IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/eurpls/v22y2014i6p1109-1126.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social Networks and Actual Knowledge Flow in the Irish Biotech Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Chris van Egeraat
  • Declan Curran

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of networks among small and medium-sized enterprises in the Irish biotech sector. The study applies social network analysis to determine the structure of networks of company directors and inventors in the biotech sector. In addition, on the basis of interviews, this article analyses the extent of actual knowledge flow through these industry networks. The paper makes both a theoretical and methodological contribution to innovation network research. In relation to theory, the findings of the social network analysis indicate that the extent and path of knowledge flow are influenced by both the type of knowledge in question and whether the network is of a formal or informal nature. Methodologically, the results of this paper raise questions about the application of social network analysis in innovation studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris van Egeraat & Declan Curran, 2014. "Social Networks and Actual Knowledge Flow in the Irish Biotech Industry," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(6), pages 1109-1126, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eurpls:v:22:y:2014:i:6:p:1109-1126
    DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2012.761746
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/09654313.2012.761746
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/09654313.2012.761746?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cooke, Philip, 2001. "Regional Innovation Systems, Clusters, and the Knowledge Economy," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 10(4), pages 945-974, December.
    2. Will Geoghegan & Dimitrios Pontikakis, 2008. "From ivory tower to factory floor? How universities are changing to meet the needs of industry," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(7), pages 462-474, August.
    3. Lundvall, Bengt-Ake & Johnson, Bjorn & Andersen, Esben Sloth & Dalum, Bent, 2002. "National systems of production, innovation and competence building," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 213-231, February.
    4. Dahl, Michael S. & Pedersen, Christian O.R., 2004. "Knowledge flows through informal contacts in industrial clusters: myth or reality?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1673-1686, December.
    5. Jason Owen-Smith & Walter W. Powell, 2004. "Knowledge Networks as Channels and Conduits: The Effects of Spillovers in the Boston Biotechnology Community," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(1), pages 5-21, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Houxing Tang & Zhenzhong Ma & Jiuling Xiao & Lei Xiao, 2020. "Toward a more Efficient Knowledge Network in Innovation Ecosystems: A Simulated Study on Knowledge Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Shu-Hao Chang, 2024. "International Technology Market Hotspots and Development Trends from the Perspective of Inventor Mobility," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 2361-2382, March.
    3. Roman Martin, 2013. "Differentiated Knowledge Bases and the Nature of Innovation Networks," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(9), pages 1418-1436, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ferretti, Marco & Guerini, Massimiliano & Panetti, Eva & Parmentola, Adele, 2022. "The partner next door? The effect of micro-geographical proximity on intra-cluster inter-organizational relationships," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    2. 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.
    3. Nishimura, Junichi & Okamuro, Hiroyuki, 2011. "Subsidy and networking: The effects of direct and indirect support programs of the cluster policy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 714-727, June.
    4. Rosenfeld, Martin T. W. & Hornych, Christoph, 2021. "Wie vernetzt sind die privaten Firmen in Mitteldeutschland? Räumliche Muster der Kooperation im Rahmen "Formeller Unternehmensnetzwerke" (FUN)," Arbeitsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Rosenfeld, Martin T. W. & Stefansky, Andreas (ed.), "Metropolregion Mitteldeutschland" aus raumwissenschaftlicher Sicht, volume 30, pages 96-126, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    5. Eva Panetti & Adele Parmentola & Marco Ferretti & Elisabeth Beck Reynolds, 2020. "Exploring the relational dimension in a smart innovation ecosystem: a comprehensive framework to define the network structure and the network portfolio," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(6), pages 1775-1796, December.
    6. Lengyel, Balázs & Leydesdorff, Loet, 2015. "The Effects of FDI on Innovation Systems in Hungarian Regions: Where is the Synergy Generated?," MPRA Paper 73945, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Albin Skog & Örjan Sölvell, 2020. "The dark side of agglomeration, sustained wealth and transposition of trading institutions—the case of Bordeaux in the 18th and 19th centuries," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 67-91.
    8. Dorsa Tajaddod Alizadeh & Andrea Schiffauerova, 2018. "Evaluation Of Effects Of Collaborative Patterns On The Efficiency Of Scientific Networks Using Simulation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(04), pages 1-28, May.
    9. van Rijnsoever, Frank J. & van den Berg, Jesse & Koch, Joost & Hekkert, Marko P., 2015. "Smart innovation policy: How network position and project composition affect the diversity of an emerging technology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(5), pages 1094-1107.
    10. Haddad, Carolina R. & Uriona Maldonado, Mauricio, 2017. "A functions approach to improve sectoral technology roadmaps," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 251-260.
    11. Grillitsch, Markus, 2014. "Institutional Change and Economic Evolution in Regions," Papers in Innovation Studies 2014/1, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    12. Mickael Benaim & Jean-Alain Héraud & Valérie Mérindol, 2016. "Scientific connectivity of European regions: towards a typology of cooperative schemes," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(3), pages 155-176.
    13. Giuliani, Elisa, 2013. "Network dynamics in regional clusters: Evidence from Chile," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(8), pages 1406-1419.
    14. Cristina Chaminade & Claudia De Fuentes & Gouya Harirchi & Monica Plechero, 2016. "The geography and structure of global innovation networks: global scope and regional embeddedness," Chapters, in: Richard Shearmu & Christophe Carrincazeaux & David Doloreux (ed.), Handbook on the Geographies of Innovation, chapter 22, pages 370-381, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. Terje Grønning & Siw Fosstenløkken, 2015. "The Learning Concept Within Innovation Systems Theorizing: A Narrative Review of Selected Publications on National and Regional Innovation Systems," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(2), pages 420-436, June.
    16. Jerald Hage & Jonathon Mote & Gretchen Jordan, 2013. "Ideas, innovations, and networks: a new policy model based on the evolution of knowledge," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 46(2), pages 199-216, June.
    17. Bischoff, Thore Sören & Hipp, Ann & Runst, Petrik, 2022. "Firm innovation and generalized trust as a regional resource," ifh Working Papers 32/2022, Volkswirtschaftliches Institut für Mittelstand und Handwerk an der Universität Göttingen (ifh).
    18. Eva Komlosi & Balazs Pager & Gabor Markus, 2019. "Entrepreneurial Innovations in Countries at Different Stages of Development," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 13(4), pages 23-34.
    19. Christos Kolympiris & Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes, 2013. "Geographic scope of proximity effects among small life sciences firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1059-1086, May.
    20. Markus Grillitsch, 2014. "Regional Transformation: Institutional Change and Economic Evolution in Regions," ERSA conference papers ersa14p1481, European Regional Science Association.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:eurpls:v:22:y:2014:i:6:p:1109-1126. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CEPS20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.