| Abstract [eng] |
The awareness for major global challenges such as climate change is rising globally among industry and consumers. There is a large consensus that innovative solutions are needed to solve these challenges. Unfortunately, several negative examples in the past have shown that innovations can have unintended negative consequences. To develop innovative solutions that are ethically acceptable, socially desirable and sustainable as well as do not create new problems, the concept of Responsible Innovation (RI) can be applied. However, the concept is complex, still relatively new and has been predominantly applied in academic research, although many innovations are developed in industry. This makes RI difficult to adapt, especially for SMEs, the most common form of businesses in Europe, which often have limited resources. But first empirical findings have shown that RI implementation in a firm can be associated with competitive benefits. Therefore, the research aim is to ground a conceptual framework for strategic implementation of RI in biotechnology SMEs. To achieve the research aim, the following research objectives were set: 1. To analyse the situation of RI implementation in academia and business context with special focus on SMEs. 2. To perform a theoretical analysis of strategic implementation in SMEs with regard to RI by identifying its main drivers and barriers. 3. To develop a conceptual framework for strategic implementation of RI in SMEs based on the conceptualized relationships between the purpose, innovation process and outcome level. 4. To substantiate a methodology for analysing the strategic implementation of RI in the biotechnology sector in Germany. 5. To empirically validate the strategic RI implementation framework in SMEs and extract dominant profiles of strategic RI implementation in biotechnology firms. The research methods applied in this work include the analysis of scientific literature to identify and ground the elements of the conceptual framework for strategic implementation of RI in SMEs. To validate the framework in a qualitative study, a multiple case study analysis was conducted. Biotechnology SMEs in Germany were selected as the research context. The data was collected through desk research on secondary data and semi structured interviews. A qualitative content analysis was performed to extract the relevant information to validate the conceptual framework. The key theoretical findings include the characteristics of strategic implementation, key drivers and barriers of RI implementation in SMEs and key elements of RI implementation in a firm. On this basis, a conceptual framework for strategic implementation of RI in SMEs was developed, which emphasises a code of conduct as a central element for formalising RI. The key empirical findings suggest accepting the proposed conceptual framework and its elements in the given context. Two additional key elements of strategic implementation of RI were identified, namely the manifestation of benefits/competitive advantages to be obtained by RI implementation and the assessment of responsibility along the value chain. Furthermore, two dominant profiles were identified that could be related to strategic implementation of RI, namely the personal motivation and values of the founder and the involvement of employees in strategic processes and decisions. |
