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SME participation in research grant consortia—the emergence of coordinated attention in collaborative innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Christoph Grimpe

    (Copenhagen Business School
    Department Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics, ZEW Centre for European Economic Research, L7 1)

  • Wolfgang Sofka

    (Copenhagen Business School
    University of Liverpool Management School, Strategy, International Business and Entrepreneurship Group (SIBE), Chatham Street)

  • Andreas P. Distel

    (Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University)

Abstract

Research funding organizations routinely encourage SMEs to collaborate with organizations of different institutional backgrounds, such as other firms, universities, or research organizations. These collaborations are supposed to involve SMEs in knowledge flows across boundaries and generate innovative solutions to complex problems. However, we know little about how the project partners determine the priorities of their joint research in the first place and how the institutional composition influences priority setting. In this paper, we study attention coordination among SMEs and their partners for the emergence of priorities in joint research grant proposals. Applying content analysis to 207 grant proposals of innovation consortia that have received funding in the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, we find that increasingly diverse consortia shift attention away from technological novelty and market creation towards more consideration for the innovation ecosystem.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Grimpe & Wolfgang Sofka & Andreas P. Distel, 2022. "SME participation in research grant consortia—the emergence of coordinated attention in collaborative innovation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1567-1592, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:59:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s11187-021-00582-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-021-00582-6
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    SME; Collaborative innovation; Innovation consortia; Grant proposal; Coordination; Attention-based view;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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