When there is significant uncertainty in an innovation project, research literature suggests that strictly sequencing actions and stages may not be an appropriate mode of project management. We use a longitudinal process approach and qualitative system dynamics modelling to study the development of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes for malaria eradication in an African country. Our data were collected in real time, from early scientific research to deployment of the first prototype mosquitoes in the field. The gene drive technology for modifying the mosquitoes is highly complex and controversial due to risks associated with its characteristics as a living, self-replicating technology. We show that in this case the innovation journey is linear and highly structured, but also embedded within a wider system of adoption that displays emergent behaviour. Although the need to control risks associated with the technology imposes a linearity to the NPD process, there are possibilities for deviation from a more structured sequence of stages. This arises from the effects of feedback loops in the wider system of evidence creation and learning at the population and governance levels, which cumulatively impact on acceptance of the innovation. The NPD and adoption processes are therefore closely intertwined, meaning that the endpoint for R&D and beginning of mainstream adoption and diffusion are unclear. A key challenge for those responsible for NPD and its regulation is to plan for the adoption of the technology while simultaneously conducting its scientific and technical development.
Keywords: New product development | Adoption | Genetically modified mosquitoes | Living technology | Gene drive | Malaria

This paper defines and analyses incubators that mainly support start-ups with a significant social impact. In 2016, a survey was conducted on the 162 incubators active in Italy, and a total of 88 responses were received. An analysis of the literature and of this dataset led to the identification of three types of incubators: Business, Mixed, and Social. Thirty of the respondents sent information on their tenants. Thanks to the data regarding 247 tenants, it was possible to analyze the impact of the three different types of incubators (Business, Mixed, and Social) on the tenants’ growth through OLS regression analyses. A Social Incubator is here defined as an incubator that supports more than 50% of start-ups that aim to introduce a positive social impact. The study shows that Social Incubators perceive social impact measurement and training/consulting on business ethics and CSR as being more important services than other incubator types. The regression analyses explain that Social Incubators are as efficient as other incubators, in terms of tenants’ economic growth, notwithstanding the focus of Social Incubators on start-ups that do not pursue only economic objectives. Finally, this study indicates that policy- makers can foster Social Incubators to support social entrepreneurship.
Keywords: Incubators | Accelerators | Social start-up | Social entrepreneurship | Social innovation | Entrepreneurship

Orphan diseases pose both a challenge to the global medical community and an opportunity for it to focus on global peace engineering and innovation. Where, any single orphan disease is rare, when taken as a whole they affect more than 250 million people throughout the world. This number by comparison is larger than the global number of cancer and AIDS patients. We add to the literature by mapping the available knowledge in the orphan drug development field and exploring the tensions at play for innovation and entrepreneurship in this field. We further add to the literature by providing a framework to review this field based on social systems theory. Our review highlights the gaps in research and proposes a path forward in understanding of and learning from the orphan drug development field.
Keywords: Healthcare innovation | Orphan drugs | Rare diseases | Responsible innovation

Innovative entrepreneurship is at the heart of economic development in all modern economic systems. However, we observe in several developed countries - especially Europe - a languishing in the capacity to foster creative destruction (i.e. Schumpeter Mark 1, SM1) dynamics and to create young innovative companies (YICs), capable to establish themselves as leaders in markets or become successful innovators. One key issue that is often ad- vocated in this respect is the deficit suffered from YICs in fully protecting their innovations and appropriating (at least in part) returns from them. The usage of formal (e.g., intellectual property rights) and informal (e.g., secrecy, lead time, access to complementary assets) instruments to protect intellectual property assets has the potential to overcome this difficulty. Different types of policy mechanisms have been put in place to help YICs. However, high implicit and explicit costs and barriers prevent YICs’ use of protection strategies, limiting the ability to generate SM1 dynamics or accessing market for ideas, even upon policy support. By relying on the resource-based view of the firm, our paper investigates to what extent a comprehensive set of policy measures recently introduced in the Italian context and focused on alleviating the hurdles suffered by YICs is associated with the choice of YICs to protect their innovations. The econometric analyses based on more than 1,600 Italian YICs show how the use of financial policy measures are associated to both formal and informal instruments, while labour policy measures are only related to formal ones.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship policy | Institutional reform | Young innovative companies | Intellectual property rights | Appropriation mechanisms