Exploring ‘Global Innovation Networks’ in Bio clusters: A Case of Genome Valley in Hyderabad, INDIA

The Indian Biopharmaceutical landscape interests scholars from innovation studies, economic geography and policy learning to understand various regional dimensions that fuel knowledge production in relation to emerging technologies. Globalization has a strong influence on such high technology clusters, wherein ‘local’ play a significant role. With this prelude, the study attempts to understand the nature and typology of Global Innovation Networks (GINs), by assessing the degree of globalness, innovativeness and networkedness of firms, located in India’s first organized Biosciences R&D cluster, Genome Valley, Hyderabad (India). On reflecting over the typologies of GINs and their degrees of globalness, innovativeness and networked ness in Biopharmaceutical firms, the paper contends that firms have an export-oriented objective and are competing with their global competitors; innovation seems to be mostly incremental in nature; the sector is battling due to absence of linkages with funding agencies and basic research institutions. However, the entire cluster with pre-existing capabilities, vantage points and resources, coupled with GINs, is evolving as a potent site for innovation. Also, this paper opens up the scope for future research, by aligning socio-economic aspects of networks and linkages, in terms of the health outcomes or social relevance derived out of the networks and linkages across the globe.