How to foster shared innovation within SMEs' networks: Social capital and the role of intermediaries

SMEs need to open up to cooperate with their stakeholders in order to develop sustainable competitive advantages. Sustainable, well-conceived, and well managed innovation networks can offer clear benefits to SMEs. The shared innovation concept aims to capture the strategic approach of innovation, cooperation and sustainability. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how sustainable shared innovation dynamics are promoted in SMEs' network context. The paper presents the Mondragon case study showing the main drivers for developing innovation networks. Among the findings, the role of both context dependent intermediaries and social capital systemic dynamics are highlighted in the development of a shared innovation strategy.