A congruence analysis of innovation platforms from the innovation ecosystems and value chains perspectives
Date
2021-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geleenthede moet in Suid-Afrika se landelike gemeenskappe geskep word vir die burgers om ten volle
deel te neem aan die land se ekonomiese, sosiale en politieke lewe, ten einde armoede te oorkom. Die
grootste uitdaging vir landelike ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika is die marginalisering van die armes. Mense
moet toegang hê tot basiese dienste van hoë gehalte wat hulle in staat stel om goed gevoed, gesond en
toenemend vaardig te wees. Die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan (NOP) 2030 erken dat landelike ekonomieë
deur die landbou ondersteun moet word.
Die rol van innovasie en die belangrikheid daarvan om verbeterde dienste en volhoubare ontwikkeling te
bewerkstellig, word algemeen erken en is ook deur die SDG9 as 'n prioriteit geïdentifiseer in die Doelwitte
vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling. Innovasie kan ekonomiese groei en indiensneming ondersteun,
lewensonderhoud op voetsoolvlak skep en regeringsprestasies en dienslewering verbeter. Hoewel
innovasie nie die enigste faktor is wat ekonomiese groei, industrialisering en inklusiewe ontwikkeling
bevorder nie, bly dit 'n beduidende en belangrike katalisator tot ekonomiese groei. Innovasie kan die
ontwikkeling van Suid-Afrika asook die burgers se lewensgehalte verbeter, veral in landelike en arm
gemeenskappe.
Daar is 'n toenemende belangstelling in die uitbreiding van innovasie as konsep en om innovasie vir
inklusiewe ontwikkeling (innovasie tot maatskaplike voordeel en die openbare belang) in Suid-Afrika, in
te sluit. Die openbare sektor moet 'n instaatstelling van innovasie vir inklusiewe ontwikkeling word.
Innovering vir 'n inklusiewe ontwikkelingsbenadering behels die uitbreiding van die verskeidenheid
belanghebbendes en die verdieping van hul beraadslagende beplanningsbetrokkenheid.
Innovasieplatforms wat ruimte bied vir samewerking met verskeie belanghebbendes, is nodig om
landelike gemeenskappe te dryf om die NDP 2030-doelwitte te bereik.
Hierdie studie het bygedra tot die wetenskaplike gesprek deur 'n analitiese sintesekaart vir
innovasieplatforms te ontwikkel vanuit die waardekettingperspektief en die innovasie-
ekosisteemperspektief. Die studie het gefokus op die funksionering van innovasieplatforms. Die studie is
gelei deur die metodologie van kongruensie-analise wat deur Blatter (2012) ontwikkel is. Kongruensie-
analise laat konseptuele verfynings toe met 'n hoë geldigheidsvlak oor 'n klein aantal gevalle. Dit word
bereik deur spesifieke stellings en waarneembare afleidings uit abstrakte teorieë te interpreteer. Die
benadering is teoriegerig en gebruik gevallestudies om insiggewende bydraes te lewer.
Blatter (2012) se kongruensie-analisemetodologie kom tekort vir die vereistes van hierdie studie en dit
moes uitgebrei word om elemente uit Jabareen se metode van konseptuele raamwerkontwikkeling te
betrek wat 'n sistematiese literatuuroorsig en aktiwiteitsanalise-metode insluit. Die keuse van
gevallestudies is gedoen deur gebruik te maak van gemaksteekproefneming, en die kongruensie-analise
is op Vrugte Suid Afrika-innovasieplatform en op die Digital Doorway-innovasieplatform gedoen.
Die studie het analitiese pluralisme gebruik om nuttige insigte te verkry en innovasieplatforms beter te
verstaan. Besprekings uit hierdie studie ondersteun dat die perspektief van die innovasie-ekosisteem
asook die perspektief van die waardeketting, beide belangrike analitiese perspektiewe in
innovasieplatforms is. Die twee perspektiewe bring verskillende insigte in die geval waar dit toegepas
word op dieselfde gevallekontekste, soos deur hierdie studie aangedui. Ons sien ook dat die insigte wat
deur elke lens bewerkstellig word, verskillende bevindinge vir twee gevallestudies uit verskillende
kontekste (dit wil sê landbou- en landelike ontwikkelingsektore in Suid-Afrika) uitlig.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa's rural communities, opportunities to participate fully in the country's economic, social, and political life need to be created to overcome poverty. The main challenge for rural development in South Africa has been the marginalisation of the poor. People should be able to access high-quality basic services that enable them to be well-nourished, healthy, and increasingly skilled. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 acknowledges that rural economies should be supported by agriculture. The role of innovation and its importance to achieving improved services and sustainable development is widely acknowledged and has also been identified as a priority in the Sustainable Development Goals through SDG9. Innovation, can support economic growth and employment, create livelihoods at the grassroots level, and improve government performance and service delivery. While innovation is not the only factor that fosters economic growth, industrialisation, and inclusive development, it remains a significant and vital catalyst. Innovation can enhance South Africa’s development and improve its citizens' quality of life, especially in rural and poor communities. There is growing interest in broadening the concept of innovation to include innovation for inclusive development (innovation for societal benefit and the public good) in South Africa. The public sector needs to become an enabler of innovation for inclusive development. Innovation for an inclusive development approach will involve widening the range of stakeholders and deepening their deliberative planning engagement. Innovation platforms that offer a space for multiple stakeholder collaborations are needed to drive rural communities towards addressing the NDP 2030 goals. This study contributed to the scientific discourse by developing an analytical synthesis map for innovation platforms from the value chain perspective and the innovation ecosystem perspective. The study focused on the functioning of innovation platforms. The study was guided by the congruence analysis methodology developed by Blatter (2012). Congruence analysis allows conceptual refinements with a high level of validity over a small number of cases. This is achieved by construing specific propositions and observable inferences from abstract theories. The approach is theory-oriented and uses case studies to make insightful contributions. Blatter’s (2012) congruence analysis methodology falls short for the requirements of this study and it had to be extended to involve elements from Jabareen’s method of conceptual framework development that include a systematic literature review and activity analysis method. The selection of case studies was done by applying convenience sampling and the congruence analysis was conducted on Fruit South Africa innovation platform and on Digital Doorway Innovation Platform. The study used analytical pluralism in obtaining helpful insights and understanding innovation platforms better. Discussions from this study supports that both the innovation ecosystem perspective and value chain perspective are important analytical perspectives in innovation platforms. The two perspectives bring different insights when applied to the same case contexts as indicated by this study. We also see that the insights brought about by each lens highlight different findings for two case studies from different contexts (i.e. agriculture and rural development sectors in South Africa).
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa's rural communities, opportunities to participate fully in the country's economic, social, and political life need to be created to overcome poverty. The main challenge for rural development in South Africa has been the marginalisation of the poor. People should be able to access high-quality basic services that enable them to be well-nourished, healthy, and increasingly skilled. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 acknowledges that rural economies should be supported by agriculture. The role of innovation and its importance to achieving improved services and sustainable development is widely acknowledged and has also been identified as a priority in the Sustainable Development Goals through SDG9. Innovation, can support economic growth and employment, create livelihoods at the grassroots level, and improve government performance and service delivery. While innovation is not the only factor that fosters economic growth, industrialisation, and inclusive development, it remains a significant and vital catalyst. Innovation can enhance South Africa’s development and improve its citizens' quality of life, especially in rural and poor communities. There is growing interest in broadening the concept of innovation to include innovation for inclusive development (innovation for societal benefit and the public good) in South Africa. The public sector needs to become an enabler of innovation for inclusive development. Innovation for an inclusive development approach will involve widening the range of stakeholders and deepening their deliberative planning engagement. Innovation platforms that offer a space for multiple stakeholder collaborations are needed to drive rural communities towards addressing the NDP 2030 goals. This study contributed to the scientific discourse by developing an analytical synthesis map for innovation platforms from the value chain perspective and the innovation ecosystem perspective. The study focused on the functioning of innovation platforms. The study was guided by the congruence analysis methodology developed by Blatter (2012). Congruence analysis allows conceptual refinements with a high level of validity over a small number of cases. This is achieved by construing specific propositions and observable inferences from abstract theories. The approach is theory-oriented and uses case studies to make insightful contributions. Blatter’s (2012) congruence analysis methodology falls short for the requirements of this study and it had to be extended to involve elements from Jabareen’s method of conceptual framework development that include a systematic literature review and activity analysis method. The selection of case studies was done by applying convenience sampling and the congruence analysis was conducted on Fruit South Africa innovation platform and on Digital Doorway Innovation Platform. The study used analytical pluralism in obtaining helpful insights and understanding innovation platforms better. Discussions from this study supports that both the innovation ecosystem perspective and value chain perspective are important analytical perspectives in innovation platforms. The two perspectives bring different insights when applied to the same case contexts as indicated by this study. We also see that the insights brought about by each lens highlight different findings for two case studies from different contexts (i.e. agriculture and rural development sectors in South Africa).
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Innovations, Industrial, Innovation ecosystems, Ecosystems, Value chains, Agricultural innovation, Agriculture for rural development, UCTD