Previous studies related to open innovation have presented piecewise implications in relation to various knowledge management capacities. The study published by Lichtenthaler and Lichtenthaler in 2009 presented a model that combines the various open innovation capacities of firms in view of a mix of knowledge management, dynamic capability and absorptive capacity. Despite these efforts, there have been few empirical studies on the relationships among capacities, or between capacities and performance from an integrated perspective. Therefore, this study seeks to clarify the relationships among knowledge capacities and between knowledge capacities, technological innovation and financial performance at the firm level. Our findings are that the transformative, connective, inventive and absorptive capacities both directly and indirectly affects technological innovation performance; and innovative and desorptive capacities are the key factors connecting technological innovation to financial performance. This study provides managerial implications for the balanced development of the various knowledge capacities and the improvement of technological innovation and financial performance for firm knowledge managers.

Background: The purpose of this paper is to provide technology trends and information regarding market and prospects in stents used for human blood vessels in Korea and the world. A stent is a medical device in the form of a cylindrical metal net used to normalize flow when blood or other bodily fluids such as biliary fluids are obstructed in blood vessels, gastrointestinal tracts, etc. by inserting the stent into a narrowed or clogged area. Stents are classified into vascular and non-vascular stents. The coronary artery stent is avascular stent that is used for coronary atherosclerosis. The demand is increasing for stents to treat diseases such as those affecting the heart and blood vessels of elderly and middle-aged patients. Due to the current shift in the demographic structure caused by an aging society, the prospect for stents seems to be very bright. The use of a stent designed to prevent acute vascular occlusion and restenosis, which is a side effect of conventional balloon angioplasty, has rapidly become popular because it can prevent acute complications and improve clinical outcomes. Since the initial release of this stent, there have been significant developments in its design, the most notable of which has been the introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES). Bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) have the potential to introduce a paradigm shift in interventional cardiology, a true anatomical and functional “vascular restoration” instead of an artificial stiff tube encased by a persistent metallic foreign body. Methods: Data for this research were gathered from primary and secondary sources as well as the databases of the Korea Institute of Science Technology Information (KISTI) located in Seoul, Korea like KISTI Market Report. The sources used for primary research included the databases available from the Korea Institute of Science Technology Information, past industry research services/studies, economic and demographic data, and trade and industry journals. Secondary research was used to supplement and complement the primary research. Interviews were conducted with physicians and surgeons from the key hospitals and senior sale/marketing managers from stent product suppliers in South Korea. Results: The global stent market is estimated at US $ 7.98 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.8% over the next 5 years. As of 2016, the global market for vascular stents is estimated at $ 7.22 billion, with coronary artery stents accounting for 67.3% of the vascular stent market. Among the coronary artery stents, BRS is notably expected to grow at an annual average rate of 8.8% by 2020, but the global adoption rate of BRS remains low at present. In the Korean market, stents for blood vessels account for most of the market, and the market size of stents for blood vessels in Korea was estimated to be 145 billion won as of 2016. Conclusions: In comparison to the sales growth rate of other medical devices, the future stent technology market is judged to be higher in growth potential.

This study aims to explore whether a firm’s financial sustainability is enhanced by open innovation especially after a global financial crisis. There are few studies on the relationship between open innovation and financial sustainability. This study aimed to fill the literature gap by analyzing the change in the financial ratio according to the increase or decrease in open innovation. We used a case study method regarding large Korean food firms. Korea is a latecomer in the food industry, which is driven by large companies. This study is meaningful for financial sustainability studies of countries with a lack of resources and small market size, which require open innovation. The findings of this study are as follows: The most preferred alliance strategy of large food firms is joint research. In order to secure raw materials and markets, open innovation was actively conducted abroad, which increased growth and profitability. However, a firm which rarely adopts open innovation could grow steadily through internal strategies. On the other hand, although relatively many open innovations have been used, growth and profitability could decrease. Firms with sufficient absorptive capacity strengthen financial sustainability through open innovation.

The paper presents an integrated viewpoint of technological innovation strategy by considering both the firm and industry levels. Further, we provide a new open innovation framework by adopting a knowledge flow perspective using patent citation information. Finally, we consider a firm’s outbound open innovation performance using cites per patent information together with financial performance to look at both the practical and the potential effects of technological innovation strategy. Through these analyses, this study examines determinants of open technology innovation activity in the information and communication technology manufacturing industry in Korea and draws managerial and policy implications for effective industry promotion and improvement of technology innovation capability.

Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in the healthcare IT industry must have innovative technology and, at the same time, be able to commercialize this technology in order to have sustainable growth, as enterprises in any other industry do. However, due to the lack of resources of SMEs, many studies focus on effective and innovative strategies based on a resource-based view. To be more effective, some SMEs collaborate with other companies in the manufacturing process, not as a closed, but rather as an open innovation. However, this collaboration is difficult and bears risks. Additionally, as an external factor, the government certification system attempts to help SMEs. Therefore, in this study, we performed a multiple regression analysis centered on firms’ resources and strategies. Three results were obtained. First, in terms of the firms’ resources, the higher the quality of patents that measure firm capacity, the higher the firm performance. Second, regarding the firms’ strategies, cooperation with external companies in the manufacturing process has a positive effect on firm performance. Third, receiving government certification (InnoBiz certification), as a form of cooperation with the government, has a negative impact on firm performance. In other words, the present government policy to support the R&D of SMEs needs to be adjusted. SMEs can develop high-quality patents, and strategies for cooperation with external companies can enhance the innovation performance of enterprises.