Braun, Andreas | Mueller, Elisabeth | Adelhelm, Silvia | Vladova, Gergana

Knowledge flow at the fuzzy front-end of inter-firm R&D collaborations – insights into SMEs in the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

In this paper we present the preliminary results of our research which explores the role of reciprocal knowledge flow in the fuzzy front-end of collaboration activities. On the basis of desk research, i.e., a secondary research, we develop a model to display the impact of open innovation capacities in the initiation and constitution phases. We then match this model with our empirical findings in a study with pharmaceutical SMEs. We find that both absorptive and desorptive capacities play a pivotal role in the interaction of potential cooperation partners. During the negotiation process, however, the importance of these capacities shifts from the firm to the personal level.