Mapping National Innovation Ecosystems

Increasingly, researchers and policymakers alike recognize that innovations are generated by complex and dynamic national ecosystems that include government, industry, universities and schools. Because these systems differ by country and are strongly influenced by culture, effective policy and research strategies require a systems approach, in which policy consensus is built on a clear understanding of how each nation's innovation ecosystem functions. This book outlines a unique methodology for constructing visual maps of national innovation ecosystems. The authors provide completed maps for six countries (Israel, Poland, Germany, France, Spain and Singapore), and two regions (Greater Toronto and ZhiangJiang Technology Park in Shanghai), along with detailed breakdowns of the policy implications emerging from each. These in-depth examples and a clear methodological approach offer a comprehensive guide for constructing visual portrayals of innovation systems and demonstrate why this is a vital exercise. Scholars and students of innovation and management will find this book an invaluable resource, as will innovation policymakers across the world.