Building a bridge: social networks and technological regimes in biotechnology a...

• Author(s): Salavisa, I. ; Fontes, M. ; Sousa, C. ; Videira, P.
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/5127
• Origin: Repositório do ISCTE-IUL
• Subject(s): technological regimes;; knowledge-intensive sectors;; biotechnology;; software.
• Document Type: Research paper
• Language: English

Description

The paper investigates the influence of technological regimes on the composition and structure of firms’ knowledge networks. We combine insights from two hitherto unconnected bodies of research: one relating technological regimes with the nature of knowledge; and the other relating knowledge and types of innovation with network configuration. Drawing on this framework, we build a number of propositions on the relationship between firms’ networking behaviour and the regime under which they operate, operationalized at both sector and firm-level. These propositions are explored through empirical research comparing firms operating in two distinct knowledge-intensive sectors, namely biotechnology, which is commonly considered more science-based, and software, thought of as mostly technology-based. As expected, we found that distinct technological regimes affect the knowledge search/exchange process, and thus have an impact upon the network building strategies of the firms. The results also reveal that sector-based technological regimes have a greater explanatory capacity than firm-based regimes that cross sectoral boundaries. The use of different approaches and techniques, together with the combination of sector and firm level analyses, provided a tool that enabled a deeper understanding of the variety of networking behaviours among knowledge-intensive firms.