Cluster Emergence and Network Evolution: A longitudinal analysis of the inventor network in Sophia-Antipolis

A widely held view in cluster research is that clusters are characterized by the presence of networks of local collective learning. However, with a growing number of studies indicating this is not necessarily the case, the question arises under which conditions clusters exhibit dense networks of local collective learning. Taking a longitudinal view at the high-tech cluster of Sophia-Antipolis this paper investigates whether and how networks of collective learning among inventors emerged throughout the growth of the cluster from the late 1970s onwards. On the basis of EPO and USPTO patent data we reconstructed co-inventorship networks for the cluster’s two main industries. Detecting a network of local collective learning only in Information Technology, in which growth has been increasingly based on spin-offs and start-ups, and not in Life Sciences, we suggest that the extent and nature of the local concentration of firms over time strongly affect the evolution of local collective learning networks.cluster evolution, network evolution, collective learning, Sophia-Antipolis

Co-evolution of firms, industries and networks in space

The cluster literature suffers from a number of shortcomings: (1) by and large, cluster studies do not take into account that firms in a cluster are heterogeneous in terms of capabilities; (2) cluster studies tend to overemphasize the importance of place and geographical proximity and underestimate the role of networks which are, by definition, a-spatial entities; (3) most, if not all cluster studies have a static nature, and do not address questions like the origins and evolution of clusters. Our aim is to overcome these shortcomings and propose a theoretical framework on the evolution of clusters. Bringing together bodies of literature on clusters, industrial dynamics, the evolutionary theory of the firm and network theory, we describe how clusters co-evolve with: (1) the industry they adhere to; (2) the (dynamic) capabilities of the firms they contain; and (3) the industry-wide knowledge network they are part of. Based on this framework, we believe the analysis of cluster evolution provides a promising research agenda in evolutionary economic geography for the years to come.cluster evolution, network dynamics, industrial dynamics, co-evolution, evolutionary economic geography

The evolution of knowledge and trade networks in the global wine sector: a longitudinal study using social network analysis

Throughout the last two decades or so the global pattern of wine production has undergone fundamental changes. New players have emerged and technological and organizational changes have reshaped the way wine is produced and marketed. The aim of this study is to increase our understanding into these processes. We map and compare trade and knowledge networks using social network techniques in order to show how globalization has affected this particular sector, and how the main actors of this industry have responded to these challenges. We are able to give account of the structural changes that have characterised the industry at global level over more than three decades and relate them to the features of the main trade and knowledge blocks.trade network, knowledge network, social network analysis, wine sector

Cluster Emergence and Network Evolution: a Longitudinal Analysis of the Inventor Network in Sophia-Antipolis

It is increasingly acknowledged that clusters do not necessarily exhibit networks of local collective learning. This paper addresses the question under which conditions this is the case. Through a longitudinal case study of the business park Sophia-Antipolis it investigates how networks of collective learning emerged throughout the growth of the cluster. Network reconstruction with patent data shows that an innovation network emerged only in Information Technology, in which growth has been increasingly based on local spin-offs and start-ups, and not in Life Sciences. We suggest the extent and nature of agglomeration of firms over time strongly affect the evolution of local collective learning networks.Es wird zunehmend anerkannt, dass Cluster nicht unbedingt Netzwerke des lokalen kollektiven Lernens aufweisen. In dieser Studie wird anhand einer Fallstudie des Geschäftsparks Sophia-Antipolis in Frankreich untersucht, in welchem Umfang im Verlauf des Wachstums dieses Geschäftsparks Netzwerke des kollektiven Lernens entstanden. Aus einer longitudinalen Analyse der Erfindernetzwerke in den beiden Hauptsektoren des Geschäftsparks geht hervor, dass ein lokales Netzwerk des kollektiven Lernens nur in der Informationstechnik entstand, nicht aber in den Biowissenschaften. Die Gründung von Spin-off- und Start-up-Firmen im Bereich der Hochtechnologie führte nur bei der Informationstechnik zu einem Rückgang der anfänglichen Dominanz großer multinationaler Konzerne. Dies lässt darauf schließen, dass kleine Firmen bei der Gründung lokaler Netzwerke eine wichtige Rolle spielen

The Dynamics of the Inventor Network in German Biotechnology: Geographical Proximity versus Triadic Closure

Economic geography has developed a stronghold analysing how geography impacts innovation. Yet, despite increased interest in networks, a critical assessment of the role of geography in the evolution of networks is still lacking. This paper juxtaposes geographical proximity with the network of prior ties as alternative mechanisms for tie formation. Analysing the evolution of inventor networks in German biotechnology, the paper theoretically argues and empirically demonstrates that - as the technological regime of an industry changes over time - inventors increasingly rely on network resources by forming links to partners of partners, whilst the direct impact of geographical proximity on tie formation decreases.network evolution, geographical proximity, triadic closure, inventor networks

The Social Capital of Venture Capitalists and Its Impact on the Funding of Start-Up Firms

How does the social capital of venture capitalists (VCs) affect the funding of start-ups? Extant entrepreneurship literature conceptualizes a substitute effect between the social and financial capital that new firms attain from their investors. On the contrary, by building on the rich social capital literature, we hypothesize a positive effect of VCs’ social capital, derived from past syndication, on the amount of money that start-ups receive. Specifically, we argue that both structural aspects of VCs’ social network, such as the number of connections and the spanning of structural holes, and relational aspects, such as the diversity of network partners’ attributes, provide VCs with superior access to information about current investment objects and opportunities to leverage them in the future, increasing their willingness to invest in these firms. Our empirical results, derived from a novel dataset containing more than 5,000 funding rounds in the Internet and IT sector, strongly confirm our hypotheses. Both structural and relational attributes of VCs’ syndication networks have a significant influence on the funds received by start-up firms, highlighting the importance of a social capital perspective on new venture funding. We discuss the implications of our findings for theories of venture capital and entrepreneurship, showing that the role and effect of VCs’ social capital on start-up firms is much more complex than previously argued in the literature

Dual networking : how collaborators network in their quest for innovation

Organizations typically employ a division of labor between specialist creator roles and generalist business roles in a bid to orchestrate innovation. We seek to determine the extent to which individuals dividing the work across roles can also benefit from dividing their network. We argue that collaborating individuals benefit from connecting to the same groups but different individuals within those groups—an approach we label dual networking—rather than from a pure divide-and-conquer approach. To test this argument, we study a dual career-ladder setting in a large multinational in which R&D managers and technologists partner up in their quest for innovation. We find that collaborators who engage in dual networking attain an innovation performance advantage over those who connect to distinct groups. This advantage stems from the opportunity to engage in the dual interpretation of input the partners receive, as well as from dual influencing that helps them to gain momentum for their proposed innovations, and it leads to more effective elaboration and championing of their ideas. In demonstrating these effects, we advance understanding of how collaborators organize their networking activities to best achieve innovative outcomes

Vibrations of a Complex System with a Viscoelastic Inertial Interlayer

The paper presents an analytical method for solving problems of free and forced vibrations with damping of complex systems whose loaded layers are made of homogeneous elastic inertial materials, and the middle one is made of viscoelastic inertial material. Small lateral vibrations of the complex systems are caused by distributed and movable loads. A dynamic analysis of laminated structures for a wide range of variation of the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of a layer from viscoelastic inertial material was performed.Предложен аналитический метод решения задач о затухании свободных и вынужденных колебаний сложных систем, несущие слои которых выполнены из однородного упругого, а средний - из вязкоупругого инерционного материала. Малые поперечные колебания сложных систем обусловлены распределенной и подвижной нагрузкой. Выполнен динамический анализ слоистых конструкций в широком диапазоне изменения геометрических и механических характеристик слоя из вязкоупругого инерционного материала.Запропоновано аналітичний метод розв’язку задач щодо згасання вільних та вимушених коливань складних систем, несучі шари яких виконано з однорідного пружного, а середній - з в’язкопружного інерційного матеріалу. Малі поперечні коливання складних систем зумовлені розподіленим і рухомим навантаженням. Виконано динамічний аналіз шаруватих конструкцій у широкому діапазоні зміни геометричних і механічних характеристик шару з в’язкопружного інерційного матеріалу

The open innovation research landscape: established perspectives and emerging themes across different levels of analysis

This paper provides an overview of the main perspectives and themes emerging in research on open innovation (OI). The paper is the result of a collaborative process among several OI scholars – having a common basis in the recurrent Professional Development Workshop on ‘Researching Open Innovation’ at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. In this paper, we present opportunities for future research on OI, organised at different levels of analysis. We discuss some of the contingencies at these different levels, and argue that future research needs to study OI – originally an organisational-level phenomenon – across multiple levels of analysis. While our integrative framework allows comparing, contrasting and integrating various perspectives at different levels of analysis, further theorising will be needed to advance OI research. On this basis, we propose some new research categories as well as questions for future research – particularly those that span across research domains that have so far developed in isolation