The micro processes underlying small firms'integration into territorial innovation dynamics - a knowledge based perspective

Rani Jeanne Dang (1) , Christian Longhi (1) , Catherine Thomas (1)

1 GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion

The paper is concerned with the process of SMEs' insertion into innovation projects within regional clusters. The objective is to contribute to a better understanding of this process by examining the underlying mechanisms of territorial innovation dynamics. A particular attention is given to the interplay between the features of territorial dynamics of innovation identified, and SMEs' capacity to participate to collaborative innovation projects. In this perspective, the article analyse the front-end process of territorial inter-organizational innovation, the early stage during which partners negotiate and establish collaborative innovation projects. Rather than investigating how clusters facilitate the access to new resources and knowledge, the crucial question here is how clusters allow the combination of different component of knowledge among heterogeneous actors. First, our findings reveal the key underlying role of architectural knowledge in local innovation processes. Second, they suggest that the nature of architectural knowledge inside the cluster influences the capacity and the motivation of SMEs to participate to local innovation projects. These findings contribute to theory by developing a grounded model of territorial dynamics of innovation and of SMEs integration into localised innovation projects

Mots clés: clusters; SMEs; architectural innovation; knowledge; local innovation projects

Domaines: Gestion et management

Rani Jeanne Dang, Christian Longhi, Catherine Thomas. The micro processes underlying small firms'integration into territorial innovation dynamics - a knowledge based perspective. 26th EGOS Colloquium, Jun 2010, Lisbonne, Portugal. pp.80. ⟨halshs-00504079⟩