M Mila Davids

Proximity, knowledge base and the innovation process: towards an integrated framework

ABSTRACT Proximity, knowledge base and the innovation process: towards an integrated framework. Regional Studies. The proximity concept refers to types of inter-organizational relationships that are expected to facilitate interactive learning and collaborative innovation. Different forms of proximity include geographical, cognitive, social, institutional and organizational proximity. This paper argues that the relative importance of each proximity dimension depends on the type of knowledge being produced. It distinguishes between analytical, synthetic and symbolic knowledge, the intensity of which in turn varies with research, development and marketing stages of new product development. The case study of Unilever’s Becel diet margarine serves as a first example of such an integrated framework.

National innovation systems and international knowledge flows: an exploratory investigation with the case of the Netherlands

Abstract Since the late 1980s, the literature on innovation systems has flourished, often tying these systems to nation-states. Technology, however, often flows across the borders of nations. In this paper, four cases are studied where foreign technology is imported and appropriated from abroad into Dutch companies. By doing so, the questions what a national system of innovation consists of and what such a system means for firms are explored. The cases studied provide a picture of international-sectoral systems, adding up to a loosely interacting innovation system at the national level.

How the Netherlands became a bicycle nation: Users, firms and intermediaries, 1860-1940

In 1925, the Netherlands was a country of cyclists and cycle producers, as all classes cycled and almost all cycles were produced domestically. The bicycle was not a Dutch invention and the country had an open economy, and this raises the question ‘how did the Netherlands become a bicycle nation?’ This article investigates the interactions of users, firms and intermediaries from 1860 to 1940 and how these impacted the bicycle, its production and its use. Furthermore, it analyses knowledge flows and the roles of intermediaries. It illustrates changes in activities and the relevance of interactions between users, firms and intermediaries, and the effects of World War I. It shows how user organisations created an infrastructure and culture which made cycling Dutch. Firms created a cartel which produced bicycles that were wanted and used by all Dutch, as they were made in the Netherlands.

Engineering the future, understanding the past : a social history of technology

The world is in turmoil: we are witnessing steep social and environmental challenges. Technology is identified as both cause of, and solution to, these challenges. How can we use technology to solve problems, without creating new ones? This book discusses the role of engineering in our age of grand challenges—by drawing lessons from the past. Ever since the birth of modern engineering roughly two centuries ago, technology has helped to reshape our modern world. At the same time, social challenges have shaped engineering science and practice. This book examines why and how engineers have engaged in solving social challenges—challenges for society, for business, and for users. It also asks why some technological solutions have unexpectedly created new problems. And it studies how engineers have coped with technology’s puzzling ability to both help and harm.

Technology as the New Frontier : Unilever and the rise of Becel margarine

Technology as the New Frontier: Unilever and the Rise of Becel Margarine By analysing the creation and development of the health-enhancing product Becel over more than three decades, this article illustrates how techno-scientific frontier processes impacted on the Dutch-British firm, Unilever. The expansion of the scientific frontier led to new insights in the field of cardiovascular diseases, which not only affected the medical community, but also food companies such as Unilever. The development of Becel in the early 1960s – initially as a diet fat and later as a diet margarine – required state-of-the-art food science research. We can identify a growing tension between the scientific techno-scientific frontier processes and the public acceptance of scientific insights. While the researchers’ drive to expand the scientific frontier remained the same throughout three decades, the legitimation of the companys activities by referring to scientific progress became increasingly difficult. This was not without consequences for Unilever. I argue that this was due to three related processes that unfolded in the early 1970s. Scientific debates became public, society at large was losing its faith in science and experts and finally, in Unilever itself: Marketing managers and their ideas on how to position Becel became more dominant than those of the laboratory researchers.

Absorptive capacity, knowledge circulation and coal cleaning innovation: The Netherlands in the 1930s

Before World War II, Dutch State Mines, the national, state owned coal corporation, was confronted with major challenges, specifically that foreign coal was sold at dumping prices in the home market. At the same time, coal cleaning needed to be improved in order to offer higher quality coal against lower coal processing costs. In this paper we illustrate how State Mines relied on its innovative capacity in order to overcome the economic, technological and market changes. The coal cleaning innovations at State Mines show how absorptive capacity was of prime importance for the firms innovative capacity. External knowledge acquisition as well as internal knowledge building proved to be relevant, although the balance changed over time. While initially acquisition and assimilation of external knowledge (potential absorptive capacity) were essential to improve the existing coal cleaning processes, internal knowledge building was needed to come to real improvements in coal cleaning. The establishment of a licensing company was essential to exploit this knowledge. An important feature was that State Mines was always well aware of its lack of capabilities and knowledge and open to search for and learn from knowledge outside its firm boundaries. Moreover, expectations determined the search for external knowledge.

The Privatisation and Liberalisation of Dutch Telecommunications in the 1980s

A number of technological, economic, political and international developments were of key importance for the privatisation and liberalisation process in the Dutch telecommunications sector. During the 1970s and 1980s, technological innovations in micro-electronics, digitalisation and the development of fibre-optic lines had far-reaching consequences. The transmission of signals, for instance, expanded considerably with the

Evolving roles and dynamic capabilities of an innovation agency: the Dutch Rijksnijverheidsdienst, 1910–1940

ABSTRACT Contemporary literature on intermediary organisations does not cover the history of these organisations in the early twentieth century or how their roles evolved. To understand the evolution of roles, this paper extends the application of dynamic capabilities theory from firms to intermediary organisations. It does this by studying a Dutch government innovation agency between 1910 and 1940 with dynamic capabilities in mediation and knowledge development. These capabilities are illustrated by nine examples that reveal how the agencys consultants modified and extended their resource base in order to continue supporting small and medium-sized enterprises while coping with considerable challenges and changes. Thereby, this paper shows that the dynamic capabilities theory can explain how intermediary organisations can adapt their roles.

Innovations in Dutch shipbuilding in the first half of the twentieth century

In this article, we focus on the Dutch shipbuilding sector in the first half of the twentieth century and address the question of how its innovative capacity evolved over time. Our attention to the importance of the whole constellation of actors in Dutch shipbuilding, their interrelations, interactions, and interdependence, as well as the institutional setting for innovation processes, contributes to gaining a better understanding of innovation in this sector. The article shows that the development of public knowledge institutes and the growth of scientific interest in Dutch shipbuilding was a slow process. Moreover, the developing knowledge infrastructure in the Netherlands did not lessen the dependence on foreign knowledge. The article illustrates that the relations between actors and the importance of specific knowledge sources changed over time. It also sheds light on an often neglected aspect in system of innovation studies, the importance of individuals. This personal aspect helps explain why the importance of national contexts can differ considerably.

The fabric of production: the philips industrial network

The history of Philips shows how an industrial network or complex needs to co‐ordinate various flows of raw materials, intermediate and final products, energy and labour. In this article, the co‐evolution of this industrial network and various infrastructural networks is analysed for three periods focusing subsequently on the local, national and global levels. Finally, the impact of these developments on the societal environment of the industrial complex is briefly addressed.