Swedish BioTech SMEs: The veiled values in online networks

For many years, sociologists have conceptualized and debated the value of 'social capital', the resources embedded in an actor's social network. The notions of network organizations and strategic alliances have become important forms of entrepreneurial venture, yet often the value in these networks is veiled by network complexity. These associations of individuals and organizations are typically undocumented, difficult to identify by third parties, and even pass unrecognized by their constituent members. They consist of informal Internet networks that are extremely valuable because of the strategic social capital embedded in them. Drawing on social network theory, this paper outlines a methodology for viewing and valuing informal Internet networks, using small-to-medium sized enterprises in the Swedish biotechnology arena as a backdrop. It demonstrates that networks can be constructed from the links between the web sites of actor firms, and that it is possible to use social network theory to identify the most prominent actors. Then, using structural hole analysis, the entrepreneurial opportunities surrounding these actors can be unveiled.