The influence of technological capabilities on the knowledge network component of innovation systems: evidence from advanced materials in Turkey

This paper is concerned with the dynamics of innovation systems (IS) in emerging economies. It investigates how one core element of an IS – its network of firm-centred knowledge links – changes over time and how that change is influenced by change in the deepening technological capabilities of firms. It contributes to the existing literature by: 1) examining change over a long period of time (1967-2001); 2) implementing quantitative analyses on panel data collected through face-to-face interviews in 19 firms; 3) comparing the trends and relationship in 'science-based' and 'traditional' segments of the materials industry, while holding common to both many other aspects of context, in particular the main 'institutional' elements of the IS. The findings herein call for policies that emphasise the development of engineering and design capabilities in association with R&D support to build up and structure effective and sustainable sectoral IS in emerging economies.