Learning Networks and Service-Oriented Architectures

Abstract

The value of knowledge assets in creating competitive advantage and subsequently wealth through innovation has never been greater (Teece, 1998). It is increasingly being acknowledged that the resources and the competencies developed within the organisation as well as the mechanisms for building up and reconfiguring these competencies is the only defence against a fierce competition (Penrose, 1959; Prahalad & Hamel, 1990; Teece, Pisano & Shuen, 1997). However, the nature of knowledge production has changed dramatically over the last years. According to Gibbons et al. (1994), the knowledge production has moved from mode 1 to mode 2. The new mode: • requires transdisciplinary approaches • is characterised by heterogeneity of skills • is context-sensitive involving an intense interaction between producers and users of knowledge