Combinatorial knowledge dynamics and proximity analysis in the Shanghai high-end medical device industry

AbstractCombinatorial knowledge dynamics and recombinant innovation have received increasing attention. So far, however, empirical studies have insufficiently focused on how firms utilize multi-scalar sources to facilitate the combination of analytical and synthetic knowledge, which is a gap we would like to fill with the help of this paper. Through interviews with high-end medical device companies from Shanghai, this paper analyzes the role of proximity in firms’ combinatorial knowledge base (CKB) creation from a multi-scalar perspective, offering insights into the geography of knowledge. Moreover, cutting-edge technologies and complex innovation in the manufacturing field are often observed in the high-end medical device industry. Unravelling the creation of CKB in such an industry in Shanghai could help us better understand emerging economies.