Innovation Processes in Public Research Institutes: AIST, Fraunhofer and ITRI Case Studies

The design of national innovation systems has attracted attention from scholars and policymakers. Firms, universities and government organisations (including public research institutes) are defined as the three major players of the national innovation system and interactions between the players are considered the key of the national innovation system. However, public research institutes are relatively understudied compared to firms and universities even though their contribution in the national innovation system is not trivial. Aiming at understanding detailed process rather than testing hypotheses, the findings of this article shed practical information regarding innovation process in public research institutes. Focusing on the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Fraunhofer) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI), this article analyses and compares innovation processes of public research institutes with their patent data. Based on findings, this study further discusses issues for better management of public research institutes.

Preliminary evaluation of value—added bio-based building blocks

The global economic system is currently organised to exploit fossil fuel-based technologies. Resources are extracted from the earth and undergo a multitude of different processing steps to become a myriad of different and essential everyday products. Unfortunately, most of these products are disposed of soon after use and can cause huge waste disposal and environmental problems. In addition, the manufacturing process itself can cause further problems. This linear system has proven extremely effective at production; however, it is, ultimately, unsustainable. The dream future for both the environment and resource conservation is an economy that is capable to reusing used end-products – a circular economy. The path to a circular economy, however, is a winding and treacherous one. To make it work, it is necessary to consider the whole system and the wide variety of stakeholders therein. It is essential to work out the incentives for manufacturers, users and potential re-users, as well as those of governments and nations. Most importantly, the technology underpinning it has to be as good or better than those that are currently in use. Researchers at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan are working to develop one important section of the linear fossil fuel economy into a more circular form. The team, led by Dr Guang-Way Bill Jang, are working on producing polymers from biological sources. They are also working on developing new materials and chemicals from these sources.