Standardisation as a Catalyst for Innovation

Knut Blind

ERIM Inaugural Address Series Research in Management from Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Abstract: Het traditionele beeld dat standaardisatie gezien wordt als een proces dat niet samengaat met innovatie is de laatste jaren veranderd. In zijn oratie laat prof.dr. Knut Blind zien dat vastgestelde normen wel degelijk kunnen bijdragen aan vernieuwingen. Vanuit economisch perspectief behandelt Blind het potentieel en de impact van standaardisatie en normen op innovatiemogelijkheden, waarbij hij mogelijke negatieve effecten niet onbesproken laat. Eerste onderwerp is het nut van standaardisatie voor onderzoek binnen de technologie. Vervolgens gaat Blind in op de wisselwerking tussen het intellectuele eigendomsrecht, voornamelijk patenten, en standaarden. Hij stelt dat de integratie van patenten in standaarden leidt tot een versnelling van technologische kennis, maar dat er gevaar is dat bedrijven hier ook misbruik van kunnen maken. Prof.dr. Knut Blind concludeert zijn oratie met een visie op de uitdagingen van toekomstig onderzoek. ------------------------------------------------------- Traditionally, standards have been perceived as contradicting innovation. However, this view has been overturned in recent years. Based on some fundamental definitions and an illustration of the generic economic effects of standards, the inaugural address will present the innovation-promoting impacts of standards in three different dimensions. In addition, possible barriers for the exploitation of these potentials and negative implications of the interaction between innovation and standardisation will also be examined. First, Blind will address the relationship between research and standardisation. The role of standardisation and standards as effective channels of technology transfer will be outlined. Additionally, the relevance of standards for research activities will be illustrated. Second, he will address the interaction between intellectual property rights, especially patents, and standards. Here, the integration of patents into standards broadens and fastens the diffusion of technological know-how. However, this interaction might be misused for strategies leading to a vicious and not-virtuous circle. Finally, standards can also play an innovation-promoting role in the procurement of innovative products. Here, Blind will focus on the potential of standards for innovation oriented public procurement policies, but also outline actual problems. The address will close with an outlook to future research challenges.

Keywords: exploitation; innovation; production time; standarisation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L15 L26 M O32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-08-28
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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