Networks become increasingly important as external sources of innovation for firms. Through networks firms get in contact with different actors with whom they can exchange information and collaborate. A firm’s ability to be a successful network actor depends on its network competence. This...

The objective of this elicitation study is to provide insights into farmers’ beliefs which influence their participation in knowledge exchange and innovation networks to enable the enhancement of network participation. A set of facilitating and impeding factors was obtained. Participants...

Over fifteen years have elapsed since the transition from the centrally planned economic system started in the early 1990âs. During this time agricultural and rural areas of Central and Eastern Europe have undergone profound structural changes with wide variations in the degree of...

The participation in regional networks is an important factor in explaining the food companies’innovation capacity which – in turn - is an important driver of competitiveness (Gellynck et al.,2006a; Gellynck et al., 2007). Further, it is argued in cluster theory that intensive networkingbetween...

In an increasingly globalising market, innovation is an important strategic tool for micro, small,and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to achieve competitive advantage (Avermaete et al.,2004a; Gellynck et al., 2007; Murphy, 2002). Innovation can be defined as an ongoing processof learning, searching and...

In the New Economy, the network is considered as more important than the firm itself. In this paper the focus is on chain networks which include vertical networks among chain members, horizontal networks with peers, and networking with third parties. Networks have an important role in the...