A number of key terms and concepts have been grouped together in the recent debate over innovations and technology: knowledge society, information society, network society, informationalism, the Information Age, innovation economy, innovation environments, innovation ecosystems, business ecosystems, living labs, complex systems, autopoiesis, dominant design…
And to continue: KIBS (= Knowledge Intensive Business Services), STI and DUI principles, value networks, the creative economy, the creative class, creative buzz, learning regions, clusters and miniclusters, creative industries, media ecology, fitness landscape, open innovation, mobility, serendipity, swarm intelligence, crowdsourcing, social media, web 2.0, web 3.0, everyware, ubiquitous technology, digital competence, digital convergence, prosumerism, the net generation, IPRs, etc., etc., etc.
A central objective of the European Union’s science and technology policies is to develop the innovation capacity of the economic area and to enhance the related creative processes towards higher efficiency and profitability. This has been defined as the economic, scientific and technological goal of the whole EU. The R&D work concerning innovation processes will involve the public sector, universities, and businesses alike.
The new idea and challenge in Europe is to combine the European cluster strategy with the new innovation paradigm (open innovation) and with the opportunities and future trends of, for example, innovation media. The rise of “innovation journalism” and “innovation media” as key notions and research fields reveals that the significant role of (social) media and journalistic practices has not been taken into consideration in the traditional triple helix model. In the ecosystemic view, the role of media and communications (both the traditional mass media and the new Internet-based services) is evident.
Further reading:
Inkinen, Sam & Kaivo-oja, Jari (2009). Understanding Innovation Dynamics. Aspects of Creative Processes, Foresight Strategies, Innovation Media, and Innovation Ecosystems. FFRC eBook 9/2009. Turku: Finland Futures Research Centre, Turku School of Economics.