Knowledge and innovation: a comparative study of the USA, the UK and Japan

Introduction and overview -- The international policy context -- My aim and rationale -- The structure of the book -- The theoretical landscape of knowledge transfer -- Theoretical portraits of the innovation process -- Theories of policy change and implementation -- Policy assumptions about triple helix partnerships -- The nature of knowledge: discourses in socio-cultural theory -- Innovation as collaboration and expansive learning -- The paradox of creative destruction -- Overview -- A natural history of my research methodology -- My methodological journey in the rough terrain of innovation -- My research design -- The UK case studies: high technology corridors (HTCs) -- The Japanese cases: textiles and photonics -- The US cases: Silicon Valley and sustainable energy innovation -- My method of data presentation -- Discussion of ethical and political issues -- Overview -- Reconstructing subject perspectives -- The complexity of subject positioning and identity -- Visualizing competing objects of activity -- Overview -- Horizontal expansion of the object by collaboration of experts -- Horizontal expansion of the object of activity -- How boundary objects bridge organizational cultures -- Vignette: samples and prototypes as boundary objects -- Vignette: management consultancy project in the UK -- Vignette: projects: connecting industry with art schools -- Vignette: collaborative projects to develop electronic tools -- Users and developers: consumers oriented innovation -- Vignette interacting with clients in the design process -- Vignette: Nuno collaborations with fashion designers -- Vignette: public-private sector partnership zero energy homes -- Vignette: collaboration between users and developers of photonics -- Vignette: how users transformed an outcome into a tool -- Overview -- Mediation between activity systems of unequal agency -- Vertical expansion of the object of activity -- The significance of power and hierarchical structures -- Collaborative projects as cycles of expansive learning -- Vignette: Nuno's sustained investment in collaboration -- Vignette: Hamamatsu photonics cluster -- Vignette: collaboration to create innovative stainless steel textiles -- Vignette: collaborative ICT research project -- Vignette: learning from a rapid prototyping project in the UK -- Vignette: learning from a collaborative visualization software project -- Crossing the Valley of Death -- Vignette: the role of venture capitalists in Silicon Valley -- Vignette: industry scanning and serious play: jellyfish fabric -- Vignette: metallic plating of textiles -- Vignette: collaboration on hydrogen fuel cells in California -- Overview -- The impact of complexity and power dynamics on organizational learning -- Complexity of partnerships as a constraint on learning -- Vignette: practical experience of large scale innovation -- Vignette: the impact of multivariate objects -- The importance of flexibility and autonomy -- Vignette: balancing power dynamics in an architecture project -- Vignette: how a mediator empowered a weak activity system -- Vignette: the unique nurturing environment in Silicon Valley -- Vignette: artistic goals and serious play -- Mediators as mini-maestros of networks -- Vignette: the capacity of designers to act as mini maestros -holograms -- Vignette: collaboration in the creation of eco textiles -- Vignette: combined impact of mediators and boundary objects: Novus -- Conscription devices and emotional commitment to the object -- Vignette: uniting communities in collaborative public interest research -- Vignette: employee creativity: the object of Google activity -- Vignette: collaboration between physicians and automotive designers -- Vignette: collaboration between defence industry and physicians -- Vignette: embedded projects within Medilink -- Overview -- Using evaluation as a tool for learning -- Variations in the style and purpose of evaluation -- How involvement in the process of evaluation supports learning -- Vignette: the victory narrative and reflective evaluation -- Vignette: sustaining coherent development with short term projects -- Vignette: conflict between the roles of animateur and auditor -- Vignette: bureaucracy: espoused and actual autonomy -- Vignette: the creative power of conflict: action on sustainable energy -- Overview -- Insights from the research findings -- Research question 1 -- Research question 2 -- Research question 3 -- Research question 4 -- Research question 5 -- A toolkit to support organizational learning -- Vractical ways to enhance innovation partnerships -- Diagnostic tools for innovation partnerships -- Conclusions -- Risks and limitations of the research -- Future development of expansive learning theory -- Bibliography.

This book presents case studies from the US, the UK and Japan. Packed full of vignettes from cases studies and subscribing to a socio-cultural approach rather than the often tacit assumption that knowledge and 'technology transfer' is a logistical problem, this excellent volume illuminates the often misunderstood process of knowledge transfer.