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Knowledge creation and sharing are the core of innovation schemes. They contribute to the value creation process through knowledge transfer. Knowledge is enriched and accumulated as it is used, and, once transferred, it cannot be recovered: transfer is an irreversible mechanism. However, not all knowledge produced in an innovation project is used, hence there remains a knowledge excess or surplus. Following a process of adjustment between actors on the functionalities and characteristics of the project, this excess is turned into a surplus because part of it is “stored” in anticipation of a possible future use. The production of knowledge is thus increasingly intensive, faced with the increasing complexity of products. A part of the knowledge produced is lost, because its life expectancy is limited due to economic, societal, and technologic elements. The aim of this research is to assign a theoretical approach to the concept of the excess of knowledge, which has so far been relatively absent from the literature. We approach the excess of knowledge through its conceptualization and its characteristics. Then, we identify the key factors that condition the behavior of partners in collective action in relation to its appropriation.