Opening the Special Issue theme is a paper by Helen Perks and Steve Moxey on "Market-facing innovation networks: How lead firms partition tasks, share resources and develop capabilities".
The paper focuses on market-facing innovation networks that are rooted in the modular and integrated nature of product development.
High levels of product innovation activity are occurring through key firms, leading and developing networks.
These lead firms are generally small and medium enterprises, traditionally tasked with business to business distribution and commercialization activities.
This study enhances our understanding of how task partitioning and resource sharing practices, are related to the nature and scope of capabilities of lead firms within the context of market-facing innovation networks.
Through a multiple case study methodology, the findings highlight the tension between managing on-going routine distribution activities and emergent networked product innovation activities. designs.