Universities as Keystones of Innovation Ecosystems for Sustainability

The concept of innovation ecosystems has recently gained increased attention in academia and policy as a framework, which conceptualizes a broader set-up of actors jointly pushing innovation in specific challenge areas. Using the ecosystem analogy, this framework centers on the divers and dynamic interactions between different actors to gain insights into innovation development speed and direction. For sustainability challenges stemming from climate change, chemical pollution, or decreasing biodiversity such an ecosystem perspective may become valuable, as it allows for targeted policy interventions to create needed momentum. This is even more important when considering the need for substantial innovation, often rooted in significant scientific groundbreaking. Hence, re-considering the role of universities as central actors in such ecosystems may offer novel development perspectives.

 

Søren Salomo is a professor for technology and innovation management at TU Berlin and an adjunct professor at the Center for Entrepreneurship at DTU, Copenhagen. He is a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences and speaker of the professor group in the the Academic Senate of TU Berlin. He holds a number of advisory roles related to technology and innovation management and among others represents the Berlin University Alliance in the German Climate Consortium (DKK). His research is concerned with corporate innovation management with special focus on supporting highly innovative ventures and digital transformation for innovation. His research also touches upon the issue of firms navigating in emerging technology landscapes and engaging in innovation ecosystems.