Individual and collective knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the need in biotechnology to integrate a variety of knowledge bases to build the intellectual asset base of the commercial entity operating in the biotechnology industry. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based upon a single case study of a young biotechnology company, itself relying on the knowledge and expertise of four directors. To analyze the responses of the four directors to a single lead question, designed to prompt the respondents to articulate the intellectual capital they offer to the firm, this study employs a novel text analytical tool known asPerspective Text Analysis(Pertex). Research limitations/implications The results show the disparate nature of the individual knowledge sets in contributing to the interdisciplinary base of the firm. The combined analysis illustrates the importance of collective intellectual capital through “sustainable collaboration.” Originality/value This study employs a novel analytical tool to undertake an analysis of both individual intellectual capital and collective interdisciplinary contribution using data from a single question. Pertex is a valuable tool in analyzing the intentionality of a respondent by cutting through to the true essence of their response.