Regional Innovation Networks Research Articles

Network Structure And Regional Innovation: A Multi-Level Framework

We develop a typology of regional innovation networks based on the extent to which the inventors in a given location span structural holes within the internal collaboration network or connect local inventors with inventors outside their region. We identify four types of network configurations characterized by different levels of internal brokerage and external boundary-spanning (fortresses, multi-level brokers, playing fields and absorbers). Using data on co-inventing networks within and between United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas between 2000 and 2014, we show that configurations balancing internal brokerage (closure) and low (high) external boundary-spanning lead to higher innovation performance than isomorphic configurations. In a nutshell, our findings convey a more nuanced, multi-level understanding of the trade-offs between different brokerage roles in regional innovation dynamics.

An Evolutionary Game Analysis of Synergetic Innovation behaviour in regional innovation networks

Regional innovation network has become an important way to improve national independent innovation ability and promote regional and social development. This paper studies the evolution of the synergetic innovation system of industry-university-Research Collaboration under the government behaviour, constructs an asymmetric evolutionary game model between the government and industry-university Research collaboration, and analyses the influence of parameter changes on synergetic innovation decisionmaking behaviour. The results showed that the government’s regulatory costs, subsidies from the government, the production, will take the profit resulting from the synergetic innovation behavior, coordination costs and government punishment, and one party to the cooperative behaviour decision to bring the other side of the loss factors such as size, to participate in Innovation decision-making behaviour of the subject of dynamic evolution path and the results have important influence to the use of MATLAB software evolution paths of related factors under different conditions and the trend of simulation test and verify.

Innovation network characteristics and equipment manufacturing industry upgrading: based on the mediating effect of innovation ability

In order to strengthen the guiding and supporting role of the innovation-driven development strategy, and to promote the structural optimization and efficiency improvement of the equipment manufacturing industry, this paper analyzes the structure, function and characteristics of the regional equipment manufacturing industry innovation network, and proposes a conceptual model and theoretical hypothesis that the innovation network based on the mediating effect of innovation capability affects the upgrade effect of the regional equipment manufacturing industry. Through a questionnaire survey of 219 enterprises in my country’s equipment manufacturing industry and structural equation model verification, it measures the action path and industrial upgrading law of innovation network influencing regional equipment manufacturing industry upgrading.

Structural Characteristics and Implications of Regional Innovation Networks

Structural Characteristics and Implications of Regional Innovation Networks

Resource Support or Emotional Trust: Effects of Perceived Organizational Support on Entrepreneurial Performance of Global Talents in China

Global talents are introduced for entrepreneurship and development in China, which is not only a significant way to gather heterogeneous human capital and realize industrial transformation and upgrading in a short period of time, but also a strategic measure to drive innovative development and build an innovative country relying on talents. The regional innovation network gathers innovation elements such as upstream and downstream enterprises, universities and scientific research institutes in the industrial chain, which provides great information and resource support for global talents to gather innovation and entrepreneurship in China. Taking global talents in China as the research object, this paper constructs the relationship model among perceived organizational support, innovation network embeddedness and entrepreneurship performance in innovation network and conducts empirical research. The survey data of Global Talents in China was analyzed by SPSS 24.0 and MPLUS 7.4. The results show that the two dimensions of perceived organizational support instrumentality and emotionality have significant positive impact on entrepreneurial performance and innovation network embeddedness; while innovation network embeddedness has significant positive effects on entrepreneurial performance, but the influence of structural embeddedness is more significant than that of relational embeddedness; relational embeddedness and structural embeddedness play a partial mediating role in the influence of instrumental support and emotional support on technological innovation performance, while structural embeddedness plays a complete mediating role in the influence of instrumental support and emotional support on growth potential performance. Based on the results of empirical research, the paper proposes to further optimize the allocation of network resources, strengthen emotional support, expand the scale of innovative network, and strive to create an international talent development environment that is similar to overseas.

Can a region’s network location characteristics affect its innovation capability? Empirical evidence from China

PurposeThis study aims to explore the influence of a region’s network location characteristics and indirect connections on its innovation capability. The aim is to assist regions in different network locations to use innovation resources to improve their innovation capabilities more efficiently.Design/methodology/approachThis paper represents the Chinese regional innovation network using the gravity model. A theoretical framework is developed to explore the relationships between a region’s innovation capability and its network location. Hypotheses are tested using hierarchical regressions.FindingsFirst, this paper finds that a region’s network centrality can promote its innovation capability. Second, a structural hole can positively adjust the relationship between a region’s centrality and innovation capability. Third, a region’s indirect connections can inhibit its innovation capability while exhibiting a U-shaped relationship in moderating centrality and innovation capability.Originality/valueThis study uses a multi-index system to construct an innovation network covering 29 regions in China. This network represents the innovation cooperation and overall situation of innovation in China. The paper is one of the first attempts at investigating the relationship between regional network locations and innovation capability. It is also the first attempt at testing the influence of indirect connections on a region’s innovation capability. The findings provide a new perspective on the factors influencing regional innovation capacity and a new way for regions to improve their innovation capability.

Fuzzy Principal Component Analysis Model on Evaluating Innovation Service Capability

This article mainly evaluates the regional innovation service capacity through the TOPSIS method. Firstly, a regional collaborative innovation network is constructed and the Yangtze River Delta region is selected for analysis. Secondly, an evaluation index is constructed for innovation service capability, fuzzy principal component analysis is used to refine quantitative and qualitative index data of innovation service capability, and the index weight is calculated. Then the region of the Yangtze River Delta is selected and TOPSIS method is used to assist in the effective decision-making process of the evaluation of innovative service capabilities. Due to the large amount of data in this article, MATLAB programming is used. Finally, through the comparative analysis of the results, countermeasures and suggestions are put forward from the perspective of the improvement of collaborative innovation service capabilities.

The Influence Mechanism of Resources on Enterprise Innovation Performance: An Empirical Study in East China Coastal Cities

Ji, H.; Suo, L.L., and Sui, Y.T., 2020. The influence mechanism of resources on enterprise innovation performance: An empirical study in east China coastal cities. In: Qiu, Y.; Zhu, H., and Fang, X. (eds.), Current Advancements in Marine and Coastal Research for Technological and Sociological Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 107, pp. 372-376. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.In an increasingly competitive global market, innovation resources have played an important role in improving enterprise innovation performance. However, there are relatively few studies on how innovation resources can promote the innovation performance of enterprises, and how to improve enterprise innovation resources. On the other hand, as a strategic core area of economic development, the east China coastal cities are the main users of innovation resources and the main producers of technological innovation in the country. Therefore, this paper adopts a structural equation model and takes coastal cities in eastern China as a research sample to discuss the conditions, structure and mechanism of innovation resources. The study found that regional innovation networks have a positive impact on the acquisition of enterprise innovation resources and enterprise innovation capabilities; innovation resources have a positive impact on enterprise innovation capabilities and enterprise innovation performance. Besides, innovation capabilities play an intermediary role in this process.

Explaining the past, predicting the future: the influence of regional trajectories on innovation networks of new industries in emerging economies

ABSTRACT Economic geographers have recently made important contributions to understanding of the relationship between regional transformation, industrial specialisation and innovation networks in the emergence of new industries. However, most contemporary research has focused on the influence of networks on regional trajectories, paying lip service to how regional trajectories also influence network configurations. Furthermore, international comparative research on how specific regional innovation system (RIS) trajectories may shape innovation networks in new industrial sectors is underdeveloped. The paper investigates how the trajectories of Bangalore and Beijing RISs influence the objectives and geographical configuration of innovation networks in the new media industry. The co-evolution of different elements of the RIS trajectory points to the unfolding of a politically and institutionally driven trajectory in Beijing, and a cognitively driven trajectory in Bangalore. These trajectories lead to specific barriers and opportunities for the development of innovation networks in new industries.

Structural heterogeneity and proximity mechanism of China’s inter-regional innovation cooperation network

ABSTRACT Based on the cooperation patent data between 31 provinces in China from 1985 to 2017, this paper portrays the topological structure, spatial pattern and proximity mechanism of China’s inter-regional innovation cooperation network by the graph theory, spatial statistical methods and the quadratic assignment procedure model. The conclusions are as follows: (1) the topological structure of China’s inter-regional innovation cooperation forms a hierarchical network with Beijing as the core and it exhibits a typical small-world property and ‘core–periphery’ structure. (2) In terms of spatial distribution characteristics, the ‘quadruple’ with the Beijing–Tianjin region, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Sichuan as the peaks has become the backbone of the inter-regional innovation cooperation network in China. At the same time, the spatial differentiation of the three indicators of degree centrality, median centrality and intensity centrality is obvious. (3) In terms of proximity mechanism, geographical, institutional and cognitive proximity exert a significant effect on China’s inter-regional innovation cooperation network linkage. However, there are significant differences in the effects of various proximity elements on China’s regional innovation network.

Integration of regional innovation platforms through inter-level networking

Purpose of the study . Innovative platforms as an institute for the development of innovative activities in the education system are the technological basis for the formation of a regional innovation and educational network. The development and use of models of network interaction between educational organizations is an effective tool. The purpose is to describe the development of a regional model of inter-level network interaction of educational organizations and the results of its testing to disseminate the experience of creating innovative educational resources and the development of digital educational professional communities. The article discusses the main problems of development and improving the quality of education of all types and levels using digital technologies in Russian system of education. Materials and methods . The methods of analysis and comparison of domestic and foreign theory of the development of the educational system are used. The study of the model of innovative pedagogy as means of adapting the education system to the new challenges of the 21 st century helps to identify effective methods of improving in the implementation of innovative projects and programmes, using information and communication technologies in the modern system of regional education through inter-level integration. To study the effectiveness of the implementation of the network interaction model, we used the results of a survey of participants in the network professional community of regional innovative educational platforms. Study results . The study showed that the use of digital technologies, in particular, when creating new network resources for the interaction of regional innovation platforms, has a positive impact on the level and quality of implementation of innovative projects and programs. A model of the organization of network interaction of regional innovative educational platforms is presented, which shows that to a greater extent it helps to unleash the creative potential of teams of educational organizations located in rural areas. The level of involvement and motivation of all members of the community to set and achieve a goal, search for a collective solution and develop recommendations for improving the educational process in the online communication mode is increasing. The positive emotional influence of network interaction on productivity and quality of work, the mood of teachers is noted. A number of problem areas were identified in the process of creating innovative platforms, the elimination of which will contribute to increasing the efficiency of the digitalization process in education. Conclusion. A significant contribution to the development of the regional education system is made by the activity of innovative platforms created with the aim of testing and further disseminating successful advanced pedagogical experience in the region. The proposed model of network interaction of regional innovation platforms shows the possibility of overcoming differences in the conditions of subjects of education to be combined in digital professional communities and contributes to the implementation of successful innovative teaching practices. The results of the study can be useful for institutions of educational development at the regional level of management and development of interconnection of participants in the educational process.

REGIONAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS AND SMART SPECIALIZATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR REGIONS

Global competition is today a reality and making smart regions smarter through smart specialization is currently on the political and economic agenda of territories. This study aims to contribute to clarifying the framework for the regional innovation ecosystems as well as identifying new research paths. Through extensive research using the Web of Science database with resource to a bibliometric analysis on smart specialization, six clusters were identified: cluster 1 – innovation networks and triple helix; cluster 2 - regional innovation systems; cluster 3 – regional innovation network; cluster 4 - smart innovation policies; cluster 5 – smart specialization; and cluster 6 - Asian innovation systems. Several future lines of research recently published in literature distributed by the six clusters were identified. This study also contributes to open new research horizons in these areas of knowledge, allowing the emergence of new streams of thought on the part of scholars, policymakers, economic agents and society in general.

Effects of Cluster Policies on Regional Innovation Networks: Evidence From France

Despite the growing body of literature evaluating cluster policies, it still remains difficult to establish conclusively their structural effects on regional innovation networks. Focusing on the French cluster policy during the period 2005-2010, this study aims at evaluating how cluster policies influence the structure of local innovation networks following network topologies that may be beneficial for regional innovation. Based on a panel data of four periods and 94 NUTS3 French regions, we estimate spatial Durbin models, allowing us to identify direct, indirect and total effects of cluster policies. The results suggest that cluster policies can result in both positive and negative total effects on the structure of local innovation networks depending on regions’ technological specialisation. Beyond the heterogeneous effects, the results also highlight that cluster policies may lead to a regional competition for the strengthening of innovation networks. This finding echoed previous research pointing out the possible ‘beggar-thy-neighbour’ effects of cluster policies.

Modeling a successful innovation ecosystem toward a sustainable community: The I-Reef (a review study)

So far, numerous studies have exhibited Silicon Valley and other thriving innovation ecosystems by distinguishing special characteristics in which their survival rely on sustaining activities that convert them to specific regions. These regions provide ready-made grounds for networking to be innovative. Meantime, it is struggling for innovations to be transformed into measurable economic results if players encounter a weak network of collaborative relationships in the ecosystem. Besides, flowing back the created value in the same region could be another problem with the actual innovation ecosystems to be utilized by all players created this. It is interesting that successful innovation ecosystems share many characteristics with coral reefs in which the process of economic growth and the renewal of an evergreen region is credible in specific collaborative relationships. Hence, the I-Reef model suggests a particular ecosystem where All-Win contribution relationships of the regional innovation networks return the results into the whole region.

Network position and innovation capability in the regional innovation network

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the positioning of actors characterized by different natures in a regional innovation network and explores how these actors improve their innovation capabilities by assuming prominence or brokering positions. Innovation capability is widely seen to be the driving force in building regional competitive advantage, therefore investigating how the positioning of actors improves their innovation-related activities is relevant in terms of regional competitiveness. This paper builds on a survey conducted on the Sicilian regional area in Italy. A questionnaire was used to collect data concerning the relationships established between actors and the extent to which these relationships impact actors’ innovation capability. Results suggest that regional actors cannot be considered as a homogeneous group regarding their positioning in a regional network and that the innovation benefits of assuming different network positions depend on their nature. This paper offers some theoretical implications to the literature on regional innovation network and practical suggestions to organizations and regional policy makers.

Knowledge bases and responsibility within regional innovation systems: reflections from the Twente region

ABSTRACTIncreasing public investments in distributed platform infrastructures created new opportunities for economic growth and social welfare but simultaneously were associated with growing societal distrust in science’s power to solve societal problems. The concept of Responsible Research and Innovation was advanced as providing mechanisms to recouple science and society ensuring that research and innovation continues to uphold its societal duties. In this paper, we explore the extent to which it is possible to identify repertoires of responsible innovation behaviour within extant regional research and innovation networks through the way that these innovation networks draw on informal regional innovation resources. We distinguish two kinds of regional innovation network, those based on primarily synthetic knowledge bases, and those based on primarily analytic knowledge bases, in the eHealth sector where there are substantive societal concerns regarding responsibility and innovation. We contend it appears that the coupling of patients to innovation networks through their prior association with innovators (e.g. as patients) affects the scope for responsibility. We therefore contend that more attention is required for understanding the dynamics of citizen-innovator coupling in regional innovation networks if responsibility is to become a more common systemic property.

Designing regional development? Exploring the University of Aveiro's role in the innovation policy process

ABSTRACTWith growing pressure to contribute to their region's development, universities are increasingly called upon to engage dynamically in innovation policy-making and governance activities. Previous studies suggest in their collaboration with local and regional government that universities can emerge as animateurs, providing guidance, consolidating networks, and ultimately activating institutional and human agency. This is especially important in the context of less-developed regions, where the unlocking of innovative potential may rest on those factors. This paper provides an extended perspective on universities’ engagement in innovation policy processes and, in a broader sense, on the collaboration between these higher education institutions and local and regional government. Through an analysis of the partnership between two Portuguese institutions, the University of Aveiro and the intermunicipal community of the region of Aveiro, this study explores the potential implications on regional innovation policy and the activation of institutional agency in a less-developed context. Policy documents, reports and interview data from 18 academics, top managers, policy-makers and other stakeholders show that while institutional expectations differ, collaborative interplays have boosted the formation and growing effectiveness of regional innovation networks, crucial for the development of less-developed regions.

Dynamics of innovation network journeys: phases and crossroads in seven regional innovation networks

ABSTRACTThere is a growing body of research on network driven innovation. Based on seven case studies of regional innovation networks in tourism, this paper aims to develop a better understanding of the dynamics of their development. While innovation research emphasizes the complexity of the innovation process and its cyclic and iterative nature, network research describes the development of innovation networks mainly based on linear models. Inspired by Van de Ven, Polley, Garud, and Venkataraman’s [1999. The innovation journey. New York, NY: Oxford University Press] metaphor of a “journey”, this article develops the concept of the “innovation network journey” to describe both the designed and emergent development of networks working with innovation. The development processes are categorized into phases that may be repeated throughout the network lifespan, and crossroads that lead to the changed pace or path of the network journey. The paper contributes to the existing literature by new knowledge about how crossroads can be a part of the network journey and four main critical factors leading to crossroads, namely financing, management, organizing and shared activities.

Implementation of regional innovation networks: a case study of the biotech industry in Campania

Purpose of the paper : The paper aims to investigate whether Distretto ad Alta Tecnologia Campania Bioscience - CB, an emergent regional innovation network promoted by the Campania Regional Authority, can become sustainable, i.e. whether it can achieve the expected results and last in the future. Methodology : The work is based on a qualitative method - a single case study - and investigates the sustainability of CB in reference to three theoretical aspects: a) the structure of innovation networks and the linkages established within them; b) the external context; c) the advantages and disadvantages of being part of such networks. Findings : The above theoretical aspects have been properly considered when implementing CB. Therefore, up to now, CB is a candidate for a sustainable regional innovation network. Research limitations : CB is still in an embryonic phase. This exploratory study leads to results that need to be confirmed - or that might be denied - by future, longitudinal studies. Implications : Policy makers aiming to implement new regional innovation networks could recall the best practices adopted by the Campania Regional Authority when implementing CB. Originality/value of the paper : To our knowledge it is rare to find articles trying to test sustainability of regional innovation networks in reference to Italy. This work therefore represents one of the first attempts to do so.

山东省区域创新网络演化特征及影响因素研究

山东省区域创新网络演化特征及影响因素研究