Use of knowledge brokering services in the innovation process

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of knowledge brokers who provide a technology intelligence brokering service to help firm's access external knowledge for their innovation process, especially as part of `search and scanning'. This is seen as an important intermediation role. The paper provides an overview of the different functions of `knowledge brokers' that have emerged to assist firms with innovation by connecting clients with external partners with a view to better informing the `search and scanning' activities of the client firms. Two case studies presented here help to illustrate how UK manufacturing firms have benefitted from using intermediary organizations such as management consultants and Research Technology Organizations as part of their search and scan activities.