Exploration or Exploitation of Knowledge from Universities: Does It Make a Difference?
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Date
2015Type
- Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
In the first step, based on the existing theoretical and empirical literature, we develop a series of hypotheses with respect to the relative importance of possible determinants of exploration and exploitation of knowledge in collaboration with universities and test them on Swiss firm data. In the second step, we investigate the impact on innovation performance of knowledge exploration versus knowledge exploitation. We obtain a clear pattern of the differences between firms that are engaged both in exploitative and explorative activities (‘exploration’-oriented firms) and purely ‘exploitation’-oriented firms. We find that exploration-oriented firms have a greater knowledge absorptive capacity, are technologically more diverse and are strongly exposed to intensive non-price competition compared with exploitation-oriented firms. We further find a positive effect on innovation performance for exploitation-oriented firms but not for those that were exploration oriented. Show more
Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Economics of Innovation and New TechnologyVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
RoutledgeSubject
Knowledge exploration; Knowledge exploitation; InnovationOrganisational unit
02525 - KOF Konjunkturforschungsstelle / KOF Swiss Economic Institute
06333 - KOF FB Innovationsökonomik / KOF Innovation Economics
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ETH Bibliography
yes
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