International Knowledge Flows Research Articles

High alert in the low countries: State-sponsored threat awareness in policing the Dutch port and knowledge sectors

Abstract The war in Ukraine has made clear that we live in a multipolar world where global powers, being the West, Russia, and China, are in continuous geopolitical conflict with one another. It has brought about old and new state-sponsored threats (SSTs), in particular (online) espionage and spreading disinformation, which are instrumentalized by each of these global powers against one another. It altogether puts the national security and economic interests of many more countries at risk. Being heavily dependent on global powers for trade and knowledge building and sharing, small countries seem to be confronted with their powerlessness in the wake of the increasingly threatening multipolar geopolitics. Simultaneously, some of these small countries accommodate important nodes through which international transport and knowledge flow on which global powers, in turn, depend on. In the Netherlands, the port sector (consisting in this study of the Rotterdam and Amsterdam seaports) and the knowledge sector (consisting of several universities, applied universities, and research institutes) form important international nodes for the global transport and knowledge economy. How does the Netherlands position and secure itself through raising awareness of SSTs coming from the global powers it depends on? Based on a study of SST awareness in Dutch ports and higher education, this contribution delivers a possible answer to that question.

The Interplay Between International Relations and Science, Technology and Innovation: An Analysis of Embraer’s International Partnerships

International partnerships have been fundamental to Embraer’s technological advancement. The very creation of the company was only possible due to prior support received from specialized institutions in countries such as the United States, with governmental support. Even so, academic works on Embraer focus very little on its international agreements. This article maps and systematizes literature on international partnerships involving Embraer retrieved by Scopus, Scielo and the CAPES Thesis and Dissertation Catalog. In addition to presenting quantitative data that corroborates the finding on low participation of specific literature on international partnerships involving Embraer, this article demonstrates that almost none of the articles retrieved by the search are from the field of International Relations. In general, concepts and theories on which the mapped literature relies assume a purely transnational component in the partnerships without taking into account, for instance, the role of states in supervising international knowledge flows. Contributions made by the literature, while relevant to understanding business partnerships involving knowledge flows, do not necessarily consider the uniqueness of such flows when they cross national borders. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the mapped literature does not take the partnership axis (North-South or South-South) as a relevant variable for effectiveness.

Networks of international knowledge flows

Innovation systems, being dynamic structures tend to become progressively more globalized, reflecting the presence of a greater intensity of cross-border flows. This process is related to the emergence of a Global Innovation System (GIS). Our research investigates this structural transformation by focusing on international knowledge flows (IKFs). To integrate this investigation with the previous literature on national innovation systems (NISs), we examine international knowledge flows connecting institutions (firms, universities, research institutes, hospitals) from different NISs. Among possible IKFs types, we focus on those created by patent citations - of other patents or scientific articles - and scientific co-authorships. We represent the institutions and the IKFs they create as networks where the nodes are the institutions and the links connecting these nodes are the IKFs. We organize the network in three layers according to the type of IKF that connects the institutions: scientific collaboration, patent citation or article citation in patents. We have divided this paper into six sections. The first presents our theoretical background. The second discusses the characteristics and properties of complex networks and complex systems. The third discusses some characteristics of multilayer networks, a concept used as an analytical tool to develop the empirical analysis. The fourth deals with data and methodology. The fifth analyses the structure of the three network layers, their entanglement and multiplex properties, as well as the institutions connecting them. The sixth and conclusive section discusses how those findings improve the understanding of an emerging GIS.

Geopolitical conflicts, sanctions and international knowledge flows: EU–Russia collaboration during the Ukraine crisis

AbstractThis article studies the development of scientific co‐publications between EU countries and Russia since the start of the Ukraine crisis in 2014. We investigate if economic sanctions and counter‐sanctions imposed during the crisis affected EU–Russia knowledge flows even before all science collaborations between the EU countries and Russia were eventually suspended as part of the EU sanctions in 2022. Our econometric analysis uses a gravity model framework and a comprehensive dataset covering more than 540 million scientific publications and 8.6 million international co‐publications for 35 countries (EU, BRICS, Belarus and Ukraine) during 1995–2018. Findings indicate that the imposition of EU sanctions and Russian counter‐sanctions from 2014 onwards had a significantly negative effect on EU–Russia co‐publication intensities. As a lower bound estimate, we find that sanctions reduced the EU–Russia scientific co‐publication intensity by 15% at the aggregate level. Effects are higher in specific scientific fields. We uncover transmission channels of this effect, for example, related to dual‐use technologies and growing resentments, and assess the robustness of our estimates. Time–dynamic regressions show that the sanctions effect on scientific collaboration increases over time. This underlines the susceptibility of global knowledge flows to geopolitical conflicts.

Managing international knowledge flows at the fuzzy front end of discontinuous innovation

Spatially distributed knowledge in MNCs presents a challenge for the emergence of discontinuous innovations. Our study suggests that a firm’s ability to efficiently exploit international knowledge during the ‘fuzzy front end’ (FFE) depends on the relationship between international subsidiaries and the rest of the firm. Based on an in-depth case study in an international industrial firm, our empirical work identifies two coordination mechanisms firms can apply to manage their knowledge flows and thus reposition subsidiaries to favor discontinuous innovations: the managerial commitment towards local innovation activities, and the embeddedness of local employees into global innovation processes.

Waiving intellectual property rights: Boom or bust for medical innovation?

Proposals to waive intellectual property rights (IPRs) on coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)-related developments have gained considerable support among politicians, including from US President Biden, academics, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the media, and the general public. However, there are surprisingly few reflections about the short- and long-term consequences for medical innovation, particularly the development of new drugs and vaccines. In this feature, I reflect on the consequences for innovative entrepreneurial companies, the incentives to innovate, and consequences for international knowledge flows to low- and middle-income countries. I conclude that waiving IPRs reduces opportunities for entrepreneurial companies to attract sufficient funding for developing medical innovations. Low- and middle-income countries might suffer reduced knowledge inflows in the absence of IPRs that undermine their ability to develop medical innovations.

Technological Catch-Up and Innovative Entrepreneurship in Vietnamese Firms

The article analyses the dynamics of technological catch-up through entrepreneurship in latecomer firms to emerging markets. With this aim, the article introduces Vietnam’s experience and illustrates the result of three case studies of Vietnamese technology firms at different stages of their evolution. Insights from the cases reveal all follow an incremental innovation model based on business model ‘soft’ innovations, mainly in customer-facing activities and partnering, as well as limited products and technology adaptation to local market needs. Consistently with latecomer firms’ theory, the market drives these firm’s innovation efforts, which are concentrated on developing new services and comprehensive solutions rather than new technologies. Comparisons of the findings with recent and similar experiences of Chinese firms highlight that different stages of catch-up lead to different innovation practices in nature and degree, and the need to strengthen institutions to face competition, rather than use the former to shelter from the latter. The Vietnamese firms’ innovation practices and catch-up patterns found are then discussed under the perspective of reaping the benefits of international knowledge and technology flows and the specific challenges faced by Vietnam. The paper concludes with several reflections, lessons learned and perspectives for other newly industrializing emerging countries.

Global systems of innovation: introductory notes on a new layer and a new hierarchy in innovation systems

ABSTRACT This paper revisits the pioneers of innovation systems in the 1980s to evaluate their perception of international forces tensioning national boundaries of those systems. The development of multinational enterprises and consequent changes in their operation beyond national borders is discussed, looking at the formation of a network of international knowledge flows. Those changes are connected to the internationalization of science and consequent formation of another network of international knowledge flows. Both networks, one firm-led and the other university-led, are pushed by the revolutions in information and communication technologies. The combination, overlapping and intertwinement of those two networks of international knowledge flows constitute a new layer in innovation systems – an emergent global innovation system. This new layer rearranges the roles of regional, sectoral and national innovation systems.

Knowledge flows in global renewable energy innovation systems: the role of technological and geographical distance

ABSTRACT Understanding the global knowledge dynamics of renewable energy technologies requires consideration of both technological and geographical dimensions. This paper assesses the relative importance of technological and geographical distant knowledge in the future knowledge development of technological innovation systems (TIS) of renewables. Using global renewable energy patents, we quantify the absorptive capacity of countries as the degree of knowledge accumulation in the knowledge diffusion between domestic actors in a TIS. Our results show that international knowledge flows within a renewable energy TIS are more important for countries with smaller absorptive capacity, whereas countries with larger absorptive capacity benefit more from domestic knowledge originating in other TISs. Consequently, each country faces unique opportunities and constraints with respect to global technological developments when developing renewable energy technologies. These findings lead to policy implications that are specific to developing renewable energy technologies in different countries.

Knowledge flows in contemporary economies: expectations and the European Union results

Motivation: Access to knowledge and the ability to absorb it are increasingly becoming the decisive factor in the level of development and the pace of economic growth. Knowledge transfer is a complex process that can have both an internal dimension (between entities within a given country) and an international one (between domestic and foreign entities). In this context, knowledge flows in the area of science and innovation deserve special attention. Aim: The main purpose of the article is to present the multidimensional nature of knowledge flows and to identify the position of the EU in comparison with global competitors in this filed, especially considering the global science and innovation context. What are the channels of knowledge flow? To what extent does the EU participate in the international knowledge flows? What are the EU expectations in this area? This article endeavours to answer the questions above. Results: The article systematizes information on knowledge flows in economy and supplements it with a comparative analysis, which allows for better understanding of the international position of the European Union in this field. The conclusion states that despite lagging behind the United States, European science is becoming increasingly more open-access oriented and the EU is still among the leaders of international scientific cooperation.

How has external knowledge contributed to lithium-ion batteries for the energy transition?

SummaryInnovation in clean-energy technologies is central toward a net-zero energy system. One key determinant of technological innovation is the integration of external knowledge, i.e., knowledge spillovers. However, extant work does not explain how individual spillovers come about: the mechanisms and enablers of these spillovers. We ask how knowledge from other technologies, sectors, or scientific disciplines is integrated into the innovation process in an important technology for a net-zero future: lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), based on a qualitative case study using extant literature and an elite interview campaign with key inventors in the LIB field and R&D/industry experts. We identify the breakthrough innovations in LIBs, discuss the extent to which breakthrough innovations—plus a few others—have resulted from spillovers, and identify different mechanisms and enablers underlying these spillovers, which can be leveraged by policymakers and R&D managers who are interested in facilitating spillovers in LIBs and other clean-energy technologies.

Skepticism toward globalization, technological knowledge flows, and the emergence of a new global system

AbstractResearch SummaryThis article examines the potential effect of anti‐globalization on a key attribute of multinational enterprises (MNEs)—the ability to transfer efficiently complex firm‐specific technological knowledge internationally. Anti‐globalization policies can suppress the transfer of complex technological knowledge by limiting the international transfer of intellectual property, restricting the free movement of scientists and engineers or by disharmonizing regulations across nations. Such suppression is shown to significantly change the global system in terms of the location of value‐adding activities, their organizational firm boundaries and the origin of MNEs. The model predicts that after a “shock” of anti‐globalization policies, which significantly increases international technological knowledge flow costs, a smaller number of firm and MNE location and control configurations emerges, and domestic firms become more dominant.Managerial SummaryAnti‐globalization policies threaten a key feature of multinational enterprises (MNEs)—the ability to transfer efficiently complex technological knowledge across political borders. They do so through limitations on the international transfer of intellectual property, restrictions on the free movement of scientists and engineers as well as through dis‐harmonization of regulations across nations. We present a model that shows that such limitations are likely to change the global system making it much more similar to the one that existed pre‐WW1 and WW2. The emerging global system is predicted to include a large proportion of domestic firms engaging in international trade and MNEs that locate only a small number of value chain activities abroad.

Capturing information on technology convergence, international collaboration, and knowledge flow from patent documents: A case of information and communication technology

In addressing persistent gaps in existing theories, recent advances in data-driven research approaches offer novel perspectives and exciting insights across a spectrum of scientific fields concerned with technological change and the socio-economic impact thereof. The present investigation suggests a novel approach to identify and analyze the evolution of technology sectors, in this case, information and communications technology (ICT), considering international collaboration patterns and knowledge flows and spillovers via information inputs derived from patent documents.The objective is to utilize and explore information regarding inventors’ geo-location, technology sector classifications, and patent citation records to construct various types of networks. This, in turn, will open up avenues to discover the nature of evolutionary pathways in ICT trajectories and will also provide evidence of how the overall ICT knowledge space, as well as directional knowledge flows within the ICT space, have evolved differently. It is expected that this data-driven inquiry will deliver intuitive results for decision makers seeking evidence for future resource allocation and who are interested in identifying well-suited collaborators for the development of potential next-generation technologies. Further, it will equip researchers in technology management, economic geography, or similar fields with a systematic approach to analyze evolutionary pathways of technological advancements and further enable exploitation and development of new theories regarding technological change and its socio-economic consequences.

Tax distortions in cross-border flows of intangible assets

The phenomenon of global fragmented production and associated trade in intermediate products, including intangible assets, has changed how economists study globalization and how new public policies are shaped. Understanding cross-border flows of disembodied knowledge, often associated with intellectual property (IP), is essential for analyzing how modern economies operate. Available data to document these international IP-related knowledge flows—namely cross-border payments for IP—are distorted by various factors. Tax planning by multinational enterprises has seriously distorted the measurement of cross-border IP flows, affecting national measurements of imports, exports, GDP, and productivity. The tax-induced mismeasurement could be more than 35% of global charges for use of intellectual property, and greater for individual countries, particularly high-tax-rate countries. International initiatives to address the effects of tax base erosion, profit shifting, and other statistical initiatives on global value chains will improve future measurements of cross-border IP flows, improving the understanding of both the creation and uses of IP.

How Patent Rights Affect Vietnam’s Importation

Stronger patent rights will help innovators to protect their inventions in domestic and export markets, however stronger patent right exporting decisions depend on market expansion and market power effects. Although it is quite late to promulgate patent law, Vietnam began to record patent applications and granted them for both domestic and foreign firms from 1981 (patent law was enacted in 2005). However the number of foreign patent applications is different among Vietnam trade partners. I use a number of patent applications of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France to analyze the relationship between trade inflow from those countries and patent rights, I find that Japan applied for the greatest number of patents, which have increased over time. Japanese exports to Vietnam are dominated by market power effects, while other countries’ patent application numbers tend to fluctuate or increases insignificantly over time, with exports being dominated by market expansion effects.
 Keywords
 Patent right, market power effects, market expansion effects, Vietnamese importation
 References
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Comparing the International Knowledge Flow of China’s Wind and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Industries: Patent Analysis and Implications for Sustainable Development

Climate-relevant technologies, like wind and solar energy, are crucial for mitigating climate change and for achieving sustainable development. Recent literature argues that Chinese solar firms play more active roles in international knowledge flows, which may better explain their success in international markets when compared to those of Chinese wind firms; however, empirical evidence remains sparse. This study aims to explore to what extent and how do the international knowledge flows differ between China’s wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) industries? From a network perspective, this paper develops a three-dimensional framework to compare the knowledge flows in both explicit and tacit dimensions: (i) inter-country explicit knowledge clusters (by topological clustering of patent citation network); (ii) inter-firm explicit knowledge flow (patent citation network of key firms); and, (iii) inter-firm tacit knowledge flow (by desktop research and interviews). The results show that China’s PV industry has stronger international knowledge linkages in terms of knowledge clustering and explicit knowledge flow, but the wind power industry has a stronger tacit knowledge flow. Further, this study argues that the differences of global knowledge links between China’s wind and solar PV industries may be caused by technology characteristics, market orientation, and policy implementation. This suggests that these industries both have strong connections to global knowledge networks, but they may involve disparate catch-up pathways that concern follower-modes and leader-modes. These findings are important to help us understand how China can follow sustainable development pathways in the light of climate change.

International research networks: Determinants of country embeddedness

Research activities are increasingly global so that embeddedness in international knowledge networks is decisive for inventive and innovative performance. We analyze determinants of countries’ embeddedness in the global photovoltaics knowledge network for the period 1980–2015 and argue that positions in this network are determined by the structure and functionality of national research systems and by instruments within the policy-mix for renewable energies. We show that cohesion and connectedness of the national research system positively affect international embeddedness, whereas centralized systems are detrimental to embeddedness. This indicates that a diffusion oriented research system allows better access to international knowledge flows. Policy instruments, especially demand side instruments, show a positive effect on embeddedness.

International Knowledge Flows and the Role of Proximity

AbstractInternational knowledge flows have become increasingly common and more frequent and are a key driving force promoting the development of global science. However, little attention has been paid to the determinants of international scientific collaboration. Using co‐publication data from the Web of Science database in the period 2000–2014, this paper illustrates spatial patterns of international knowledge flows and estimates the impact of geographical, technological, social, and cultural proximity on the variation of inter‐country collaboration in science. Our findings demonstrate that the coefficients of the four dimensions of proximity are positive and significant in panel estimates and cross‐section estimates—international knowledge flows are facilitated by geographical, technological, social, and cultural proximity. We also find that the effect of geographical and cultural proximity have waned over time, while the impact of social and technological proximity have strengthened.

Frontier Knowledge and Scientific Production: Evidence from the Collapse of International Science*

We show that World War I and the subsequent boycott against Central scientists severely interrupted international scientific cooperation. After 1914, citations to recent research from abroad decreased and paper titles became less similar (evaluated by latent semantic analysis), suggesting a reduction in international knowledge flows. Reduced international scientific cooperation led to a decline in the production of basic science and its application in new technology Specifically, we compare productivity changes for scientists who relied on frontier research from abroad, to changes for scientists who relied on frontier research from home. After 1914, scientists who relied on frontier research from abroad published fewer papers in top scientific journals, produced less Nobel Prize nominated research, introduced fewer novel scientific words, and introduced fewer novel words that appeared in the text of subsequent patent grants. The productivity of scientists who relied on top 1% research declined twice as much as the productivity of scientists who relied on top 3% research. Furthermore, highly prolific scientists experienced the starkest absolute productivity declines. This suggests that access to the very best research is key for scientific and technological progress.

Growth patterns of the network of international collaboration in science

International knowledge flows might be eroding national borders of innovation systems and contributing for the emergence of an international system of innovation. This paper investigates how far the scientific international collaboration has developed and how stable the structure of those collaborations is, evaluating the properties of those networks and their long term behaviour. The data collected and analyzed show that international collaboration has been growing with a peculiar pattern—faster than an exponential growth-, shaping a scale-free network that has preserved its structure while it grows. This paper analyses the properties of this network and the implications of those properties for an emerging global innovation system in terms of growth, hierarchy, opportunity, challenges, and robustness and for the generation and transfer of technology