Are Knowledge Bases Enough? A Comparative Study of the Geography of Knowledge Sources in China (Great Beijing) and India (Pune)

Using firm-level data collected through a survey in 2008 followed by semi-structured interviews with firms in 2009-2010, this article systematically compares the geography of linkages of the software industry between two regions, one in India (Pune) and one in China (Great Beijing). In contrast to what the literature on knowledge bases and regional innovation systems argues the paper points out to marked differences both in the organization as well as in the geographical spread of the knowledge sources in the software industry between Pune and Greater Beijing. The paper suggests that the literature of knowledge bases could benefit from incorporating the insights from strategy studies as well as innovation systems studies.