| By: |
Margherita Balconi (Department of Economics and Management, University of Pavia);
Valeria Lorenzi (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico Aziendali, Università di Milano Bicocca, Italy);
Pier Paolo Saviotti (INRA GAEL, Univérsité Pierre Mendés-France, Grenoble, France);
Antonella Zucchella (Department of Economics and Management, University of Pavia) |
| Abstract: |
This paper addresses the cognitive dimension of proximity/distance in research
collaborations of small biotechnology firms. While the theory of optimal
cognitive distance assumes learning as motive of collaborations, we suggest
that small specialised firms or sub-units of big diversified organizations
tend to collaborate with actors endowed with different specific knowledge,
with the purpose of accessing rather than acquiring and assimilating the
pieces of knowledge they lack. This leads to the expectation of high cognitive
distance between collaborators, who however can understand each other since
they share the same basic knowledge. We apply this framework to investigate
the research collaborations of a sample of Italian biotech firms, using data
on the papers co-authored by individuals belonging to different organizations.
In order to measure cognitive distance at a very disaggregated level, we
introduce an index originally developed by ecologists to measure distance
between different species. As expected, most co-publishing partners have high
cognitive distance. Moreover, the knowledge accessing motive is also
consistent with the finding that even small firms often engage in extensive
networks of collaborations with a remarkable variety of actors and do not tend
to enlarge their scope over time. |
| Keywords: |
biotech; cognitive distance; knowledge; research collaborations. |
| Date: |
2013–09 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pav:demwpp:demwp0051&r=neu |