥科技人员在技术创新中的作用和促进专利成果的转化等。     

推动廊坊市欠发达地区新农保事业的策略研究

受经济发展水平、地方财政承受能力、制度设计完善程度以及地方领导等靠思想的制约和影响，廊坊市欠发达县区成为推进新农保事业全覆盖的瓶颈地带。破解这一普遍难题，既要靠制度创新，也要靠思想观念的转变。     

民族地区高校“产学研用”合作的新视角探析

民族文化创意产业是提升民族地区文化软实力的重要着力点,是经济发展新的增长点。文章认为,民族文化创意产业的发展离不开高等教育的强力支持,而民族地区高校支持民族文化创意产业的发展,必须走＂产学研用＂相结合的道路。     

基于人才资源共享的企校协同创新研究

中国航发成都发动机有限公司以航空发动机研制为合作平台,集成企业、高校人才优势,与地方高校建立联合开发、协同协作的产学研用技术创新合作模式,加强高新技术在航空发动机产业的高效利用,实现科技成果充分共享、合作共赢和人才培养成效凸显、创新能力持续提升。本研究以协同创新系统理论为指导,系统分析协同创新发展影响因素,探索出了基于项目平台和人才共享机制的企校协同创新对策。     

Community universities in the South of Brazil: prospects and challenges of a model of non-state public higher education

In recent years, higher education institutions have been encouraged to engage more strongly with their local communities, and address their historically weak links with their surrounding populations. In the latter part of the twentieth century, a number of community universities were established in the South of Brazil, characterised by democratic local community involvement, expansion of access in non-metropolitan regions, and close ties with local industry. This article analyses these innovative institutions in relation to the complex demands of the so-called knowledge economy and multifaceted relationships between public and private, exploring the ways in which the public good role of universities manifests itself in relation to the local. Given their hybrid nature – independent from the state but with a public good mission – these institutions can be seen to represent a new model of non-state public higher education. Implications are drawn out for the potential role of these institutions in the current policy context of Brazil, and internationally, in light of their context-specificity and the significant challenges from the highly commercialised for-profit sector.     

我国区域风险投资对技术创新的作用研究——基于省际面板数据的经验证据

通过对技术创新和风险投资特征的深刻剖析,研究风险投资对技术创新的作用机理,使用2006—2011年我国省际非平面板数据实证检验我国区域风险投资对技术创新作用的空间差异。结论显示：风险投资对技术创新的作用主要通过融资支持和参与管理的方式实现：风险投资对全国和东部地区技术创新具有促进作用,而对中西部地区未表现出促进效应。     

Innovation strategy for building indigenous technological innovation capability in China

Indigenous technological innovation capability-building has emerged in recent years as a new development agenda and the critical problem in China. This paper, based on 5-year empirical research on Chinese firms and theoretical analysis, presents and details the contents of a “3-I innovation strategy”, and finally shows the industrial difference of such strategy. Research work (7930040) supported by Key NSFC Project and International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada     

在全面建设小康社会中地方高校的使命及其办学特征

在我国人民进行现代化建设的过程中，研究型大学和地方高校肩负着不同的历史使命。地方高校要为发达地区或欠发达地区加速工业化进程、实施城镇化发展战略、消灭城乡差别发挥主导作用；要在区域性技术创新系统中发挥骨干作用；要在建设学习化社会、促进人的全面发展中发挥先锋作用。为了完成这一使命，地方高校必须具有地方性、大众性、特色性、多样化、现代化、国际化等办学特征。     

研究型大学在国家自主技术创新中的作用

The world is increasingly merged into a global market economy, and the government’s intervention power in economy has rapidly given way to that of science and technology. For the world’s major economic powers, indigenous technological innovation has become a national strategy for enhancing competitiveness. Investment in scientific and technological innovation has become the most important form of strategic investment and strategic technological industry has become a forward-looking deployment and key priority in innovative national building. Research universities may have critical strength in and important social contribution to indigenous technological innovation. An innovative government may achieve this by making use of the research university’s mechanism and characteristics of technology transfer, clarifying the university—industry relationship and providing relevant policy incentives. The article concludes with an analysis of the advantages, problems and making strategies of Chinese research universities in indigenous technological innovation. __________ Translated from Qinghua Daxue Jiaoyu Yanjiu 清华大学教育研究 (Tsinghua Journal of Education), 2008, 28(2): 7–15     

Contextual factors that sustain innovative pedagogical practice using technology: an international study

Pedagogical innovation—whether involving technology or not—is shaped by a complex interaction of the innovation with contextual factors such as school and school district policy, leadership, cultural norms and values, teacher attitudes and skills, and student characteristics. This study examined school and classroom contexts in which pedagogical innovations employing technology were successfully sustained. Data were obtained from 59 cases drawn from the Second Information Technology in Education Study—Module 2, a project that examined 174 cases of innovative pedagogical practice in schools in 28 countries. An explanatory model of sustainability was derived from a qualitative analysis of the cases using grounded theory techniques. Essential conditions for the sustainability of classroom innovation were teacher and student support of the innovation, teacher perceived value of the innovation, teacher professional development, and principal approval. Contributing factors for sustainability were supportive plans and policies, funding, innovation champions, and internal and external recognition and support. An interactive website that allows for searching of SITES-M2 case reports on various attributes such as sustainability, transferability, level of school, and evidence of supportive policies and plans is available at http://sitesm2.org.     

创新集群的成长路径与培育策略研究

在大量实践案例的基础上,揭示了创新集群的内涵与外延,归纳出三种创新集群,即科研院所引导型、传统产业集群竞争升级型以及政府政策推动型,并分析了三种创新集群的形成基础、初始动力以及演化路径。然后以襄阳地区为例,结合襄阳地区现有产业基础和存在问题,提出培育创新集群的策略：（1）完善现有产业集群结构,包括完善本地产业链,培育龙头企业;完善支撑网络,加强创新服务平台的建设;积极拓展创新来源,发展外部的网络;（2）鼓励创新与创业,培育集群创新的文化。     

The effects of principal’s leadership style on support for innovation: evidence from Korean vocational high school change

A climate of innovation and principal leadership in schools are regarded as significant factors in successfully implementing school change or innovation. Nevertheless, the relationship between the school climate supportive of innovation and the principal’s leadership has rarely been addressed to determine whether schools successfully perform their intended change. In this vein, this study investigated the impacts of the principal’s leadership style on the teacher’s perceived school climate in terms of support for innovation. The participants were 981 full-time teachers in 32 public vocational high schools in South Korea. To examine the unobserved characteristics of schools and principals that promote a school climate supportive of innovation, both traditional multiple regression and HLM analyses were conducted and compared to the estimated effects of the principal’s leadership style as a predictor at both the teacher level and the group level. While the unobserved characteristics of school type and principals’ demographics were considered, results of the study revealed that the leadership style of the principal significantly affects how the teachers perceive the school climate in terms of support for innovation. More specifically, the findings of the study assert that principal’s leadership style as an Initiator or a Manger, rather than a Responder, can provide support for an organizational climate which enhances innovation in schools. Additionally, evaluating the government’s change initiative, the study illustrates that the government’s top-down mandate requiring schools to change was not related to the creation of a climate supportive of innovation in schools.