The article “Closed Clubs and Inclusive Interaction: Acquiring Digitalization Knowledge Through Learning-by-Interacting in a Peripheral Innovation System,” recently published in Growth and Change, examines how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in peripheral regions acquire digitalization knowledge. Based on two surveys involving qualitative interviews—conducted by Anne-Sophie Kagel as part of the DUI.REG research project and by Lukas Häfner as part of the ZDIN research project—the study distinguishes six forms of practical “learning by interacting” to analyze firm-specific learning processes within a regional context. The study shows that SMEs with low digital capacity tend to acquire knowledge passively through open regional networks, while digitally advanced SMEs purposefully establish selective, trust-based learning circles (“closed clubs”) that feature informal barriers to entry. The study emphasizes the interplay between regional opportunity structures—particularly in economically robust peripheral regions—and company-specific characteristics for successful digital development.
Kagel, A.-S.; Haefner, L. (2026): Closed Clubs and Inclusive Interaction: Acquiring Digitalization Knowledge Through Learning-by-Interacting in a Peripheral Innovation System. Growth and Change 57(2), e70135. DOI: 10.1111/grow.70135.
