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Knowledge Base Combinations and Innovation Performance in Swedish Regions

Grillitsch, Markus LU ; Martin, Roman LU and Srholec, Martin LU (2017) In Economic Geography 93(5). p.458-479
Abstract
The literature on geography of innovation suggests that innovation outcomes depend on a diversity of knowledge inputs, which can be captured with the differentiated knowledge base approach. While knowledge bases are distinct theoretical categories, existing studies stress that innovation often involves combinations of analytical, synthetic, and symbolic knowledge. It remains unclear, though, which combinations are most conducive to innovation at the level of the firm and how this is influenced by the knowledge bases available in the region. This article fills this gap by reviewing the conceptual arguments on how and why certain firm and regional knowledge base combinations relate to firm innovativeness and by investigating these... (More)
The literature on geography of innovation suggests that innovation outcomes depend on a diversity of knowledge inputs, which can be captured with the differentiated knowledge base approach. While knowledge bases are distinct theoretical categories, existing studies stress that innovation often involves combinations of analytical, synthetic, and symbolic knowledge. It remains unclear, though, which combinations are most conducive to innovation at the level of the firm and how this is influenced by the knowledge bases available in the region. This article fills this gap by reviewing the conceptual arguments on how and why certain firm and regional knowledge base combinations relate to firm innovativeness and by investigating these relationships econometrically. The knowledge base is captured using detailed occupational data derived from linked employer–employee data sets merged at the firm level with information from Community Innovation Surveys in Sweden. The results indicate that analytical knowledge outweighs the importance of synthetic and symbolic knowledge and that, however, firms benefit most from being located in a region with a balanced mix of all three knowledge bases. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
knowledge base, knowledge combination, region, innovation performance, microdata, cross-level interaction, Sweden
in
Economic Geography
volume
93
issue
5
pages
458 - 479
publisher
Economic Geography
external identifiers
  • scopus:84981508152
ISSN
1944-8287
DOI
10.1080/00130095.2016.1154442
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
843242db-44c1-4054-b908-7964b1a766e6
date added to LUP
2016-08-19 13:15:40
date last changed
2024-01-04 11:17:22
@article{843242db-44c1-4054-b908-7964b1a766e6,
  abstract     = {{The literature on geography of innovation suggests that innovation outcomes depend on a diversity of knowledge inputs, which can be captured with the differentiated knowledge base approach. While knowledge bases are distinct theoretical categories, existing studies stress that innovation often involves combinations of analytical, synthetic, and symbolic knowledge. It remains unclear, though, which combinations are most conducive to innovation at the level of the firm and how this is influenced by the knowledge bases available in the region. This article fills this gap by reviewing the conceptual arguments on how and why certain firm and regional knowledge base combinations relate to firm innovativeness and by investigating these relationships econometrically. The knowledge base is captured using detailed occupational data derived from linked employer–employee data sets merged at the firm level with information from Community Innovation Surveys in Sweden. The results indicate that analytical knowledge outweighs the importance of synthetic and symbolic knowledge and that, however, firms benefit most from being located in a region with a balanced mix of all three knowledge bases.}},
  author       = {{Grillitsch, Markus and Martin, Roman and Srholec, Martin}},
  issn         = {{1944-8287}},
  keywords     = {{knowledge base; knowledge combination; region; innovation performance; microdata; cross-level interaction; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{458--479}},
  publisher    = {{Economic Geography}},
  series       = {{Economic Geography}},
  title        = {{Knowledge Base Combinations and Innovation Performance in Swedish Regions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00130095.2016.1154442}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00130095.2016.1154442}},
  volume       = {{93}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}