Pathways from discovery to commercialisation: using web sources to track small and medium-sized enterprise strategies in emerging nanotechnologies

Abstract

This paper presents results from a pilot study of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based on a web-scraping and content analysis of current and archived nanotechnology enterprise websites. We use this approach to explore nanotechnology SMEs transitions from discovery to commercialisation and understand how transitions vary by SME characteristics, technology and market sectors. Our findings suggest that although the idealised linear innovation model is present, important instances of divergence exist. Cluster analysis uncovered sectoral differences but even more distinctions based on the age, funding source, and research intensity.

Keywords:

• small and medium enterprise
• nanotechnology
• commercialisation
• strategy
• innovation
• web sources

Acknowledgements

This research received supported provided through the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network's (NNIN) Social and Ethical Issues Seed Grant Competition and the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University, under sponsorship from the National Science Foundation (Award No. 0531194). The findings and observations contained in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Notes

Internet Archive, Wayback Machine, http://www.archive.org/web/web.php.

QSR International, Nvivo 9, http://www.qsrinternational.com/products_nvivo.aspx.