Candemir, Basak (2012) Intermediary organisations for knowledge exchange: a comparative study of the agricultural biotechnology sector in the Netherlands and the UK. Doctoral thesis (PhD), University of Sussex.

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Abstract

This dissertation, by comparing the agricultural biotechnology sector in the
Netherlands and the UK, aims to understand the advantages and disadvantages
posed by intermediary organisations for the promotion of knowledge exchange
between universities and industry. An original conceptual framework has been
constructed to allow a systematic analysis of intermediaries according to the
functions they fulfil. The framework suggests that intermediaries can fulfil one or
more of the following functions: access to human resources, access to the
knowledge base, opportunities for commercialisation, access to facilities and other
infrastructure, and access to networks. In order to move beyond the limitations
brought about by differing nomenclature for intermediaries, the framework also
proposes four ideal types of intermediaries derived from an analysis of existing
intermediaries. The results of the empirical study reported here show that the
roles of intermediaries are dependent on the characteristics of the sector as well as
the history and configuration of existing national institutions. The policy
implications of this study are several-fold. It is shown in this dissertation that
application of certain dominant models of intermediaries can result in
disadvantages for sectors like agricultural biotechnology that differ in important
respects from the more frequently studied sectors, where these intermediaries
seem to work better. This study of the agricultural biotechnology sector showed
that there is space for new configurations of intermediaries such as sectoral
technology transfer companies. The study highlighted that the crucial element for
knowledge exchange is the production of knowledge itself. After identifying certain
weaknesses in the UK agricultural sector and strengths within the Netherlands, the
dissertation finds that large collaborative programs tend to facilitate knowledge
exchange, while collaborative research and training can be a path for overcoming
weaknesses in the system. By comparing the Netherlands and the UK, this study
also showed that the presence of a strong industry is necessary for the uptake of
knowledge originating from the research base.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Schools and Departments:	School of Education and Social Work > Social Work and Social Care
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labour > HD1401 Agricultural economics S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) T Technology > TP Chemical technology > TP0248.13 Biotechnology
Depositing User:	Library Cataloguing
Date Deposited:	24 Jan 2013 08:49
Last Modified:	08 Sep 2015 13:56
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/43343

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