Call for Papers

Submission Dates

Submission Deadline for Extended Abstracts: Feb 17, 2020 (for both paper and posters)

Notice of Acceptance: Early May 2020

Full Paper / Poster Submission: June 1, 2020

For the 2020 R&D Management Symposium on the theme Invention to Innovation: Creating the Conditions for Impact, we are soliciting extended abstracts up to 1,500 words for academic papers within three tracks:

1) Innovation Policy (Track chair - Prof Joseph (Yuan) Zhou, Tsinghua University)

Topics include: What roles can innovation policy play at university, regional and national levels to better translate breakthrough university inventions and to create knowledge economy jobs?  What metrics matter?  How can innovation policy complement or work in synergy with other forms of regulation, such as on climate or in healthcare?  Can innovation policy promote the development of entrepreneurial mindset for STEM researchers? What should be considered when balancing and integrating demand side and supply side innovation policies? How important is international coordination of innovation policies? 

2) Firm Entrepreneurial  Strategy (Track chair - Prof Riccardo Fini, University of Bologna)

Topics include: What factors impact the founding, growth and success of science-based university spinoffs? What pre-formation entrepreneurial processes lead to impactful science-based university spinoffs? How do firm entrepreneurial strategy and metrics differ from clean tech to biomedical to AI ventures?  What entrepreneurial capabilities differentiate successful science-based university spinoffs?  What factors are critical to scaling science-based ventures?  Under what conditions can effectuation strategies be successful? 

3) Innovation Intermediaries (from Universities, Incubators, to Ecosystem Development) (Track co-Chairs, Prof Alberto Di Minin & Prof Andrea Piccaluga, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna)

Topics include: What roles do innovation intermediaries play in creating the conditions for impact from breakthrough invention at universities in the areas of clean technology, biomedical / healthcare research, and Artificial Intelligence?  How important is alignment/coordination of innovation intermediaries?  What metrics matter?  Is opportunity creation from breakthrough invention inadvertently suppressed by incubators and innovation intermediaries? What role does for-credit educational programming play in creating effective entrepreneurial mindset and innovation skillsets?  Do university incentive and administrative systems act to suppress breakthrough invention and innovation?  If so, what models are exemplars? 

Format of Extended Abstract Submissions

Your Extended Abstract can be up to 1,500 words in total and will be requested in the following sections on the symposium portal: Extended Abstract Submissions

Title of Contribution                                                                                                  

Context:  Please briefly state the context of your research (max 50 words)                                                                                   

Literature: Indicate in a succinct manner relevant literature (4-6 sources, max 200 words)     

Literature Gap:  Indicate the literature gap that you have identified (max 50 words)      

Research Questions:  Please state the main research questions of this research (max 50 words)      

Methodology:  Describe briefly the methodology used (i.e. quantitative, qualitative, conceptual, analytical) (max 100 words)      

Empirical Material:  If relevant (i.e. not in the case of conceptual, theoretical, analytical papers) describe briefly the sources and nature of collected or envisaged empirical material, as well as its extent (i.e. number of interviews, quality of data (max 200 words)      

Results:  Describe succinctly the main results obtained or envisaged in this research (max 200 words)      

Contribution to Scholarship:  State briefly the main scientific contribution (achieved or expected) of this research (max 150 words)      

Contribution to Practice:  State briefly the main contribution to practice of this research of this research (max 150 words)      

Fitness:  State briefly the relevance of this particular research to the key themes of the R&D Management conference in general and to the theme of this Symposium (max 100 words)      

Bibliography: Please provide the full references of the literature cited in your abstract      

Criteria for Selection of Papers

Your extended abstract will be evaluated for acceptance as an academic paper or poster for the 2020 R&D Management Symposium. 

Your submission will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

You will be asked to identify if your contribution was solely written by students and / or doctoral candidates, or if the first author and intended presenter of this contribution is a doctoral candidate. This is to help us prepare a Ph.D. Mentoring session.