The role of policies and the contribution of cluster agency in the development of biotech open innovation ecosystem

Abstract

Building on the open innovation and cluster literature, our research describes how innovation policies contribute to the development of open innovation dynamics in biotech clusters. Particularly, we address the role and impact of cluster agency by adopting a contextualized perspective. We carry out comparative case studies of the main five Spanish biotech clusters by combining longitudinal data extracted from secondary sources with primary data obtained from relevant stakeholders. Our study shows that clusters policies do not yield uniform effects; the impact in terms of patterns of collaboration and (open) innovation dynamics is path dependent. The characteristics of the local texture significantly contribute to the observed open innovation ecosystems. As such, these findings imply a plea for contextualizing regional policy initiatives.