The Real Issues of the Middle East and the Arab Spring: Addressing Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

439 Pages·2013·7.79 MB·English

by  Thomas Andersson

Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge
Management
Series Editor
Elias G. Carayannis, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
For furthervolumes:
http://www.springer.com/series/8124
SnowonthedesertdunesintheAlgerianSahara.
Thomas Andersson Abdelkader Djeflat
•
Editors
The Real Issues
of the Middle East
and the Arab Spring
Addressing Research, Innovation
and Entrepreneurship
123
Editors
ThomasAndersson Abdelkader Djeflat
Jönköping InternationalBusiness School Clerse-University of Lille
Jönköping University Villeneuved’Ascq
Jönköping France
Sweden
ISBN 978-1-4614-5247-8 ISBN 978-1-4614-5248-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-5248-5
SpringerNewYorkHeidelbergDordrechtLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2012948201
(cid:2)SpringerScience+BusinessMediaNewYork2013
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Series Foreword
The Springer book series Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management
was launched in March 2008 as a forum and intellectual, scholarly ‘‘podium’’ for
global/local, transdisciplinary, transsectoral, public–private, and leading/‘‘bleed-
ing’’-edge ideas, theories, and perspectives on these topics.
The book series is accompanied by the Springer Journal of the Knowledge
Economy, which was launched in 2009 with the same editorial leadership.
The series showcases provocative views that diverge from the current ‘‘con-
ventional wisdom,’’ that are properly grounded in theory and practice, and that
consider the concepts of robust competitiveness,1 sustainable entrepreneurship,2
and democratic capitalism,3 central to its philosophy and objectives. More spe-
cifically,theaimofthisseriesistohighlightemergingresearchandpracticeatthe
dynamic intersection of these fields, where individuals, organizations, industries,
1 Wedefinesustainableentrepreneurshipasthecreationofviable,profitable,andscalablefirms.
Such firms engender the formation of self-replicating and mutually enhancing innovation
networksandknowledgeclusters(innovationecosystems),leadingtowardrobustcompetitiveness
(E.G.Carayannis,InternationalJournalofInnovationandRegionalDevelopment1(3),235–254,
2009).
2 We understand robust competitiveness to be a state of economic being and becoming that
availssystematicanddefensible‘‘unfairadvantages’’totheentitiesthatarepartoftheeconomy.
Such competitiveness is built on mutually complementary and reinforcing low-, medium- and
high-technology and public and private sector entities (government agencies, private firms,
universities, and nongovernmental organizations) (E. G. Carayannis, International Journal of
InnovationandRegionalDevelopment1(3),235–254,2009).
3 The concepts of robust competitiveness and sustainable entrepreneurship are pillars of a
regimethatwecall‘‘democraticcapitalism’’(asopposedto‘‘popularorcasinocapitalism’’),in
whichrealopportunitiesforeducationandeconomicprosperityareavailabletoall,especially—
butnotonly—youngerpeople.Thesearethedirectderivativeofacollectionoftop-downpolicies
aswellasbottom-upinitiatives(includingstrongresearchanddevelopmentpoliciesandfunding,
but going beyond these to include the development of innovation networks and knowledge
clusters across regions and sectors) (E. G. Carayannis and A. Kaloudis, Japan Economic
Currents,p.6–10January2009).
v
vi SeriesForeword
regions,andnationsareharnessingcreativityandinventiontoachieveandsustain
growth.
Books that are part of the series explore the impact of innovation at the
‘‘macro’’ (economies, markets), ‘‘meso’’ (industries, firms), and ‘‘micro’’ levels
(teams, individuals), drawing from such related disciplines as finance, organiza-
tionalpsychology,researchanddevelopment,sciencepolicy,informationsystems,
and strategy, with the underlying theme that for innovation to be useful it must
involve the sharing and application of knowledge.
Someofthekeyanchoringconceptsoftheseriesareoutlinedinthefigurebelow
andthedefinitionsthatfollow(alldefinitionsarefromE.G.CarayannisandD.F.J.
Campbell,InternationalJournalofTechnologyManagement,46,3–4,2009).
Global
Systemic Mode 3 Quadruple Democracy Democratic
macro level helix of capitalism
knowledge
Structural and
organizational
Knowledge Innovation Entrepreneurial Academic
meso level
clusters networks university firm Global/local
Sustainable
entrepreneurship
Individual Creative Entrepreneur/
micro level milieus employee
matrix
Local
Conceptual profile of the series Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge
Management
• The‘‘Mode3’’SystemsApproachforKnowledgeCreation,Diffusion,andUse:
‘‘Mode 3’’ is a multilateral, multinodal, multimodal, and multilevel systems
approach to the conceptualization, design, and management of real and virtual,
‘‘knowledge-stock’’and‘‘knowledge-flow,’’modalitiesthatcatalyze,accelerate,
andsupportthecreation,diffusion,sharing,absorption,anduseofcospecialized
knowledge assets. ‘‘Mode 3’’ is based on a system-theoretic perspective of
socioeconomic, political, technological, and cultural trends and conditions that
shape the coevolution of knowledge with the ‘‘knowledge-based and knowl-
edge-driven, global/local economy and society.’’
• Quadruple Helix: Quadruple helix, in this context, means to add to the triple
helix of government, university, and industry a ‘‘fourth helix’’ that we identify
asthe‘‘media-basedandculture-basedpublic.’’Thisfourthhelixassociateswith
SeriesForeword vii
‘‘media,’’ ‘‘creative industries,’’ ‘‘culture,’’ ‘‘values,’’ ‘‘life styles,’’ ‘‘art,’’ and
perhaps also the notion of the ‘‘creative class.’’
• Innovation Networks: Innovation networks are real and virtual infrastructures
and infratechnologies that serve to nurture creativity, trigger invention, and
catalyze innovation in a public and/or private domain context (for instance,
government–university–industry public–private research and technology
development coopetitive partnerships).
• Knowledge Clusters: Knowledge clusters are agglomerations of cospecialized,
mutually complementary, and reinforcing knowledge assets in the form of
‘‘knowledge stocks’’ and ‘‘knowledge flows’’ that exhibit self-organizing,
learning-driven,dynamicallyadaptivecompetencesandtrendsinthecontextof
an open systems perspective.
• Twenty-First Century Innovation Ecosystem: A twenty-first century innovation
ecosystem is a multilevel, multimodal, multinodal, and multiagent system of
systems.Theconstituentsystemsconsistofinnovationmetanetworks(networks
of innovation networks and knowledge clusters) and knowledge metaclusters
(clustersofinnovationnetworksandknowledgeclusters)asbuildingblocksand
organized in a self-referential or chaotic fractal knowledge and innovation
architecture,4 which in turn constitute agglomerations of human, social, intel-
lectual, and financial capital stocks and flows as well as cultural and techno-
logical artifacts and modalities, continually coevolving, cospecializing, and
cooperating. These innovation networks and knowledge clusters also form,
reform, and dissolve within diverse institutional, political, technological, and
socioeconomic domains, including government, university, industry, and non-
governmental organizations and involving information and communication
technologies, biotechnologies, advanced materials, nanotechnologies, and next-
Generation energy technologies.
Whoisthisbookseriespublishedfor?Thebookseriesaddressesadiversityof
audiences in different settings:
1. Academic communities: Academic communities worldwide represent a core
group of readers. This follows from the theoretical/conceptual interest of the
book series to influence academic discourses in the fields of knowledge, also
carried by the claim of a certain saturation of academia with the current con-
ceptsandthepostulateofawindowofopportunityforneworatleastadditional
concepts.Thus,itrepresentsakeychallengefortheseriestoexerciseacertain
impact on discourses in academia. In principle, all academic communities that
are interested in knowledge (knowledge and innovation) could be tackled by
the book series. The interdisciplinary (transdisciplinary) nature of the book
series underscores that the scope of the book series is not limited a priori to a
specific basket of disciplines. From a radical viewpoint, one could create the
hypothesis that there is no discipline where knowledge is of no importance.
4 E.G.Carayannis,StrategicManagementofTechnologicalLearning,CRCPress,2000.
viii SeriesForeword
2. Decision makers—private/academic entrepreneurs and public (governmental,
subgovernmental) actors: Two different groups of decision makers are being
addressed simultaneously: (1) private entrepreneurs (firms, commercial firms,
academic firms) and academic entrepreneurs (universities), interested in opti-
mizing knowledge management and in developing heterogeneously composed
knowledge-based research networks; and (2) public (governmental, subgov-
ernmental)actors thatare interestedinoptimizing andfurther developingtheir
policies and policy strategies that target knowledge and innovation. One pur-
poseofpublicknowledgeandinnovation policyistoenhancetheperformance
and competitiveness of advanced economies.
3. Decisionmakersingeneral:Decisionmakersaresystematicallybeingsupplied
with crucial information, for how to optimize knowledge-referring and
knowledge-enhancing decision-making. The nature of this ‘‘crucial informa-
tion’’ is conceptual as well as empirical (case-study-based). Empirical infor-
mation highlights practical examples and points toward practical solutions
(perhaps remedies), conceptual information offers the advantage of further-
driving and further-carrying tools of understanding. Different groups of
addressed decision makers could be decision makers in private firms and
multinational corporations, responsible for the knowledge portfolio of com-
panies; knowledge and knowledge management consultants; globalization
experts, focusing on the internationalization of research and development,
scienceandtechnology,andinnovation;expertsinuniversity/businessresearch
networks; and political scientists, economists, and business professionals.
4. Interested global readership: Finally, the Springer book series addresses a
wholeglobalreadership,composedofmemberswhoaregenerallyinterestedin
knowledgeandinnovation.Theglobalreadershipcouldpartiallycoincidewith
the communities as described above (‘‘academic communities,’’ ‘‘decision
makers’’), but could also refer to other constituencies and groups.
Elias G. Carayannis
Series Editor
Preface
As we write, a strong media spotlight is shining on the wider region we associate
with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It is as if the region stands as a
focal point for public debate around the world. In a sense, its journey seems to
embody the turbulence, conflict and insecurity that afflict the modern world. Its
peoples experienced relatively little change to their daily lives over extended
periods of time. But this is a region where massive change can unfold and spread
with remarkable velocity, as the world has seen following the Arab uprisings that
began in early 2011.
For all the attention levelled at the critical challenges facing the region today,
there has been limited coverage of what matters more than anything else—the
needforchangeinthewayknowledgeisdevelopedandused.Investmentsmustbe
madeinpeople,socialandenvironmentalchallengeshavetobeaddressedandnew
economicactivitiesmustbeenabledtoflourish.Theserequirementsarenotunique
to this region, but they manifest themselves differently in this part of the world.
Theyalsohaveanurgencyaboutthemherethatisunparalleledelsewhere.Without
progress on the long-term agenda centring on knowledge development and use,
there can be no answer to the vocal demands we associate with the Arab Spring.
Whereas all the Arab countries face more or less the same challenges in this
respect, the socio-economic context varies tremendously. The MENA region
containssomeoftherichestcountriesintheworld,butthemajorityhavemoderate
incomes and large numbers of their citizens live in harsh conditions. Like else-
whereintheworld,thereisacommoninterestamongpolicymakersintheroleof
knowledge and the ascent of a knowledge-based economy (KBE). Yet it is far
from well understood how any particular society can go about fulfilling its
potential benefits. Capacity building requires serious attention in the areas of
education, research, innovation, enterprise development or entrepreneurship,
which are interrelated. There is a fundamental need for each society both to be
openandlearnfromtheexperiencesofothersand—atthesametime—toworkout
its own solutions. Often, there is more to learn from societies that share similar
issues and objectives. Despite the fact that the Arab countries have much to gain
from closer collaboration in this field, there are relatively few collaborative
ix
x Preface
projects across the MENA region addressing the critical issues we associate with
theknowledgesociety.Likewise,fewbookshavebeenpublishedthatventureinto
that space for broader parts of the region.
Thisbookisinthepositiontodrawonauniquejointresearchprojectaimedat
promotingresearchandinnovation capacityinthispartofthe world, whichis the
European Science & Technology International Cooperation Network set up in
collaboration with the GCC countries (known as the INCONET-GCC project,
funded by the European Commission). Obviously, on the MENA side, the focus
hereisthusnotonthewiderregion,butthesubsetrepresentedbythesixrelatively
wealthy GCC countries. At the same time, Yemen (a candidate for GCC-acces-
sion),EgyptandMoroccoalsoengagedinthisprogramme.Theinitialworkonthis
book built directly on the material prepared for the Best Practice in Science and
TechnologyPoliciesconferencehostedbyTheResearchCouncil(TRC)ofOman
at the Intercontinental Hotel in Muscat on December 6–7, 2010. Dr. Talal
Al-Balushi and Ms. Umaima Al Mahdori at TRC coordinated the event.
Along with other collaborative events held in association with this project, the
Muscat conference presented an opportunity for actors across the GCC countries
and the European Union to engage in constructive dialogue on research and
innovation, while also bringing on board experts and representatives from other
Arab countries. An interim project report, based on the conference and published
early 2011, ventured partly into methodological and measurement issues and laid
the basis for further work to identify research areas and issues of mutual interest.
Following the report’s completion, some of the contributors saw the potential
benefitsofdevelopingaseparateproductdestinedforawideraudience.Theinitial
vision was that of a book examining and communicating the range of issues
confrontingtheGCCcountriesandtheMiddleEastmorebroadlyinregardtotheir
effort to regain an edge in science, technology and innovation.
Inthemeantime,theArabSpringbrokeout.Asweknow,thesparkwasthatact
of protest and despair by the Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi when,
followingtheconfiscationofhiswares,hesethimselfablazeonDecember17,less
than ten days after our conference had ended. In the same vein, the uprisings
reflectpoliticalconditionsacrossthewiderArabworld,pressingsocial,economic
and environmental issues, and the distinct demand for a greater say by ordinary
citizens. A strong feature from the outset has been the exasperation of young
people living in societies where investments remain tilted towards traditional
tangible assets in land and real estate, where natural resource extraction and the
public sector dominate the economy, and which are marked by a deficiency of
avenues for quality education, entrepreneurship and civil society engagement.
WhilethematerialfromtheINCONET-GCCconferenceprovidedausefulstart
forthebook,wesetaboutaddingnewmaterialanddimensions,invitinganumber
of new contributors to cover additional critical angles that require attention in
ordertoget ahandleofthe present situation,withoutlosing sightofthecore task
of underpinning a more prosperous long-term development. On this basis, while
the examination of conditions in the relatively wealthy GCC countries has
remainedatthecoreofthebook,aneffortwasmadetocovertrendsandpatternsin