1 Introduction
2 Literature review and development of hypotheses
2.1 Innovation ecosystem (IE)
Dimension | Component | Corresponded questions |
---|---|---|
Context | Mission | Which companies think to gain benefit from the ecosystem? |
Barriers | Which barriers hinder the development of the ecosystem for smart products? | |
Drivers | Which companies have driving forces to prompt the development of the ecosystem? | |
Construct | Actors | Which actors provide the ecosystem needs? |
Resources | Which technology is necessary to enable the ecosystem? | |
Configuration | External relationships | Which partnerships are established among the institutions to allow the development of smart products? |
Innovation partnership | Which partnerships are established among the companies to allow the development of smart products? | |
Cooperation | Governance | Which groups have the potential for leadership of the ecosystem? |
Absorptive capacity | Which companies have an awareness of the international need to develop smart products? | |
Change | Changes in the status quo | Which changes are necessary for the status quo to increase the level of an offering of smart products? |
Culture openness | Which companies are open to face with technological change? | |
Capability | Knowledge capabilities | Which companies have the necessary knowledge to develop smart products? |
Technological capabilities | Which companies have the technological capabilities to offer smart products? |
2.2 Smart product (SP)
2.3 IE and SMEs
2.4 Hypotheses
3 Methodology
3.1 Study area
Country Name | Population (million) | Country Name | Population (million) |
---|---|---|---|
Austria | 8.88 | Netherlands | 17.33 |
Belgium | 11.48 | Norway | 5.35 |
Czech | 10.67 | Poland | 37.97 |
Denmark | 5.82 | Portugal | 10.27 |
Estonia | 1.33 | Slovakia | 5.45 |
Finland | 5.52 | Slovenia | 2.09 |
France | 67.06 | Spain | 47.08 |
Germany | 83.13 | Sweden | 10.29 |
Greece | 10.72 | Switzerland | 8.71 |
Hungary | 9.77 | United Kingdom | 66.83 |
Italy | 60.3 |
3.2 Data collection
Dimension | Component | Module | Corresponded indicator title [Code] |
---|---|---|---|
Context | Mission | Commercialization | Product innovative active firms [1] |
Barriers | Adoption | Barriers affecting trade in digitally enabled services [2] | |
Cooperation | Taxes on income, profits, and capital gains [3] | ||
Financial | Cost of business startup procedures [4] | ||
Infrastructure | Less infrastructure and connectivity [5] | ||
Drivers | Economic | Firms receiving public financial support for innovation [6] | |
Technological | Share of turnover from new, improved products [7] | ||
Market | Innovative firms operating in international markets [8] | ||
Construct | Actors | Government and universities | Firms cooperating on innovation activities with governments and institutions [9] |
Business associations and suppliers | Firms cooperating on innovation activities with suppliers [10] | ||
Customers and clients | Firms cooperating on innovation activities with clients [11] | ||
Resources | Technological centres | High technology [12] | |
Configuration | External relationships | Research and development | R&D active product and process innovative firms [13] |
Innovation partnership | Industrial collaboration | Product and process innovative firms [14] | |
Cooperation | Governance | Leadership coordinator | Labour force with advanced education [15] |
Absorptive capacity | Integration external SMEs | Firms engaged in international collaboration [16] | |
Change | Changes in the status quo | Structural | New businesses registered [17] |
Culture openness | Performance | High employment in innovative firms [18] | |
Capability | Knowledge | Knowledge dissemination | Firms that applied for patents [19] |
Technological | Technological skills | Firms that registered a design [20] | |
Smart products | ICT development index [21] |
Indicator code | Definition |
---|---|
[01] | Product innovative active firms as a percentage of total firms with SME size |
[02] | Barriers affecting trade in digitally enabled services indexed from 0 to 1 |
[03] | Taxes on income, profits, and capital gains (% of revenue) |
[04] | Cost of business startup procedures (% of GNI per capita) |
[05] | Less infrastructure and connectivity in digital innovative activities indexed from 0 to 1 |
[06] | Firms receiving public financial support for innovation, as a percentage of product and process innovation-active firms |
[07] | Share of turnover from new or significantly improved products |
[08] | Innovative firms operating in international markets as a percentage of total firms with SMEs size |
[09] | Firms cooperating on innovation activities with higher education or government institutions, as a percentage of product and/or process innovation-active firms |
[10] | Firms cooperating on innovation activities with suppliers, as a percentage of product and/or process innovation-active firms |
[11] | Firms cooperating on innovation activities with clients (private and/or public sector), as a percentage of product and/or process innovation-active firms |
[12] | High technology (% of manufactures) |
[13] | R&D active product and/or process innovative firms, as a percentage of product and/or process innovation-active firms |
[14] | Product and/or process innovative firms as a percentage of total firms with SMEs size |
[15] | Labour force with advanced education (% of the total working-age population with advanced education) |
[16] | Firms engaged in international collaboration, as a percentage of product and/or process innovation-active firms |
[17] | New businesses registered (indexed from 0 to 1) |
[18] | Employment in innovative firms (product/process or organizational/marketing) as a percentage of total employment |
[19] | Firms that applied for patents as a percentage of total firms |
[20] | Firms that registered a design as a percentage of total firms |
[21] | A composite index reflecting different levels of ICT development (unitless) |
3.3 Data analysis
4 Results and discussion
4.1 Reanalysis of the variables
Country | Innovation ecosystem | Smart products | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Context | Construct | Configuration | Cooperation | Change | Capability | ||
Austria | 0.93 | 0.79 | 0.77 | 0.90 | 0.89 | 0.94 | 0.87 |
Belgium | 0.99 | 0.87 | 0.82 | 0.91 | 0.86 | 0.17 | 0.85 |
Czech | 0.70 | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.83 | 0.67 | 0.21 | 0.76 |
Denmark | 0.69 | 0.84 | 0.66 | 0.89 | 0.69 | 0.17 | 0.99 |
Estonia | 0.65 | 0.84 | 0.70 | 0.97 | 0.77 | 0.25 | 0.86 |
Finland | 0.78 | 0.88 | 0.86 | 0.84 | 0.89 | 0.17 | 0.98 |
France | 0.87 | 0.70 | 0.74 | 0.80 | 0.79 | 0.61 | 0.89 |
Germany | 0.86 | 0.49 | 0.87 | 0.69 | 0.89 | 1.00 | 0.88 |
Greece | 0.69 | 0.89 | 0.79 | 0.86 | 0.81 | 0.22 | 0.76 |
Hungary | 0.80 | 0.75 | 0.44 | 0.81 | 0.44 | 0.19 | 0.72 |
Italy | 0.94 | 0.24 | 0.80 | 0.69 | 0.78 | 0.47 | 0.78 |
Netherlands | 1.00 | 0.74 | 0.81 | 0.84 | 0.83 | 0.17 | 0.95 |
Norway | 0.56 | 0.67 | 0.56 | 0.87 | 0.92 | 0.73 | 0.96 |
Poland | 0.61 | 0.47 | 0.25 | 0.81 | 0.38 | 0.24 | 0.75 |
Portugal | 0.81 | 0.35 | 0.89 | 0.80 | 0.91 | 0.38 | 0.75 |
Slovakia | 0.70 | 0.73 | 0.48 | 0.92 | 0.47 | 0.20 | 0.72 |
Slovenia | 0.74 | 1.00 | 0.69 | 1.00 | 0.60 | 0.17 | 0.80 |
Spain | 0.64 | 0.42 | 0.55 | 0.77 | 0.56 | 0.29 | 0.82 |
Sweden | 0.69 | 0.82 | 0.81 | 0.91 | 0.77 | 0.81 | 1.00 |
Switzerland | 0.75 | 0.78 | 0.77 | 0.89 | 1.00 | 0.75 | 0.92 |
United Kingdom | 0.62 | 0.70 | 1.00 | 0.94 | 0.82 | 0.17 | 0.95 |
Country | Innovation ecosystem | Smart products | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Context | Construct | Configuration | Cooperation | Change | Capability | ||
Austria | 0.78 | 0.60 | 0.73 | 0.69 | 0.89 | 0.94 | 0.87 |
Belgium | 1.00 | 0.71 | 0.93 | 0.69 | 0.86 | 0.17 | 0.88 |
Czech | 0.68 | 0.44 | 0.70 | 0.59 | 0.67 | 0.21 | 0.76 |
Denmark | 0.68 | 0.59 | 0.55 | 0.64 | 0.69 | 0.17 | 0.96 |
Estonia | 0.67 | 0.63 | 0.74 | 1.00 | 0.77 | 0.25 | 0.82 |
Finland | 0.72 | 0.66 | 1.00 | 0.63 | 0.89 | 0.17 | 0.85 |
France | 0.82 | 0.51 | 0.83 | 0.59 | 0.79 | 0.61 | 0.90 |
Germany | 0.81 | 0.32 | 0.73 | 0.51 | 0.89 | 1.00 | 0.97 |
Greece | 0.70 | 0.53 | 0.66 | 0.58 | 0.81 | 0.22 | 0.79 |
Hungary | 0.72 | 0.50 | 0.53 | 0.58 | 0.44 | 0.19 | 0.76 |
Italy | 0.87 | 0.21 | 0.61 | 0.51 | 0.78 | 0.47 | 0.81 |
Netherlands | 0.95 | 0.63 | 0.98 | 0.63 | 0.83 | 0.17 | 0.97 |
Norway | 0.71 | 0.69 | 0.94 | 0.69 | 0.92 | 0.73 | 0.92 |
Poland | 0.59 | 0.32 | 0.43 | 0.59 | 0.38 | 0.24 | 0.76 |
Portugal | 0.80 | 0.24 | 0.69 | 0.58 | 0.91 | 0.38 | 0.81 |
Slovakia | 0.64 | 0.60 | 0.55 | 0.70 | 0.47 | 0.20 | 0.74 |
Slovenia | 0.73 | 0.60 | 0.85 | 0.70 | 0.60 | 0.17 | 0.84 |
Spain | 0.66 | 0.34 | 0.55 | 0.58 | 0.56 | 0.29 | 0.83 |
Sweden | 0.59 | 0.41 | 0.75 | 0.58 | 0.77 | 0.81 | 1.00 |
Switzerland | 0.77 | 0.36 | 0.78 | 0.61 | 1.00 | 0.75 | 1.00 |
United Kingdom | 0.71 | 1.00 | 0.83 | 0.77 | 0.82 | 0.17 | 0.97 |
Country | Innovation ecosystem | Smart products | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Context | Construct | Configuration | Cooperation | Change | Capability | ||
Austria | 0.78 | 0.53 | 0.71 | 0.89 | 0.92 | 0.54 | 0.89 |
Belgium | 1.00 | 0.39 | 0.86 | 0.69 | 0.94 | 0.11 | 0.91 |
Czech | 0.73 | 0.32 | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.70 | 0.24 | 0.80 |
Denmark | 0.68 | 0.47 | 0.59 | 0.82 | 0.85 | 0.33 | 0.94 |
Estonia | 0.80 | 0.60 | 0.62 | 0.98 | 1.00 | 0.16 | 0.85 |
Finland | 0.80 | 0.52 | 1.00 | 0.80 | 0.87 | 0.11 | 0.85 |
France | 0.84 | 0.51 | 0.80 | 0.76 | 0.76 | 0.58 | 0.95 |
Germany | 0.82 | 0.26 | 0.70 | 0.67 | 0.99 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Greece | 0.76 | 0.66 | 0.73 | 0.84 | 0.88 | 0.25 | 0.83 |
Hungary | 0.67 | 0.38 | 0.44 | 0.74 | 0.42 | 0.14 | 0.82 |
Italy | 0.95 | 0.14 | 0.70 | 0.66 | 0.87 | 0.53 | 0.83 |
Netherlands | 0.95 | 0.38 | 0.92 | 0.77 | 0.98 | 0.32 | 0.98 |
Norway | 0.74 | 0.41 | 0.89 | 0.82 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 0.89 |
Poland | 0.59 | 0.33 | 0.37 | 0.76 | 0.41 | 0.10 | 0.77 |
Portugal | 0.86 | 0.21 | 0.73 | 0.77 | 0.63 | 0.33 | 0.84 |
Slovakia | 0.66 | 0.42 | 0.49 | 0.86 | 0.45 | 0.12 | 0.76 |
Slovenia | 0.73 | 0.55 | 0.78 | 0.94 | 0.98 | 0.11 | 0.86 |
Spain | 0.67 | 0.27 | 0.52 | 0.74 | 0.47 | 0.17 | 0.84 |
Sweden | 0.67 | 0.47 | 0.82 | 0.88 | 0.92 | 0.57 | 0.96 |
Switzerland | 0.75 | 0.32 | 0.73 | 0.81 | 0.77 | 0.44 | 1.00 |
United Kingdom | 0.67 | 1.00 | 0.81 | 1.00 | 0.68 | 0.11 | 1.00 |
4.2 Application of panel data analysis
Var. | (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) | 1.00 | ||||||||||
(2) | 0.21 | 1.00 | |||||||||
(3) | 0.22 | -0.10 | 1.00 | ||||||||
(4) | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.28 | 1.00 | |||||||
(5) | 0.07 | -0.24 | 0.71 | 0.13 | 1.00 | ||||||
(6) | 0.45 | 0.44 | 0.14 | 0.66 | 0.08 | 1.00 | |||||
(7) | 0.43 | 0.17 | -0.29 | 0.18 | -0.28 | 0.41 | 1.00 | ||||
(8) | -0.25 | -0.31 | 0.00 | -0.34 | 0.27 | -0.37 | -0.42 | 1.00 | |||
(9) | -0.20 | -0.24 | -0.02 | -0.27 | 0.21 | -0.33 | -0.29 | 0.86 | 1.00 | ||
(10) | -0.19 | 0.06 | -0.01 | -0.05 | -0.01 | 0.14 | -0.06 | 0.20 | 0.17 | 1.00 | |
(11) | 0.35 | 0.02 | 0.33 | 0.26 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.24 | -0.18 | -0.17 | 0.23 | 1.00 |
Mean | 7.7 | 22.2 | 17.6 | 44.6 | 48.8 | 28.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 36.0 | 14.7 |
Std. Dev. | 0.8 | 3.3 | 6.2 | 10.3 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 18.9 | 6.2 |
Min | 6.1 | 15.6 | 5.8 | 14.5 | 39.3 | 14.5 | 0.9 | -0.2 | -0.6 | 7.4 | 5.8 |
Max | 9.2 | 30.1 | 40.8 | 65.3 | 77.0 | 38.7 | 9.0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 68.1 | 28.1 |
Variables | Smart production | |
---|---|---|
Fixed | Random | |
Context | 0.0076 | 0.0197 |
(0.0515)□ | (0.0373)□ | |
Construct | 0.0178 | 0.0339 |
(0.0198)□ | (0.0196)□ | |
Configuration | 0.0122 | 0.0119 |
(0.0129)* | (0.0117)□ | |
Cooperation | -0.0162 | -0.0202 |
(0.0195)□ | (0.0195)□ | |
Change | 0.0096 | 0.0157 |
(0.0167)* | (0.0162)□ | |
Capability | 0.2376 | 0.2038 |
(0.1038)* | (0.0725)* | |
GDP | 0.3020 | 0.2041 |
(0.1040)* | (0.1128)* | |
GNI | -0.0073 | -0.0021 |
(0.0713)□ | (0.0821)□ | |
ICT | -0.0176 | -0.0161 |
(0.0038)* | (0.0039)* | |
High tech | -0.0443 | 0.0061 |
(0.0268)□ | (0.0201)□ | |
R2 | 0.0000 | 0.4106 |
F Test | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
P-Value | 0.0013 | |
Hausman Test | (Fixed) | |
Observations | 63 | 63 |
Groups | 21 | 21 |
4.3 Correlation tests
Dimensions of Innovation Ecosystem (IE) | Test | Smart Products (SP) | |||
2015 | 2017 | 2019 | Mean | ||
Context | R | -0.02 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.16 |
Sig. | 0.93 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 0.49 | |
N | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
Construct | R | 0.32 | 0.23 | 0.26 | 0.27 |
Sig. | 0.15 | 0.31 | 0.26 | 0.24 | |
N | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
Configuration | R | 0.45 | 0.51 | 0.52 | 0.50 |
Sig. | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | |
N | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
Cooperation | R | 0.22 | -0.01 | 0.11 | 0.11 |
Sig. | 0.34 | 0.95 | 0.63 | 0.64 | |
N | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
Change | R | 0.57 | 0.62 | 0.50 | 0.56 |
Sig. | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.01 | |
N | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
Capability | R | 0.31 | 0.48 | 0.53 | 0.45 |
Sig. | 0.18 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.07 | |
N | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
Mean IE | R | 0.57 | 0.50 | 0.58 | 0.55 |
Sig. | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | |
N | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
4.4 Hierarchical clustering
Country | Austria | Belgium | Czech | Denmark | Estonia | Finland | France | Germany | Greece | Hungary | Italy | Netherlands | Norway | Poland | Portugal | Slovak | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | UK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | 0.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Belgium | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||
Czech Republic | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.00 | ||||||||||||||||||
Denmark | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||
Estonia | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.00 | ||||||||||||||||
Finland | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||
France | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | ||||||||||||||
Germany | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||
Greece | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.00 | ||||||||||||
Hungary | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.00 | |||||||||||
Italy | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | ||||||||||
Netherlands | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.07 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.12 | 0.06 | 0.00 | |||||||||
Norway | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.00 | ||||||||
Poland | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.18 | 0.13 | 0.00 | |||||||
Portugal | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.06 | 0.00 | ||||||
Slovak Republic | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.00 | |||||
Slovenia | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.11 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.00 | ||||
Spain | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.00 | |||
Sweden | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.09 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.14 | 0.04 | 0.09 | 0.03 | 0.07 | 0.00 | ||
Switzerland | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.09 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.14 | 0.03 | 0.08 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
UK | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.08 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.21 | 0.06 | 0.12 | 0.03 | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 |