Complex Evolution and Learning. The Role of Constraints

Constraints are often understood as barriers hampering efficient functioning. They are indeed, seen as orienting activity in specified directions generating performance patterns the upshot of which is likely to be suboptimal. This paper reports some recent work of a small research group at the University of Bologna that shows that constraints function as focusing devises and may improve the acquisition of technological capabilities. The key to these results is firms interacting in a cognitve network. It is also shown that some firms emerge as technological paradigm setters.