Using Topic Modeling in Innovation Studies: The Case of a Small Innovation System under Conditions of Pandemic Related Change

Abstract

It is a challenge to empirically investigate rapidly developing situations. An economic crisis is such a situation in which firms exit, enter, and create new business models. The current pandemic has caused a turbulent situation with hardship, but at the same time with creative potential of innovative change. It calls for empirical analyses, but firm level data based on surveys is hard to collect given the high speed of developments. An alternative data source are news articles reporting on innovation issues and assessed by text mining techniques. This is exemplified in this chapter. It shows how topic modeling can be used to scrutinize the shift of innovation topics since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. The results apply to a small innovation system in Germany and confirm that innovation priorities change during a crisis and that many different actors are involved.