KNOWLEDGE AS A KEY RESOURCE CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECO-INNOVATIONS BY COMPANIES-SUPPLIERS OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGIES
Abstract
Challenges arising from global warming and climate change has realized the need to ensure wide development and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies. The aim of this study is to obtain new knowledge about sources contributing to the development of eco-innovations by companies that are suppliers of environmentally sound technologies in Poland. The objective is to show the importance of knowledge for the development of these novelties. Moreover, the paper aims to present and characterize the origin of the knowledge accumulated within the studied companies. The research uses qualitative methods and it is based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and a multiple case-study. It presents the sources contributing to the development of eco-innovations, which are specific to the companies-suppliers of environmentally sound technologies in Poland. The results confirm that, among others, knowledge accumulated within the company, including experience and skills of innovators, is essential for developing new ecological solutions. The results also demonstrate that companies-suppliers of own, innovative environmentally sound technologies devote considerable attention to knowledge management. Thus, the knowledge these companies acquire is fully and widely used in the eco-innovations development process. Moreover, this paper reveals ways in which such companies acquire different types of knowledge.References
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