Innovation is not only a fundamental component of corporate strategy to revitalize business but also a prominent force that drives industrial renewal and sustainable development at aggregate level.

Over recent years, fast technological change promotes the emergence a group of frontier technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data, internet of things, robotics, advanced materials and quantum computing, which are believed as the core technologies for disruptive innovations of the next generation. The concern of how to address the new wave of technological change has prompted renewed attention to corporate venturing – the various innovation-led strategies and processes associated with new business creation for corporate renewal.

With the theme of corporate venturing and innovation, we study how firms organize and benefit from corporate venturing activities that build upon either internal or external ideas to advance innovation to sustain competitive advantage. More importantly, we take a systemic view to understand the interactive relationship between corporate venturing and local innovative/entrepreneurial environment, which matters for the overall competitiveness of a region or a country. A systemic view also requires us to involve not only researchers that are from different disciplines, such as economics, innovation management, economic history, economic geography and innovation policy, but also policy makers in the relevant fields, to work together under the research theme. 

Research focus

Currently, four projects are related to the theme of corporate venturing and innovation.

Acquisitions for experimentation: the impact of acquisitions of deep tech ventures on the capability creation and transformation of incumbent technology firms

Project leader: Jing Xiao

Financed by Jan Wallanders och Tom Hedelius stiftelse samt Tore Browaldhs stiftelse 2020-2023.

An experimentally organised economy: The role of Entrepreneurial Experimentation

Project leader: Åsa Lindholm Dahlstrand

Financed by VINNOVA 2019-2022.

An experimentally organised economy: A Proposal for a Strategic Knowledge Platform

Project leader: Åsa Lindholm Dahlstrand

Financed by VINNOVA 2018-2021.

Hunting high-quality human capital through acquiring technology ventures? A study of corporate recruitment through acquisitions

Project leader: Jing Xiao

Financed by Lundbergsstiftelserna 2018-2020.