The cognitive and geographical composition of ego-networks of firms – and how they impact on their innovation performance

Tom Broekel () and Ron Boschma ()

No 1118, Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) from Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography

Abstract: Firms’ embeddedness into knowledge networks has received much attention in the literature. However, little is known about the composition of firms’ ego-networks with respect to different types of proximities. Based on survey data of 295 firms in eight European regions, we show that the ego-networks of firms systematically differ in their geographical and cognitive embeddedness. We find that firms’ innovation performance is stimulated if the firm primarily links to technologically related firms as well as technologically similar organizations. Connecting with organizations at different geographical levels yields positive effects as well.

Keywords: ego-networks; geographical proximity; innovation performance; knowledge networks; technological relatedness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B15 R11 R12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2011-08, Revised 2011-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-ino, nep-sbm and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:egu:wpaper:1118

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