Integrating the Past: A Study of Trajectory Integration and Recombinatory Depth

Abstract

In this study, we aim to provide a more comprehensive account of the role of interdependence in knowledge recombination for technological invention. By integrating theory from both knowledge recombination and technological trajectory literatures, we characterize a dimension of knowledge recombination termed recombinatory depth. Following the use of NK models from evolutionary genetics, we import the concept of adaptive walks from evolutionary genetics to communicate our argument. If an inventor integrates knowledge across many sequentially-dependent antecedent technologies in the same trajectory, design improvements can be produced without negative effects on recombinatory search (much like in adaptive walks). We conceptualize this dimension as recombinatory depth and operationalize it using patent data from the European Patent Office’s PATSTAT database. An analysis of technological impact shows that high recombinatory depth has a strong positive relationship on technological impact. Moreover, we find that this first relationship is positively moderated by technological diversity, suggesting that high recombinatory depth helps to integrate distant and diverse technological trajectories. This paper is under development and further work is needed to analyze and develop our results.