Title: Absorptive capacity and innovation in the triple helix model

Authors: Cathy Garner; Philip Ternouth

Addresses: Knowledge Economy Innovations, Bowerham House, The Grove, Lancaster LA1 3AL, UK. ' University of Salford, Business School, Maxwell Building, 43 The Crescent, Salford M5 4WT, UK

Abstract: This paper explores the role of absorptive capacity in determining innovation capabilities at two levels. First, it seeks to examine the concept of absorptive capacity at the firm-level by highlighting the dynamic nature of the concept in relation to the university-business dyad of the triple helix model. Second, it examines the role of absorptive capacity and the triple helix partnership in facilitating the successful development of local innovation systems. The paper synthesises a number of research studies on the topic of absorptive capacity and importantly tests their conceptual and theoretical propositions against case study exemplars and practice-based evidence to examine the relevance of the concept for practitioner action in business-university knowledge exchange and local economic development.

Keywords: absorptive capacity; knowledge transfer; universities; business; knowledge-based development; local innovation systems; triple helix partnership; knowledge exchange; local economic development; knowledge sharing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2011.044313

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2011 Vol.2 No.4, pp.357 - 371

Received: 29 Mar 2011
Accepted: 08 Sep 2011
Published online: 28 Nov 2014 *

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