Prosecco has another story to tell: the coexistence of multiple knowledge networks in the same value chain

What is it about?

Our research is based on the analysis of knowledge networks between organizations in the Prosecco cluster, in Italy. One of the most original results of our analysis regards the discovery that we can identify specific relational structures linking companies in the cluster in each stage of the value chain. Differences in knowledge networks can be linked to the level of competition in each stage of the value chain. In the first stages, knowledge appears to be more equally distributed among cluster companies, thanks to the role played by knowledge intermediaries, which stimulate cooperative behaviour and collective actions. In the last stage of the value chain, when companies compete for the market, the propensity to share knowledge shrinks and leaves room to individual actions.

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