User Innovation as a Basis of Innovation Network Between Universities and Business

Authors

  • Zornitsa Yordanova University of national and world economy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5585/iji.v6i2.308

Keywords:

User innovation, Innovation Management, Innovation Development, Co-creation, Educated User Innovators

Abstract

The paper aims at building a conceptual framework on how user innovation concept may be employed for the idea of creating innovation network between universities and business. Such innovation network would serve different purposes that are currently qualified as barriers for innovation management in business organizations as lack of easy access to lead-user innovators; difficulties in building minimal viable products; problems in validating innovation in its pre-market phase, etc. On the other hand, such innovation network would also satisfy some identified problems in innovation management education like reducing the gap between theory and business; teaching students through real live projects, etc. The approach for designing the conceptual framework steps on the user innovation theory. A literature analysis on user innovation identifies the utility of utilizing users in innovation development. Based on these, a focus group with 15 innovation managers qualitatively validates whether the identified 26 user activities in innovation development from prior researches would be beneficial if students take the role of user innovators (educated user innovators). The conceptual framework is built as a result from the respondents’ answers by designing where students may participate in innovation development as user innovators and how beneficial it is expected to be that cooperation. The assessment aims also at define the best place where the proposed activities may take place within the innovation development process. The finding of the study may play the role of a roadmap for user utilization in innovation development.

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Author Biography

Zornitsa Yordanova, University of national and world economy

Zornitsa B. Yordanova has received her PhD in the area
of Business Innovations Management from the University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria and currently, she is a Chief Assistant Professor.
Her research interest includes innovation management, business innovations, project management, innovation projects, enterprise management, management
information systems and enterprise software. Her working experience is the banking and the IT sector. She is also a certified as PMP® and CSM® in the area of project management and she is a practitioner in the field of business
applications software projects.

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Published

02.08.2018

How to Cite

Yordanova, Z. (2018). User Innovation as a Basis of Innovation Network Between Universities and Business. International Journal of Innovation, 6(2), 85–96. https://doi.org/10.5585/iji.v6i2.308

Issue

Section

Articles