Assessing the value of the European digital innovation hub network from a knowledge brokerage perspective: A case study of Finland.

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Volume Title

School of Business | Master's thesis

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Date

2024

Department

Tieto- ja palvelujohtamisen laitos

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Information and Service Management (ISM)

Language

en

Pages

115 + 9

Series

Abstract

The focus of the thesis is on assessing the value of the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) network membership. This is executed by analyzing four hubs operating in Finland, with a core mission of assisting all European small and medium-sized enterprises in their digitalization activities, and one representative from the European Commission, who contributes in the operations of these hubs on the EU level. A comparative multiple case study is executed on the level of a single country (Finland) and the focus further narrowed to the core activity of EDIHs widely recognised in the academic literature: knowledge brokerage. In order to assess the value of the EDIH network membership from this knowledge brokerage perspective, methods Value-Focused Thinking and Analytical Hierarchy Process, both widely utilized in several academic contexts, are employed. Value-Focused Thinking guides the structuring of the qualitative interview process and the presenting of the results, whereas Analytical Hierarchy process is utilized for quantifying the results and then ensuring the data consistency and robustness. After executing individual analyses with all datasets, a comparative analysis is made to form a list of final recommendations to answer the research question. The recommendations are categorized based on the objective importance, uniqueness/insightfulness and frequency, and combining these three categories under the same study forms a novel framework to analyze the EDIH network activities. The results show that the trust between the EDIH and its clients as well as the national recognition of the EDIH network in the domestic economy play a more significant role than discussed before in the academic literature. The results also underline the strategic dimension of stakeholder cooperation, not widely addressed before in this context either.

Description

Thesis advisor

Leppänen, Ilkka

Keywords

innovation policy, EDIH network, knowledge broker, value-focused thinking, analytical hierarchy process, European Union

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Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202408255598

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[gradu] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ