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The Absorptive Capacity of Non-R&D-Intensive Firms

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Low-tech Innovation

Abstract

This chapter analyses and compares different dimensions of non-R&D-intensive and very R&D-intensive manufacturing firms’ absorptive capacity (AC). The empirical analysis is based on firm level data obtained by a telephone survey in early 2010 among more than 200 non-R&D-intensive firms and 88 firms with a high R&D-intensity in the German manufacturing industry. The results show that there is surprisingly little difference in the level of AC between R&D-intensive and non-R&D-intensive firms – if the firm specific relevance of such external impulses is being taken into consideration. This is a surprising finding in so far, as it indicates that R&D intensity might not be a limiting factor for firm’s ability to recognize and implement scientific knowledge per se. Thereby, the findings presented in this chapter underline the necessity to further improve and supplement the measurement concept of firms’ AC beyond their mere R&D intensity by taking into account the strategic importance of different types of external knowledge.

Parts of this content have been previously presented by the authors in the form of a conference paper at the DRUID 35th anniversary conference in Barcelona in 2013.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The complete standardised questionnaire for the telephone survey is available from the authors upon request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Competence Center Industrial and Service Innovations, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, 76139, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Oliver Som & Angela Jäger

  2. Furtwangen University (FHU), Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany

    Eva Kirner

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  1. Oliver Som
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  2. Eva Kirner
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  3. Angela Jäger
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Correspondence to Oliver Som .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Oliver Som

  2. Hochschule Furtwangen University, Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany

    Eva Kirner

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Som, O., Kirner, E., Jäger, A. (2015). The Absorptive Capacity of Non-R&D-Intensive Firms. In: Som, O., Kirner, E. (eds) Low-tech Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09973-6_9

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