Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Estolatan, Eric
Author-Email: eestolatan@gmail.com
Author-Name:  Geuna, Aldo
Author-Email: aldo.geuna@unito.it
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Turin
Author-Workplace-Homepage: http://www.est.unito.it/
Title: Looking forward via the Past: An Investigation of the Evolution of the Knowledge Base of Robotics Firms.
Abstract: The case studies described in this paper investigate the evolution of the knowledge bases of the  two leading EU robotics firms - KUKA and COMAU. 
The analysis adopts an evolutionary perspective and a systems approach to examine a set of derived patent-based measures to explore firm behavior in technological knowledge 
search and accumulation. The investigation is supplemented by analyses of the firms' historical archives, firm strategies and prevailing economic context at selected periods. 
Our findings suggest that while these enterprises maintain an outwardlooking innovation propensity and a diversified knowledge base they tend to have a higher preference 
for continuity and stability of their existing technical knowledge sets. The two companies studied exhibit partially different responses to the common and on-going broader 
change in the robotics industry (i.e. the emergence of artificial intelligence and ICT for application to robotics); KUKA is shown to be more outward-looking than COMAU. 
Internal restructuring, economic shocks and firm specificities are found to be stronger catalysts of change than external technology-based stimuli.
Length: pages 47
Creation-Date: 2019-06
File-URL: https://www.est.unito.it/do/home.pl/Download?doc=/allegati/wp2019dip/wp_16_2019.pdf
File-Format: Application/PDF
Handle: RePEc:uto:labeco:201904