Pattern Discovery on Networks of Geographical Co-invention

Abstract

Due to the development of international division of labour and advanced information and communication technologies, an alternative perspective stresses interregional collaborative networks in which individuals groups are embedded in wide-ranging webs of relationships. The existence of collaborative networks raises challenges for understanding the new geography of invention and innovation. The study explores the pattern of the network of geographical co-invention by comparing the co-patenting network in the year of 2009 and 2015. By focusing on the U.S. semiconductor devices patents and particularly their inventors and assignees’ geographical locations, the study uses social network analysis to reveal the phenomena of creative knowledge flow and international collaboration. Moreover, the study uses spatial statistics approach to investigate nodal associations, network dependence, and the relationships between the networks and city’s inventive competitiveness. The importance of the study is to clarify the pattern of co-invention in the semiconductor industry. The findings will enhance the co-inventive platform between cities and worldwide megacenters for the restructuring on major technology industries.