Innovation ecosystems in Eastern Switzerland : a case study

Abstract

In recent years, scientists have increasingly studied innovation ecosystems and have thus been able to gain a more in-depth knowledge of this topic. Innovation ecosystems do exist in Switzerland, but they have not been extensively researched, and there is a lack of scientific publications in this field. This study investigates innovation ecosystems in the public sector in Eastern Switzerland, focusing on their structure and the benefits and challenges encountered by the actors concerned. The research is expected to yield valuable insights that will be useful for academia and practitioners in the Eastern Switzerland region.To achieve the objective of this study, eight interviews were conducted using the qualitative research method. A semi-structured interview guide was used to interview people with a view to obtaining answers to the research objectives and checking them against the scientific literature. The results demonstrate that the model used can map and analyse innovation ecosystems and the contributions of individual actors. Moreover, the empirical results reveal that the actors in innovation ecosystems benefit by pooling knowledge and skills from different fields, that government research funds support the innovations, and that the network of actors involved is valuable for reaching potential customers and for further subsequent collaboration. In addition, this paper provides information on the challenges faced by the actors in the innovation ecosystem. Market research and testing of the developed product or service are central. Potential customers must be involved in the development early so that the innovation is created jointly and that the various people involved are clearly identified. In addition, this research has revealed that a common understanding of the goal and technical terms, while time-consuming at the outset, is essential. Furthermore, risks must be identified early on so that concrete steps may be identified to deal with them when a problem occurs.