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Evolution of the knowledge base in knowledge intensive sectors

Author

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  • Jackie Krafft

    (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Francesco Quatraro

    (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Pier-Paolo Saviotti

    (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

In a knowledge based society the creation and utilisation of knowledge become the key factors determining the competitiveness of firms, regions and countries. In this perspective a considerable effort is today dedicated to characterise the knowledge base of different sectors in the economy and to detect its impact on firm performance and on industrial organization (Breschi, Lissoni, and Malerba, 2003; Krafft, 2004; Nesta and Saviotti, 2005). Although all sectors in modern economies are affected by a growing knowledge intensity, some sectors are influenced more than the average. We call these Knowledge Intensive Sectors (KISs). In this paper we map the dynamics of knowledge generation within three KISs: biotechnology, telecommunications and electronics. The first question which is addressed is how to characterize a KIS. Typically we would expect KISs to have a high R&D intensity, to produce more patents and publications than less knowledge intensive sectors and to have a greater impact of knowledge production on firm performance and on sectoral growth. A further and important aspect of KISs is the presence of discontinuity in knowledge. Not that such discontinuities are present only in KISs: other sectors are going to be affected, although often less directly, by these discontinuities. However, KISs are likely to be the first ones to start exploring new forms of knowledge and to move them towards exploitation. Thus, we can expect the dynamics of knowledge generation and utilization in KISs to be affected by both (i) the rate of knowledge creation and (ii) the presence of discontinuities in new knowledge. It follows that in order to be able to link the dynamics of knowledge creation and utilization to firm performance and to industrial organization we need to detect a number of properties of the knowledge base (KB) of KISs. Properties such as the diversity/variety of the KB, its coherence and its cognitive distance (or conversely its similarity) between different KBs have already been shown to be potential determinants of firm performance. The aim of this paper is to contribute to this new literature by characterizing the evolution of the KB in three KISs, namely biotechnology, telecommunications and electronics. We use data from the European Patent Office database (EPO database) to see whether we can find common trends in the evolution of the KB of these three KISs.

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  • Jackie Krafft & Francesco Quatraro & Pier-Paolo Saviotti, 2008. "Evolution of the knowledge base in knowledge intensive sectors," Working Papers hal-00264261, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00264261
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alessandra Colombelli & Francesco Quatraro, 2014. "The persistence of firms' knowledge base: a quantile approach to Italian data," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7), pages 585-610, October.
    2. Antonelli, Cristiano & Krafft, Jackie & Quatraro, Francesco, 2010. "Recombinant knowledge and growth: The case of ICTs," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 50-69, March.
    3. Krafft Jackie & Quatraro Francesco & Colombelli Alessandra, 2011. "High Growth Firms and Technological Knowledge: Do gazelles follow exploration or exploitation strategies?," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 201114, University of Turin.
    4. Colombelli Alessandra & Quatraro Francesco, 2012. "Persistence of innovation and knowledge structure: Evidence from a sample of Italian firms," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 201205, University of Turin.
    5. Quatraro, Francesco, 2010. "Knowledge coherence, variety and economic growth: Manufacturing evidence from Italian regions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1289-1302, December.
    6. repec:hal:wpaper:hal-00686007 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Francesco Quatraro, 2016. "Co-evolutionary Patterns in Regional Knowledge Bases and Economic Structure: Evidence from European Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 513-539, March.
    8. Alessandra Colombelli & Francesco Quatraro, 2013. "New Firm Formation and the properties of local knowledge bases: Evidence from Italian NUTS 3 regions," Working Papers hal-00858989, HAL.
    9. Francesco Quatraro, 2012. "The Co-Evolution of Knowledge and Economic Structure: Evidence from European Regions," GREDEG Working Papers 2012-16, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    10. Pier Paolo Saviotti, 2011. "Knowledge, Complexity and Networks," Chapters, in: Cristiano Antonelli (ed.), Handbook on the Economic Complexity of Technological Change, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Fontana, Roberto & Nesta, Lionel, 2010. "Pre-entry experience, post-entry learning and firm survival: Evidence from the local area networking switch industry," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 41-49, March.
    12. Ali Maleki & Alessandro Rosiello, 2014. "Which countries benefit most from emerging technological opportunities?," ERSA conference papers ersa14p1118, European Regional Science Association.
    13. Roney Fraga Souza & Sheila Cristina Ferreira Leite & Rosangela Ballini & Jose´ Maria Ferreira Jardim Da Silveira, 2016. "A Dynamic Method To Identify New Fields Of Scientific Research: An Application To Bioenergy," Anais do XLII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 42nd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 154, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    14. Jackie Krafft & Francesco Quatraro & Pier Paolo Saviotti, 2011. "The knowledge-base evolution in biotechnology: a social network analysis," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 445-475.
    15. Jackie Krafft & Francesco Quatraro & Pier Saviotti, 2014. "Knowledge characteristics and the dynamics of technological alliances in pharmaceuticals: empirical evidence from Europe, US and Japan," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 587-622, July.
    16. Quatraro Francesco, 2011. "Knowledge Structure and Regional Economic Growth: The French case," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 201112, University of Turin.
    17. Alessandra Colombelli & Jackie Krafft & Francesco Quatraro, 2012. "The emergence of new technology-based sectors at the regional level: a proximity-based analysis of nanotechnology," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1211, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jun 2012.
    18. Colombelli, Alessandra & Krafft, Jackie & Quatraro, Francesco, 2013. "Properties of knowledge base and firm survival: Evidence from a sample of French manufacturing firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(8), pages 1469-1483.
    19. Jackie Krafft & Francesco Quatraro, 2011. "The dynamics of technological knowledge," Post-Print halshs-00727633, HAL.
    20. Jackie Krafft & Francesco Quatraro, 2011. "The Dynamics of Technological Knowledge: From Linearity to Recombination," Chapters, in: Cristiano Antonelli (ed.), Handbook on the Economic Complexity of Technological Change, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    21. Colombelli, Alessandra & Krafft, Jackie & Quatraro, Francesco, 2014. "The emergence of new technology-based sectors in European regions: A proximity-based analysis of nanotechnology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(10), pages 1681-1696.

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