During 1967-1992, the field increasingly linked learning with innovation, showing that absorptive capacity—the ability to recognize, assimilate, and apply external knowledge—drives R&D strategy and performance. Researchers emphasized systemic relationships among firms, networks, and institutions, blending micro-level capability analysis with macro-institutional context. Methodologically, work moved from linear models to network, historical, and comparative approaches, highlighting path dependence and the importance of national systems of innovation.