Title: Temporary inter-organisational collaboration as a driver of regional innovation: an evaluation

Authors: Roel Rutten, Leon Oerlemans

Addresses: Department of Organisation Studies, Tilburg University, Room P-1.160, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands. ' Department of Organisation Studies, Tilburg University, Room P-1.159, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands; Department of Engineering and Technology Management, University of Pretoria, Republic of South Africa

Abstract: This paper discusses the results of an ex post evaluation of the Southeast Brabant cluster scheme in The Netherlands. This scheme, which ran from 1994 through 2005, supported new product development of small and medium-sized enterprises and used temporary collaboration between organisations as a means to stimulate product innovation among SMEs and to strengthen the |industrial tissue| in a region. It is shown that the cluster scheme was very successful with regard to the technological outcomes. However, the economic outcomes were less pronounced. The results of this study are important in several ways. First, it shows that temporary networks are a valuable instrument for regional innovation policy. Second, it stresses that spatial proximity is still a relevant factor in the innovation process. Third, most companies in this cluster scheme have found ways to overcome the drawbacks of temporality.

Keywords: temporary collaboration; inter-organisational collaboration; innovation; new product development; NPD; regional development; ex post evaluation; cluster analysis; The Netherlands; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; product innovation; technological outcomes; economic outcomes; temporary networks; regional innovation policy; spatial proximity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIRD.2009.021844

International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development, 2009 Vol.1 No.3, pp.211 - 234

Published online: 05 Dec 2008 *

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