Factors Influencing Innovation Capacity of Regional Innovation Hubs

Abstract: Title: Factors Influencing Innovation Capacity of Regional Innovation Hubs Authors: Sanvida Vishani Sawunda Hannadige & Dona Kithmini Chiranthini Weerasinghe Supervisor: Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Examiner: Maria Fregidou-Malama Date: 28- Jan- 2021   Aim: This study aims to identify the factors influencing innovation capacity of innovation hubs and explore how innovation hubs influence regional innovation process.    Methodology: This is a qualitative study which follows the inductive approach and the strategy of multiple case study. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten respondents in the network of an innovation hub.   Findings: The findings of this study suggest five main factors which positively influence the innovation capacity of an innovation hub. Those are infrastructure, knowledge sharing, culture, marketing strategies and supporting network of the hub. Further through the findings we identified that innovation hub creates a well-balanced socio-economic impact on the region it operates.   Contribution: This study provides a comprehensive knowledge to the existing theories by discovering five theoretical areas which influence innovation capacity. Also it assists the stakeholders of innovation hubs to overcome their deficiencies in order to build a strong innovation capacity. Further, this study encourages innovators, entrepreneurs and investors to work in collaboration with innovation hubs.   Suggestions for Future Research: Qualitative or quantitative methods can be used to explore the outcomes in different perspectives. The newly identified features under marketing strategies can be further studied for their importance in other domains such as ecosystem and stakeholders. The revised framework can be tested in future researches.