Niche strategy, interfirm network and technological innovation of latecomer firms: A case from China

Latecomer firms how to build the different interfirm network to match the different niche strategies to achieve better innovational performance is one of increasing concern topics both in practice and academics. The paper divides the niche into product niche and process niche, divides the technological innovation into product innovation and process innovation according to different competition positioning, through the case study of Yuren Group in China, we discovered the innovational mechanism that product niche contribute to product innovation and process niche contribute to process innovation, in which the interfirm network play an positive moderating role. This discovery put forward a revelation for latecomer firms to achieve successful technological catch-up.