Daniel Feser

Dissertation Topic
Experts and innovation - An economic analysis on knowledge-intensive business services and energy efficiency consultants

Brief Description
Innovativeness plays an important role for the future perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The shortage of skilled workers and high competitive pressure require new strategies by SMEs. The integration of external knowledge sources could be a concept.
Such external source can be the Knowledge-intensive Business Services (KIBS). KIBS are considered to be a service with higher share in employees with an academic degree. In the innovation process KIBS appear as innovator, transmitter and recombinator of innovations. In addition, current research shows a high interaction between customers and KIBS.
Different empirical studies showed that KIBS are mainly used as transmitter of innovation by large enterprises. SMEs have more difficult access to capital and a higher risk aversion to buy services from KIBS.
In my opinion, Innovation networks that are dominated by SMEs could become more innovative by integrating Knowledge-intensive Business Services (KIBS). This means, KIBS would function in networks as key element between large companies, research institutions and SMEs.
My research contains a quantitative analysis with SMEs to find out how SME can be more innovative. Aim of this research should be to analyze the demand for KIBS by SMEs and the role of network cooperation. In the end it should be possible to identify different instruments of regional policy. The dissertation will be issued and compiled cumulatively.

Period of Dissertation
2013-2016