This research project investigates sustainable knowledge management for new product and service development, focusing on knowledge bridging in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge-based firms. The research examines firms operating in the Norwegian Arctic and coastline that need to bridge diverse knowledge types – such as traditional and Indigenous knowledge, scientific knowledge, and experiential knowledge – to co-create sustainable products and services that acknowledge climatic and resource pressures.
Through a qualitative approach, the project explores how new product and service development processes and strategies may change when firms engage in knowledge bridging, and how team composition affects knowledge bridging. The research findings showcase different cases of successful knowledge bridging between Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses. These cases explore knowledge bridging as a two-way process that adds to the complexity of new product and service development but ultimately enhances the creativity and sustainability of the product or service.
The research contributes to a better understanding of knowledge bridging, the sustainable knowledge management challenges faced by firms working on NPD/NSD, and the importance of interdisciplinarity in teams. Additionally, this research explores open innovation strategies within diverse and contrasting knowledge systems.
