Digitalisierung und regionaler Wissenstransfer: Interdependenzen und Herausforderungen.

Digitalization and knowledge transfer represent central aspects of most regional innovation strategies. Nonetheless, we know little about the interdependencies between them. We know neither how knowledge transfer can contribute to digitalization nor how digital instruments can support knowledge transfer. To shed more light on these issues, we analyzed six regional knowledge transfer systems in Germany. The analysis reveals that knowledge transfer contributes to firm digitalization in several ways and that supporters of knowledge transfer often apply digital instruments. Within regional knowledge transfer systems, intermediaries disseminate relevant knowledge, establish specific networks, and support particular digitalization efforts. Digital tools play an important role in processing these activities as well as in cooperation within knowledge transfer systems. However, it is also clear that the possibilities of knowledge transfer in digitalization are limited and that several challenges remain in utilizing digital instruments in knowledge transfer. Challenges in digitalization often consist of selecting and implementing digital solutions, which cannot always be supported by academia. Innovative academic topics have been taken up by only a few digital pioneers. Further, it remains challenging to initiate and establish trust-based network relationships and to cross administrative borders via digital channels.