Leveraging Research for Knowledge Continuity: A Case in Infrastructure Management

Ensuring long-term knowledge continuity is a key challenge for organizations managing the long-cycle maintenance of complex infrastructure. This paper explores how agency-led research programs can support dynamic knowledge continuity within the Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat, RWS), particularly in relation to its storm surge barriers. The long-cycle maintenance of the storm surge barriers faces long redesign cycles which result in a challenging human capital development environment with regards to specialist knowledge domains. Current knowledge of complex barrier systems is of a distributed nature following several decades of intensive outsourcing. At present the agency is investing in research programs aimed to strengthen its knowledge in strategic areas. This article aims to add to the limited literature of leveraging research efforts for long term knowledge continuity in a distributed knowledge environment. The research was conducted using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Fourteen respondents comprise of active researchers, research supervisors, and research managers. Researchers acquire high levels of proficiency in critical engineering knowledge domains. This equates to the development of valuable human capital that flows from the program when researchers complete their projects. Researchers were found to be highly motivated to stay on and locally implement their findings or contribute to their domain of engineering knowledge. Results include nine ways in which the research programs contribute to long-term knowledge continuity, of which human capital development is the most important. The study further reveals that while research programs effectively cultivate deep technical expertise, their potential is underutilized due to limited follow-up employment opportunities and a lack of strategic alignment with staffing and insourcing. We argue that research-developed talent should be strategically integrated into local technical teams to strengthen RWS’s internal capabilities, foster standardization, and ensure preparedness for long-cycle maintenance and redesign challenges. Our findings inform both theoretical perspectives on dynamic knowledge management and practical strategies for asset-intensive public organizations.