Trust builders as open Innovation intermediaries

Abstract

The concept of innovation intermediaries has gained relevance in the innovation management literature due to the role they play in supporting innovation processes. This paper focuses on the concept of ‘trust builders’. These are defined as volunteers that cooperate with firms, facilitating their interaction with other stakeholders in developing innovation projects. The role of ‘trust builders’ is analyzed from the impact they have on the territory, promoting initiatives that influence and improve local competitiveness through joint activities. The research is based on a case study conducted in Durango County, Spain. It aims to explore the impact of trust builders’ activity in the increased willingness of cooperation and coopetition in the territory. Our results suggest that trust builders constitute an interesting mechanism to promote new products, processes, and technological and market opportunities through knowledge sharing.

Keywords:

• innovation management
• intermediaries
• trust builders
• cooperation
• indicators
• volunteers

Notes

1. This is the subsystem where the trust builders we are interested in would be represented (see Section 2). For Eriksson (2000) these contribute to bond the region as well as to ease the establishment of relationships with either inner or outside regional players.

2. One example of this inner opening would be the slow but continuous improvement observed in joint cooperative projects between local firms (see Figure 3).

3. CIC Margune is a Cooperative Research Center devoted to High Performance Manufacturing. IK4 is a technology platform that gathers different technology centers in the Basque Country.

4. Examples include: KIMURA, World Foundry Organization, European Cast Iron Group, European universities, etc.

5. Examples include: CIE Automotive, LAIP industries, TATA, ULMA, DANOBAT, or VELATIA group to mention a few.

6. In the case of the automotive market, we can find car manufacturers such as Renault, Mercedes or Seat. In the case of wind energy the main client is Gamesa, whose headquarters are also located in the Basque Country.

7. INTEK and INTEKBERRI are subsidiary programs of the Basque Government to promote R&D projects that lead to new products or processes, either individually or in collaboration.

8. Compite is a subsidiary program oriented to promote technological innovation projects.