ABSTRACT
Knowledge, whether ‘tacit’ or ‘codified’, is one of the most critical assets in any innovative strategy. When presented through specialist markets, it is typically the product of business service providers and, in particular, of different types of consultancy firm. In reality, knowledge is also embodied in manufacturing products, especially those of high-technology or craft manufacturers, as well as in services offered by the service ‘professions’, in information packages provided by data-processing or information-networking firms. This chapter will focus on the knowledge-intensive services (KIS) provided by specialist business service firms, primarily management, organizational, technical engineering, IT and human resources consultancies. We will examine their role in the renewal of national and regional economies in France by evaluating their impact on the wider economic structure, and their influence as ‘carriers of innovation’ (Moulaert et al. 1990).
