Gatekeepers of Knowledge versus Platforms of Knowledge: from potential to ealized absorptive capacity

Abstract

The development of clusters rests through geographical proximity, cognitive interactions as well as entrepreneurial initiatives. Sophia-Antipolis, a multi-technology cluster, is a good illustration of the type of challenges local systems of innovation face in creating positive knowledge externalities. This paper shows that if the existence of 'gatekeepers of knowledge' can generate the potential implementation of 'absorptive capacity', its effective realization requires some additional effort regarding the transfer of knowledge into the cluster. The concept of 'platform of knowledge' defined shows how a project of knowledge codification could generate externalities by creating new opportunities for effectively combining and absorbing knowledge.