Successful Patterns of Scientific Knowledge Sourcing: Mix and Match

Arbeitspapier

Valuable knowledge emerges increasingly outside of firm boundaries, in particular in public research institutions and universities. The question is how firms organize their interactions with universities effectively to acquire knowledge and apply it successfully. Literature has so far largely ignored that firms may combine different types of interactions with universities for optimizing their collaboration strategies. We argue conceptually that firms need diverse (broad) and highly developed (deep) combinations of various interactions with universities to maximize returns from these collaborations. Our empirical investigation rests upon a survey of more than 800 firms in Germany. We find that both the diversity and intensity of collaborative engagements with universities propel innovation success. However, broadening the spectrum of interactions is more beneficial with regard to innovation success. Applying latent class cluster analysis we identify four distinct patterns of interaction. Our findings show that formal forms of interaction (joint/contract) research provide the best balance between joint knowledge development and value capture.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: ZEW Discussion Papers ; No. 08-033

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables: General ; Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness ; Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
• Subject: Technology transfer ; industry-science links ; open innovation ; university knowledge ; Unternehmen ; Industrielle Forschung ; Forschungskooperation ; Technologietransfer ; Innovationsmanagement ; Hochschule ; Wissenstransfer ; Deutschland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Sofka, Wolfgang ; Aschhoff, Birgit
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW)
• (where): Mannheim
• (when): 2008

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/24728
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET