Axis 2 - The production, diffusion and appropriation of innovation and technology
This type of work will examine the development of technology from three complementary perspectives. First, the production of innovation explores the system which allows us to conceive of innovation as the result of the dynamics between different actors and institutions (businesses, universities, the public sector, sources of funding, etc.). In this sense, we focus our attention on the relevant socio-economic dynamics, policies and public regulation systems. The second perspective is that of evaluating innovation and technology, both on a socio-economic (e.g. models of performance, impact and diffusion of new technologies) and social – especially ethical – basis. The third viewpoint concerns the diffusion and the appropriation of technology by individuals and social groups. In this respect, the user is of paramount importance.
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Theme 2.1
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Innovation system : regulation and international comparaisons
Recent research trends in the development of technology and innovation have demonstrated the importance of a global approach, which is directly related to the concept of an "innovation system". This notion allows one to grasp the influence of the interplay of different actors as well as the weight carried by institutions, which is exemplified by the issue of intellectual property rights. Recent work – including important contributions by members of CIRST – has underlined the fact that these systems are created by social actions at different levels, which give rise to concepts of national, regional or local systems whose theoretical boundaries continue to be the subject of debate and discussion. The theoretical landscape becomes increasingly complex with the emergence of innovation systems defined by their "sector". Our projects explore various facets of innovation systems and analyze the effects of globalization on the production of innovation.
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Theme 2.2
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The evaluation and promotion of technologies
This second theme explores the question of how to evaluate technologies. The primary objective is to evaluate the efficiency and the performance of businesses similarly, to highlight certain innovations. Our knowledge of the dynamics governing the diffusion of technology remains incomplete. Research will thus be geared towards identifying the factors which have a positive influence on the diffusion of innovations, and which generate positive impacts. Our projects also aim to develop models which serve not only to evaluate innovation, but also to understand its relevant processes and mechanisms. The evaluation criteria can be purely based on economics, but can also take into account ethical and social considerations. In this sense, we are looking to expand the spectrum of performance evaluation criteria.
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Theme 2.3
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The collective and individual appropriation of sciences and technologies
Appropriation can be considered as an individual process of learning scientific or technological concepts. However, it must also be understood in terms of social spaces or community groups devoted to the teaching of new technology. The appropriation process is thus the result of interactions between social actors and the relevant institutions, two facets which we propose to explore under the present heading. On the one hand, it is necessary to consider to the theoretical models of scientific communication and to examine the practices – typically associated with museums – of displaying scientific knowledge. On the other hand, one must examine the social re-compositions of the "user" which are mobilized in various instances where technology plays a central role.
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