Cluster governance in dynamising collaborative innovation in SMEs
by Luciana Castro Gonçalves; Anne Berthinier-Poncet; Liliana Mitkova
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (IJEIM), Vol. 28, No. 1/2, 2024

Abstract: The majority of studies on open innovation have traditionally focused on large firms, ignoring the growing importance of collaboration for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a means of overcoming their inherent limitations. Despite their increasing reliance on collaboration, SMEs often face challenges to enter or develop networks due to their constrained resources. In this context, innovation clusters emerge as spaces with the potential to foster collaborative networks for SMEs, thereby enhancing their ability to assimilate external knowledge and generate new collaborative insights. Our research aims to examine the role of cluster governance as a catalyst for open innovation in SMEs. In our in-depth analysis of three prominent French innovation clusters, we compare four key knowledge-brokering practices and explore their impact on open innovation (OI) patterns. Our findings underscore the crucial role of cluster governance as an intermediary in enhancing SMEs' absorptive capacity and supporting their integration into collaborative networks. These practices hinge on the ability of cluster governance to forge robust cohesive links between diverse members, using different approaches to socialisation and/or formalisation.

Online publication date: Mon, 05-Aug-2024

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (IJEIM):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com