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Vol 9 - Issue 4

Technology and Innovation


List of Articles

Industrial Renewal and Innovation
Laurent Adatto

This text analyzes the challenges and prospects associated with the theme of the special issue "Industrial Renewal and Innovation" of the journal "Technology and Innovation". After explaining the relevance of the research in this field, it presents an overview of the articles included in the issue.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Defense Innovations: Theoretical Proposals and Illustrations
Pierre Barbaroux

This contribution questions the dynamics of the aerospace and defense (A&D) industries by identifying the main factors acting on innovation. Based on the model developed by [BAR 19] and [BAR 20], the research examines the dynamics of defense innovations incorporating components from Artificial Intelligence (AI) research. Considered as a General Purpose Technology (GPT; [BRE 96]), AI and its multiple applications have a significant impact on current and future military capabilities, and constitute relevant empirical material for understanding how innovation operates in the A&D industries.


New Space Representations in Science Fiction, From a Global Vision to a European Perspective
Thomas Michaud

New Space designates the emergence of an economic system in the space sector in which more and more private actors are called upon to participate. Science fiction has been offering representations of the companies of space capitalism for several years. This article studies some of them, such as the films Space Sweepers, Venom, or the Salvation series, and shows that the figure of the New Space billionaire arouses both fascination and rejection. While these fictions are inspired by real characters like Elon Musk, they also influence the general public and the actors of the space sector. These stories are at the center of strategic and soft power issues. It is suggested that Europe should equip itself with an effective and performative system for creating space science fiction stories in order to optimize the creativity of its future entrepreneurs. Indeed, these stories often offer a reflection on the ethics of space conquest and imagine technologies that could become major innovations in the future.


The New Space: Ruptures and Transformations of the Space Ecosystem
Christophe Bénaroya, Victor Dos Santos Paulino

After a first long phase of governmental and scientific development, the space sector has been shaken up by new approaches during the 2000s, grouped under the generic term "New Space". Through the study of the evolution of this ecosystem, this academic work proposes a characterization of the New Space, considered as a set of disruptions composed of new entrants, new applications, new technologies, new regulations, new processes, and new modes of financing. But, beyond that, it emphasizes that these disruptions are fed by their interaction and interdependence. Finally, this richness of the New Space leads us to identify the numerous implications for the economic and management sciences, whether in terms of research programs or teaching.


Patent ‘Wars’: Between Myth and Reality
Marc Baudry, Beatrice Dumont

The proliferation of patent litigation is indicative of the tension that exists between, on the one hand, the need to ensure interoperability and compatibility between a product’s components and, on the other, respect for intellectual property (IP) rights. In this article, we show that this tension is not new. Patent "wars" have historically been associated with disruptive innovations, and reflect the growing importance of business models based on the valorization of IP. While recognizing the sometimes deleterious effects of the litigation dynamic, litigation can be seen as a means of ex-post adjusting the scope of rights conferred by IP.


Boosting the Innovation Capacity of SMEs in a Changing World
Claudine Gay, Bérangère Szostak

Despite their strengths, SMEs appear to have an insufficiently exploited potential for innovation. This is especially true in times of crisis. In a context characterised by three sources of destabilisation – economy of platform, the COVID-19 health crisis and market tensions – this article aims to suggest ways of boosting the innovation capacity of SMEs. After recalling the main obstacles of SMEs in terms of innovation – which are mainly due to limited access to resources –, and their main strength – which is mainly due to their organisational structure –, we consider how these changes challenge the capacity of SMEs to innovate. The resulting management and research issues lead us to shift the cursor from the SME’s manager to its teams and from outside collaborative innovation to inside collaborative innovation.


Agility and Resilience of the French “Industrie du Futur” During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Insights from a Multi-dimensional Framework
Marie Haikel Elsabeh, Patricia Baudier, Marcos Lima, Michel Dalmas

This multi-case study analyzes the role of organizational factors influencing Industry 5.0 resilience during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in France. McKinsey’s 7S framework is used to understand how eight French Small and Medium Enterprises belonging to the “Industrie du Futur” alliance adapted their strategy, structure, systems, skills, staff, shared values and management style while relying on their shared values to develop organizational agility and resilience. Our findings confirm that, even if technology systems were a key component of their response to the Covid-19 situation, human elements also played a central role in their ability to cope with the crisis. Our research also sheds light on the importance of stakeholder networks in an organization’s ability to adapt and prosper during crises. The resulting framework could help companies to develop a human-centric approach to agility and resilience.


From an Innovative Milieu to an Eco-innovative Milieu: Towards Sustainable Territorial Development
Fedoua Kasmi

L’objectif de cet article est de proposer une réflexion autour du concept de milieu éco-innovateur pour analyser la dynamique du développement territorial durable. Il s’agit d’une approche basée sur la théorie européenne des milieux innovateurs mais visant à intégrer la question environnementale dans l’analyse des réseaux territoriaux d’innovation. Nous considérons que les symbioses industrielles, dans lesquelles un collectif d’acteurs territoriaux sont liés par des relations de valorisation des flux de matières et de déchets, peuvent prendre la forme d’un milieu éco-innovateur. Ces relations peuvent être à l’origine de l’émergence de nouvelles dynamiques d’innovation à travers l’apprentissage collectif qui résulte de la gestion commune des ressources du territoire (adoption de nouvelles pratiques éco-responsables, développement de nouvelles technologies durables, renforcement de la communication et de l’échange de connaissances autour de ces nouvelles pratiques...). Nous illustrons notre raisonnement par un exemple d’application au territoire industriel de Dunkerque, France.