International Technological Collaboration Research Articles

Evaluating the asymmetric effect of patents driven environmental technologies on environmental degradation in the E7 countries: An extended model of STIRPAT

AbstractThis research employed an extended Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) modelling providing original empirical evidence on how technological innovation with the presence of green finance, energy transition vectoring renewable and non‐renewable energy, population, affluence, and financial development affect environmental sustainability measured on the carbon emissions and ecological consequences in E7 during the 1996–2019 period. The study applied mean group (MG), pooled mean group (PMG), and dynamic fixed effects (DFE) after conducting various preliminary tests. The findings predominantly revealed that renewable energy, green finance, and the patent in environmental technologies play an important role in mitigating environmental degradation. However, non‐renewable energy, financial development, population growth, and affluence escalate environmental degradation in the emerging countries under investigation. The outcome of this research proved conclusively that it is vital to introduce the patent on environmental technologies to encourage the collaboration on technology development related to global climate change. Furthermore, enhancing international collaboration in research and technology will positively affect local businesses through utilizing the modern climate change mitigation.

Enhancing international collaboration in science, technology, and innovation to achieve sustainable development goals

Abstract This paper develops a framework for policymakers supporting sustainable development through international collaboration in science, technology, and innovation (STI). The approach can be applied to derive the national policy strategy for international collaboration in STI. The contribution focuses on the case of Germany in the field of food and agriculture. Accordingly, considering Germany’s current strategic approach for international collaboration in STI, an evidence-based tool for priority setting in the selection of potential partners and technology fields is developed and implemented. More specifically, the approach assesses the opportunity environment for international STI collaboration of Germany with potential partners using patent and economic indicators to capture technological capabilities, technological demand, economic relevance of food, and agriculture in national economies as well as technological and export specialization in food and agriculture. The results present policy strategies enhancing sustainable development.

Single-cell mapping reveals several immune subsets associated with liver metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Identifying a metastasis-correlated immune cell composition within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) will help to develop promising and innovative therapeutic strategies. However, the dynamics of immune cell lineages in the TME of advanced PDAC remains elusive. Twenty-six samples from 11 patients (including 11 primary tumor tissues, 10 blood, and 5 lymph nodes) with different stages were used to develop a multiscale immune profile. High-dimensional single-cell analysis with mass cytometry was performed to search for metastasis-correlated immune changes in the microenvironment. The findings were further validated by published single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data and multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry. High-dimensional single-cell profiling revealed that the three immune-relevant sites formed a distinct immune atlas. Interestingly, thePDAC microenvironment with the potential for metastatic spread to the liver was characterized by a decreased proportion of CD103+PD-1+CD39+ Tcells with cytotoxic and exhausted functional status and an increased proportion of CD73+ macrophages. Analysis of scRNA-seq data of PDAC further confirmed the identified subsets and revealed strong potential interactions via various ligand-receptor pairs between the identified T subsets and the macrophages. Moreover, stratified patients with different immune compositions correlated with clinical outcomes of PDAC. Our study uncovered metastasis-correlated immune changes, suggesting that ecosystem-based patient classification in PDAC will facilitate the identification of candidates likely to benefit from immunotherapy. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, the Shanghai International Science and Technology Collaboration Program, the Shanghai Sailing Program, and the Key Laboratory of diagnosis and treatment of severe hepato-pancreatic diseases of Zhejiang Province.

Impacts of Digital Trade Restrictiveness on Green Technology Innovation: An Empirical Analysis

ABSTRACT Using data covering 50 countries from 2014 to 2018, this study investigates the impact of digital trade restrictiveness (DTR) on green technology innovation (GTI). Our findings indicate that DTR has a detrimental impact on GTI. We further show that this negative effect can be explained through channels of international technology collaboration (ITC) and international technology diffusion (ITD). Finally, our group tests results indicate that increasing innovation input, promoting democracy and setting up carbon trading markets can mitigate the negative impact of DTR on GTI.

Structural characteristics and determinants of an international green technological collaboration network

Green technologies are key factors in mitigating climate change and reducing carbon emissions, but, compared to other technologies, they are more complex and require close cooperation between countries. This research applies social network analysis and a quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) to explore the structural characteristics and determinants of a global green technological collaboration network from 2000 to 2018, based on 456,945 patents. The results show that the number of countries involved in green technology cooperation is rapidly growing; however, the cooperative network is far from complete or regular and presents obvious core–periphery structural features. The United States and Canada, Germany and France, and China and Japan are, respectively, at the center of the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Block model results indicate that the pattern of global green technological cooperation centers on core countries and is led by core countries and strong semi-peripheral countries. QAP regression analysis shows that economic proximity, technological proximity, social proximity, and strict environment regulations are key factors that promote international green technological collaboration. The determinants of green technology cooperation within each continent are also heterogeneous. Lastly, policy recommendations are provided based on the results.

Resilient satellite navigation empowers modern science, economy, and society

Established on the exact mathematical principles, understanding of radio-wave propagation, and statistical signal processing and information theory, satellite navigation has become an essential cornerstone of modern civilisation, and an indispensable component of the national infrastructure. The increasing number of both navigation and non-navigation applications of the Global Navigations Satellite System (GNSS) utilise its Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service for technology and business development, daily operation of technology and socio-economic systems, and improvement of the quality of life. The inherent shortcomings and limitations of GNSS ask for a transition towards the GNSS resilient to natural and artificial detrimental effects, which degrade the GNSS positioning performance. Here a systematic overview of the causes of the GNSS positioning performance degradation is outlined. Recent developments in mathematics and computer science are discussed as fundamental in the GNSS resilience development. Formulation of the Satellite-Positioning-as-a-Service (SPaaS) is outlined, as the new fundamental paradigm for resilient GNSS. Finally, the effects of the SpaaS on the wide range of GNSS applications in science, economy, and society are discussed. The contributions to SPaaS concept and the related developments through the application of statistical learning, mathematical methods and models development, and applications discussed result from the author’s involvement in numerous international strategic, technology, regulatory, standardisation, business, and academic education development and collaboration activities.

Legal and environmental factors hindering the development of scientific and technical cooperation in SCO countries

The present work is devoted to the analysis of problems in development of international scientific and technical cooperation between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member-states. Among the main factors that determine the development of scientific and technological sphere, the most important are legal factors, the detailed analysis of which is presented for each member state of Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The study of legal factors hindering the development of scientific and technological cooperation is based on the peculiarities of national legal regulation of scientific and innovation activity and the shortcomings of international agreements within the SCO. The authors identify both internal and external legal factors that influence the development of international scientific and technological collaboration. The authors consider the state of legal regulation of national science and technology policy and the legal status of organizations involved in the development of science as internal legal factors. External legal factors include the existence of bilateral treaties between the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization regulating scientific and technological cooperation, as well as the content of multilateral treaties on scientific and technological cooperation between all member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Based on the results of the study, the authors conclude that it is necessary to harmonize the national legislation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries on the issues of legal regulation of scientific and technological cooperation, as well as to consolidate at the international level the legal mechanisms for implementation of certain aspects of cooperation in the scientific and technological fields.

Measuring technological collaborations on carbon capture and storage based on patents: A social network analysis approach

With huge technical potential, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is widely regarded as an important means of addressing climate change. International technological collaboration on CCS appears particularly crucial to help expedite commercial-scale deployment globally. This study investigates CCS patents and measures technological collaborations among CCS research communities by looking at a global patent cooperation network. Using a social network analysis method, network properties, network actors and cohesive subgroups were examined. The collaborative strength of patentees is also investigated, along with an analysis of the breadth and depth of technological collaboration. The results show that the overall collaboration network of CCS is still at an early stage of development; CCS enterprises and relevant R&D organizations have not established close partnerships. Based on the findings, two suggestions are proposed in order to promote more successful technological collaborations, including the creation of CCS patent pools and the construction of CCS knowledge sharing platforms.

How S&T connectivity supports innovation-driven development: an analysis of China's cooperation networks in high and new technology fields

ABSTRACT As China developed towards an innovation-driven economy, both domestic and international connectivity have come to play a central role in regional development. Furthermore, earlier research has shown that the structure of inter-provincial S&T networks has developed substantially. However, differentiated analyses on the effects of S&T connectivity on regional development have remained rare and robust inferences on the exact role of particular aspects consequently difficult. Based on co-publication and co-patent data this paper analyses the role of S&T connectivity as a determinant of provincial-level innovation-driven development in China. Unambiguously, it confirms the essential role of S&T connectivity proposed by earlier literature. At the same time, it finds that this role only develops in full after initial investments in the local environment and never exceeds that of S&T inputs. Furthermore, it finds that international technological collaboration has become more, not less important drivers of development for regions as China's innovative capacities increased.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram Combining Hematological and Imaging Feature for Preoperative Prediction of Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Background: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a significant hazard factor which influences the recurrence and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatectomy. We aimed to develop and validate a nomogram that combines hematological and imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma patients for preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion. Methods: The study included a total of 709 HCC patients who underwent liver resection at the Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (FDZS) between June 1,2015 and December 30,2016 (496 as training validation cohort and 213 as validation cohort). Blood biochemistry parameters and radiological features of dynamic contrast‑enhanced MRI were extracted. Lasso regression model and multivariable logistic regression were used for data dimension reduction, variable selection and development of the predicting model. The model was presented as a nomogram and its performance was assessed in terms of discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness. Results: In the training cohort, 218 of 496 patients (43.9%) had histopathologically identified MVI compared to 88 of 213 patients (41.3%) in the validation cohort. Independent prognostic factors including alkaline phosphatase (ALP, >125 U/L), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP, within 20 - 400 or >400 ng/mL), protein induced by vitamin K absence-II (PVIKA-II, within 40 – 400 or >400 mAU/mL), tumor number, diameter, pseudo-capsule, tumor growth pattern and intratumor hemorrhage were incorporated in our nomogram. The model showed good discrimination and calibration , with a concordance indexes (C-index,0.82[ 95% CI: 0.7822-0.857]) in the training cohort and C-index (0.80, [95% CI: 0.772-0.837]) in the validation cohort. Decision curve analysis (DCA) also showed that this model was clinically useful. Interpretation: This study presents an optimal model that addresses and combines hematological and radiological features. By predicting the incidence of MVI preoperatively , this model could help surgeons choose the best treatment options for HCC patients before and after the operation. Funding Statement: This work was funded by grants from the Shanghai International Science and Technology Collaboration Program (18410721900), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81472672), and Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no potential conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Informed consent of clinical data used in this study was obtained from all patients without financial compensation.

Open innovation at the national level: Towards a global innovation system

This study addresses the issue of international technology collaboration by proposing a framework for establishing national-level strategies. A multi-level strategic framework that helps a country to develop a collaboration strategy with another country at three different levels is proposed. The nature of the collaboration is investigated with respect to attractiveness at the macro-level (market and technology attractiveness), closeness at the meso-level (degree of existing relationships between the two countries), and strategy at the micro-level (collaboration targets and modes).

Identification of Critical Factors Contributing to International Technological Collaborations: The Case of Pharmaceutical Industry

International technology-based collaborations require that industry managers adequately deal with multiple factors. This is particularly the case in the pharmaceutical industry where strict standards, advanced technologies, and complex managerial aspects exist. This paper studies the critical factors affecting international technology transfer (TT) projects in the Iranian pharmaceutical industry. To this end, it adopted a qualitative method to investigate participants’ experiences and their viewpoints regarding the factors contributing to TT success. The main finding of the research revealed that, among others, supportive governmental policies and large market size were the main environmental factors which facilitate TT processes. Findings also showed that there are some imperative issues such as regulatory frameworks, lack of intellectual property regimes, and political factors which have to be taken into account in the process of TT.

Collaborative patents and the mobility of knowledge workers

This study explores the importance of the mobility of knowledge workers (i.e., inventors) for the formation of collaborative patents across different regional contexts. In particular, it looks at a sample of co-inventors in the biotechnology industry in Europe, and estimates the factors that speed up the years needed for collaboration. It tests and finds that collaborations between two separated inventors emerge faster if they were located in the same geographical area in the past, even after controlling for a large number of meaningful proximities between them. Furthermore, the empirical approach suggests that this ‘previous co-location’ premium becomes more valuable when other channels of interaction – social, cognitive, institutional, geographic – are weak or non-existent, and in fostering international technological collaborations.

Exploring the Technological Collaboration Characteristics of the Global Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Industry

With the intensification of international competition, there are many international technological collaborations in the integrated circuit manufacturing (ICM) industry. The importance of improving the level of international technological collaboration is becoming more and more prominent. Therefore, it is vital for a country, a region, or an institution to understand the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry and, thus, to know how to enhance its own international technological collaboration. This paper depicts the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry based on patent analysis. Four aspects, which include collaboration patterns, collaboration networks, collaboration institutions, and collaboration impacts, are analyzed by utilizing patent association analysis and social network analysis. The findings include the following: first, in regard to international technological collaboration, the USA has the highest level, while Germany has great potential for future development; second, Asia and Europe have already formed clusters, respectively, in the cooperative network; last, but not least, research institutions, colleges, and universities should also actively participate in international collaboration. In general, this study provides an objective reference for policy making, competitiveness, and sustainability in the ICM industry. The framework presented in this paper could be applied to examine other industrial international technological collaborations.

In-depth analysis of international collaboration and inter-institutional collaboration in nuclear science and technology during 2006–2015

ABSTRACT Nuclear science and technology (NST) is a promising but dangerous field, and the collaboration patterns were cautiously encouraged to promote this field. An in-depth analysis was conducted to reveal overall trends, collaboration patterns, citation impact, and collaboration networks in NST category of the Science Citation Index Expanded. Newly developed indicators of TC year, CPP year, SNI, and CPP SNI were employed for the concrete analysis. Fruchterman Rheingold default layout algorithm in Gephi 0.9.1, a data visualization and manipulation software, was also used to visualize the network and relationships of collaboration among countries, and institutions. Results show that the leading institutions and countries involve more inter-institutional and international collaborations. The USA and European countries were important centers of global international collaboration network, while Iran was isolated from the international community. National Institute for Nuclear Physics from Italy and Japan Atom Energy Agency were two centers of inter-institutional collaboration network. International collaboration improved scientific impact of almost all countries in NST field. Moreover, a close relationship between one country's scientific papers and nuclear power stations was revealed. This study originally revealed the collaboration patterns and impact of NST during 2006–2015, and provided important information and prior collaborators for researchers and policy-makers.

Understanding Vaccine Innovation System in India

This book depicts about the issues of vaccine innovation and immunization in India. It has multidisciplinary dimension approach which try to assimilate the national innovation system to international system of innovation. Basically, this approach has occurred due to international collaboration in Science and Technology (S&T) which leads to involvement of new actors especially from developing countries i.e., India and China. The effect of this approach can be seen in flow of FDI in R&D, global knowledge networks, migration and circulation of knowledge workers. Moreover, the author argues that the innovation process is intervened through dependencies arising from international S&T order and interdependencies generated by the globalization process and emerging technologies. Beside this, it also focuses on the growth of the vaccine based on existing pattern and socio-economic dimensions of vaccine in India. Read more . . . . .

International Collaboration Patterns and Effecting Factors of Emerging Technologies.

With the globalization of the world economy, international innovation collaboration has taken place all over the world. This study selects three emerging technologies (3D printing, big data and carbon nanotubes and graphene technology) among 20 countries as the research objects, using three patent-based indicators and network relationship analysis to reflect international collaboration patterns. Then we integrate empirical analyses to show effecting factors of international collaboration degrees by using panel data. The results indicate that while 3D printing technology is associated with a “balanced collaboration” mode, big data technology is more accurately described by a radial pattern, centered on the United States, and carbon nanotubes and graphene technology exhibits “small-world” characteristics in this respect. It also shows that the factors GDP per capita (GPC), R&D expenditure (RDE) and the export of global trade value (ETV) negatively affect the level of international collaboration. It could be useful for China and other developing countries to make international scientific and technological collaboration strategies and policies in the future.

Globalization of innovation production: A patent-based industry analysis

Using patent-based indicators, this paper aims at explaining to what extent the production of innovation is globalized. Firstly, it provides evidence ‐ over time, across countries and across industrial sectors ‐ on the patterns in international technological collaboration and in cross-border ownership of innovation. Secondly, a fractional logit model is estimated for a unique panel dataset covering patent information of 21 industries in 29 countries from 1980 to 2005. The results show that countries tend to be more globalized in industrial sectors in which they are less technologically specialized. It suggests that globalization of innovation is more driven by home-base augmenting determinants than home-base exploiting ones. The empirical findings also indicate that the intensity of globalization of innovation is higher in multidisciplinary country-industry pairs and in those which compete internationally in trade.

Inventor Diasporas and the Internationalization of Technology

This paper documents the influence of diaspora networks of highly-skilled individuals -- that is, inventors -- on international technological collaborations. Using gravity models, it studies the determinants of the internationalization of inventive activity between a group of industrialized countries and a sample of developing and emerging economies. The paper examines the influence exerted by skilled diasporas in fostering cross-country co-inventorship as well as R&D offshoring. The study finds a strong and robust relationship between inventor diasporas and different forms of international co-patenting. However, the effect decreases with the level of formality of the interactions. Interestingly, some of the most successful diasporas recently documented -- namely, Chinese and Indian ones -- do not govern the results.

Zero-Magnetic-Field Oscillation of Spin Transfer Nano-Oscillator with a Second-Order-Perpendicular-Anisotropy Free Layer**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11204203 and 61274089, and the International Technology Collaboration Program of Shanxi Province under Grant No 201481029-2.

The zero-magnetic-field oscillation behavior of spin torque nano-oscillator (STNO) with a perpendicularly magnetized free layer with second-order uniaxial anisotropy is studied theoretically based on the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert–Slonczewski equation. It is demonstrated numerically that the second-order uniaxial anisotropy plays a significant role in the occurrence of a zero-magnetic-field steady-state precession, which can be understood in terms of the energy balance between the energy accumulation due to the spin torque and the energy dissipation due to the Gilbert damping. In particular, a relatively large zero-magnetic-field-oscillation current region, in which the corresponding microwave frequency is increased while the threshold current still maintains an almost constant value, can be obtained by modulating the second-order uniaxial anisotropy of the free layer. These results suggest a tunable zero-magnetic-field STNO, and it may be a promising configuration for STNO's applications in future wireless communications.