KNOWLEDGE-INTENSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP: NETWORKING WITHIN AND ACROSS BOUNDARIES
Malin Brännback, Turku
School of Economics and Business Administration, Finland
Maija Renko,
Turku School of Economics and Business Administration, Finland
Alan Carsrud,
Florida International University
Principal Topic
This paper explores the impact of increased knowledge intensity on industry structures and entrepreneurship in biotechnology. Increasing knowledge intensity of an industry is manifested through proliferation in networking both within the industry as well as across traditional industry boundaries and national borders. The paper focuses on understanding the drivers and limitations of collaboration between firms, universities, and individual entrepreneurs within a Finnish bio- technology context. Increasing knowledge intensity of the biotechnology industry is identified as the major driver of collaboration.
Method
This paper is based on a longitudinal study applying action research approach in the context of the Finnish Pharma Cluster, the aim of which is to support cooperation between R&D-based businesses and university-based R&D and contribute positively to new firm foundation and entrepreneurship. Active involvement of the current researchers in the strategy process of the cluster has resulted in a rich data set comprising thirty one (31) in-depth interviews among key persons from business and universities in the Cluster; a mail survey (51% response rate); and a second quantitative study using an electronic survey (with a response rate of 28%).
Results and Implications
The results suggest that (i) increasing knowledge intensity of the biotechnology industry is manifested through increasing networking both within a domestic cluster as well as over the old industry boundaries and country borders (ii) entrepreneurs see the ability to create new knowledge and engage in shared knowledge creation as a fundamental issue for leveraging technological competencies (iii) knowledge transfer from universities to commercially viable enterprises is a key driver but also limits knowledge intensive innovations due to a lack of a common purpose, (iv) science parks have a central role in managing knowledge networks in the context where most of the players are either university units or small, entrepreneurial firms and, (v) despite the existence of regional science parks, a national cluster is seen as important for the purposes of network based new knowledge creation and network derived advantages across firm boundaries as well as regional boundaries.
CONTACT: Malin Brännback, Turku School of Economics and Business Administration, Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland; (T) +358 2 4814 582; (F) +358 2 4814 268; malin.brannback@tukkk.fi
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