The challenge of breaking the academia–business firewall in Czechia: comparing the role of differentiated knowledge bases in collaborative R&D projects.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Marek, David; Blažek, Jiří
- Source
- European Planning Studies. Apr2016, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p809-831. 23p. 5 Diagrams, 6 Charts, 1 Map.
- Subject
- *TECHNOLOGICAL innovations & economics
*SOCIAL network analysis
*PUBLIC finance
*ECONOMIC indicators
CZECH economy
- Language
- ISSN
- 0965-4313
Contemporary innovation processes increasingly involve a large number of networked actors, and cross-fertilization between knowledge institutions and firms has thus become a significant driver for innovation. Important insights into the differing nature of research and development (R&D) collaboration in particular sectors have been provided by research inspired by the knowledge-base approach embedded within innovation system (IS) theory. This study aims to contribute to this body of literature by applying the concept of differentiated knowledge bases to the former state-socialist countries, where the IS operates through a firewall between academia and industry. Data on collaborative R&D projects co-financed by public resources have allowed a detailed analysis of the nature of collaboration networks, revealing emerging patterns of academia–industry linkages and questioning the propositions stemming from the knowledge-based approach. The study concludes that collaborative science–industry networks show a very distinct topography when analytical and synthetic knowledge is compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]