Innovation dynamics in the Alicante wine cluster. The role of network competence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10934207Keywords:
Industrial clusters, Networks, Relational competence, Innovation, Wine clusterAbstract
Context: industrial clusters continue to arouse interest in the literature, so studies on the network of relationships that are generated within them and how they influence the innovation of companies are a contribution to science. Objective: to analyze the effect of network competence on innovation in the companies of a cluster. Method: the work was carried out in the wine sector, specifically in the wineries that form part of the Alicante Protected Designation of Origin in Spain. For the analysis of the data, social network analysis and structural equations using PLS were used. Results: the results confirm the existence of a mediating effect of network competence on the relationship between the company's portfolio of links in the cluster's knowledge network and its innovative performance. Conclusion: the study contrasts the critical role of network competence, highlighting this dynamic competence as a key factor for the development of business innovation in the cluster. This leads to relevant implications for the cluster companies, where obtaining sustainable competitive advantages over time is not only a matter of ubiquity in the network, but also of their ability to manage the established relationships.
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