Collaborative innovation networks, virtual communities and geographical clustering

Abstract

This paper describes the emergence of collaborative knowledge networks (CKNs), distributed communities taking advantage of the wide connectivity and the support of communication technologies, spanning beyond the organisational perimeter of companies on a global scale. CKNs are made up of groups of self-motivated individuals, linked by the idea of something new and exciting and by the common goal of improving existing business practices, new products or services for which they see a real need. Their strength is related to their ability to activate creative collaboration, knowledge sharing and social networking mechanisms, affecting positively individual capabilities and organisations' performance. We describe the case of a global consulting community to highlight the cultural and structural aspects of this phenomenon. Our case study also illustrates the composition of the CKN ecosystem, which are made up by a combination of collaborative innovation, learning and interest networks. Empirical evidence suggests physical proximity as a supporting success factor of such communities, depending on the capital and knowledge intensity of the target industry.