Determinants of Cross-Regional R&D Collaboration Networks: An Application of Exponential Random Graph Models

Tom Broekel () and Matté Hartog ()
Additional contact information
Matté Hartog: Utrecht University

Chapter Chapter 4 in The Geography of Networks and R&D Collaborations, 2013, pp 49-70 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This study investigates the usefulness of exponential random graph models (ERGM) to analyze the determinants of cross-regional R&D collaboration networks. Using spatial interaction models, most research on R&D collaboration between regions is constrained to focus on determinants at the node level (e.g. R&D activity of a region) and dyad level (e.g. geographical distance between regions). ERGMs represent a new set of network analysis techniques that has been developed in recent years in mathematical sociology. In contrast to spatial interaction models, ERGMs additionally allow considering determinants at the structural network level while still only requiring cross-sectional network data. The usefulness of ERGMs is illustrated by an empirical study on the structure of the cross-regional R&D collaboration network of the German chemical industry. The empirical results confirm the importance of determinants at all three levels. It is shown that in addition to determinants at the node and dyad level, the structural network level determinant “triadic closure” helps in explaining the structure of the network. That is, regions that are indirectly linked to each other are more likely to be directly linked as well.

Keywords: Preferential Attachment; Collaboration Network; Node Level; Labor Market Region; Spatial Interaction Model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:adspcp:978-3-319-02699-2_4

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783319026992

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-02699-2_4

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Advances in Spatial Science from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().