Inter-organisational Knowledge integration in collaborative NPD projects: evidence from the aerospace industry

This paper aims at analyze the practice of knowledge integration in Collaborative New Product Development (Co-NPD) projects involving multiple partners in aerospace network. Based on a pragmatic approach, a multiple case study focusing on two Italian aerospace companies involved into a research project aimed to define methodologies and technologies for knowledge collaboration in NPD, is developed. Data are gathered with a triangulation techniques merging both official documents, open ended and close end interviews administered in the companies sites and involving managers, engineers and employees. Findings propose a systematic treatment of the knowledge integration practice describing the types of knowledge, strategies, barriers and intellectual property policies for knowledge integration at inter-organizational level. Findings provide insights to address NPD models for aerospace networks where the complexity and value of codified knowledge coming from external sources requires adequate treatments and security standard.