Multidimensional Proximity Research Articles

Multi-dimensional proximity and network stability: the moderating role of network cohesion

Previous studies regarded network stability as an antecedent of innovation. However, there is little research on its antecedent factors. The paper explores and extends the prior research to analyze the influence of network cohesion on network stability within the framework of multi-dimensional proximity. We collected the unbalanced panel data in the information communication technology industry based on the Derwent Innovations Index databases. The research results show that geographic proximity and technological proximity have an invert-U relationship with network stability, and institutional proximity has positively related to network stability. Moreover, network cohesion positively moderates the impact of multi-dimensional proximity on network stability, and network cohesion has a significant effect on network stability.

Study on the impact of multidimensional proximity on the innovation of tourism industry cluster

This article from the perspective of regional economics and human geography, tries to explore the influence mechanism of tourism industry cluster innovation by using the latest research results of “proximity” in the west. Based on the analysis of relevant theories, This paper proposes relevant research hypotheses, which enriches the theories related to proximity and industrial cluster innovation and lays a theoretical foundation for exploring the essential factors affecting the innovation of tourism industry cluster.

Spatio-temporal evolution of green innovation network and its multidimensional proximity analysis: Empirical evidence from China

The increase in green innovation provincial output comes from both green innovation activities and green innovation inter-provincial spillovers. In this study, the green innovation developments in China from 2007 to 2017 were divided into forming, boom and stable periods based on the green patent grants, after which an improved gravity model was employed to determine the provincial green innovation correlations. Finally, the green innovation network (GIN) evolution and the influence of the multidimensional proximities on its formation were analyzed using social network analysis (SNA) and a quadratic distribution program (QAP). It was found that: the green innovation developments across the provinces were increasingly closely related and had obvious spatial correlations and spillover effects, and most of the more developed eastern provinces, and especially those in the Yangtze river delta, the Pearl river delta and the Bohai rim regions, had strong abilities to absorb and control the green innovation resources. The geographical, cognitive, institutional and technological proximities were all found to contribute to the GIN formation, with the geographical proximity having a positive moderating effect between the non-geographical proximities and the interprovincial green innovation correlations, and both technological proximity and geographical proximity playing a critical role in the current stable period of green technology development. Therefore, it was concluded that: the provinces be given “one-to-one” support; differentiated development policies be developed based on local conditions; transportation infrastructure construction and talent education be strengthened in less developed provinces; and environmental regulation policies be implemented in accordance with local provincial conditions.

The Paths of Internationalization of Chinese Innovative Firms

Innovative enterprises from emerging markets, such as China, are a group of understudied enterprises, which could generate new and important views on internationalization. Some unique characteristics of Chinese innovative enterprises are creating new ideas that help to a better understanding of entry mode choice, market location choice, and entry speed in the paths of internationalization. Drawing on an unbalanced panel of Chinese innovative enterprises’ outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) event data, we analyzed the tendency of the paths of internationalization of Chinese innovative enterprises and the determining factors that influence the Chinese innovative enterprises’ choice in entry mode, market location, and entry speed. The results show that: (1) Chinese innovative enterprises are more likely to choose developing countries than developed countries. (2) When these firms conduct investment activities in developed countries, the probability rank (from high to low) of entry mode choice is acquisition, along with the wholly-owned subsidiary, exporting and joint venture. When these firms expand the business in developing countries, the entry mode of export is most likely to be chosen and the acquisition is least likely to be chosen. (3) This tendency and paths choice of internationalization in entry mode, market location and entry speed are influenced by the international experience, the multidimensional proximity, psychic distance, internationalization motivation, ownership structure, and innovation ability. Finally, we discuss these contributions and make some suggestions for future research.

Evolution of Guangzhou Biomedical Industry Innovation Network Structure and Its Proximity Mechanism

The topological structure and multidimensional proximity evolution mechanism of Guangzhou biomedical industry innovation network are studied by using cooperative patents and cooperative papers from 1998 to 2018 with Ucinet and PLS-SEM. Research shows: ① The evolution of the Guangzhou Biomedical Industry Innovation Network can be divided into three stages, which are the primary budding stage of 1998–2005, the steady development stage of 2006–2012, and the rapid development stage of 2013–2018; ② the number of subjects in the innovation network is increasing, and the types of subjects are constantly increasing. The innovation network has gone from small to large, from closed to open, and from simple to complex. Patents and papers cooperation networks show different characteristics at various stages; ③ the relationship between geographical proximity, cognitive proximity, organizational proximity, and innovation network differs in stages. The interaction of proximity varies with the content of innovation cooperation. Based on this result, we have put forward policy recommendations for different innovative content.

An Overview of Cross-Regional Collaborative Innovation

Cross-regional collaborative innovation is the inevitable choice for the in-depth development of the integration of regional economics. Based on the existing bibliography, this paper provides a systematic and brief review on the studies and progress related to inter-regional collaborative innovation from three aspects, including the multidimensional proximity, knowledge and technology transfer, and innovation clusters. This paper also offers recommendations for future studies, concerning the role of government in the collaborative system, national innovation platform’s construction and operation mechanism, measuring effectiveness of cross-regional collaborative innovation.

Addressing Complex Societal Problems: Enabling Multiple Dimensions of Proximity to Sustain Partnerships for Collective Impact in Quebec

Sustainable solutions for complex societal problems, like poverty, require informing stakeholders about progress and changes needed as they collaborate. Yet, inter-organizational collaboration researchers highlight monumental challenges in measuring seemingly intangible factors during collective impact processes. We grapple with the question: How can decision-makers coherently conceptualize and measure seemingly intangible factors to sustain partnerships for the emergence of collective impact? We conducted an inductive process case study to address this question, analyzing data from documents, observations, and interviews of 24 philanthropy leaders and multiple stakeholders in a decades-long partnership involving Canada’s largest private family foundation, government and community networks, and during which a “collective impact project” emerged in Quebec Province, Canada. The multidimensional proximity framework provided an analytical lens. During the first phase of the partnership studied, there was a lack of baseline measurement of largely qualitative factors—conceptualized as cognitive, social, and institutional proximity between stakeholders—which evaluations suggested were important for explaining which community networks successfully brought about desired outcomes. Non-measurement of these factors was a problem in providing evidence for sustained engagement of stakeholders, such as government and local businesses. We develop a multidimensional proximity model that coherently conceptualizes qualitative proximity factors, for measuring their change over time.

The effect of proximity between universities and research institutes and firms on firm innovativeness

ABSTRACTInnovativeness is generally considered as a prerequisite for a firm’s success and survival in a competitive business environment. The proximity between a firm and its knowledge source is often seen as an important contributor to the firm’s innovativeness, but proximity is multidimensional and involves much more than mere geographical proximity, particularly in the internet era. This paper examines the direct and indirect effects of multidimensional proximity between firms and universities/research institutes on firm innovativeness in a weak National Innovation System (NIS) country by considering knowledge interaction as a mediating variable. In order to test the hypotheses, structural equation modelling is performed on data collected from innovative firms in Thailand. The results indicate that the organizational proximity and technological proximity between firms and their university/research institute partners play an indirect role in enhancing the innovativeness of firms through knowledge interactions. The results have significant policy and managerial implications.

Spatial and temporal evolution of urban innovation network in China

Scientific and technological knowledge are increasingly becoming predominant in developing regional competitiveness and shaping the role of innovation in development. This paper focuses on the topological and spatial features of urban innovation networks in China. Using published papers and applied patents in biotechnology field from 2000 to 2012, we analyze the evolution of scientific knowledge networks (SKNs) and technological knowledge networks (TKNs). Four major findings are derived: (1) SKNs are much more complicated than TKNs in terms of size, ties, average degree and other indicators; (2) the two networks meet the scale-free networks, and the correlation analysis confirms the preferential attachment and dis-assortative traits in SKNs and TKNs; (3) spatial and temporal evolution of central nodes and networks structure show the hierarchical diffusion and contagious diffusion in both the networks; (4) multi-dimensional proximity (social, organizational, cognitive, geographical) well explains the knowledge spillover and innovation in SKNs, but it fails to explain them in TKNs. Moreover, social and organizational proximity weigh higher than the other two. The central nodes analysis helps cities better understand their position in networks. We find that comparative analysis of SKNs and TKNs contribute to recognizing the gaps of each city in innovation, which could assist in determining urban innovation policy.

Networks, Proximities, and Interfirm Knowledge Exchanges

Building on previous literature that provides extensive evidence concerning flows of knowledge generated by interfirm agreements, in this article, we aim to analyze how the occurrence of such collaborations is driven by multidimensional proximity among participants and by their position within firms’ networks. More specifically, we assess how the likelihood that two firms set up a partnership is influenced by their bilateral geographical, technological, organizational, institutional, and social proximity and by their position within networks. Our analysis is based on agreements in the form of joint ventures or strategic alliances, announced over the period 2005–2012, in which at least one partner is localized in Italy. We consider the full range of economic activities, which allows us to offer a general scenario and to investigate specifically the role of technological relatedness across different sectors. The econometric analysis, based on the logistic framework for rare events, provided three noteworthy results. First, all five dimensions of proximity jointly exert a positive and relevant effect in determining the probability of interfirm knowledge exchanges, signaling that they complement each other rather than function as alternative channels. Second, the highest impact on probability is due to technological proximity, followed by organizational, geographical, and institutional proximities, while social proximity has a limited effect. Third, we find evidence concerning the positive role played by networks, through preferential attachment effects, in enhancing the probability of interfirm agreements.

Juggling with Proximity and Distance: Collaborative Innovation Projects in the Danish Cleantech Industry

abstract Studies increasingly apply a multidimensional proximity framework in the analysis of collaborations between actors. This article explores the influence of collaboration motives on the desired proximity characteristics of partnerships in innovation projects based on 50 interviews with representatives from Danish cleantech firms. How search criteria along proximity dimensions differ depends on the purposes of the collaborations. In this way, the analysis distinguishes between the types of collaboration, where geographical proximity is considered highly important and those where geographically distant partners are preferred. Geographical proximity plays an important role in partnerships motivated by interaction around actual product development and knowledge creation, while long-distance relationships appear to be important for partnerships motivated by market access and cost considerations. The insight that the desired proximity characteristics of partnerships are indeed contingent on the motive for collaborating highlights how the proximity framework can be applied in the analysis of firm decision making.

Trend Networks: Multidimensional Proximity and the Formation of Aesthetic Choices in the Creative Economy

Godart F. C. Trend networks: multidimensional proximity and the formation of aesthetic choices in the creative economy, Regional Studies. In sociology, a key challenge is to comprehend the formation of aesthetic choices in the highly uncertain settings of the creative industries. The multidimensional proximity perspective – which goes beyond the geographical – developed in economic geography can be used to complement sociological approaches to the formation of choices in creative contexts. The question is explored using a comprehensive large-scale longitudinal dataset of high-end fashion organizations and their selection of stylistic trends presented at biannual fashion shows. Using a social network analysis approach, proximity constructs (geographical, temporal, organizational and status-based) are used to explain the choice of trends conceptualized as temporary proximity.