Defining the term
Innovation ecosystem President Emeritus Lars Pallesen, DTU, Technical University of Denmark: In DTU terms, innovation occurs when value – monetary or otherwise – is created by some organisation external to the university utilising novel DTU know-how or know-why. An ecosystem may be viewed as a non-selfdestructive system, which offers biological organisms (in particular humans) the opportunity to live, develop and reproduce. Hence innovation ecosystem could be used as a label for a liveable, healthy and active society, which is able to flourish in a sustainable, dynamic steady state, thanks to continuous university-based innovation.
Vice President Tuija Pulkkinen, Aalto University: Innovations are not created in isolation. Nor do they develop through a linear process where first basic and then applied research is followed by product development. In reality, innovations are created through interactions that engage both scientific and practical actors. An innovation ecosystem is a context where this collective learning and co-creation can take place. The ecosystem brings together the human, social, intellectual and financial capital needed to create innovations and provide prosperity to society. An effective innovation ecosystem consists of academia as well as the private and public sectors actively communicating and collaborating with each other. An ecosystem has infrastructure that fosters random encounters, promotes entrepreneurship and reduces the need for coordination. An open, informal, high-trust communication culture and active co-creation characterise vibrant innovation ecosystems. A successful innovation ecosystem is more than the sum of its parts. It brings prosperity to the entire system as well as to its individual members. The ecosystem also considers the longer-term perspective by developing its competence base. By the same token, a vibrant ecosystem ensures the timeliness and agility of its members.
A tricky question What do we need more research for, when the world is already flooded with information?
uu tti J -Ma a s e V
nen tilai
Answered by the Academy of Finland’s Vice President for Research, Professor Marja Makarow:
8 / AALTO UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 12
“Unlike research, a flood of discreet fragments of information – or beliefs – cannot be used to systematically build a knowledge base for humanity. Research involves an in-depth examination of a scientific question, which calls for creativity in addition to knowledge and skills acquired through studying. Furthermore, research puts new findings into context, i.e. makes them a part of a greater knowledge totality that has been constructed by researcher colleagues over the decades or even centuries. A distinct feature of research activities is critique – researchers themselves evaluate the validity of their findings and, through publication, submit their research to review and reproduction by the international scientific community.”