• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.59-93
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• 2021

This article discusses the innovation activities of firms that aim for system transformation from the perspective of 'Transformative Innovation Policies'. Here, for the sustainable transformation of our society, a firm that finds the 'purpose' of business activities in solving social problems and implements a new business model is defined as a 'transition-oriented firm'. The main characteristics of a transition-oriented firm are examined in terms of 1) transition vision and mission setting, 2) business model innovation for transition, 3) network formation for system transition, and 4) securing legitimacy of transition. And through case studies, the approach, significance, and limitations of the transition-oriented corporate innovation theory are discussed. The case study is from a Eisai Korea, which aims for an integrated prevention, treatment, and care system centered on residents and citizens.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.57-88
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• 2014

The 'Grand Challenge' in the global level raises fundamental questions on the role of private firm as a profit maximizer. From the new perspective, firms are recognized as a social entity with social and environmental responsibility. Particularly, the importance of transition-orineted firms, which pursue an objective of socio-technological system transition, have increased. These environmental changes request a new understanding on the identification of firms and the evolution of sustainable business model from the technological innovation perspectives. This paper aims on the new understanding on the motivation of firms who participated on the sustainable system transition and the proposal of 'transition-oriented firms' concept. Based on literature survey, this paper reviews the role of firms in the process of socio-technological system transition, the cases of transition-oriented firm, the types of sustainable business models and their strategies.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.57-82
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• 2022

As the strategy to support SMEs' innovation has shifted to induce market-oriented innovation, the Korean government increasingly invests in grant-type R&D projects proposed by SME firms. This study reveals the characteristics of grant-type R&D projects proposed by SME firms through a transition of national R&D strategy and demand-pull innovation perspectives. This study also examines the differences between grant-type R&D projects proposed by firms and R&D projects led by the government through logit-analysis and propensity score matching methods. As a result, we found that a national R&D project for SMEs yields better innovation performance when the project is proposed by a company than led by the government.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.107-144
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• 2012

Recently concerns on the energy future are rising in Korea after nuclear disaster of Fukushima in Japan last year. However, even after Fukushima disaster Korean government keeps on insisting nuclear oriented energy policy. Contrary to it, some of civil society's organizations(CSOs) including environment groups and progressive political parties are making strong voices for phase-out nuclear. As a way of phase-out nuclear activity researcher groups based on CSOs have presented several alternative energy scenarios against the official government scenario so that contest between the two senarios seems not to be avoided. This article aims to analyse the politics of expertise around energy scenarios in Korea by highlighting differences between two scenarios of government and CSOs in terms of epistemological and methodological base, value orientation, institutional foundation, and the socio-political contexts of scenarios. Our research shows that government's energy scenario is based on scientific-positivist epistemology, firm belief in value neutrality and forecasting method, and is built by neo-classical economists at government-sponsored research institutes in accordance with the 'Business As Usual' approach. In contrast, alternative scenarios of CSOs can be said to be based on epistemological constructivism, value oriented attitudes and backcasting method, and be built by collaboration of researchers and activists with different academic and social backgrounds after Fukushima nuclear disaster.