VIRTUAL ECO-INNOVATION HUB – A NEW TOOL FOR ENHANCING KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND INNOVATION IN THE FIELD OF WEEE RECYCLING

The assumed global objective to fight against poverty through the development of green economy, adding the specific conditions of developing economies (Romania’s case), requires the development of innovative tools to enhance the competitiveness of niche industry, generating a positive impact on social progress and economic growth, as well as on the environment. This paper aims to analyze the contribution of virtual communities in fostering knowledge transfer and innovation. Acting as centers of knowledge integration and innovation creation, communities operate as a virtual innovation-hub, parallel to the traditional innovation labs. Despite its strategic role, relatively little is known about effectiveness of the hub in supporting knowledge transfer and innovation process. In order to gain insights to build a virtual eco-innovation hub, we study in-depth the case of WEEE (waste electric and electronic equipment, e-waste) recycling industry and define some propositions. The research contributes to fill the theoretical gap related to the organizational model of hub and to recognize the role of innovation-hub as an organization comprising multiple legally autonomous entities. Finally, it provides insights for WEEE recycling stakeholders to enhance eco-innovation, maximizing the value created by the innovation-hub.