TEchNOLOGy TRaNSFER MODEL - Javna agencija

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KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
Figure 2: Process models
Different authors focus on different aspects within the knowledge transfer process, but to sum it up, the knowledge transfer process
mostly consists of three phases, namely:
• knowledge generation
• knowledge transmission
• knowledge integration
But there is one particularly interesting aspect within transferring knowledge and this is the critical phase of knowledge absorption.
This is the point of time in the process where it is decided whether the external knowledge reaches the receiver or not. The question
whether knowledge is transferred successfully or not is highly dependent on the phase of knowledge absorption and the absorptive
capacity of the firm. The absorptive capacity is defined as the ability of a firm to recognize the value of new, external information,
assimilate it, and apply it to commercial ends (Cohen/Levinthal, 1990). Thereby the absorptive capacity is largely related to the prior
existing knowledge within a firm. Basically it can be said that the higher the absorptive capacity the easier external knowledge can
be absorbed. Taking that into consideration, we designed a process model like the following one:
Figure 3: Knowledge transfer process
Essentially such transfer processes form a part of a transfer system consisting of at least one provider and one recipient, as is shown
in the following figure:
Figure 4: Knowledge transfer system
6.3.2 Transfer forms according to the innovation cycle
There is nearly no more discussion about the importance of adopting external knowledge in order to create innovations within organizations.
Universities and other public research institutions are considered to be an appropriate source of new technical skills and
scientific knowledge and could help the companies to improve their innovation activities and to more frequently introduce products
which are new to the market.
The following table shows how different scientific knowledge sources could be used during the innovation cycle. Thereby, the light
blue curve marks the innovation cycle in the course of time with few innovating enterprises in the very early phase of invention and
a greatly increased number of enterprises in the phase of adaptation and technology diffusion. The dark blue curve shows the need
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