Rethinking the National Innovation System Functions Based on Viable System Model: A Theoretical Discussion and a Comparative Analysis

Abstract

National Innovation System theory and framework is an emerging discipline based on systemic approach to innovation which has privileged through last two decades in innovation economics. This approach as any other systemic approach is inevitable to employ a functional view on system in-focus and persuing goals of the system through functional perspectives. However, this field of study has not gained a consensus on its fundamental concepts such as "Functions" and "Activities" in an innovation system. This is obvious in context of different researches concerning activities in the national innovation system framework. This paper, is a theoretical attempt to make a convergence point for activities underpinning a national innovation system. So, it could be a reference model of NIS's activities. For this aim, employing the Viable System Model, we have made a taxonomy of NIS activities in three level of granularity: Roles, Functions and Activities respectively. Indeed, a comparative study of previous research on NIS functions have been done.