How academic and business collaborations enhance potential and realized absorptive capacities: evidence from Japanese firms

Purpose A significant body of research has investigated open innovation and absorptive capacity as well as the relationship between them. Moreover, recent research has classified each concept into subcategories on the basis of theoretical reasoning. However, the relationships among these subcategories in terms of theoretical and empirical aspects are unknown. Thus, this study makes several hypotheses related to the generally accepted subcategories, i.e. academic and business collaboration and potential and realized absorptive capacity. We empirically tested data from a questionnaire survey and public data from Japanese industrial firms. Design/methodology/approach This study empirically analyzes the relationship between open innovation and absorptive capacity via a quantitative approach and a questionnaire survey. Findings The results show that the types of collaboration partners might affect certain subcategories of absorptive capacity related to firm performance. Specifically, academic collaboration enhances potential absorptive capacity but diminishes realized absorptive capacity. Business collaboration has a positive effect on firm performance but limited effects on both potential and realized absorptive capacity. Originality/value This study considers the advancements of previous studies to study the relationship between open innovation and absorptive capacity. This study elucidates the efficacy and limitations of these concepts and advances our knowledge of innovation research areas.