Exploration, Exploitation and Co-evolution in Innovation Networks

This PhD-thesis describes the co-evolution of sectoral characteristics, networks of firms and the embedded learning regime from the perspective of a sectoral innovation system (SIS). More specifically, this research aims to shed light on how the institutional environment of a SIS conditions network structures and learning regimes and how outcomes from a learning regime may affect again the institutional environment of a SIS. Moreover, this research aims to understand in how far this co-evolutionary process differs between different SIS’s. In analysing this co-evolutionary process, two views on organisation are combined, namely a competence view and a governance view. Following this, a dynamic model of co-evolution at the level of a SIS is developed based on which a number of hypotheses is developed. To test these hypotheses, two SIS’s in the Netherlands have been studied over the period from the late 1980’s towards the early years of the new millennium : multimedia and pharmaceutical biotechnology. The empirical findings indicate that a general pattern of co-evolution on a sectoral level can be identified. How this pattern settles in network characteristics, coordination mechanisms and in properties of a learning regime is specific to the institutional set-up within a SIS or within different parts of a SIS. In this respect, this study contributes to the understanding of the dynamics of SIS’s as well as of how the optimality of network structure and coordination mechanisms varies with different types of SIS’sVictor Gilsing was born in Amstelveen at 18th September 1969. After completing the Gemeentelijk Gymnasium in Hilversum he studied Technology and Business Administration at Twente University from 1987 – 1993. After graduation he started working for Unilever where he held different positions in the field of innovation and business-to-business marketing in the speciality oleochemicals business. From 1998 he worked as a senior policy advisor in the field of innovation policy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Hague. Next to his duties as a policy advisor, he started his PhD-thesis in December 1999 at ERIM (Erasmus University), which he completed in December 2003. Since October 2003 he is (fulltime) employed at ECIS, Technical University of Eindhoven

Density And Strength Of Ties In Innovation Networks: A Competence And Governance View

This article studies density and strength of ties in innovation networks. It combines issues of ‘competence’ with issues of ‘governance’. It argues that in networks for exploration there are good reasons, counter to the thesis of the ‘strength of weak ties’, for a dense structure of ties that are strong in most dimensions. In exploitation, there are good reasons for structures that are non-dense, with ties that are strong in other dimensions than in networks for exploration. Evidence is presented from two longitudinal empirical studies of the emergence and development of networks in the multimedia and pharmaceutical biotechnology industries

New Policies for the New Economy

Clusters worden gevormd door cross-sectorale (verticale en/of laterale) netwerken en bevatten onderling verschillende en complementaire ondernemingen, die gespecialiseerd zijn rond een specifieke link of gemeenschappelijke kennisbasis in de waardeketen. In deze paper wordt een overzicht gepresenteerd van de verschillende cluster methodologie?n en -analyses alsmede van de bestaande cluster gebaseerde beleidsinitiatieven. Op basis hiervan wordt geconcludeerd dat clusters geen fenomeen van voorbijgaande aard zijn. De opkomende netwerkeconomie leidt tot hechtere, intensere, en meer langdurige relaties tussen ondernemingen onderling en tussen ondernemingen en overheidsorganisaties. Het clusterconcept raakt de kern van dit nieuwe paradigma en maakt het mogelijk dit op een coherente en systematische wijze te begrijpen

Determining Factors of the Effectiveness of IP-based Spin-offs: Comparing the Netherlands and the US

In this paper we describe and analyse IP-based spin-offs as a relatively new phenomenon for transferring knowledge from science to industry. We argue that the effectiveness of this mechanism is subject to a complex array of institutional factors. These factors entail national, sectoral, regional and managerial institutions. Based on an indicative comparison between the Netherlands and the United States we find that is especially the combination of national and sectoral institutions that condition whether an IP-based spin-off is established in the first place, whereas regional and managerial institutions condition its subsequent chances of success. We finish by formulating some notions for public policy. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2006industry-science relationships (ISR), spin-offs, technology transfer, university patenting, O3, O32, O34, L2, L3, I28,