Developing a local innovation ecosystem through a university coordinated innovation platform: The University of Fort Hare

Figures & data

Table 1. Sources of data and learning to develop the framework.

Sources of data and learning	How this was used in the paper
Community engagement	Extensive consultations across multiple stakeholder groups, i.e. 11 local chiefs of traditional communities surrounding the Alice campus which resulted in the signing of a MoU regarding the relationship between the university and communities.
Engagement with staff	Wide consultation was conducted across all academic and research departments with the outcome that some departments are embracing a scholarship approach to engagement.
Engagement with leadership	Buy-in and agreement was achieved on an institutional level involving deans of faculties, university management resulting in the vice-chancellor signing the MoU with the local traditional chiefs.

MoU, memorandum of understanding.

Figure 1. The dynamics of the development pathway framework (Copied from Grobbelaar & De Wet, 2016).

Figure 2. The university as orchestrator of an innovation ecosystem.

Table 2. Platform design and ecosystem orchestration framework.

Dimensions	Design considerations
Top-down activities: Institutional design and mechanisms
Transformation pathway and institutional changes	External and internal barriers to a development role Changes in institutional control and governance Focus and form of teaching mission The form and focus of the research mission Form and focus of engagement mission
Facilitating emergent activities: Platform-level design framework
Activity architecture	Partnering and partnership management Platform engagement & facilitation Conflict resolution & dealing with power dynamics Structure of networks and platform composition considerations Network and platform evolution planning Guiding the search, visioning and planning Demand articulation
Physical and technology architecture	Physical design considerations Resource allocation and availability Actor capabilities and capability development; knowledge skills and interests Supporting entrepreneurial activity
Value architecture:	Value creation and capture and the interplay between activity and technological architecture Basis of value creation and appropriation of value Network effects to boost value creation benefits Collective experimentation, participation and co-creation of knowledge and value

Grobbelaar, S & De Wet, G, 2016. Exploring pathways towards an integrated development role: The University of Fort Hare. South African Journal of Higher Education 30(1), 1–25. doi:10.20853/30-1-558.

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