Basic HTML Version
CenSES annual report 2012
16
RA4 consists of four work packages:
- WP1 Commercialization of research
- WP2 Innovation processes and innovation sys-
tems
- WP3 Local and regional barriers and strategies
- WP4 Public perceptions and engagement –
technological citizenship
Research in 2012
Research on innovation, commercialization and
public engagement covers a wide range of
topics.
First, innovation research is dominated by system
perspectives which have led to a number of innova-
tion systems models at national, regional, sectorial
and technological levels of analysis.
In RA 4 we take a somewhat different approach as
we focus on how knowledge based firms get access
to and how they use resources, including financial,
physical, human and organizational resources. An
important external source for resources knowl-
edge during the development of new innovations
is universities and other public research institutions.
These institutions play an important role for R&D
and innovation across a wide range of industries.
These research institutions possess technological
expertise and knowledge that can be valuable in-
put to the firms’ innovation processes, but can also
be a partner that facilitates organizational learning
and the creation of new knowledge. However, many
firms find it difficult to collaborate with research in-
stitutions. These issues will be explored in detail in
RA4.
Further, public policy and regulations may also in-
fluence both access to and use of resources and will
be given particular emphasis in the analyses of firm
and project level strategies and decisions.
RA 4 Innovation, Commercialization and Public
Engagement
Furthermore, the large scale investments needed to
develop, innovate and implement new alternative
energy technologies require fairly large coalitions
of actors meeting a politically moderated demand.
This suggests a need to focus on infrastructural in-
novation, even if existing literature in this field is lim-
ited to studies of relatively small-scale experiments.
Public engagement is critical to the outcome of in-
novation and commercialization. Recent research
asks what is needed to achieve robust and mature
public evaluations: early involvement, transparen-
cy, adequate information, opportunities for delib-
eration, and/or acknowledgement of contributions
from a diversity of expertise?
RA 4 is also responsible for “CenSES innovation fo-
rum”. The concept is further developed in 2012 and
future events will emphasize the involvement of
CenSES user partners to a larger extent.
Tyson Weaver has looked at Norwegian energy companies’
international operations. Photo: Sigurd Aarvig
Hydropower project ventures:
testing international waters
What are the international aspirations of the Nor-
wegian hydropower production sector? PhD can-