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on Knowledge Management and Knowledge Economy |
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Issue of 2009‒08‒02
nine papers chosen by Laura Stefanescu European Research Centre of Managerial Studies in Business Administration |
| By: | Antonelli Cristiano (University of Turin); Ferraris Gianluigi |
| Abstract: | The paper elaborates the notion of innovation as an emerging property of complex system dynamics and presents an agent-based model of an economy where systemic knowledge interactions among heterogeneous agents are crucial for the generation of new technological knowledge and the introduction of innovations. In this approach external knowledge is an indispensable input,together with internal learning and research activities, into the generation of new knowledge. The introduction of innovations is analyzed as the result of systemic interactions among myopic agents that are credited with an extended procedural rationality that includes forms of creative reaction. The creative reaction of agents may lead to the introduction of productivity enhancing innovations. This takes place only when the structural and institutional characteristics of the system are such that agents, reacting to out-ofequilibrium conditions, can actually take advantage of external knowledge available within the innovation system into which they are embedded. Building upon agentbased simulation techniques the paper explores the effects that alternative configurations of the intellectual property right regimes play in assessing the chances to generate new technological knowledge and shows how the different architectural configurations of the structure into which knowledge interactions take place affect the rates of introduction of technological innovations. The results of the simulation model suggest that the dissemination of knowledge favors the emergence of creative reactions and hence faster rates of introduction of technological innovations. |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uto:labeco:200911&r=knm |
| By: | Spyros Arvanitis (KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich, Switzerland); Thomas Bolli (KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich, Switzerland) |
| Abstract: | This paper compares the determinants and the effects of innovation cooperation on innovation performance at firm level in five European countries: Belgium, Germany, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland. In a first step we analyse cooperation agreements with national and international partners and in a second step cooperation with enterprises and research institutions. In a third step we investigate the impact of all four categories of cooperation on innovation performance. |
| Keywords: | national innovation cooperation, international innovation cooperation, innovation performance |
| JEL: | O30 |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kof:wpskof:09-232&r=knm |
| By: | Jan Fagerberg (Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo); Martin Srholec (Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo); Bart Verspagen (Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo) |
| Abstract: | Is innovation important for development? And if so, how? One popular perception of innovation, that one meets in media every day, is that has to do with developing brand new, advanced solutions for sophisticated, well-off customers, through exploitation of the most recent advances in knowledge. Such innovation is normally seen as carried out by highly educated labour in R&D intensive companies, being large or small, with strong ties to leading centers of excellence in the scientific world. Hence innovation in this sense is a typical “first world” activity. There is, however, another way to look at innovation that goes significantly beyond the high-tech picture just described. In this broader perspective, innovation – the attempt to try out new or improved products, processes or ways to do things – is an aspect of most if not all economic activities. It includes not only technologically new products and processes but also improvements in areas such as logistics, distribution and marketing. The term may also be used for changes that are new to the local context, even if the contribution to the global knowledge frontier is negligible. In this broader sense, it is argued, innovation may be as relevant in the developing part of the world as elsewhere. The paper surveys the existing literature on the subject with a strong emphasis on recent evidence on the macro and – in particular - micro level. |
| JEL: | O14 O19 O31 O33 O40 |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tik:inowpp:20090723&r=knm |
| By: | Spyros Arvanitis (KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich, Switzerland) |
| Abstract: | Starting point of our analysis is the empirical fact that firms pursue different goals when getting engaged in R&D collaborations, often more than one goal at the same time. Given that firms are driven by different motives for R&D cooperation, the aim of this article is to investigate the differences related to different motives with respect (a) to the factors influencing the likelihood of R&D cooperation as postulated by theory; and (b) to the impact of R&D cooperation on firm innovativeness and firm productivity. On the whole, distinguishing various cooperation motives appears to be fruitful because it allows more differentiated insights with respect to the importance of factors determining cooperation that would remain hidden behind the overall variable “R&D cooperation yes/no”. Not only R&D cooperation in general but also cooperation driven by each of the seven motives considered in this paper correlate positively with the sales share of innovative products. With respect to innovativeness the characterization of cooperation by the driving motive did not add much more insights that it could be gained through the overall variable ‘R&D cooperation yes/no’. Technology-motivated collaborative activities show a weaker tendency to positive direct effects on productivity than cost-motivated cooperation. In this case, the distinction of several cooperation motives yields some additional insights as compared to the overall cooperation variable. |
| Keywords: | R&D cooperation, absorptive capacity, incoming spillovers, innovation |
| JEL: | O30 |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kof:wpskof:09-233&r=knm |
| By: | Berliant, Marcus; Fujita, Masahisa |
| Abstract: | How is long run economic growth related to the endogenous diversity of knowledge? We formulate and study a microeconomic model of knowledge creation, through the interactions among a group of heterogeneous R & D workers, embedded in a growth model to address this question. In contrast with the traditional literature, in our model the composition of the research work force in terms of knowledge heterogeneity matters, in addition to its size, in determining the production of new knowledge. Moreover, the heterogeneity of the work force is endogenous. Income to these workers accrues as patent income, whereas transmission of newly created knowledge to all such workers occurs due to public transmission of patent information. Knowledge in common is required for communication, but differential knowledge is useful to bring originality to the endeavor. Whether or not the system reaches the most productive state depends on the strength of the public knowledge transmission technology. Equilibrium paths are found analytically. Long run economic growth is positively related to both the effectiveness of pairwise R & D worker interaction and to the effectiveness of public knowledge transmission. |
| Keywords: | knowledge creation; knowledge externalities; microfoundations of endogenous growth; knowledge diversity and growth |
| JEL: | D90 D83 O31 |
| Date: | 2009–07–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:16475&r=knm |
| By: | Paul Hallwood (University of Connecticut) |
| Abstract: | Teams combine tacit and separable knowledge so complicating the pricing of knowledge and mitigating against knowledge transfer between firms. The efficient markets hypothesis suggests that entities possessing insider information should be ablest at accurately pricing any given complementary set of knowledge. Thus, even though some knowledge in a given complementary set is separable from a team, the easily transferable pieces are still most likely to be used within the originating firm. The boundaries of a firm may therefore expand even when knowledge is not tacit and transaction costs in markets for ideas are otherwise low. |
| Keywords: | asymmetric information, evolutionary theory of the firm, governance, holdup, insider information, path dependency, rent appropriation, tacit information, transaction costs. |
| JEL: | D23 F23 L80 |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uct:uconnp:2009-21&r=knm |
| By: | Pellegrino, Gabriele (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore); Piva, Mariacristina (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore); Vivarelli, Marco (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) |
| Abstract: | This paper discusses the determinants of product innovation in young innovative companies (YICs) by looking at in-house and external R&D and at the acquisition of external technology in embodied and disembodied components. These input-output relationships are tested on a sample of innovative Italian firms. A sample-selection approach is applied. Results show that in-house R&D is linked to the propensity to introduce product innovation both in mature firms and YICs; however, innovation intensity in the YICs is mainly dependent on embodied technical change from external sources, while − in contrast with the incumbent firms − in-house R&D does not play a significant role. |
| Keywords: | R&D, product innovation, embodied technical change, CIS 3, sample selection |
| JEL: | O31 |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4301&r=knm |
| By: | Anna J. Wieczorek; Marko P. Hekkert; Ruud E.H.M. Smits |
| Abstract: | In this paper we review major theoretical (neoclassical economics, evolutionary, systemic and knowledge-based) insights about innovation and we analyse their implications for the characteristics of contemporary innovation policy and instruments. We show that the perspectives complement each other but altogether reveal the need to redefine the current general philosophy as well as the modes of operationalisation of contemporary innovation policy. We argue that systemic instruments ensuring proper organisation of innovation systems give a promise of increased rates and desired (more sustainable) direction of innovation. |
| Keywords: | systemic instruments, innovation policy, innovation theory, policy mix, innovation system, sustainability |
| Date: | 2009–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uis:wpaper:0912&r=knm |
| By: | Lundvall, Bengt-Ake |
| Abstract: | Although Denmark shares with the other four Nordic countries certain attributes, such as pragmatic protestant religion, small and homogenous population, strong social democratic parties and ambitious welfare states, it also has its own characteristics. High degree of specialization in the so-called low-tech sectors, combined with high mobility and income security in labour markets (flexicurity), contributes to making the Danish system unique in the world. Denmark has experienced some stagnation in its growth over the last decade but still ranks among the top ten in the world in terms of GNP per capita, registered unemployment is less than 2 per cent (as of June 2008) while the inflation rate has remained moderate. These goals for economic policy have been realized in an environment with a high degree of income equality. In this paper we use the concepts .innovation system., .the learning economy. and .learning modes. to analyse the evolution of the Danish model and what can be learnt from it. |
| Keywords: | economic development, welfare state, social cohesion, innovation |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:rp2009-18&r=knm |