Effective innovation management in knowledge- and technology-intensive industries such as the Life Sciences critically depends on the appreciation of organizational intangibles as key factors in innovation processes. Furthermore, successful innovation processes in these industries critically depend on cooperation across actors and disciplines. Collectively referred to as the organization’s intellectual capital (IC), intangibles entail the non-physical, non-monetary means that are available to the organization through its employees, organizational structures, and external relationships. Management of IC is complicated due to the complex, elusive, and context-specific nature of organizational intangibles, making it difficult to identify, appropriate, and effectively utilize valuable intangibles in cooperative innovation processes. Building on previous studies into innovation barriers, drivers, and appropriability challenges in PharmaNutrition and the Life Sciences more broadly, this thesis focuses on the dynamics of IC within these industries, aiming to advance the utilization of intangibles for cooperative innovation. A sequential research strategy was implemented, combining a multiple desk study design with a multiple case study design to first synthesize applicable conceptual frameworks and models for innovation and organizational IC (desk studies), and then apply these concepts to different Life Sciences contexts (case studies). A total of nine individual studies were conducted and together answered the central research question: How can we advance the management of organizational intangibles for cooperative innovation in the Life Sciences?
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