Network Structure and Positional Relationship of the External and Internal Technology Acquisition based on the Firm Self-citation Patent Network

Abstract

This paper will focus on how firms formulate the patent portfolio considering the technology acquisition strategy- internal technology development and external technology acquisition by using patent self-citation network analysis. The research sample is patent pool of the Monsanto Company including 5263 internal patents, 498 external acquiring ones and 860 license-out ones. In the Network Centrality analysis, the result showed that the in-degree centrality of the external acquiring patents have higher value than the internal patent development. That is mean that external technology source provided the complement knowledge for internal technology development in the knowledge creation process. Besides, internal patent have higher out degree centrality than the other two types of patent. Therefore, this study suggested that patent analysis in the firm-level should include external-acquisition technology and the results could show the real patent portfolio of the competitors.