An empirical study on knowledge integration, technology innovation and experimental practice

Abstract

In the global market, inter-firm collaborative product development has become an increasingly significant business strategy for enhanced product competitiveness. Engineering knowledge is a key asset for technology-based enterprises to successfully develop new products and processes. Experimental practice is a crucial process for knowledge integration and technology innovation. This research explores this in inter-firm collaborative product development through experimental practice. We conducted a series of in-depth case studies to investigate the patterns of knowledge integration in the collaborative development of system-on-a-chip (SoC) by semiconductor firms. Our studies focused on the central interactive process for engineering applications and experimental practice to enhance knowledge integration and technology innovation for rapid development. Furthermore, we identified factors critical for experimental practice in effective engineering knowledge integration and innovation.