New Technological Knowledge Integration in Industries with Long-Wave Innovation: Case Study of Iran Mining and Mineral Industry

Given the escalating complexity of various scientific fields and the competitive nature of markets, the focus on innovation has become crucial for the survival of businesses in the industry. Industries characterized by rapid new product development often undergo shorter cycles of innovation. Mining and mineral enterprises, recognized as long-wave innovators, must not only assimilate new knowledge and technologies but also effectively incorporate them within their organizational processes. The primary aim of this research is to propose a framework aimed at enhancing the technological capabilities of enterprises with long-wave innovation through the integration of novel technological insights.

The method of this research was based on a case study of successful projects in the mining and mineral industries (as an industry with similar characteristics to industries with long-wave innovation). In this study, the analysis focuses on latecomer firms in industries characterized by long-wave innovation, with the unit of analysis being successful projects involving the integration of new technological knowledge. Therefore, an exploratory single-case study method was used. The unit of analysis was selected based on specific criteria, and ultimately, four successful projects in the mining industries were selected and analyzed. For this analysis, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted, implemented, and coded using the content analysis method.

The findings of this study include a set of activities and initiatives identified by latecomer firms in industries with long-wave innovation in organizational (functional and managerial) and technological (product-centric and process-centric) dimensions for success in technological knowledge integration. These activities and initiatives are introduced in three main stages of identification and transfer of new technological knowledge (including three sub-sections of identifying new technological knowledge, identifying suitable knowledge sources, and transferring new technological knowledge), combining new technological knowledge with the firm's knowledge base (including three sub-sections of external new technological knowledge interpretation, external new technological knowledge sharing, and external new technological knowledge consolidation), and exploitation of new technological knowledge (including two sub-sections of implementation and reconfiguration).

This study reveals that activities such as aligning new technology with operational functions, adopting new technology at the right time to match the firm's knowledge base, maintaining equipment, evaluating product compatibility with international standards, and implementing integrated technology information systems are crucial for firms to achieve greater success in knowledge integration. This study can create opportunities for further analysis and studies for future researchers. It can also serve as a foundation for ongoing research and further studies on technological knowledge integration.