Innovation activities and their influence on the innovation capabilities of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship firms within North Brabant

The present study examines how innovation activities impact the innovation capabilities of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship firms by analyzing their networking and absorptive capabilities. The research begins by conceptualizing variables such as knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship firms, dynamic capabilities, and innovation activities. Subsequently, a model is drawn based on the aforementioned theoretical framework and it will serve as a prototype for the qualitative analysis. The method of this study is abductive, allowing for the discovery of new themes whilst focusing on specific theories. Two models emerged from seven interviews, five with knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship firms and two with organizations that facilitate innovation practices. The results show that the innovation practices affiliated with incubators directly impact the formation of weak ties and potential absorptive capacity, whilst the innovation practices of TTOs affect the development of weak ties, strong ties, and realized absorptive capacity. The paper follows with a detailed discussion that includes theoretical and practical implications. In the end, limitations and future research recommendations are given.