A literature review on innovation systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15170/MM.2020.54.KSZ.I.01Keywords:
innovation systems, literature review, bibliometric analysisAbstract
THE AIMS OF THE PAPER
The systemic concept of innovation is now widespread, which implicates that innovation is considered as the outcome of the interplay between different actors situated in a specific environment. The study aims to introduce this concept and to analyze the literature of the innovation systems. The paper includes the definition of national, regional, technological, and sectoral innovation systems, and the specification of their position in the literature. Besides, the paper examines the new challenges that innovation systems must face.
METHODOLOGY
This study is a literature review, which consists of three parts. First, we describe the four types of innovation systems according to the most influential publications. Then, we analyze the evolution of the literature with bibliometric tools and describe the relationship between the different types of innovation systems. Finally, we introduce the new theoretical challenges of innovation systems.
MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
The results show, although during the last three decades there has been a dynamic rise in the innovation system literature, in the last few years it stopped. It shows that the innovation system approach is beyond its most dynamic expansion. Also, it faces several challenges in order to remain a relevant analytical framework for newer aspects of innovation research. Therefore several approaches have been integrated that take into account the social and environmental impacts of innovation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The innovation system as an analytical framework needs to be renewed, but it is still a widespread, relevant concept. In addition to the efforts made so far, further research is needed to enable a broader interpretation of innovation within this framework.
Acknowledgements: This publication/research has been supported by the European Union and Hungary and co-financed by the European Social Fund through the project EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00017, titled "Sustainable, intelligent and inclusive regional and city models".
