The Role of Knowledge Management in Enhancing Innovation in R&D Industry: A Literature and Empirical Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64803/jocsaic.v2i1.23Keywords:
Knowledge Management, Innovation, R&D Industry, Knowledge Sharing, Organizational LearningAbstract
Innovation is a key driver of competitiveness and sustainability in the Research and Development (R&D) industry. As knowledge-intensive organizations, R&D institutions rely heavily on the effective management of knowledge to accelerate discovery, streamline processes, and create value. This study aims to examine the role of Knowledge Management (KM) in enhancing innovation within the R&D sector by reviewing relevant literature and analyzing empirical findings from selected case studies. The review highlights that KM practices such as knowledge sharing, codification, retention, and collaboration are closely linked to higher innovation performance. Empirical evidence shows that organizations that invest in structured KM frameworks tend to exhibit greater adaptability, faster product development cycles, and improved cross-functional synergy. However, challenges such as cultural resistance, lack of incentives, and inadequate technological support still hinder optimal KM implementation. The findings suggest that integrating KM into the core innovation strategy, supported by leadership commitment and digital infrastructure, can significantly boost innovation capacity in R&D environments. This study contributes to the growing discourse on KM by offering insights into its practical and strategic relevance for innovation management in knowledge-driven industries.
Downloads
References
[1] H. Y. A. Mohammed, “Economic Diversification through Knowledge-Based Industries 2024,” J. Ecohumanism, vol. 3, no. 8, pp. 83–106, 2024.
[2] O. T. Joel and V. U. Oguanobi, “Data-driven strategies for business expansion: Utilizing predictive analytics for enhanced profitability and opportunity identification,” Int. J. Front. Eng. Technol. Res., vol. 6, no. 02, pp. 71–81, 2024.
[3] H. Idrees, J. Xu, S. A. Haider, and S. Tehseen, “A systematic review of knowledge management and new product development projects: Trends, issues, and challenges,” J. Innov. Knowl., vol. 8, no. 2, p. 100350, 2023.
[4] G. C. Sokoh and U. C. Okolie, “Knowledge management and its importance in modern organizations,” J. Public Adm. Financ. Law, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 283–300, 2021.
[5] W. Zhou and H. Li, “R&D team network configurations, knowledge diversity and breakthrough innovation: a combined effect framework,” Eur. J. Innov. Manag., 2024.
[6] A. Serenko, “The human capital management perspective on quiet quitting: recommendations for employees, managers, and national policymakers,” J. Knowl. Manag., vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 27–43, 2024.
[7] L. Lam, P. Nguyen, N. Le, and K. Tran, “The relation among organizational culture, knowledge management, and innovation capability: Its implication for open innovation,” J. Open Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex., vol. 7, no. 1, p. 66, 2021.
[8] S. Primario, P. Rippa, and G. Secundo, “Peer innovation as an open innovation strategy for balancing competition and collaboration among technology start-ups in an innovation ecosystem,” J. Innov. Knowl., vol. 9, no. 2, p. 100473, 2024.
[9] M. Ahlfänger, H. G. Gemünden, and J. Leker, “Balancing knowledge sharing with protecting: The efficacy of formal control in open innovation projects,” Int. J. Proj. Manag., vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 105–119, 2022.
[10] A. Ferraris, C. Giachino, F. Ciampi, and J. Couturier, “R&D internationalization in medium-sized firms: The moderating role of knowledge management in enhancing innovation performances,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 128, pp. 711–718, 2021.
[11] M. Salehi and S. A. Sadeq Alanbari, “Knowledge sharing barriers and knowledge sharing facilitators in innovation,” Eur. J. Innov. Manag., vol. 27, no. 8, pp. 2701–2721, 2024.
[12] M. Zieba, S. Durst, and C. Hinteregger, “The impact of knowledge risk management on sustainability,” J. Knowl. Manag., vol. 26, no. 11, pp. 234–258, 2022.
[13] O. T. Erena, M. M. Kalko, and S. A. Debele, “Organizational factors, knowledge management and innovation: empirical evidence from medium-and large-scale manufacturing firms in Ethiopia,” J. Knowl. Manag., vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 1165–1207, 2023.
[14] S. Jha and S. Basu, “Knowledge spillovers between R&D-driven incumbents and start-ups in open innovation: a systematic review and nomological network,” J. Knowl. Manag., vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 588–638, 2025.
[15] S. Yin and Y. Yu, “An adoption-implementation framework of digital green knowledge to improve the performance of digital green innovation practices for industry 5.0,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 363, p. 132608, 2022.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mardiah Mardiah, Furqan Khalidy, Arief Budiman (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
