Persistence of, and interrelation between, horizontal and vertical technology alliances.

The authors explore to what extent there is persistence in, and interrelation between, alliance strategies with different partner types (customers, suppliers, competitors). In a panel data set of innovation-active firms in the Netherlands from 1996 to 2004, the authors find persistence in alliance strategies with all three types of partners, but customer alliance strategies are more persistent than supplier alliance strategies and competitor alliance strategies. A positive interrelation between customer and supplier alliance strategies and a high persistence of joint supplier and customer alliance strategies are consistent with the advantages of value chain integration in innovation efforts. Prior engagement in horizontal (competitor) alliances increases the propensity to engage in vertical alliance strategies, but this effect occurs only with a longer lag. Overall, the authors’ findings suggest that alliance strategies with different partner types are both heterogeneous in persistence and (temporally) interrelated. This suggests that intertemporal relationships between different types of alliances may be as important as their simultaneous relationship in alliance portfolios.

Persistence of and interrelation between horizontal and vertical technology alliances

We examine how and to what extent the propensity to be engaged in alliances with different partner types (suppliers, customers and competitors) depends on prior alliance engagement with partner firms of the same type (persistence) and prior engagement in alliances with the other partner types (interrelation). We derive hypotheses from a combined competence and governance view of collaboration, and test these on an extensive panel dataset of innovation-active Dutch firms during 1996-2004. We find persistence in alliance engagement of all three types of partners, but customer alliances are more persistent than supplier alliances. Most persistent are joint supplier and customer alliances, which we attribute to the advantages of value chain integration in innovation processes. Positive interrelation also exists in vertical alliances, as immediate past customer alliances increase the propensity to engage in supplier alliances and vice versa. On the other hand, while prior engagement in horizontal (competitor) alliances increases the propensity to engage in vertical alliances, this effect only occurs with a longer lag. Overall, our findings are highly supportive of the idea that alliance engagement with different partner types is heterogeneous but interrelated. Our analysis suggests that the inter-temporal relationship between different types of alliances may be as important as their simultaneous relationship in alliance portfolios.R&D collaboration, technological partnerships, innovation, path dependency

Exploration and Exploitation in Technology-based Alliance Networks

Although the literature converges regarding the reasons why and how networks of technology alliances are formed, there is still lack of agreement on what constitutes an optimal network structure, once it has been formed. The aim of this paper is to fill this void and to determine what constitutes an optimal network structure for exploration and exploitation within the context of technological innovation. We differentiate among a firm's direct ties, indirect ties and degree of redundancy and analyze their role in the pharmaceutical, chemical and automotive industry. Regarding the role of direct ties, in combination with indirect ties, we find two alternative alliance network structures that are effective for both exploitation and exploration. We also find that redundancy in a firm's alliance network has a positive effect on exploitation. This is not the case for exploration, however, which seems to reveal a new insight into the role of redundancy when firms explore new technological fields. A final point is that our findings remain largely invariant across the three industries, enhancing the generalisability of our results.Networks, Strategic Alliances, Innovation, Learning

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

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