IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unm/unumer/2009042.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Fits and Misfits: Technological Matching and R&D Networks

Author

Listed:
  • Cowan, Robin

    (UNU-MERIT, and BETA, Universite Louis Pasteur)

  • Jonard, Nicolas

    (Universite du Luxembourg.)

  • Sanditov, Bulat

    (UNU-MERIT, and Maastricht University)

Abstract

This paper presents an economic model of R&D network formation through the creation of strategic alliances. Firms are randomly endowed with knowledge elements. They base their alliance decisions purely on the technological fit of potential partners, ignoring social capital considerations and indirect benefits on the network. This is sufficient to generate equilibrium networks with the small world properties of observed alliance networks, namely short pairwise distances and local clustering. The equilibrium networks are more clustered than "comparable" random graphs, while they have similar characteristic path length. Two extreme regimes of competition are examined, to show that while the competition has a quantitative effect on the equilibrium networks (density is lower with competition), the small world features of the equilibrium networks are preserved.

Suggested Citation

  • Cowan, Robin & Jonard, Nicolas & Sanditov, Bulat, 2009. "Fits and Misfits: Technological Matching and R&D Networks," MERIT Working Papers 2009-042, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2009042
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2009/wp2009-042.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joshi, Sumit, 2008. "Endogenous formation of coalitions in a model of a race," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 62-85, January.
    2. Goyal, Sanjeev & Joshi, Sumit, 2003. "Networks of collaboration in oligopoly," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 57-85, April.
    3. Matthew O. Jackson & Brian W. Rogers, 2005. "The Economics of Small Worlds," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(2-3), pages 617-627, 04/05.
    4. Gordon Walker & Bruce Kogut & Weijian Shan, 1997. "Social Capital, Structural Holes and the Formation of an Industry Network," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 109-125, April.
    5. Sanjeev Goyal & Marco J. van der Leij & José Luis Moraga-Gonzalez, 2006. "Economics: An Emerging Small World," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 114(2), pages 403-432, April.
    6. Francis Bloch, 1995. "Endogenous Structures of Association in Oligopolies," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 26(3), pages 537-556, Autumn.
    7. Carayol, Nicolas & Roux, Pascale, 2009. "Knowledge flows and the geography of networks: A strategic model of small world formation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 414-427, August.
    8. Jon M. Kleinberg, 2000. "Navigation in a small world," Nature, Nature, vol. 406(6798), pages 845-845, August.
    9. Galeotti, Andrea & Goyal, Sanjeev & Kamphorst, Jurjen, 2006. "Network formation with heterogeneous players," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 353-372, February.
    10. Mowery, David C. & Oxley, Joanne E. & Silverman, Brian S., 1998. "Technological overlap and interfirm cooperation: implications for the resource-based view of the firm," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 507-523, September.
    11. Sanjeev Goyal & Sumit Joshi, 2006. "Unequal connections," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 34(3), pages 319-349, October.
    12. Tim Rowley & Dean Behrens & David Krackhardt, 2000. "Redundant governance structures: an analysis of structural and relational embeddedness in the steel and semiconductor industries," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 369-386, March.
    13. Balconi, Margherita & Breschi, Stefano & Lissoni, Francesco, 2004. "Networks of inventors and the role of academia: an exploration of Italian patent data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 127-145, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hellmann, Tim & Staudigl, Mathias, 2014. "Evolution of social networks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 234(3), pages 583-596.
    2. Joel A. C. Baum & Robin Cowan & Nicolas Jonard, 2010. "Network-Independent Partner Selection and the Evolution of Innovation Networks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(11), pages 2094-2110, November.
    3. Yannis M. Ioannides, 2005. "Random Graphs and Social Networks: An Economics Perspective," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0518, Department of Economics, Tufts University.
    4. Mauro Caminati, 2012. "Self sustaining R&D networks," Department of Economics University of Siena 653, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    5. Carayol, Nicolas & Roux, Pascale, 2009. "Knowledge flows and the geography of networks: A strategic model of small world formation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 414-427, August.
    6. Uwe Cantner & Holger Graf, 2011. "Innovation Networks: Formation, Performance and Dynamics," Chapters, in: Cristiano Antonelli (ed.), Handbook on the Economic Complexity of Technological Change, chapter 15, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Christophe Bravard & Sudipta Sarangi & PHILIPP MÖHLMEIER & AGNIESZKA RUSINOWSKA & EMILY TANIMURA, 2016. "A Degree-Distance-Based Connections Model with Negative and Positive Externalities," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 18(2), pages 168-192, April.
    8. Safi, Shahir, 2022. "Listen before you link: Optimal monitoring rules for communication networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 230-247.
    9. Malerba, Franco, 2007. "Innovation and the dynamics and evolution of industries: Progress and challenges," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 675-699, August.
    10. Emmanuel Petrakis & Nikolas Tsakas, 2018. "The effect of entry on R&D networks," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 49(3), pages 706-750, September.
    11. Babak Heydari & Mohsen Mosleh & Kia Dalili, 2015. "Efficient Network Structures with Separable Heterogeneous Connection Costs," Papers 1504.06634, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2015.
    12. Mauro Napoletano & Stefano Battiston & Michael D König & Frank Schweitzer, 2008. "The efficiency and evolution of R&D Networks," Working Papers hal-01066189, HAL.
    13. Robin Cowan & Nicolas Jonard & Jean-Benoit Zimmermann, 2007. "Bilateral Collaboration and the Emergence of Innovation Networks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(7), pages 1051-1067, July.
    14. Ivan Savin, 2021. "On optimal regimes of knowledge exchange: a model of recombinant growth and firm networks," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 16(3), pages 497-527, July.
    15. Lorenzo Zirulia, 2012. "The role of spillovers in R&D network formation," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 83-105, November.
    16. Bastian Westbrock, 2010. "Natural concentration in industrial research collaboration," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 41(2), pages 351-371, June.
    17. Gallo Edoardo, 2012. "Small World Networks with Segregation Patterns and Brokers," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 11(3), pages 1-46, September.
    18. Jean-François Caulier & Ana Mauleon & Jose Sempere-Monerris & Vincent Vannetelbosch, 2013. "Stable and efficient coalitional networks," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 17(4), pages 249-271, December.
    19. Kovářík Jaromír & van der Leij Marco J., 2014. "Risk Aversion and Social Networks," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 13(2), pages 121-155.
    20. Pascal Billand & Christophe Bravard & Jacques Durieu & Sudipta Sarangi, 2019. "Firm Heterogeneity And The Pattern Of R&D Collaborations," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(4), pages 1896-1914, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    network formation; small worlds; R&D networks; strategic alliances; business clusters;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2009042. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ad Notten (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/meritnl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.