Innovation ecosystemscomplementary, substitutive relations and value creation

Abstract

Firm innovation is considered crucial for economic growth, productivity and job creation. However, despite being considered one of the key phenomena of economic life, how it occurs, what relationships trigger it and how it can be promoted are still under discussion among academics, managers and policymakers. This doctoral dissertation aims to clarify these questions by analysing the existence of complementary and substitutive relationships between the primary agents of the innovative ecosystem: scientific, supply chain partners and firms. To achieve this goal, three analyses were carried out: The first analysis connects the literature on the innovation ecosystem with that on innovation systems. These two communities have grown independently and, in recent years, have even clashed. Using a bibliometric analysis, this research offers a synthesis with which a future agenda on three key topics for the analysis of innovation such as value creation, environmental objectives and governance of the environment can be proposed. The second research analyses value creation between scientific partners and companies from a new perspective. Using a meta-regression analysis of previously published works, this research computes the real effect of this relationship, taking into account publication bias and the heterogeneity of each study. This research informs us of what the determinants of value creation between agents are and draws important conclusions for the future. The third research focuses on the complementary and substitutive relationships between scientific, supply chain partners and focal firms in order to introduce innovations with environmental objectives. From this research, it is concluded which the combinations of different agents are that increase the probability of introducing this crucial type of innovation and which produce adverse effects. Finally, this doctoral dissertation intends to lay the theoretical foundations for future research which considers other crucial agents of the innovative ecosystem, such as governments, entrepreneurs and venture capital.