Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

Proposal For A 2.0 Knowledge Management Model for
“Medellin, Cluster City (Medellin, City <strong>of</strong> Knowledge)
Lillyana María Giraldo Marín 1 , Jenny Martínez Crespo 2 , José Alfredo Vásquez
Paniagua 2 and Luis Joyanes Aguilar 3
1
School <strong>of</strong> Engineering, Universidad de Medellín, Colombia
School <strong>of</strong> Economic and Managerial Sciences, Universidad de Medellin,
Colombia
3
Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, Madrid, España
lmgiraldo@udem.edu.co
jmartinez@udem.edu.co
javasquez@udem.edu.co
luis.joyanes@upsam.net
Abstract: According to studies conducted in emerging economies, clusters are defined as strategies leading to
power regional economic growth processes around <strong>the</strong> globe. This happens through knowledge creation,
appropriation, transfer and distribution. Agents belonging to diverse sectors are involved into clusters such as <strong>the</strong>
governmental sector, private, gild, entrepreneurial and <strong>the</strong> educational. Clusters are nowadays a fundamental
tool to stimulate entrepreneurial growth in cities since it streng<strong>the</strong>ns competitiveness in <strong>the</strong> regions and in <strong>the</strong>
economies. Clusters allow companies from a certain sector to build business networks; spot new trade niches
and become more competitive and more sustainable. As a top priority <strong>of</strong> its strategic plan <strong>of</strong> development,
Medellin has given emphasis to <strong>the</strong> project “Medellin, a Cluster City”. This project makes part <strong>of</strong> a bigger plan
called “Medellin, City <strong>of</strong> Knowledge”. Setting up and supporting clusters demand from <strong>the</strong> city proper knowledge
infrastructure which leads it to achieve diverse objectives; objectives aiming at creating innovation, a chrysalis
adapted to <strong>the</strong> city’s context. This article presents a knowledge transfer model supported by Web 2.0 platforms
which assists collaboration and interaction (generating associativity and cooperation) as fundamental
components <strong>of</strong> clusters. Under <strong>the</strong>se approaches and <strong>the</strong> supportive technologies, collective intelligence is
expected to surge. The knowledge transfer model is based on Nonaka and Takeuchi’s knowledge creation
model.
Keywords: Cluster, Knowledge transfer model, Web 2.0, collective intelligence
1. Introduction
Knowledge Management (KM) has become a great interest subject recently; knowledge and its
management have been associated to <strong>the</strong> definition <strong>of</strong> strategy and corporate performance. In this
sense, <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> KM on companies can be verified through <strong>the</strong> reports issued by <strong>the</strong> Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) since 1999; according to <strong>the</strong>se, economies
based on KM have achieved competitive advantages in innovation, science, technology, human
resources management and investment in research (Riesco, 2006).
Having those advantages derived from KM as starting points, new organizational structures have
emerged to support creation and knowledge transfer processes; among those new organizational
structures, clusters have prevailed.
Clusters are defined as strategies leading to power regional economic growth processes around <strong>the</strong>
globe through knowledge creation, appropriation, transfer and distribution. Porter (1991) states that
clusters are groups <strong>of</strong> companies linked in a value system (chain value) involving diverse agents such
as <strong>the</strong> governmental sector, private, gild, entrepreneurial and <strong>the</strong> educational. A cluster is a
development strategy that permits companies from a certain sector to build business networks;
identify new commercial possibilities and become more competitive and sustainable. Interaction
among <strong>the</strong> agents inside <strong>the</strong> value system (local, regional or global) generates collective competitive
advantages. Thus, cooperation and associativity processes are born among <strong>the</strong> companies leading to
<strong>the</strong> cluster’s genesis and consolidation.
Cooperation and associativity among <strong>the</strong> companies belonging to <strong>the</strong> cluster require means to
support collaboration and interaction. These processes can be supported by Web 2.0 technologies
which provide diverse alternatives to promote interactivity among <strong>the</strong> agents. These means favor
knowledge creation, transfer and distribution processes leading to opportunities for knowledge
socialization, exteriorization, combination and interiorization momentums; <strong>the</strong>se are <strong>the</strong> stages
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