Learning, Interlinkages and Shifting Trajectories

The previous chapter presented the method and data employed to assess competences. We showed that the different types of data, namely US patents, INSPEC bibliometric data and self-assessments, are consistent with each another enabling technological competences to be measured. In Chapter 4 we examined how the path-dependent factors such as core businesses and top management strategy affected competence building. In this chapter, we set out to examine the role of organizational learning and interlinkages between component generic technologies, key components and systems. Although the final systems and products related to optoelectronics would be different among the firms reflecting their business interests, there would be common areas that most firms have been actively building capabilities in, centring on key components and the component generic technologies. Empirical evidence on the concept of interlinkages is presented, using two types of techniques, statistical analysis and technological linkage maps.