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on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy |
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Issue of 2009‒06‒03
five papers chosen by Laura Stefanescu European Research Centre of Managerial Studies in Business Administration |
| By: | Julian P. Christ (Universität Hohenheim); André P. Slowak (Universität Hohenheim) |
| Abstract: | Extensive research has been conducted on how firms and regions take advantage of spatially concentrated assets, and also why history matters to regional specialisation patterns. In brief, it seems that innovation clusters as a distinctive regional entity in international business and the geography of innovation are of increasing importance in STI policy, innovation systems and competitiveness studies. Recently, more and more research has contributed to an evolutionary perspective on collaboration in clusters. Nonetheless, the field of cluster or regional innovation systems remains a multidisciplinary field where the state of the art is determined by the individual perspective (key concepts could, for example, be industrial districts, innovative clusters with reference to OECD, regional knowledge production, milieus & sticky knowledge, regional lock-ins & path dependencies, learning regions or sectoral innovation systems). According to our analysis, the research gap lies in both quantitative, comparative surveys and in-depth concepts of knowledge dynamics and cluster evolution. Therefore this paper emphasises the unchallenged in-depth characteristics of knowledge utilisation within a cluster’s collaborative innovation activities. More precisely, it deals with knowledge dynamics in terms of matching different agents´ knowledge stocks via knowledge flows, common technology specification (standard-setting), and knowledge spillovers. The means of open innovation and system boundaries for spatially concentrated agents in terms of knowledge opportunities and the capabilities of each agent await clarification. Therefore, our study conceptualises the interplay between firm- and cluster-level activities and externalities for knowledge accumulation but also for the specification of technology. It remains particularly unclear how, why and by whom knowledge is aligned and ascribed to a specific sectoral innovation system. Empirically, this study contributes with several descriptive calculations of indices, e.g. knowledge stocks, GINI coefficients, Herfindahl indices, and Revealed Patent Advantage (RPA), which clearly underline a high spatial concentration of both mechanical engineering and biotechnology within a European NUTS2 sample for the last two decades. Conceptually, our paper matches the geography of innovation literature, innovation system theory, and new ideas related to the economics of standards. Therefore, it sheds light on the interplay between knowledge flows and externalities of cluster-specific populations and the agents’ use of such knowledge, which is concentrated in space. We find that knowledge creation and standard-setting are cross-fertilising each other: although the spatial concentration of assets and high-skilled labour provides new opportunities to the firm, each firm’s knowledge stocks need to be contextualised. The context in terms of ‘use case’ and ‘knowledge biography’ makes technologies (as represented in knowledge stocks) available for collaboration, but also clarifies relevance and ownership, in particular intellectual property concerns. Owing to this approach we propose a conceptualisation which contains both areas with inter- and intra-cluster focus. This proposal additionally concludes that spatial and technological proximity benefits standard-setting in high-tech and low-tech industries in very different ways. More precisely, the versatile tension between knowledge stocks, their evolution, and technical specification & implementation requires the conceptualisation and analysis of a non-linear process of standard-setting. Particularly, the use case of technologies is essential. Related to this approach, clusters strongly support the establishment of technology use cases in embryonic high-tech industries. Low-tech industries in contrast rather depend on approved knowledge stocks, whose dynamics provide better and fast accessible knowledge inputs within low-tech clusters. |
| Keywords: | innovation clusters, standard-setting, knowledge externalities and flows, knowledge alignment, mechanical engineering, biotechnology |
| JEL: | D89 L22 M20 O32 |
| Date: | 2009–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:old:wpaper:y:2009:i:27:p:1-59&r=knm |
| By: | Uwe Cantner (Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Department of Economics and Business Adminstration); Elisa Conti (IULM University, Department of Economics and Marketing); Andreas Meder (Graduate College EIC, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs) |
| Abstract: | The claim of a positive association between a firm's social assets and its innovative capacity is a widely debated topic in the literature. Although controversial, such an argument has informed recent innovation policy across Germany, increasingly directed to cluster formation. In the light of the growing attention and financial efforts that cluster-based innovation policies are receiving, it is worth answering two main questions. First, are firms with a relatively high level of social capital likely to be more innovative? Second, do companies pursuing innovation in partnership innovate more? This paper empirically answers these questions by exploring a cross-sectoral sample of 248 firms based in the Jena region. On the one hand, the extent to which a firm is integrated in its community life does not contribute to an explanation of its innovative performance. On the other hand, directed cooperation with the specific goal of innovating shows a positive impact on innovative performance. However, the correlation between the extent of the network of co-innovators and firms' innovative capacity presents an inverted U-shaped relation: there is a threshold in the number of co-innovators justified by the costs of innovating by interacting. A policy lesson can be drawn from these findings: cluster-based policies are to be treated with caution as firms face costs of networking and not merely benefits. |
| Keywords: | innovation, social capital, innovation network, innovation cooperation, cluster-based policy. |
| JEL: | O33 L14 R5 |
| Date: | 2009–06–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2009-040&r=knm |
| By: | Thomas Grebel (Economics Department, University of Jena) |
| Abstract: | Economic behavior strives for efficiency. Therefore, also evolving network structures should be a result of such a goal-oriented behavior. Traditionally, networks were assumed to be only temporary phenomena, since the prevailing organizational forms that comply with the efficiency postulate are either firms or markets. Having a goal in mind, however, does not incur a set of unique choices of action, especially in situations under high uncertainty when engaging in invention networks. Consequently, there is no uniqueness in network structures. There is a random part in network evolution driven by generic mechanisms. A percolation model is used to model the generic development of invention networks. A Monte-Carlo simulation underlines the expectable patterns of network evolution. Moreover, it is tried to align the generic part of the story to the operant level where entrepreneurial behavior and market selection takes over the dominant role in network formation. |
| Keywords: | R&D cooperation, percolation theory, knowledge diffusion, networks |
| JEL: | A10 B10 B21 B25 B41 B52 C15 D85 I10 O10 O33 |
| Date: | 2009–05–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2009-039&r=knm |
| By: | Anh Ngoc Nguyen (Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN), 216 Tran Quang Khai Street, Hanoi, Vietnam); Nicola Jones (Oversee Development Institute, UK); Nhat Duc Nguyen (Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN), 216 Tran Quang Khai Street, Hanoi, Vietnam); Chuc Dinh Nguyen (Aston Business School, Aston University, UK) |
| Abstract: | A key question facing Vietnamese policy makers is how to improve the competitiveness of the small and medium enterprises. Among the many initiatives being proposed to improve their competitiveness innovation policy has attracted attention not only from policy makers, but also from researchers and the business community. Innovation in SMEs has also been given special emphasis in a recent declaration in Hanoi by APEC ministers. These initiatives are based on the assumption that innovation can affect a firm's competitiveness and hence export status by increasing productivity (and reducing costs) and by developing new goods for the international market. Improving the export competitiveness of Vietnamese SMEs has become even more pressing given (i) that Vietnam's trade deficit as a percentage of GDP widened significantly to an alarming level of double digit figures in two recent years, 2007 and 2008 and (ii) that the world economic recession has made exporting more challenging due to falling demand. Based on quantitative data analysis and qualitative case-studies, the paper highlights the importance of innovation for the success of Vietnamese firms in their exporting and provides several policy recommendations. |
| Keywords: | Vietnam's economic growth, SME, financial incentives for R&D |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dpc:wpaper:1509&r=knm |
| By: | Sorisio, Enrico (PharmaNess scarl; University of Turin); Strøm, Steinar (University of Oslo; The Frisch Centre, Oslo; University of Turin) |
| Abstract: | In this paper we study the demand and supply of erythropoietin in four Nordic countries, using an econometric model based on discrete choice and a random utility model. It measures the effect of price changes as well as the loyalty of patients and physicians to a drug. Our main aims are to estimate demand for EPO and to determine the degree of competition in this Nordic market. The main motivation for this paper is to analyze the impact of product innovation on market power and welfare, e.g. on consumer and producer surplus. The product innovation is the entry of Aranesp in the Nordic market. |
| Keywords: | Discrete choice; demand for pharmaceuticals; monopolistic competition; EPO |
| JEL: | C35 D43 I18 L11 |
| Date: | 2009–06–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:oslohe:2006_003&r=knm |