Applicability of Redundancy in Health Innovation Ecosystems: A scoping review

Abstract

Objective: This study aggregates and organizes insights on redundancy to reduce uncertainty in natural science projects within the Healthcare Innovation Ecosystem and identifies areas for future research. Materials and Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the academic literature databases Web of Science, CiNii, and J-STAGE, targeting articles from the period 2000 to 2023. Results: The search identified 645 articles, and after screening, 10 articles were selected. Ultimately, five articles from 2014 to 2022 were included. Conclusion: Redundancy through interactions among multiple actors within the ecosystem was identified, showing both positive and negative effects on reducing uncertainty. Methods for quantitatively measuring redundancy were also presented. Mutual redundancy based on the Triple Helix theory was shown to reduce uncertainty. Additionally, an approach focusing on Social Network Analysis, considering informal "weak ties" among actors, was suggested to be effective for analyzing relationships within the ecosystem. Further research is needed.