Collaboration Networks and Innovation: How to Define Network Boundaries

Pablo Galaso and Jaromír Kovářík

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Numerous studies in management, sociology, and economics have documented that the architecture of collaboration networks affects the innovation performance of individuals, firms, and regions. Little is known though about whether the association between collaboration patterns and innovation outcomes depends on the network geographical boundaries chosen by the researcher. This issue is crucial for both policy-makers and firms that rely on innovation. This article compares the association between collaboration networks and future patenting between regional and country-level collaboration networks. If we relate future innovation to the global, country-wide network our statistical analysis reproduces the findings of the previous literature. However, we find systematically less important effects of regional innovation patterns on subsequent patenting of innovators. Hence, managers and policy makers should choose the boundaries of the innovation networks that they look at carefully, aiming for integration into larger-scale collaboration communities.

Keywords: innovation; networks; patents; network boundary; boundary specification problem (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O31 O32 O34 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-03-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-cse, nep-geo, nep-ino, nep-sbm, nep-tid and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:85108

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