The Impact of Knowledge Sharing on Technology Innovation in the Strategic Industry: An Empirical Study from the Knowledge-Based View

Knowledge sharing plays a pivotal role in accelerating technological breakthroughs in strategic industries through the exchange of knowledge resources and the fostering of collaborative innovation. Despite the recognized importance of knowledge sharing, the existing literature predominantly addresses its conceptualization, attributes, and impact on innovation, with scant attention given to the underlying mechanisms driving its influence on technology innovation in strategic industries. This study draws on the knowledge-based view (KBV) to investigate the mechanism through which knowledge sharing catalyzes technology innovation in strategic industries. Employing a dataset of global patents from the chip manufacturing industry spanning the years 2000 to 2020, this research demonstrates that sharing heterogeneous knowledge significantly enhances technology innovation by bolstering knowledge absorption and facilitating collaboration among diverse innovation agents. Notably, the study delineates two pivotal pathways: the “knowledge sharing-knowledge absorption-technology innovation” pathway, elucidating the value-creation process of heterogeneous knowledge utilization, and the “knowledge sharing-knowledge collaboration-technology innovation” pathway, highlighting the value-added process stemming from the interconnectivity of heterogeneous knowledge. This study not only enriches the discourse on knowledge management and the role of knowledge sharing in technology innovation within the contemporary knowledge economy but also offers actionable insights for policymakers and organizational leaders to foster knowledge sharing, thus driving technology advancements in strategic industries.