A significant portion of the R&D activities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) today is taking place in cooperative New Product Development (NPD) projects. Through such projects, partners establish innovation networks for combining complementary competencies and resources. IT systems are central to these networks as they act as facilitators for the network's innovation infrastructure. Managing for an effective integration of complementary contributions can leverage synergies and provide the basis for sustained competitive advantage. How such synergies are to be generated is still an open question. In qualitative case studies of three innovation networks we have investigated how IT systems undergird activities that bring about complementarities. We have identified five 'complementarity themes' related to IT systems that contribute to shaping complementarities and to fostering synergy creation. The themes can provide stimulus for practicing managers with regard to shaping and managing innovation infrastructures in networks.
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