International high-tech SMEs innovative foreign knowledge inflows: effects of host country weak network ties and absorptive capacity

Purpose The main purpose of this study is to explain the combined effects of host country weak network ties and absorptive capacity on the innovative foreign knowledge inflows of international high-tech small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach Data are drawn from the two largest and most authoritative German Federal Government census-databases of biotech and nanotech SMEs. A structured survey questionnaire was...