Том 16, № 1 (2022)

Technologies of 3D- and 4D-bioprinting make it possible to restore or replace tissues and organs, solving the problem of the lack of donor resources and reducing the risks of implant rejection. This article presents the results of a two-stage global survey of specialists in tissue engineering on the prospects of bioprinting in preclinical studies and clinical practice. A picture of possible tracks and horizons upon which the implementation of the considered solutions is possible is presented. According to the results of the survey, in the next two decades it will be possible to recreate tissues and organs suitable for implantation and drug testing. There will be a market for bioprinted products, the problem of organ shortages and adverse reactions to drugs will be solved. These changes may significantly affect not only the practice of biomedical research, drug testing, and medicine, but also the healthcare sector in general, which implies the need for a preventive review of current policies. A practical and accessible tool for identifying and interviewing a large number of experts around the world is proposed, which may be useful for new Foresight studies.

This paper examines the structure and the relevance of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) consumption for different industries. The research is based upon the analysis of national input-output tables for European countries presented in the last release of the World Input-Output Database (WIOD). The dataset allows for the identification of both the largest and the most intensive sectoral users of KIBS among different manufacturing, market services, and all other industries. The results confirm that the KIBS subsectors are very heterogeneous; patterns of consumption substantially differ across the six different types of KIBS that the data distinguish. It is suggested that these differences may be explained by the existence of specific synergies between each type of KIBS and some of the consuming industries.

The goal of this paper is twofold: i) it provides a framework for the relationship between KIBS and public services, putting the role of service users at the center, and ii) new empirical evidence from a survey for which we test the impact that business services consultancies (KIBS) associated with the co-creation processes have upon the innovation of public services with methodologies such as co-creation (users’ participation) and co-design (design laboratories) processes. The empirical evidence focuses upon the two aforementioned core business service methodologies to improve the quality of the public services provision. In this context, we test three main hypotheses regarding whether KIBS have a positive impact upon the innovation of public services and to what extent user-based methodologies are important. Data comes from the 2020 Co-VAL survey on public service innovation for Spain.

The main conclusion is that KIBS have a higher impact upon public service innovation when users are taken into account through co-creation and co-design methods, acting as facilitators for co-innovation and network processes, than when KIBS is just acting on their own in bilateral relationships with the public sector. The overall positive effects do not mean that all uses of KIBS are always positive, for example, some KIBS consultancies subcontracting may have mixed results, but user-focused multiagent frameworks help promote positive impacts.

The complication of the business environment, the growth of uncertainty and the dynamics of change significantly affect strategic planning in business. Foresight research used in a company serves as a link between the volatility of the surrounding environment, possible expansion prospects and an enterprise’s strategy and tactics. Based on data from Poland, this article examines the main factors that determine the readiness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to navigate a variety of paths into the future (foresight maturity). This study integrates concepts of foresight maturity, dynamic capabilities, and corporate foresight. It relies on a sample of over 500 Polish manufacturing SMEs that is representative in terms of size, type, sector and geography of activities. Using a 28-criteria assessment tool, it was found that the level of foresight maturity of a company most often depends on the size, type and geographical coverage of markets. Involving stakeholders in the development of corporate strategies, scanning the micro- and macro-environment of the enterprise using a variety of information sources, improving skills in working with foresight tools as well as fostering other dynamic capabilities enable to gain lasting competitive advantages in a changing and unpredictable business landscape.