Systems of Innovation

Innovation systems are essential structures through which innovation processes are maintained and transformed into products and services.

Innovations, which reside at the core of local, national and global competitiveness also facilitate effective solutions to societal and environmental needs. Enterprises are the main source and carries of innovation, however their performance depends on the economic and regulatory environment, thei links to factor markets, clusters, networks of knowledge-based organizations and systems at large.

The course content in designed to introduce the student to the concepts, institutions, relations and tools that define and structure innovation systems. The concept of innovation system will direct their attention to systemic failure in the development of science and technology need for interaction between the actors, mismatches between basic and applied industrial research, technolgy transfer, innovative capabilities and diffusion of knowledge.

Governments role will be elucidated as they provide the foundations for effective partnering and networking among the elements in the system.