Innovation intermediaries' types and functions

A computational analysis of the literature

Bibliographic Data

ID21403609
AuthorsAnnalisa Caloffi (0000-0002-7819-5173, University of Florence, corresponding author), Ana Colovic (0000-0002-0979-7402, NEOMA Business School), Valentina Rizzoli (0000-0001-6240-4519, Sapienza University of Rome), Federica Rossi (0000-0002-5869-4469, Birkbeck, University of London)
Year2023
Volume189
Pages122351
Publication date2023-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTechnological Forecasting and Social Change (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0040-1625 • E-ISSN: 1873-5509
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122351
OpenAlexW4318313244
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited110

Innovation intermediaries have become numerous and diverse. Faced with this growing heterogeneity, there is the need to advance understanding of the organisations that engage in innovation intermediation activities. To do so, we use a combination of text mining and bibliometric techniques, and we identify seven different streams of literature, six of which refer to distinct types of intermediaries that perform specific functions and often involve specific types of organisations. Looking at the evolution of the different streams of literature over time, we find that the early contributions focused on university incubators, science and technology parks, and the role they play within different types of innovation systems. More recently, the focus has shifted to the role of intermediaries in supporting sustainable transitions. Despite the differences between the various types of intermediaries and the literature streams that analyse them, the bibliographic coupling shows that all strands of literature have a common theoretical basis, which includes the open innovation approach and revolves around the role of science parks and incubators

Business · Data science · Intermediary · Intermediation · Knowledge management · Computer Science · Innovation Policy and RD · Intellectual Capital and Performance Analysis · Marketing · University-Industry-Government Innovation Models

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