IntroductionIntroduction

The Role of Intermediaries The Role of Intermediaries in Promoting Knowledgein Promoting KnowledgeFlows within Global Value Flows within Global Value

ChainsChains

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline► Provide a brief summary of my researchProvide a brief summary of my research► introduce relevant literaturesintroduce relevant literatures► Outline preliminary resultsOutline preliminary results

Ian Clarke /Globelics Academy PresentationIan Clarke /Globelics Academy Presentation

GVCs, Clusters and Upgrading

► Gereffi, Humphrey and Sturgeon use the Global Value Chain (GVCs) concept to illustrate the disintegration of production “the key insight is that coordination and control of global-scale production systems, despite their complexity, can be achieved without direct ownership” (2005: 3).

► Different governance patterns within GVCs can be identified

► Developing economy firms and clusters have opportunities to -process upgrade -product upgrade -functionally upgrade (eg Humphrey and Schmitz, 2000; Pietrobelli and Rabellotti, 2006).

IntermediariesIntermediaries

Howells defines an innovation intermediary as

“an organization or body that acts as an agent or broker in any aspect of the innovation process between two or more parties” (2006: 720).

► Intermediaries can be private organizations, NGOs, individuals, professional bodies, research councils, advisory bodies or trade unions.

► The role of intermediaries- scanning- mediating - engaging

Intermediaries and Knowledge FlowsIntermediaries and Knowledge Flows

► Types of knowledge flows- intra-firm- intra-cluster- extra-cluster

► Gereffi et al’s analysis of knowledge flow within GVCs (2005)

► Brown and Duguid’s analysis of ‘sticky’ and ‘leaky’ knowledge (2001)

Latin American Systems of InnovationLatin American Systems of Innovation

► Latin American countries are, in general, considered to have relatively weak National Systems of Innovation ( eg Alcorta and Perez, 1998; Melo, 2001)

► The Peruvian NSI is weak compared to other Latin American countries

Preliminary ResultsPreliminary Results

► Mango cluster (northern Peru)

Intermediary – US National Mango BoardType of upgrading – process

► CEPICAFE (Puira, north Peru)

Intermediary – French and German NGOs Type of upgrading – product and process

The Next StepsThe Next Steps

► Two important questions:-

What are the intermediaries position within the GVC?

What are the mechanisms through which knowledge flows?

► Developing my framework of analysis- Gereffi et al’s framework- Social Network Analysis

BibliographyBibliography► Alcorta, L and Perez, W (1998) Innovation Systems and technological specialization in

Latin America and the Caribbean. Research Policy, Volume 26, pp857-881

► Brown, J. S. and Duguid, P (2001) “Knowledge and Organization: A Social-Practice Perspective” Organization Science Vol 12, No 2, pp198-21

► Gereffi, G, Humphrey, J and Sturgeon, T (2005) The governance of global value chains Review of International Political Economy, 12: 78-10

► Giuliani, E (2003) Knowledge in the Air and its Uneven Distribution: A story of a Chilean Wine Cluster Paper: Druid Winter Conference, Aalborg 16-18 January 2003.

► Howells, J (2006) Intermediation and the role of intermediaries in innovation. Research Policy 35: pp 715-728

► Humphrey, J and Schmitz, H (2000) Governance and Upgrading: Linking industrial cluster and global value chain research IDS Working Paper 120

► Melo, A. (2001) The Innovation Systems of Latin America and the Caribbean. Research Department Working Paper 460, Washington, Inter-American Development Bank.

► Pietrobelli, C and Rabellotti, R (eds) (2006) Upgrading to Compete:Global Value Chains, Clusters, and SMEs in Latin America Washington: Inter-American Development Bank