Innovation â not just a technical and economic problem!
In place of an Editorial
Alice B. M. Vadrot
The first editorial of Innovation â The European Journal of Social Science Research â was dedicated to the question whether innovation is only a technical and economic issue. The authorâs answer was that it is a societal and scientific issue that is located in different sub-systems of society and calls for innovative research, and for innovation of, and within, the social sciences. Periods of crisis do not only affect the economy, but to a similar extent shake up the scientific community. This is still a prevailing issue.
From today`s perspective, nobody would doubt the fact that innovation needs to be thought about within a broader context â this is indicated by the invasion of literature with concepts related to innovation in many scientific disciplines. Innovation is everywhere and innovative approaches to innovation have entered the arena of scientific inquiry and debate. But what is actually the point? Taken into account that the term âinnovationâ, deriving from the Latin term innovare, means to renew or to change, the question should rather be what, by whom and how changes can be made, rather than asking on how concepts of change can be renewed. This is even more relevant in periods of crisis and societal change.
In the first editorial of Innovation, Ronald J. Pohoryles, the founder of the Journal, argued that strategies to combat periods of crisis should not primarily rest on economic considerations and concepts, but on interdisciplinary approaches that take into account the overall context of society, politics, the economy and culture. As global stagnation is not only due to developments in the economic sphere, a broader concept of innovation needs to be framed and taken as a basis for appropriate research and science. But what is actually meant by that and what characterises scientific research?….
This issue contains the following articles:
Alice B. M. Vadrot
Editorial- Innovation â not just a technical and economic problem!
Helen Santiago Fink
Promoting Behavioral Change towards lower Energy Consumption in the Building Sector
Michael Schmidt
Behavioral Change as catalyst for increasing Energy Efficiency? A réplique to Santiago Fink
Joana Carla Soares Gonçalves and Klaus Bode
The environmental value of buildings: a proposal for performance assessment with the reference to the case of the office tall building.
Agnieszka Schirru-Nowicka et al.
The value of the DisplayÂź Campaign as a voluntary energy and environmental performance certification system of buildings for sustainable municipal energy management in Ukraine.
Evisa Kica & Nico Groenendijk
The European Patent System: Dealing with Emerging Technologies.
Pavlos-Marinos A. Delladetsima
Planning for knowledge infrastructure and capacity building in a distinct insular regional context (Cyclades-S. Aegean). The role of Higher Education Institutionsâ research actions.
Anders Lundström and Chunyan Zhou
Promoting innovation based on social sciences and technologiesïŒthe prospect of a social innovation park.
Agnieszka M. Dadura and Tzong- Ru (Jiun-Shen) Lee
Measuring the innovation ability of Taiwanâs food industry using DEA.
Erkki Karo and Rainer Kattel
Should âOpen Innovationâ change innovation policy thinking in catching-up economies? Considerations for policy analyses.
Anita G. Heeren
The changing ways of disclosure. Literature review of Disclosure towards terminally ill children including HIV.