On particle accelerators and timber-houses. How network dependencies condition the transfer of technological knowledge
The paper deals with the transfer of technological knowledge within networks of business relationships. In particular, it refers to literature on business networks and resource embeddedness and faces the problems and the difficulties with this transfer. The basic question is: What requirements have to be fulfilled in order for the knowledge transfer to result in improvements? Based on two empirical studies, the issue of transfer of technological knowledge is discussed further in the article. A distinction is proposed, between the transfer of low tech knowledge from US to Sweden within the construction industry and the transfer of high tech knowledge from CERN (European Laboratory for Particle Physics) to industry.
