Centrality of regions in R&D networks: Conceptual clarifications and a new measure

Laurent Bergé, Iris Wanzenböck and Thomas Scherngell ()

Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) from Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA)

Abstract: This paper aims at introducing a novel measure of regional centrality in the context of R&D networks. We first demonstrate some substantial problems of SNA-based centrality measures to cope with regional R&D networks in a meaningful way. Then, we introduce a new measurement approach of regional network centrality based on the concept of inter-regional bridging paths (indirect connections at the regional level). We show that the formal definition of our regional bridging centrality measure can be expressed in terms of three simple components: the participation intensity of a region in inter-regional R&D collaborations, the relative outward orientation in terms of all established links and the diversification of R&D collaborations among partner regions. We illustrate the measure and its behaviour with respect to other conventional centrality measures by using the European co-patent network at the NUTS 2 level.

Keywords: network centrality of regions; inter-regional R&D networks; inter-regional bridges; aggregated networks; co-patent network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D85 L14 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ino, nep-net and nep-ure
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:grt:wpegrt:2015-31

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