Linking content and technology: on the geography of innovation networks in the Bergen media cluster. Issue 10 (26th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Martin, Roman; Rypestøl, Jan Ole
• Is Part Of: Industry and innovation. Volume 25:Issue 10(2018)
• Page Start: 966
• Page End: 989
• Publication Date: 2018-11-26
• Subjects: Innovation networks -- knowledge bases -- creative industries -- new media -- Norway; L82 -- O14 -- O30 -- O31; Industries -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Periodicals; Industrial policy -- Periodicals; 338.005
• DOI: 10.1080/13662716.2017.1343132
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1366-2716

Abstract

Abstract: This paper deals with the geography of innovation networks and analyses combinatorial knowledge dynamics from a single cluster perspective. Addressing firms in the media cluster in Bergen, Norway, we examine how and from where companies acquire and combine different types of knowledge for their innovation activities. The empirical analysis, which is based on structured interviews with 22 media companies, identifies two main types of cluster firms: media content providers that rely heavily on symbolic knowledge and media technology providers that draw mostly on synthetic knowledge. Even though they draw on different knowledge bases, the two types of firms are strongly interlinked in their innovation activities and source knowledge from each other. Furthermore, we find that synthetic firms constitute a gateway to the regional R&D system and that the region acts as key arena for the combination of dissimilar knowledge bases.