Ideas with Impact
UNB Faculty of Management

The transfer and commercialization of knowledge drives economic activity, so it is some cause for concern that innovation and technology scholars have noted a slowdown of the once robust US innovation system. This will have an impact on national productivity and economic growth. Dr. Ibrahim Shaikh, a business professor with UNB’s faculty of management, has published a study that provides insight on what is happening.

Co-authored with Dr.Krithika Randhawa at the University of Technology Sydney, this study deals with the slowdown of the US innovation system. “While invention has gone up, we look at how commercialization has diminished and specifically how the increasing openness of the companies’ processes (IP transfer, weak antitrust laws, share-buybacks) have contributed to this deterioration,” says Shaikh, who has previously published research on open innovation.

The paper looks at proper policy measures and shows that often incremental policies applied by government officials, instead of radical and sweeping changes, are better at stimulating US competitiveness.

“We draw on already published descriptive and empirical evidence and bridge the literatures of open innovation, corporate governance and industrial dynamics with the goal of provoking debate and dialogue about a pressing economic and tech policy issue,” says Shaikh.

Shaikh’s study was shortlisted for an emerging research scholar award at the 2019 World Open Innovation Conference organized by the Hass School of Business. In fact, Dr. Henry Chesbrough, the founder of open innovation, presented the award in person.

The final article, entitled “Industrial R&D and national innovation policy: An Institutional reappraisal of the US National Innovation System,” was published in April 2022 in the journal of Industrial & Corporate Change. Based out of Berkeley Hass School of Business, this is one of the most prestigious innovation journals in the world. The editors, Drs. Dosi and Teece, who are both founders of the field of evolutionary economics and technology management, respectively, personally accepted the paper.

Shaikh joined the faculty of management in 2015 and teaches courses in innovation, entrepreneurship and competitive strategy. His research interests include social innovation, stakeholder-theory, digital ecosystems, national competitiveness and sustainability.

PHOTO: Dr. Ibrahim Shaikh published an article in the journal Industrial & Corporate Change that provides insight on the slowdown of the US Innovation System.

Learn more about Dr. Ibrahim Shaikh.

Learn more about UNB’s faculty of management.

Media contact: Liz Lemon-Mitchell