Dynamic capabilities perspective on innovation ecosystem of China’s universities in the age of artificial intelligence: Policy-based analysis

Chen Qu, Eunyoung Kim

Article ID: 1661
Vol 6, Issue 2, 2022

VIEWS - 1217 (Abstract) 915 (PDF)

Abstract


Universities play a key role in university-industry-government interactions and are important in innovation ecosystem studies. Universities are also expected to engage with industries and governments and contribute to economic development. In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), governments have introduced relevant policies regarding the AI-enabled innovation ecosystem in universities. Previous studies have not focused on the provision of a dynamic capabilities perspective on such an ecosystem based on policy analysis. This research work takes China as a case and provides a framework of AI-enabled dynamic capabilities to guide how universities should manage this based on China’s AI policy analysis. Drawing on two main concepts, which are the innovation ecosystem and dynamic capabilities, we analyzed the importance of the AI-enabled innovation ecosystem in universities with governance regulations, shedding light on the theoretical framework that is simultaneously analytical and normative, practical, and policy-relevant. We conducted a text analysis of policy instruments to illustrate the specificities of the AI innovation ecosystem in China’s universities. This allowed us to address the complexity of emerging environments of innovation and draw meaningful conclusions. The results show the broad adoption of AI in a favorable context, where talents and governance are boosting the advance of such an ecosystem in China’s universities.


Keywords


dynamic capability; innovation ecosystem; universities; artificial intelligence; policy instruments; policy stakeholders; text analysis

Full Text:

PDF


References


Adner R (2006). “Match your innovation strategy to your innovation ecosystem”. Harvard Business Review, 84(4): 98–107.

Allen GC (2019). Understanding China’s AI strategy: Clues to Chinese Strategic Thinking on Artificial Intelligence and National Security. Center for a New American Security.

Ambrosini V and Bowman C (2009). “What are dynamic capabilities and are they a useful construct in strategic management?” International Journal of Management Reviews, 11(1): 29–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2008.00251.x

Arenal A, Armuña C, Feijoo C, et al. (2020). “Innovation ecosystems theory revisited: The case of artificial intelligence in China”. Telecommunications Policy, 44(6): Art. 101960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2020.101960

Asheim BT, Smith HL and Oughton C (2011). “Regional innovation systems: Theory, empirics and policy”. Regional Studies, 45(7): 875–891. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2011.596701

Audretsch DB (2014). “From the entrepreneurial university to the university for the entrepreneurial society”. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 39(3): 313–321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-012-9288-1

Barton D, Woetzel J, Seong J and Tian Q (2017). “Artificial intelligence: Implications for China [Discussion paper]”. 2017 China Development Forum, Beijing, China.

Beijing Municipal People’s Government (2021). Kejibu Guanyu Zhichi Beijing Jianshe Guojia Xinyidai Rengongzhineng Chuangxin Fazhan Shiyanqu de Han [Letter from the Ministry of Science and Technology on Supporting the Construction of a New-Generation National AI Innovation and Application Pilot Zone in Beijing]. Beijing Municipal People’s Government.

Benneworth P, Pinheiro R and Sánchez-Barrioluengo M (2016). “One size does not fit all! New perspectives on the university in the social knowledge economy”. Science and Public Policy, 43(6): 731–735. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scw018

Borrás S and Edquist C (2013). “The choice of innovation policy instruments”. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 80(8): 1513–1522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2013.03.002

Cai Y and Liu C (2015). “The roles of universities in fostering knowledge-intensive clusters in Chinese regional innovation systems”. Science and Public Policy, 42(1): 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scu018

Cai Y, Ma J and Chen Q (2020). “Higher education in innovation ecosystems”. Sustainability, 12(11): Art. 4376. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114376

Cepeda G and Vera D (2007). “Dynamic capabilities and operational capabilities: A knowledge management perspective”. Journal of Business Research, 60(5): 426–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.01.013

China’s New-Generation Artificial Intelligence Technology Industry Development Report (2022). https://www.faanw.com/toutiao/10757.html

Chinta R and Sussan F (2018). “A triple-helix ecosystem for entrepreneurship: A case review”. In: O’Connor A, Stam E, Sussan F and Audretsch DB (Eds.), Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Place-Based Transformations and Transitions, pp. 67–80. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63531-6_4

Dal Zotto C (2003). “Absorptive capacity and knowledge transfer between venture capital firms and their portfolio companies [Presentation paper]”. DRUID Conference on Creating, Sharing, and Transferring Knowledge, Denmark, Copenhagen.

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (2017). Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain Fit for the Future. UK Government.

Easterby-Smith M and Prieto IM (2008). “Dynamic capabilities and knowledge management: An integrative role for learning?” British Journal of Management, 19(3): 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2007.00543.x

Elliott V (2018). “Thinking about the coding process in qualitative data analysis”. The Qualitative Report, 23(11): 2850–2861. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3560

Eisenhardt KM and Martin JA (2000). “Dynamic capabilities: What are they?” Strategic Management Journal, 21(10–11): 1105–1121. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0266(200010/11)21:10/11<1105::AID-SMJ133>3.0.CO;2-E

Etzkowitz H (2003). “Innovation in innovation: The triple helix of university-industry-government relations”. Social Science Information, 42(3): 293–337. https://doi.org/10.1177/05390184030423002

Etzkowitz H and Leydesdorff L (1995). “The triple helix—University-industry-government relations: A laboratory for knowledge based economic development”. EASST Review, 14(1): 14–19.

European Parliament (2016). Civil Law Rules on Robotics. European Parliament.

Faccin K, Thomas E and Kretschmer C (2022). “University dynamic capabilities to boost innovation ecosystems: The case of a university alliance in Brazil”. In: Iakovleva T, Thomas E, Nordstrand Berg L, et al. (Eds.), Universities and Regional Engagement: From the Exceptional to the Everyday, pp. 41–57. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003150299-4

Feng N, Fu C, Wei F, et al. (2019). “The key role of dynamic capabilities in the evolutionary process for a startup to develop into an innovation ecosystem leader: An indepth case study”. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 54: 81–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jengtecman.2019.11.002

Fisher T (2016). “An education in geodesign”. Landscape and Urban Planning, 156: 20–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.09.016

Frank A (2009). “In search of the character of twenty-first century higher education”. CEBE Transactions, 6(2): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11120/tran.2009.06020001

Frenkel A and Maital S (2014). Mapping National Innovation Ecosystems: Foundations for Policy Consensus. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781782546818

Guenduez AA and Mergel I (2022). “The role of dynamic managerial capabilities and organizational readiness in smart city transformation”. Cities, 129: Art. 103791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2022.103791

Hall W and Presenti J (2017). Growing the Artificial Intelligence Industry in the UK. UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Heaton S, Siegel DS and Teece DJ (2019). “Universities and innovation ecosystems: A dynamic capabilities perspective”. Industrial and Corporate Change, 28(4): 921–939. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtz038

Hyde KF (2000). “Recognising deductive processes in qualitative research”. Qualitative Market Research, 3(2): 82–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522750010322089

Jiang Q and McCabe S (2021). “Information technology and destination performance: Examining the role of dynamic capabilities”. Annals of Tourism Research, 91: Art. 103292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2021.103292

Jiang Y, Ritchie BW and Verreynne M-L (2021). “Developing disaster resilience: A processual and reflective approach”. Tourism Management, 87: Art. 104374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104374

Kaiser C, Stocker A, Viscusi G, et al. (2021). “Conceptualising value creation in data-driven services: The case of vehicle data”. International Journal of Information Management, 59: Art. 102335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102335

Kewalramani M (2018). China’s Quest for AI Leadership: Prospects and Challenges (Takshashila Working Paper 2018-02). Takshashila Institution. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3414883

Köhler T, Smith A and Bhakoo V (2022). “Templates in qualitative research methods: Origins, limitations, and new directions”. Organizational Research Methods, 25(2): 183–210. https://doi.org/10.1177/10944281211060710

Kuckartz U (2014). Qualitative Text Analysis: A Guide to Methods, Practice and Using Software. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446288719

Li Z and Chu Y (2022). “Is hierarchical education investment synergistic? Evidence from China’s investment in general and advanced education”. Journal of the Knowledge Economy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-022-00960-9

Li R and Fang W (2019). “University-industry-government relations of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) universities: The perspective of the mutual information”. PLOS ONE, 14(2): Art. e0211939. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211939

Locke K, Feldman M and Golden-Biddle K (2022). “Coding practices and iterativity: Beyond templates for analyzing qualitative data”. Organizational Research Methods, 25(2): 262–284. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428120948600

Macher JT and Mowery DC (2009). “Measuring dynamic capabilities: Practices and performance in semiconductor manufacturing”. British Journal of Management, 20(S1): S41–S62. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2008.00612.x

Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (2018). Jiaoyubu Guanyu Yinfa Gaodeng Xuexiao Rengongzhineng Chuangxin Xingdong Jihua [Notice of the Ministry of Education on the Issuance of the Action Plan for Artificial Intelligence Innovation in Higher Education]. Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.

_____ (2021). 2021 International Forum on AI and Education [Press Release]. Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.

National Science and Technology Council (2016). The National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan. US Government.

Peteraf M, Di Stefano G and Verona G (2013). “The elephant in the room of dynamic capabilities: Bringing two diverging conversations together”. Strategic Management Journal, 34(12): 1389–1410. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2078

Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) (n.d.). RAS 2020–Robotics and Autonomous Systems. RACE, UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Rindova VP and Kotha S (2001). “Continuous ‘morphing’: Competing through dynamic capabilities, form, and function”. Academy of Management Journal, 44(6): 1263–1280.

Robertson J, Caruana A and Ferreira C (2021). “Innovation performance: The effect of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities in cross-country innovation ecosystems”. International Business Review, Advance online publication, Art. 101866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101866

Rothwell R and Zegveld W (1985). Reindustrialization and Technology. ME Sharpe.

Serger SS and Breidne M (2007). “China’s fifteen-year plan for science and technology: An assessment”. Asia Policy, 4(1): 135–164. https://doi.org/10.1353/asp.2007.0013

SPARC (2016). Robotics 2020—Multi-Annual Roadmap for Robotics in Europe. SPARC.

State Council of the People’s Republic of China (2017). Xinyidai Rengongzhineng Fazhan Guihua de Tongzhi [Notice of the New-Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan]. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

Strategic Council for AI Technology (2017). Artificial Intelligence Technology Strategy. AI Japan.

Teece DJ (2007). “Explicating dynamic capabilities: The nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance”. Strategic Management Journal, 28(13): 1319–1350. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.640

_____ (2010). “Business models, business strategy and innovation”. Long Range Planning, 43(2–3): 172–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2009.07.003

_____ (2018). “Profiting from innovation in the digital economy: Enabling technologies, standards, and licensing models in the wireless world”. Research Policy, 47(8): 1367–1387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.01.015

_____ (2020). “Hand in glove: Open innovation and the dynamic capabilities framework”. Strategic Management Review, 1(2): 233–253. https://doi.org/10.1561/111.00000010

Teece DJ, Pisano G and Shuen A (1997). “Dynamic capabilities and strategic management”. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7): 509–533. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199708)18:7%3C509::AID-SMJ882%3E3.0.CO;2-Z

Wang P and Li F (2021). “Science, technology and innovation policy in Russia and China – Mapping and comparisons in objectives, instruments and implementation”. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 162: 120386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120386

Warner KSR and Wäger M (2019). “Building dynamic capabilities for digital transformation: An ongoing process of strategic renewal”. Long Range Planning, 52(3): 326–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2018.12.001

Weerawardena J, Mort GS, Liesch PW and Knight G (2007). “Conceptualizing accelerated internationalization in the born global firm: A dynamic capabilities perspective”. Journal of World Business, 42(3): 294–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2007.04.004

Xie X, Han Y, Anderson A and Ribeiro-Navarrete S (2022). “Digital platforms and SMEs’ business model innovation: Exploring the mediating mechanisms of capability reconfiguration”. International Journal of Information Management, 65: Art. 102513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102513

Yang C and Huang C (2022). “Quantitative mapping of the evolution of AI policy distribution, targets and focuses over three decades in China”. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174: Art. 121188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121188

Yao Y, Ma L, Che X and Dou H (2021). “Simulation study of urban expansion under ecological constraint—Taking Yuzhong County, China as an example”. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 57: Art. 126933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126933

Yue X, Mu K and Liu L (2020). “Selection of policy instruments on integrated care in China: Based on documents content analysis”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7): Art. 2327. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072327

Zhang H and Ding Y (2014). “Research on the relationship of institutional innovation, organizational learning and synergistic effect: An empirical study of Chineses university spin-offs”. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 7(3): 645–659. https://doi.org/10.3926/jiem.950

Zhang D, Pee LG, Pan SL and Cui L (2022). “Big data analytics, resource orchestration, and digital sustainability: A case study of smart city development”. Government Information Quarterly, 39(1): Art. 101626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2021.101626

Zhang Y, Chen K and Fu X (2019). “Scientific effects of triple helix interactions among research institutes, industries and universities”. Technovation, 86–87: 33–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2019.05.003

Zhu Q, Bai C and Sarkis J (2022). “Blockchain technology and supply chains: The paradox of the atheoretical research discourse”. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 164: Art. 102824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2022.102824

Zollo M and Winter SG (2002). “Deliberate learning and the evolution of dynamic capabilities”. Organization Science, 13(3): 339–351. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.13.3.339.2780




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v6i2.1661

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2022 Chen Qu, Eunyoung Kim

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.