Bridges or isolates? Investigating the social networks of academic inventors

Enrico Forti, Chiara Franzoni and Maurizio Sobrero

Research Policy, 2013, vol. 42, issue 8, 1378-1388

Abstract: We analyze the acquaintances of a sample of academic inventors and their paired controls to investigate the contribution of social networks to the generation of inventive ideas in academe. Prior to patenting, inventors work in networks of similar dimension and structure as those of their colleagues who do not invent. The ego-networks of the inventors are however more cohesive (denser), a circumstance that is often seen as associated to the exchange of more fine-grained information and to a greater climate of trust which facilitates long-term relationships and learning. Over time, both inventors and non-inventors extend their networks and become more central. In general, we found no evidence that after patenting inventors isolate or close their networks.

Keywords: Academic patenting; Social networks; Knowledge generation; Brokerage; Cohesive networks; Technology transfer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:42:y:2013:i:8:p:1378-1388

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2013.05.003

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