Diversification and hybridization in firm knowledge bases in nanotechnologies

TL;DR

This paper examines how nanotechnology firms develop diverse and hybridized knowledge bases, revealing that convergence patterns differ based on firm size and influence innovation strategies.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between firm size and convergence mechanisms in nanotechnology knowledge bases, highlighting diversity through both integration and separation.

Findings

Small firms exploit convergence within patents/publications.

Large firms separate nano-R&D into different fields.

Diversity achieved through independent activities juxtaposition.

Abstract

The paper investigates the linkages between the characteristics of technologies and the structure of a firms' knowledge base. Nanotechnologies have been defined as converging technologies that operate at the nanoscale, and which require integration to fulfill their economic promises. Based on a worldwide database of nanofirms, the paper analyses the degree of convergence and the convergence mechanisms within firms. It argues that the degree of convergence in a firm's nano-knowledge base is relatively independent from the size of the firm's nano-knowledge base. However, while firms with small nano-knowledge bases tend to exploit convergence in each of their patents/publications, firms with large nano-knowledge bases tend to separate their nano-R&D activities in the different established fields and achieve diversity through the juxtaposition of the output of these independent activities