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Patterns of innovation and collaboration in small and large firms

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  • Lina Bjerke
  • Sara Johansson

Abstract

This paper explores the patterns of innovation and collaboration by using unique regional survey data on more than 600 Swedish firms. The data also include the smallest firms, which have been largely neglected in the existing literature on innovations. In the context of collaboration, however, small firms are of particular interest because external interactions and joint projects can be expected to play a very central role in innovation processes in firms where internal resources are very limited. The results show that the probability of innovation is higher among collaborating firms, yet not all types of collaborations matter. Extra-regional collaborations appear as most important in promoting firm innovation, and collaboration seems to be most favourable when the partners involved have some organizational or knowledge relatedness. Small firms, in particular, seem to gain from such extra-regional linkages. Copyright The Author(s) 2015

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  • Lina Bjerke & Sara Johansson, 2015. "Patterns of innovation and collaboration in small and large firms," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 55(1), pages 221-247, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:anresc:v:55:y:2015:i:1:p:221-247
    DOI: 10.1007/s00168-015-0712-y
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    2. Pedro Oliveira & Jana Turčínková, 2019. "Human Capital, Innovation and Internationalization of Micro and Small Enterprises in Rural Territory - a Case Study," Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Mendel University Press, vol. 67(2), pages 545-563.
    3. Garcia-Alvarez-Coque, José-María & Martinez-Gomez, Victor & Tudela-Marco, Lorena, 2021. "Multi-actor arrangements for farmland management in Eastern Spain," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    4. Babak Ghassim, 2018. "Sustainability-Oriented Innovation in the Minerals Industry: An Empirical Study on the Effect of Non-Geographical Proximity Dimensions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, January.
    5. Kristof Van Criekingen & Mark Freel & Dirk Czarnitzki, 2021. "Open innovation deficiency: Evidence on project abandonment and delay," Working Papers of Department of Management, Strategy and Innovation, Leuven 668283, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Management, Strategy and Innovation, Leuven.
    6. M. Moore, 2021. "Collaboration in Coworking Spaces: Impact on Firm Innovativeness and Business Models," Papers 2111.09866, arXiv.org.
    7. Sofia Wixe & Pia Nilsson & Lucia Naldi & Hans Westlund, 2023. "The role of collaboration and external knowledge for innovation in small food firms," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(1), pages 135-155, February.
    8. Wixe, Sofia & Nilsson, Pia & Naldi, Lucia & Westlund, Hans, 2017. "Disentangling Innovation in Small Food Firms: The role of External Knowledge, Support, and Collaboration," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 446, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    9. Jose-Maria Garcia-Alvarez-Coque & Norat Roig-Tierno & Mercedes Sanchez-Garcia & Francisco Mas-Verdu, 2021. "Knowledge Drivers, Business Collaboration and Competitiveness in Rural and Urban Regions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 157(1), pages 9-27, August.
    10. Berné-Martínez, J.M. & Arnal-Pastor, María & Llopis-Amorós, María-Pilar, 2021. "Reacting to the paradigm shift: QCA study of the factors shaping innovation in publishing, information services, advertising and market research activities in the European Union," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    11. Xie, Qijun & Su, Jun, 2021. "The spatial-temporal complexity and dynamics of research collaboration: Evidence from 297 cities in China (1985–2016)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    12. Giuseppe Calignano & Rune Dahl Fitjar, 2017. "Strengthening relationships in clusters: How effective is an indirect policy measure carried out in a peripheral technology district?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 59(1), pages 139-169, July.
    13. Lucie Kaňovská & Veronika Bumberová, 2021. "The Differences in the Propensity of Providing Smart Services by SMEs from the Electrical Engineering Industry with Regard to Their Cooperation and Innovation Flexibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-23, April.
    14. Livieratos, Antonios D. & Tsekouras, George & Vanhaverbeke, Wim & Angelakis, Antonios, 2022. "Open Innovation moves in SMEs: How European SMEs place their bets?," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    15. Eva Tomášková & Lucie Kaòovská, 2022. "Impact of cooperation flexibility on innovation flexibility in SMEs," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 17(2), pages 533-566, June.
    16. Bjerke, Lina & Johansson, Sara, 2022. "Innovation in agriculture: An analysis of Swedish agricultural and non-agricultural firms," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    17. Fredrik Niclas Piro, 2019. "The R&D composition of European countries: concentrated versus dispersed profiles," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 119(2), pages 1095-1119, May.
    18. Mikaela Backman & Johan Klaesson & Özge Öner, 2017. "Innovation in the hospitality industry," Tourism Economics, , vol. 23(8), pages 1591-1614, December.

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    Keywords

    R10; O31; C83;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods

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