How much is too much? Inter-city brokerage in ICT industry innovation networks

Salma Zaman, Emine Beyza Satoglu, Andres Velez-Calle, Fernando Sanchez-Henriquez and Jessica Rae Salmon

Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 2025, vol. 34, issue 7, 1040-1063

Abstract: In today’s world, where global connectivity drives economic growth, it is essential to understand how cities can leverage intercity networks for innovation. This study explores the role of strategic network brokerage in enhancing cities’ innovation performance in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. We propose an inverted U-shaped relationship between inter-city network brokerage and ICT innovation performance, suggesting that optimal brokerage levels can maximize innovation outputs. Furthermore, we anticipate that city ICT specialization and internet maturity will positively moderate this relationship. Our analysis, using negative binomial regression on a panel of 65 cities from 2002 to 2015, largely supports our hypotheses, highlighting that cities with advanced ICT capabilities achieve higher levels of innovation at the same brokerage level. We discuss the implications of these findings for city policymakers and ICT firms.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/10438599.2024.2396486

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