Title: Local knowledge and the strategy of constructing advantage: the role of community alliances

Authors: John De La Mothe, Geoff Mallory

Addresses: Canada Research Chair in Innovation Strategy, Program of Research on Innovation Management and Economy (PRIME), School of Management, University of Ottawa, Canada. ' Centre for Strategy and Marketing, The Business School, The Open University, UK

Abstract: Economic growth is local. Communities drive the prosperity of nations. They attract and retain foreign direct investment and creative, talented, people. Institutions are key, from government labs, firms (small and large), universities, agencies providing community services – including safe schools, health services, athletic facilities such as running and biking tracks – and so on. This paper takes these observations, moves conceptually beyond Ricardian ||comparative advantage|| and neo-Porterian ||competitive advantage|| and – using new information from a number of cities – develops the notion of ||constructed advantage||.

Keywords: innovation; local knowledge; communities; community alliances; constructing advantage.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2004.004995

International Journal of Technology Management, 2004 Vol.27 No.8, pp.809 - 820

Published online: 11 Aug 2004 *

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