A critical endeavor in tertiary institutions of higher education striving to promote entrepreneurship is the ability to manage innovations from the idea concept, through the commercialization phase to where public goods are generated. Through this whole process and in all the inter-phase processes, knowledge needs to be transferred and circulated amongst relevant stakeholders to ensure firstly, that integrated value change occur and secondly, that the right knowledge management functions are performed to support and provide a platform to facilitate entrepreneurship and provide innovative products for the public good. Using a Schumpeterian philosophy orientation, a management of innovation process was developed by Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

Purpose
The purpose was is to develop a research niche area in the management of innovation domain suitable for an institution of higher education that could serve as a platform for innovations as well as supporting the innovation process.

Literature Review
The literature review is presented from a general theoretical perspective followed by an applied perspective used by the institution of higher education under consideration.

Research Design and Methodology
The research design is based upon a three-round Delphi technique taking as departure point that: the management of innovation will be served best if the research and innovation (R&I) activities of expert researchers are coordinated and if they function as expert teams in the niche area to create and utilise bodies of knowledge necessary for innovations; a motivation for innovation will emerge if researchers can be provided with platform information about market opportunities, competition, potential and its readiness for innovation substitutes; and an institutional commitment is made by the institution of higher education to support the innovation initiatives in a concrete manner that possesses certain features.

Findings

Defining the Niche Area:
The principle aim of this research niche area is to develop specialised knowledge management systems and information packages for the Management of Innovation in terms of specific knowledge management activities as well as functions needed to be performed in order to provide a platform, support and facilitate entrepreneurship and innovation in the SADC business context.

Phase 1: Technical Knowledge
The focus of the research during this phase may involve the different types of products, services or process inventions, feasibility studies and organisational assessments.

Phase 2: Private Benefits
This phase focused on the viability of commercialisation of the technology and includes research domains like protection of intellectual property rights, licensing, financial assessments, marketing and styling of products/services and possible spin-offs.

Phase 3: Public Goods
This phase entails research on amongst others impact analysis of the innovation on the environment, benefits, impacts and acceptance of the innovation by the society.

Conclusion
The Management of Innovation niche area will lead to an increase in project-based research and innovation (R&I) and a shift in the relationship between researchers and funders.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, innovation, information, knowledge.