Join survey practitioners, scholars of innovation indicators, and users of innovation data for policy making or programming to learn more about current methodological imperatives shaping innovation measurement. 

Why this seminar, now

Business innovation surveys are commonly used by both state and non-state actors to understand firm dynamics and to generate evidence in support of economic and innovation policy mixes. Where business innovation surveys follow the subject-based approach (OECD, 2018), as is predominantly the case, representative information on both the scale and types of innovation at firm-level as well as the drivers of and barriers to innovation, can be produced and analysed. Recent analysis, however, points to substantial measurement error risks in firm-level innovation surveys (Cirera & Muzi, 2020; Arundel et al, 2013). With a focus on recent empirical work using World Bank (WB) Enterprise Survey data, as well as a recent WB technology adoption survey, this seminar will delve into the issue of innovation measurement error, as well as key methodological imperatives that performers of firm-level innovation surveys can consider in improving survey performance. Discussant reflections will incorporate the experiences from South African Business Innovation Surveys, performed by the Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII), since the early 2000s.

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Zoom link for registration

Agenda

15h00 | Welcome remarks

• Kgomotso Matjila-Matlapeng, Senior Policy Analyst, Department of Science and Innovation
• Michael Ehst, Senior Private Sector Specialist, World Bank

15h10 | Introduction by seminar moderator

• Dr Glenda Kruss, Executive Head: Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators, Human Sciences Research Council

15h20 | Measuring innovation using firm-level surveys:
Presentation of new evidence from developing countries

• Dr Xavier Cirera, Firms, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit, World Bank
• Dr Silvia Muzi, Enterprise Analysis Unit, World Bank

15h50 | Experiences from two decades of South African Business Innovation Surveys, 2002-present: Reflections from practice

• Dr Moses Sithole, Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators, Human Sciences Research Council
• Dr Amy Kahn, Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators, Human Sciences Research Council

16h20 | Open dialogue

16h50 | Concluding remarks

• Prof. Fred Gault, UNU-MERIT/Tshwane University of Technology & Chair: CeSTII Advisory Committee

We are pleased to invite you join this HSRC Seminar Series event, which is arranged with support from the South African Department of Science and Innovation and in collaboration with the World Bank.

For more information or to contact the organisers please write to gralphs[at]hsrc.ac.za.

References: 

Xavier Cirera, Silvia Muzi, Measuring innovation using firm-level surveys: Evidence from developing countries, Research Policy, Volume 49, Issue 3,
2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2019.103912

Anthony Arundel, Kieran O’Brien and Ann Torugsa, How firm managers understand innovation: Implications for the design of innovation surveys, in Fred Gault (ed.), Handbook of Innovation Indicators and Measurement, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Oslo Manual 2018
Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition 

Acknowledgement and disclaimer: This seminar is funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI). The views and opinions expressed therein as well as findings and statements of the seminar series do not necessarily represent the views of the DSI. Please also note that this seminar may be recorded and published on the HSRC podcast channel.