Having a short throughput time for innovation projects, i.e. lead-time, can put firms in an advantageous position. The time that lapses between a project’s start and its completion, is influenced not only by the firm's internal capabilities but also by how the firm connects to external knowledge. This paper assesses the relation between knowledge sourcing and lead-time advantage.,This paper empirically tests the relation between external knowledge sourcing and lead-time advantage based on firm level Community Innovation Survey (CIS) data.,I find that breadth and depth of the external knowledge sourcing are positively relating to lead-time advantage, albeit with diminishing returns. Investment into absorptive capacity, i.e. internal R&D, mitigates the diminishing of returns. Firms directing their external knowledge sourcing strategy toward consumers, suppliers and science are better able to capitalize on their innovations through lead-time advantages and firms also benefit from the special case of collaboration for product development.,The conceptual novelty of this research largely consists in empirically bringing together for the first time conceptualizations of external knowledge sourcing and the strategic use of lead-time. Given the prevalence of both concepts in the modern and fast changing economy, investigating this link is of great importance.

中文翻译：

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产品创新中的外部信息来源和交付时间优势

创新项目的吞吐时间短（即提前期）可以使公司处于有利位置。从项目开始到完成之间的时间，不仅受企业内部能力的影响，还受企业与外部知识的联系方式的影响。本文评估了知识来源与提前期优势之间的关系。本文基于企业级社区创新调查（CIS）数据，对外部知识来源与提前期优势之间的关系进行了实证检验。外部知识的获取与交付时间的优势成正比，尽管收益递减。对吸收能力的投资（即内部研发）可减轻收益的下降。将外部知识采购策略导向消费者，供应商和科学的公司能够更好地通过交付时间优势来利用其创新，并且公司还可以从产品开发合作的特殊情况中受益。该研究的概念新颖性主要在于从经验上首次将外部知识采购的概念化与交货时间的战略性使用结合在一起。鉴于这两个概念在现代和快速变化的经济中盛行，因此对此链接进行调查非常重要。这项研究在概念上的新颖性很大程度上在于，将基于经验的外部知识获取的概念化与交货时间的战略性利用首次结合在一起。鉴于这两个概念在现代和快速变化的经济中盛行，因此对此链接进行调查非常重要。这项研究在概念上的新颖性主要在于，将基于经验的外部知识采购的概念化与交货时间的战略性利用首次结合在一起。鉴于这两个概念在现代和快速变化的经济中盛行，因此对此链接进行调查非常重要。