Knowledge capture mechanisms in bioventure corporations - a case study

Mechanisms of knowledge transfer from academia to industry have long been debated. The knowledge inputs required may stem from research conducted many years prior to a technology being adopted and adapted by industry, and a supporting base of knowledge is required to facilitate this. In this case study we utilise the publishing and patenting history of an individual scientist, and link their output to the technologies with which the scientist is involved. A detailed description of knowledge sources of these technologies is discussed, including the role absorptive capacity plays in priming their development. This study addresses the contributions of the researcher, particularly in relation to the contributions of their academic and industrial co-authors and co-inventors. We find clear linkages, and varied degrees of knowledge transformation, between the technologies in their present form and long-past outputs of the individual, via the publications of the inventor and the literature cited by the patent applications. We also find that the individual demonstrates a high level of absorptive capacity, incorporating and adapting exogenous knowledge into their own knowledge base.