Interaction to bridge network gaps: the problem of specialization and innovation in fish technology

Abstract

Innovation is to a large extent about trying out new combinations. Often it means bridging different types of gaps, which becomes more problematic in cases of radical innovation, as well as in cases of highly specialized actors. Starting with a case where salmon was planned to be used as an input into salami but instead became a special high-quality fillet we will try to identify the important role, as well as the problems, of bridging. Proceeding from this, we seek to outline how such gaps may be bridged across relationships and networks. Hence, this paper represents an attempt at contributing towards an interactive conceptualization of innovation in industrial networks.