Social networks and the development of two oil technologies in Norway

Abstract

This study investigates how social networks were used in the development of two related oil technologies, STI/STP, during the period 1992-1994. The network scanned across several firms and constituted a professional community that began in the late 1960s. The most important relations were established by 1985. The theoretical framework is founded on how human and social capital contribute to the innovations through distributed cognition in social networks. The network enabled mobilization of complementary resources during the development process through activating the connections. This indicates that the social relations of technology developers are a crucial asset.