Knowledge Networks and Innovation
Invited Session: Tuesday 11th June, 15:00-16:00
Theme
Knowledge networks have been largely recognized as important drivers of economic growth and technological change. Relationships across individuals, institutions, or regions (Bednarz and Broekel, 2019) offer access to complementary knowledge, resources, and capabilities, which can further explain the processes of knowledge production, diffusion and use (Phelps et al., 2012).
Innovation scholars have approached knowledge networks from two complementary perspectives. On the one hand, considerable research has used large datasets of secondary data, such as clinical trial records (Rake et al., 2021) or patent data (Azagra-Caro et al., 2017), to understand large network structures and unpack its network dynamics and connectivity patterns. On the other hand, research based on primary data such as surveys or pseudo-experiments allows to understand individual motivations, such as differences in the propensity to connect people (Llopis et al., 2021) or tendencies to occupy central positions in knowledge networks (Aalbers et al., 2013).
Important topics of debate include:
- Empirical studies of knowledge using secondary data such as bibliometric or patent analyses.
- Micro-processes behind the formation and development of knowledge networks.
- Combined use of primary and secondary data sources to unpack social structures and network connectivity patterns.
Research in this invited session will discuss innovation networks from both perspectives, including a special emphasis on studies bridging or connecting both approaches.
References
Azagra-Caro, J.M., Barberá-Tomás, D., Edwards-Schachter, M. & Tur, E.M. (2017). Dynamic interactions between university-industry knowledge transfer channels: A case study of the most highly cited academic patent. Research Policy, 46(2), 463-474.
Aalbers, R., Dolfsma, W., Koppius, O., 2013. Individual connectedness in innovation networks: On the role of individual motivation. Research Policy 42, 624–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2012.10.007
Bednarz, M., Broekel, T., 2019. The relationship of policy induced R&D networks and inter-regional knowledge diffusion. J Evol Econ 29, 1459–1481. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00191-019-00621-2
Llopis, O., D’Este, P., Díaz-Faes, A.A., 2021. Connecting others: Does a tertius iungens orientation shape the relationship between research networks and innovation? Research Policy 50, 104175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2020.104175
Phelps, C., Heidl, R., Wadhwa, A., 2012. Knowledge, Networks, and Knowledge Networks A Review and Research Agenda. Journal of Management 38, 1115–1166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206311432640
Rake, B., D’Este, P., McKelvey, M., 2021. Exploring network dynamics in science: the formation of ties to knowledge translators in clinical research. J Evol Econ 31, 1433–1464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00191-020-00716-1
Orgnizers
Oscar Llopis
Oscar Llopis is Associate Professor in Business Management, Department of Business Management Faculty of Economics, University of Valencia, Broman Scholar and Affiliated researcher at the Unit for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the University of Gothenburg.
Dr. Llopis Corcoles holds a PhD in Business Management from the University of Valencia and INGENIO (CSIC – UPV). His main research areas are focused social networks in organizational settings. He also analyzes university-industry collaborations, innovation management processes, knowledge sharing and risk taking within organizations as a source of innovation. He is actively involved in the scientific community through his usual participation in international conferences. He has carried out research stays at the Copenhagen Business School, the University of Pisa and the University of Gothenburg, and has participated in several competitive national and international research projects.
Elena M Tur
Elena M Tur is an assistant professor at the Technology, Innovation & Society group of the Eindhoven University of Technology, and a Broman Scholar at the School of Business, Economics and Law of the University of Gothenburg. She is a social scientist with a background in Mathematics and Statistics, and a PhD in Innovation Studies by the Utrecht University. Her main research lines include mathematical models of innovation, simulation models of diffusion, and patentometrics. Elena is a member of several international associations, and a member of the board of management of the International Schumpeter Society.
