Research on innovation has helped to shed light on how firms and other organisations establish networks that allow them to share knowledge and generate new ideas. However relatively less attention has been paid to the internal dynamics within firms, particularly the interaction between different specialisations and knowledge bases. This is particularly true in the context of post-Fordist theoretical approaches, which tend to assume that specialisation, rather than diversification, is the key to innovation. This research project will use the emerging concept of combinatorial knowledge bases as a way to analyse how diversity contributes to the initiation, development and deployment of innovation in organisations. This concept distinguishes between analytical (science-based), synthetic (engineering-based) and symbolic (aesthetic-based) knowledge bases and argues that in any given context all three make important contributions to the development of new products and processes. This project will also link with research on organisational studies, to add the importance of management strategies and the creation of opportunities for ‘unstructured technical dialogue’ between knowledge bases.
Though the aim is to emphasise the relevance of internal firm dynamics, it is still necessary to understand how these dynamics interact and benefit from external links. These links are of special importance for smaller, more specialised firms, who need external collaborations in order to access new knowledge. Because this research project is concerned with firms in peripheral regions, where they are less likely to benefit from an innovative, dynamic environment, it will question how firms can develop proximity with partners located elsewhere and what the impact is of these connections.