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School of Business and Management

Call for Papers: The International Conference of the China-UK Forum on Science & Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy

8 July 2019

Time: 9:30am
Venue: Queen Mary University of London

 

 

 

 

Call for Papers & Participants 

The International Conference of the China-UK Forum

on Science & Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy

 

China-UK Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation: the Next 40 Years

Conference 8-9th July 2019

with optional post conference visits until 12th July 2019

Queen Mary, University of London

Conference website: www.innochinauk.com

 

Organised by

Chinese Association for Science and S&T Policy Research (CASSSP)

China Association for Science and Technology & based at the Chinese Academy of Sciences

&

School of Business and Management, Queen Mary, University of London

 

In collaboration with

The China-Britain Doctoral Association

The Institute of Science and Development at the Chinese Academy of Sciences

the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Centre for Innovation and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences

 

In 2018, China celebrated the 40th anniversary of the launch of its economic reform and “opening up” programme. 2018 was also an important year as it marked four decades of UK-China scientific relations since the first UK-China bilateral agreement was signed. This was China’s first ever bilateral science and innovation collaboration and UK-China joint commission meetings have become a regular occurrence since 1998. In 2014, the UK government further published the UK-China cooperation framework. This has led to the establishment of the UK-China Research and Innovation Cooperation Partnership Fund that enables a continuous increase in personnel exchange, joint research, academic visits and training. In 2017, both countries took a step further and officially launched the UK-China Joint Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation to support academics, researchers and businesses from basic research to commercialization of innovation. It is believed this new strategy will create opportunities for both countries to drive economic growth and tackle global challenges such as climate change, population growth and aging, pollution, major diseases, and declining natural resources.  However, few comprehensive policy studies have been done in exploring the international cooperative mechanisms that enable successful technology and innovation collaboration between countries. 

 

As the UK-China collaboration is entering a new chapter, there is thus a great need to understand how the four decades of collaboration has had a lasting impact on both countries’ economic development and technological advancement. It is also necessary to explore the areas where policy support is needed to ensure another 40 years of successful collaboration between the UK and China.

 

The central theme of this forum is therefore twofold. Firstly it aims to review the development of China’s technology and innovation at regional, industrial and firm level in the last four decades, and its collaboration with the world and more specifically with the UK. Secondly, it explores more detailed policy mechanisms that can support the strategic areas both countries are focusing on to further improve cooperation in basic research, innovation, and global partnerships with third countries or international organizations. We thus welcome discussions and papers in the broader context of China’s science, technology and innovation development in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding. We also particularly welcome papers and discussions in the specific UK-China context in order to explore the policy collaboration needed to promote the UK-China Joint Strategy and to facilitate the development of agendas for further research and policy analysis.

 

Conference topics may include, but are not limited to:

 

  • Challenges and opportunities of scientific, technology and innovation collaboration between China and the UK
  • Cross-country technology and innovation policy collaboration and joint innovation funding mechanisms
  • Cross-country innovation platforms such as joint laboratories, research centres, international industry parks or virtual platforms and accelerators.
  • The development of UK-China government prioritised industries including life sciences, food security, renewable energy and environmental and agricultural technologies
  • Mutual access issues to both countries’ research infrastructure and open access to data
  • Promotion of international academic and industry collaboration in basic research such as medicine, physics mathematics etc.
  • International collaboration on intellectual property protection and application
  • Foreign direct investment, multinational enterprises and technology spill-overs
  • Outward FDI and internationalisation of innovation strategies
  • National and regional innovation systems, industrial policies and their impacts on firm innovation strategies and performance 
  • Industrial clusters and science parks, and firms’ location strategies for innovation
  • Economic conditions and the business environment for innovation, their relation to firm-level innovation practices
  • Innovation and spin-offs from universities and public institutions in China and the UK
  • State and private ownership and governance structures that affect innovation 
  • Big business groups and their innovation strategies, more generally the relationship between the domestic business environment and innovation strategies
  • Business model innovation of Chinese and British firms
  • Innovation in business creation, process and incubators
  • Open innovation and technology networks
  • Entrepreneurship, social innovation and start-ups
  • Knowledge management, talent management, human resource related issues

      

Submission 

The conference will take place in central London at Queen Mary, University of London, on 8th-9th July 2019 with optional events afterwards from the 10th to the 12th.

The conference will include plenary academic sessions, as well as industry and policy practitioner panels.

  • Academic full paper submissions need to follow the journal style of Research Policy (5,000-10,000 words, all-inclusive).
  • Industry and policy practitioner paper submissions need to be 1500-3000 words, all-inclusive.

Note: We encourage the submission of papers related to the conference theme but this is not a requirement. Submission of a full paper is not a requirement to participate in the conference presentation, but you need to prepare an extended abstract or poster of 1,500-3,000 words and power point slides. However, if you would like to be considered for our proposed special issue, you will need to submit a full paper. The conference organisers will propose a special issue in due course in a journal. Shortlisted academic full papers will be invited to submit to this special issue. These papers will have the review process expedited in collaboration with the conference organisers, but the process will follow the journal review guidelines. Conference website: www.innochinauk.com

Important dates

20th Jan 2019:  Submission website opens for abstract submission (300-500 words)

28th Feb 2019:  Abstract submission deadline

31st March 2019:  Full Paper/Poster submission deadline

2rd April 2019:  Conference acceptance notification

20th June 2019: Conference power point presentation slides submission deadline

8th-9th July 2019:   Conference date: paper presentation

10th-12th July 2019:  Optional events and post-conference visits

 

Contact

UK:

Professor Lutao Ning, L.ning@qmul.ac.uk (Please contact his research assistant t.hu@qmul.ac.uk in the first instance), Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS

China:

Dr Kaihua Chen, Deputy Director General, Chinese Association for Science and S&T Policy Research (CASSSP), casssp@casipm.ac.cn

 

References

Chesbrough, H., 2013. Open business models: How to thrive in the new innovation landscape. Harvard Business Press.

Crescenzi, R., Rodríguez-Pose, A., Storper, M., 2012. The territorial dynamics of innovation in China and India. Journal of Economic Geography 12, 1055-1085.

Lamin, A., Livanis, G., 2013. Agglomeration, catch-up and the liability of foreignness in emerging economies. Journal of International Business Studies 44, 579-606.

Letaifa, S.B., Rabeau, Y., 2013. Too close to collaborate? How geographic proximity could impede entrepreneurship and innovation. Journal of Business Research 66, 2071-2078.

Meyer, K.E., Mudambi, R., Narula, R., 2011. Multinational Enterprises and Local Contexts: The Opportunities and Challenges of Multiple Embeddedness. Journal of Management Studies 48, 235-252.

Kaihua Chen, Yi Zhang, Xiaolan Fu, 2019, International research collaboration: An emerging domain of innovation studies?,Research Policy, 48, 149-168,

Ning, L., Sutherland, D., 2012. Internationalization of China's private sector MNEs: An analysis of the motivations for foreign affiliate formation. Thunderbird International Business Review 54, 169-182.

Ning, L. Wang F. and Li J. 2016 Urban innovation, regional externalities of foreign direct investment and industrial agglomeration: Evidence from Chinese cities. Research policy, 45(4), 830-843.

OECD, 2017. OECD Science, Technology, and Industry outlook. OECD Publishing.

Park, H.W., Leydesdorff, L., 2010. Longitudinal trends in networks of university–industry–government relations in South Korea: The role of programmatic incentives. Research Policy 39, 640-649.

Sutherland, D., Ning, L., 2011. Exploring ‘onward-journey’ ODI strategies in China's private sector businesses. Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies 9, 43-65.

Wang, Y., Cao, W., Zhou, Z., Ning, L., 2013. Does external technology acquisition determine export performance? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms. International Business Review 22, 10791091.

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