Natural resource knowledge idiosyncrasy, innovation, industry dynamics, and sustainability

Allan Andersen and Olav Wicken
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Olav Wicken: TIK Centre, University of Oslo

No 20161107, Working Papers on Innovation Studies from Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo

Abstract: Natural resource based industries (NRBIs) have received only limited attention in Innovation Studies. In this paper we explore how qualitative diversity of ecological and geological conditions influence innovation—a phenomenon we denote natural resource knowledge idiosyncrasy (NKI)—as one particular aspect of change in NRBIs. We find that the dominant thinking in Innovation Studies about innovation and industry change—which is largely informed by studies of high-tech manufacturing industries—does not allow us to achieve a full understanding of change in NRBIs. To advance our thinking about NRBIs we propose a definition of NKI, a conceptualization of how NKI influence innovation and industry change, and explore implications of the latter for strategies for resource based development and sustainability in natural resources. Lastly, we argue that a new model of innovation is required for grasping and guiding innovation and transformation in NRBIs.

Pages: 35 pages
Date: 2016-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-env, nep-ino, nep-knm, nep-sbm and nep-tid
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tik:inowpp:20161107

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