A Comparative Research on Communities of Practice, University Knowledge Exchange and Business Model Changes between the United Kingdom and Vietnamese Agri-tech Start-ups

Abstract

The paper explores the expectations that agritech startups in the United Kingdom and Vietnam have of the benefits of Communities of Practice (CoPs), and how CoPs help these businesses to tackle the challenges of business model changes for their growth enhancement. The co-creational collaboration between academics and agritech startups when working together on knowledge/experience-sharing through CoPs is also investigated. The research uses a case-study approach, meetings, interviews, and documentary data to capture the events, actions and changes of attitudes, behaviors, and expectations of eight agritech startups towards their use of CoPs. The research indicates a significant change in the business models of the startups when integrating temporal CoPs. These agritech startups often exploit their existing business models, while exploring a portfolio of new business opportunities that could generate new growth engines. Some of them quickly move into a value creation phase by which they achieve quick-wins and medium-term actions that generate both financial and non-financial business value. The research results may have implications for policymakers and practitioners who want to develop these types of interventions. Businesses in other fields can also better understand the value and potential of temporal COPs and start applying them.