Proximity, network formation and inventive performance: in search of the proximity paradox

Lorenzo Cassi and Anne Plunket

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This paper investigates how network relations, proximity and their interplay affect collaboration and their inventive performance. Using patent citations as a proxy for patent quality, we investigate how the network and proximity characteristics of co-inventors enable them to access different sources of knowledge, in different geographical and organizational contexts, and finally affect the quality of inventive collaboration. Our findings enable to address the proximity paradox, which states that proximity facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing, but it does not necessarily increase innovative performance, too much proximity may even harm innovation (Boschma and Frenken, 2009; Broekel and Boschma, 2011).

Keywords: Social networks; geographical proximity; technological proximity; co-patenting; network formation. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D85 L65 O31 O33 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-01-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo, nep-ino, nep-ipr, nep-pr~, nep-soc and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Proximity, network formation and inventive performance: in search of the proximity paradox (2014)
Working Paper: Proximity, network formation and inventive performance: in search of the proximity paradox (2014)
Working Paper: Proximity, network formation and inventive performance: in search of the proximity paradox (2014)
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