Knowledge Processes

Ulrich Wilke
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Ulrich Wilke: Reutlingen University, Dissertation University of Hohenheim, D100

Chapter 6 in Towards Sustainable Innovations, 2026, pp 73-91 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter examines knowledge processes—creation, transfer, and application—as dynamic, interconnected drivers of sustainable innovations. It emphasizes that knowledge is context-specific, sticky, dispersed, cumulative, and path-dependent, requiring absorptive capacity for effective transfer. Wilke highlights different understandings of knowledge creation and depicts iterative, reciprocal models of knowledge transfer, moving beyond a conventional linear understanding. For sustainability-related knowledge, problem- and solution-oriented research programs, real-world experiments, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, and the need for stakeholder engagement appear as particularly effective. Collaborative methods and co-creation are critical to integrate tacit knowledge and ensure socially robust solutions. Challenges include power asymmetries, high coordination costs, and balancing basic vs. applied research, but these approaches enable adaptive, inclusive knowledge systems for transformative change toward sustainability.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-31024-8_6

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