Global R&D network. A network analysis of international R&D centres

Giuditta De Prato and Daniel Nepelski

No JRC79478, JRC Research Reports from Joint Research Centre

Abstract: A firm's decision to establish an R&D centre in a specific location creates externalities affecting other firms and, thus, a random distribution of location choices is unlikely. Expecting that the global distribution of R&D centres fulfils the criteria of a complex network, we apply social network analysis to study the locations of international R&D centres and the relationships between the countries owning and hosting them. We analyse the characteristics of the global R&D network and identify its core members. Further, we include network indices in an empirical analysis of the R&D internationalisation determinants. We find that a country's position in the network, which does not necessarily coincide with its geographical or cultural proximity to other countries, has a significant impact on the formation and intensity of R&D linkages between countries. We provide policy implications addressing the challenges emerging from the increasing internationalisation and network of R&D.

Keywords: globalisation of innovation; location of R&D centres; network analysis; gravity model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D8 L23 O32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 49 pages
Date: 2012-06, Revised 2012-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-cse, nep-cwa, nep-ino, nep-net and nep-sbm
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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