We have got used to recognising the role of innovation in generating growth and prosperity in all economies.  At first, society heaped praise on individuals who led technological change (for example, Trevithick, Armstrong or Brunel).  In the last 100 years, greater emphasis was given to larger firms and government policy to lead the “white heat… Read more

The term ‘innovation’ is widely used and abused. What do you imagine when you think of ‘innovation’? Something new? New technology? New drugs or the latest app? Any or all of these could be innovations each of which will have very different impacts on society and the firms and consumers they touch. A new edition… Read more

Innovation Centres (ICs) are an under-reported and under-defined institution within the innovation ecosystem. Research by the Enterprise Research Centre and Cork University Business School for the Institute of Physics (IOP) aimed to understand the role played by physics-related ICs in supporting physics-based innovation across the UK and Ireland. The IOP’s reach across both countries provides… Read more

Climbing a mountain, travelling North or spending time near the sea we all become aware of differences in the climate. In some places configurations of landscape create specific micro-climates, which create conditions of warmth or shelter allowing plants and gardens to flourish. Recent research suggests that business innovation may work in a similar way, with… Read more

Innovation is good isn’t it? We all love exciting new products or services which are useful and add value to our lives. For firms too innovation can be good for attracting new customers and increasing profits. But what happens when innovation goes wrong? We have all experienced this. Think about the last time you tried… Read more

Open innovation provides significant advantages for individual firms and may generate wider social benefits. Positive externalities related to knowledge sharing may result from openness itself, and enhanced levels of innovation may lead to otherwise unachieved innovation spillovers. A number of studies have suggested, however, that average levels of OI activity remain well below the level… Read more

The Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference in Cardiff, October 2021, was a joyous occasion that brought researchers together face-to-face for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The paper awarded ‘Best in Conference’ analysed UK policy to protect the income of small traders and microbusiness directors during COVID19, asking whether the policy… Read more