This paper examines the evolution of networks when innovation takes place as a result of agents bringing together their knowledge endowments. Agents freely form pairs creating a globally stable matching. paired agents combine their existing knowledge to create new knowledge. We study the properties of the dynamic network formed by these interactions, and the resultant knowledge dynamics. Each agent carries an amount of knowledge of a certain type, and the innovative output of a pair is a function of the partners'' endowments and types. We find evidence that the pattern of substitution between quantity and type of knowledge in the innovation function is vital in determining the growth of knowledge, the emergence of expertise and the stability of a number of network structures. Network structure itself exhibits a phase change when the relative importance of diversity compared to quantity increases beyond a threshold value.
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Paper provided by Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology in its series Research Memoranda with number
010.
Cited by: (explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)
Cowan,Robin & Jonard,Nicolas & Zimmermann,J-B, 2004.
"Evolving Networks of Inventors,"
Research Memoranda
018, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology.
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