Knowledge sharing among companies in a science and technology park

Abstract

A Science and Technology Park (STP) is an organization that aims to increase the wealth of its community and the culture of innovation and the competitiveness of its associated companies. Accordingly, the Park should stimulate the flow of knowledge between its companies, universities, and the market through the knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is a process in which individuals or organizations create knowledge collaboratively by exchanging their implicit or explicit knowledge. Thus, this research aimed to analyze the knowledge sharing between companies in an STP. To do so, qualitative research was carried out through semistructured interviews with 50 companies in an STP. The results show that companies share with other companies of all sizes from different business areas and tend to share with resident companies rather than with incubated ones. The type of knowledge shared between companies is more managerial than technical and can be shared using technology or not, and e-mail is the most used medium. The key benefits expected from sharing are networking, new business opportunities, and process improvement. The reasons for sharing are linked to the exploration and exploitation of knowledge, through which companies can create new processes for developing and refining their products and services.