Search patterns and absorptive capacity: Low- and high-technology sectors in European countries

Christoph Grimpe and Wolfgang Sofka ()

Research Policy, 2009, vol. 38, issue 3, pages 495-506

Abstract: Searching for externally available knowledge has been characterised as a vital part of the innovation process. Previous research has, however, almost exclusively focused on high-technology environments, largely ignoring the substantial low- and medium-technology sectors of modern economies. We argue that firms from low- and high-technology sectors differ in their search patterns and that these mediate the relationship between innovation inputs and outputs. Based on a sample of 4500 firms from 13 European countries, we find that search patterns in low-technology industries focus on market knowledge and that they differ from technology sourcing activities in high-technology industries.

Keywords: Absorptive; capacity; Search; strategies; Low-technology; sectors; Medium-technology; sectors; High-technology; sectors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:38:y:2009:i:3:p:495-506

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