Old Wine in old Bottles: the Neglected Role of Vocational Training Centres in Innovation |
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| Authors: | Igone Porto Gómez Jon Mikel Zabala-Iturriagagoitia Urko Aguirre Larrakoetxea |
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| Institution: | 1.University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU,Bilbao,Spain;2.Deusto Business School,University of Deusto,Donostia-San Sebastián,Spain |
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| Abstract: | Vocational training centres are conceptually regarded as key players in the knowledge generation and dissemination processes that take place within innovation systems. However, the literature does not provide conclusive evidence of their influence on the generation, development and dissemination of innovations. The goal of this paper is to analyse whether vocational training centres are indeed relevant agents in the articulation, knowledge exchange and dissemination of a local innovation system. The paper explores the most influential agents driving cooperation and articulating the local innovation system in Durango, one of the twenty counties of the Basque Country, Spain. Social network analysis is applied to regional collaboration networks in order to address this purpose. Our results show evidence of the pivotal role played by vocational training centres within local innovation processes implemented by firms. For many local firms vocational training centres represent the main sources of knowledge in their innovation processes. In the Basque context, vocational training centres have a longer history than other knowledge infrastructures, such as universities and research centres. These long-standing centres thus constitute ‘old bottles’ that despite their history are still able to produce a ‘good old wine’ in terms of innovation, which is translated into competitive advantage for the territory. Science, technology and innovation policies should therefore not only aim to create more knowledge infrastructures, but also to reinforce the role that traditional and territorially established organizations like vocational training centres can play as intermediary agents. |
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