UK Partner
Sercan Ozcan, Dr. , (Assoc. Prof.) in Innovation & Technology Management, Associate Head of Research and Innovation, School of Strategy, Marketing and Innovation
Ukraine Partner
Svitlana Yermak, Professor of the Economics Department Institute of Economics and Management
Co-Investigators
Emre Cinar, Dr. Senior Lecturer, Departmental Director of Postgraduate Research (DDPGR), School of Strategy, Marketing and Innovation
Oleksandr Bavyko, Professor, Head of the Business and Trade Department Institute of Economics and Management
Project objectives
This project corresponds with Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine Research Priorities (2022-26) (No.1. Research of issues relating to public policy development and its implementation in education, science, innovation and technology. Prognosis of technological and innovation development). Inclusive innovation systems involve the participation of a diverse range of stakeholders, including government, academia, industry, and civil society, in the innovation process. Frugal innovations involve the development of products and services that are simple, affordable, and scalable, with a focus on meeting the needs of underserved markets. The aim of this project is to establish a new model for inclusive and frugal innovations for military technologies in Ukraine. This project has the potential to promote the economic development and welfare of the country in several ways. First, the project aims to enhance the innovation capabilities of the Ukrainian military, which will enable the country to develop new technologies and solutions to address its defence needs. This can help Ukraine with its national security needs and eventually stabilize the economy. Second, this work can lead to more efficient and effective use of resources. Finally, the developed framework will be transferable to other innovation conditions and can be used for post-war innovation activities.
Project goals
In recent years, there has been a growing focus on inclusive and frugal innovations as ways to drive innovation and to address challenges faced by countries with limited resources (Onsongo and Knorringa 2020). Although inclusive and frugal innovation approaches are being implemented in various contexts (i.e. medical technologies), it has never been implemented for the military technologies and needs. Benefiting from the previous studies, and also considering the literature gap, the project aims to enhance the innovation capabilities of the Ukrainian military and drive the development of new technologies that can address the country's defence needs based on a newly introduced inclusive and frugal innovation systems. The main objectives of the project are:
1. To identify the key challenges and opportunities for inclusive innovation systems and frugal innovations for military technologies and needs in Ukraine.
2. To develop a conceptual framework for establishing inclusive innovation systems and frugal innovations specific to the military context in Ukraine.
3. To illustrate the applicability of the developed models and framework in selected areas of various military technologies and needs through the case study approach
4. To propose recommendations to the relevant stakeholders for further use of the relevant framework.
The project will adopt a mixed-methods approach, comprising of literature review, stakeholder interviews, and case studies. The literature review will examine the current state of knowledge on inclusive innovation systems and frugal innovations. Online interviews will be conducted with representatives from government, academia (military department of the university also), industry (including enterprises producing products for the defense industry), and civil society (including volunteer unions) to gather insights on the challenges and opportunities for inclusive innovation systems and frugal innovations for military technologies in Ukraine. Case study approach will be used to illustrate the implementation of the conceptual framework.
The proposed project has the potential to enhance the innovation capabilities of the Ukrainian military and drive the development of new technologies that can address the country's defence needs. The development of inclusive innovation systems and frugal innovations for military technologies will also promote the participation of a diverse range of stakeholders in the innovation process, fostering a more collaborative and inclusive approach to innovation.
In addition to its benefits for the military, this project could also have wider applications beyond the war. The approach of inclusive innovation and frugal innovation could potentially be useful in other sectors or industries in Ukraine, as it promotes the participation of a diverse range of stakeholders and encourages creative, cost-effective solutions. The conceptual framework and recommendations developed through this project could serve as a valuable resource for other organizations looking to adopt similar approaches to innovation. Additionally, the case studies conducted as part of the project could provide valuable insights and best practices for the implementation of inclusive and frugal innovation in other contexts.
Role of each Partner
Considering the partnership, academicians from both universities could provide valuable support to the proposed project in a number of ways. Partner from the UK could support the project by establishing the inclusive and frugal innovation framework following the literature review. Ukrainian partner could support the development of the conceptual framework and help with the stakeholder interviews. Both partners can involve in the analysis and coding data using the NVivo software. Case studies can be selected and written in partnership. Additionally, academicians from Ukraine could serve as key stakeholders in the project to disseminate the results of the project to a wider audience.
Timing
Project Start Date: 01.03.2023
Project End Date: 31.08.2023
Expected results
1. Research paper: Inclusive and Frugal Innovation System for Military Technologies: The case of Ukraine. The target journal: Research Policy.
2. Research paper: Frugal innovation process and a framework for military products. The target journal: Journal of Product Innovation Management.
3. Further research bid applications to extend the work for other types of inclusive and frugal innovations in Ukraine.
