Innovation Policy in a Networked World

Olav Sorenson

No 23431, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Social relationships channel information, influence, and access to scarce resources. As a consequence, social networks – the patterns of these relationships across the members of a community – influence who comes up with important innovations, whether and how rapidly those innovations get adopted, and who has the ability to commercialize them. They therefore also affect the overall rate at which innovation occurs in the economy. This essay provides an introduction to and review of the research on social networks most relevant to innovation, with a particular focus on the earliest stages of the innovation process. It then discusses the likely consequences of a variety of policy interventions that could either reduce the importance of social relationships to innovation or alter the patterns of relationships in ways that might promote innovation.

JEL-codes: O31 O32 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dcm, nep-ino, nep-net, nep-sbm and nep-ure
Note: PR
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published as Innovation Policy in a Networked World , Olav Sorenson. in Innovation Policy and the Economy, Volume 18 , Lerner and Stern. 2018

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Journal Article: Innovation Policy in a Networked World (2018)
Chapter: Innovation Policy in a Networked World (2017)
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