Knowledge intensive service activities and innovation in the Norwegian aquaculture industry - Part project report from the OECD KISA study

Abstract

This report is the last of three studies focusing on the use of knowledge intensive service activities (KISA) in innovation in specific industries in Norway (Broch, 2004 and Broch and Isaksen, 2004). Typical examples of KISA in firms and organisations includes R&D, management consulting, IT services, human resource management, accounting and financial service activities, marketing and sales, project management, organisational activities, and training. The main focus in this report is on KISA in the aquaculture industry in Norway. One of the main objectives of the study is to provide insights into how aquaculture firms maintain and develop productive and innovative capabilities through utilisation of KISA, provided by internal and / or external sources. The main research questions are: What internal and external competencies do firms use in innovation, and how are these competencies used to build the firm-specific knowledge and skill base needed to facilitate learning and innovation processes? The ultimate objective of the KISA project, i.e. the comparative studies of the specific industries in different OECD-countries , is to inform government policy and programs on how to use KISA in building innovation capability of firms and organisations across various industries and sectors in the economy.