Innovative performance with interactions between technological proximity and geographic proximity: evidence from China electronics patents

A lot of researches have shown that geographic proximity and technological proximity influence firms’ innovative performance. Little work has been done to explore how technological proximity interacts with geographic proximity. Using the theories of recombinant innovation and economic geography, this study develops and tests a theory of how firms’ abilities to reap local benefits and generate innovation are influenced by technological features. Data on technological and geographic proximity of the top 100 firms in China’s electronics industry from 1985 to 2012 are used to test the hypotheses. This study shows that, for a firm with high geographic proximity or located in a dense area of R&D, a low technological proximity in the industry facilitates the process of recombinant innovation.     

沉睡知识对企业技术创新持续性的影响——一个有调节的中介作用模型

沉睡知识是知识经济时代企业技术持续创新的重要途径。为打开不同类型沉睡知识与技术创新持续性关系的“黑箱”,基于知识属性理论,将沉睡知识划分为显性沉睡知识和隐性沉睡知识两个维度,并引入资源拼凑作为中介变量、知识治理机制作为调节变量,构建一个有调节的中介作用模型,提出沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间关系假设,基于调查问卷数据进行实证研究。结果表明：显性沉睡知识和隐性沉睡知识均负向影响技术创新持续性;资源拼凑在两类沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间起部分中介作用;知识治理机制负向调节隐性沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间的关系,同时倒U型调节资源拼凑在两类沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间的中介效应强度。     

On the joint effect of technological and management innovations on performance: increasing or diminishing returns?

Most studies on innovation are aimed at covering technological innovation, neglecting other modes of innovation based on non-technological drivers. The latter, referred to as management innovation, consists of the implementation of new management practices, processes or organisational tasks. This work advances knowledge on the topic by exploring the joint effect of simultaneously introducing technological and management innovations on performance. Based on an analysis of 12,563 Spanish firms drawn from CIS data, our findings suggest that firms frequently pursue the simultaneous or joint introduction of both technological and management innovations and that integration impacts positively on a firm’s performance, evidencing an inverted U-shape that suggest positive but diminishing returns. A theoretical framework using the capability-based view embraces the emerging conversation on management innovation issues and its relationship with the well-researched technological one.     

运用汽车生产商知识对不同类型供应商技术创新的促进作用

基于通过交叉供应商在知识创造能力和与生产商技术相似度两个维度的异质性,将供应商分为4类。采用专利数构建计量指标,探索了不同类型的供应商在技术创新中运用生产商知识的效果。非参数检验与负二项回归结果证明了供应商异质性的存在。研究结果还显示:能力弱的供应商运用生产商知识能获得更好的创新成果--无论它们与生产商技术的相似度高低与否;能力强的供应商不能通过运用生产商知识获得高水平的创新成果。     

How does knowledge network affect a firm’s explorative innovation? The contingent role of R&D collaborations

Innovation is a process of knowledge recombination [Fleming, L. 2001. “Recombinant Uncertainty in Technological Search.” Management Science 47: 119 p]. Extant literature highlights the importance of a firm’s knowledge base for innovation, while little is known about the structure of a firm’s knowledge base and how it affects the firm’s explorative innovation. Based upon the perspective of network analysis, we portray a firm’s knowledge base as an intra-organisational knowledge network and examine the effects of two structural features of the network – density and centralisation – on the firms’ exploratory innovation. Using a manual collected dataset of 738 Chinese automobile manufacturers, we find that a firm explores fewer new knowledge elements when the firm holds a dense knowledge network or a centralised knowledge network. More importantly, with the increase of a firm’s R&D collaborations with external actors, the negative effect of density is mitigated while the negative effect of centralisation is reinforced. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Proximity,networking and knowledge production in Europe: What lessons for innovation policy?

This paper aims at investigating the role of different types of proximity on the technological activity of a region within the context of a knowledge production function, where R&D expenditure and human capital are the main internal inputs. We thus assess to what extent the creation of new ideas in a certain region is enhanced by knowledge flows coming from proximate regions. In particular, we examine in detail different kinds of proximity by combining the usual geographical dimension with the institutional, technological, social and organizational proximity. The analysis is implemented for an ample dataset referring to 276 regions in 29 European countries (EU27 plus Norway, Switzerland) over the last decade. Results show that human capital and R&D are clearly essential for innovative activity with the former being much more effective in driving the production of knowledge. As for the proximity and network effects, we find that technological proximity outperforms the geographic one, whilst a limited role is played by social and organizational networks. As a result, the first policy message is that European regions still need to focus on policies aimed at increasing the endowments of well-educated labour force and therefore their knowledge base. Furthermore, we need innovation policies based on each region's specific innovation potential, due to the existing differences in geographical, cognitive, institutional, social and organizational structures and networks.     

Role of home and host country innovation systems in r&d internationalisation: a patent citation analysis

This paper has three novelties. First, we argue that any given R&D facility’s capacity to exploit and/or augment technological competences is a function not just of its own resources, but the efficiency with which it can utilise complementary resources associated with the relevant local innovation system. Just as asset-augmenting activities require proximity to the economic units (and thus the innovation system) from which they seek to learn, asset-exploiting activities draw from the parent’s technological resources as well as from the other assets of the home location’s innovation system. Furthermore, we argue that most firms tend to undertake both asset exploiting and augmenting activities simultaneously. Second, we use patent citation data from the European Patent Office to quantify the relative asset augmenting vs. exploiting character of foreign-located R&D. Third, we do so for European MNEs located in the US, as well as US MNEs located in Europe. Our results indicate that both EU (US) affiliates in the US (EU) rely extensively on home region knowledge sources, although they appear to exploit the host country knowledge base as well.     

外商研发投资对我国区域创新体系的影响——基于1999年～2008年省际面板数据的实证检验

笔者采用1999年～ 2008年中国大陆29个省市自治区的面板数据,实证检验了外商研发投资对区域创新体系的影响.结果表明:外商研发投资对我国区域创新体系中的知识获取能力、企业技术创新、技术创新环境和创新绩效均具有显著的正效应,对知识创造能力的影响不显著.其中,对技术创新环境和知识获取能力的正效应强于国内企业研发投资,对企业技术创新能力和创新绩效的正效应弱于国内企业研发投资.     

知识溢出、吸收能力与本土供应商创新绩效——基于珠三角制造业企业的实证分析

笔者利用珠三角制造业企业调查问卷进行实证研究,重点考察吸收能力、知识溢出对本土供应商创新绩效的影响。研究结果表明:跨国公司的显性和隐性知识溢出对供应商技术创新有明显促进作用;供应商的吸收能力对知识溢出和创新绩效有正向调节作用,即供应商的吸收能力不仅有利于其技术创新,而且强化知识溢出对其创新绩效的促进作用;隐性知识溢出在吸收能力的正向调节作用下,对创新绩效的作用更明显。此外,笔者对国内市场导向和出口导向型供应商进行了分组检验。     

专利战略情境下企业技术知识基础多元度对创新绩效的影响效应

在当今竞争格局中,专利是技术创新的重要载体,专利战略必然成为企业参与全球竞争的重要手段。通过建立专利战略情境、技术知识基础多元度及知识整合能力对创新绩效的影响效应模型,采用负二项回归法进行实证检验。研究结果显示：企业技术知识基础多元度通过知识整合能力影响创新绩效,而专利申请动机在上述过程中存在显著调节作用。具体为：①国际市场开拓、谈判筹码以及声誉动机均负向调节技术知识基础相关多元度与创新绩效关系;②阻挡动机、国际市场开拓、谈判筹码以及声誉动机对企业技术知识基础非相关多元度与技术创新绩效关系具有显著负向调节作用;③阻挡动机强化了企业技术知识基础相关多元度与技术创新绩效之间的正向关系。     

Is newest always best? Firm-level evidence to challenge a focus on high-capability technological (product or process) innovation

This paper sets out to address a gap in the empirical literature on the importance of ‘low-capability’ innovation for firms. The study is framed around discussion of the conceptual bias that remains in policy and academic literature towards a narrow subset of technological (product or process) innovation labelled ‘high-capability’ innovation in this paper. The paper argues that this bias influences the public and business community's understanding of the term ‘innovation’ and has implications for innovation measurement, research, policy and strategy. The study uses data from an economy-wide, regional innovation survey based on the Oslo manual, and includes 648 innovative firms covering all industry sectors. The paper combines elements of both subject and object approaches to innovation measurement, using data from an open-ended survey question to explore the alignment between what firms report as their ‘most important innovation’ (MII) and firm capabilities for introducing ‘high-capability’ technological innovation. Results show that a substantial share of firms report an MII that is a ‘low-capability’ innovation, including those firms with high R&D intensity, those with novel technological innovation, and firms in more innovative sectors of manufacturing and knowledge intensive business services. The paper discusses the implications of this result for future innovation measurement and research.     

技术创新网络多维邻近性演化研究

研究技术创新网络多维邻近性是否伴随创新网络生命周期不同发展阶段而呈现出不同演化特征，对创新网络内部伙伴选择、关系治理和创新绩效发展具有重要意义。基于IBM专利合作网络数据，运用Feature Selection方法，从地理邻近、社会邻近、技术邻近、组织邻近和制度邻近5个维度分析技术创新网络多维邻近性演化特征。结果表明：①生命周期视角下，在创新网络创生阶段，企业选择合作伙伴时主要考虑技术邻近性和组织邻近性，成长阶段主要考虑地理邻近性，成熟和衰退阶段主要考虑社会邻近性；②演化视角下，地理邻近性与技术邻近性曲线呈倒U型关系，地理邻近性在成长期达到最高点，技术邻近性在成熟期达到最高点；制度邻近性与组织邻近性呈U型关系，制度邻近性在成长期达到最低点，组织邻近性在成熟期达到最低点;社会邻近性则随着创新网络生命周期发展一直呈上升态势。     

Mobility of knowledge and local innovation activity

This paper studies the diffusion of knowledge and its consequences for local innovation production. In a common framework, we analyze the geographic reach of different channels of knowledge flows that thus far have been studied separately in the literature. To jointly estimate these flows, we develop and apply novel econometric techniques appropriate to the nature of the data. We find that geographic along with technological proximity to be more essential to the operation of market than to non-market channels of knowledge flows. External accessible disembodied knowledge has a strong positive effect on local innovation production that is larger than that of embodied knowledge.     

科技人才区域集聚为何不同——基于创新环境空间差异的解释

我国科技人才集聚具有地区差异性,并且与创新环境表现出明显的空间同位与同向演化特征,因此,从创新环境空间差异这一角度解释科技人才在区域集聚上的不同具有合理性。利用2010-2019年中国内地31个省（市、区）面板数据,通过构建空间杜宾模型考察区域创新环境对科技人才集聚的影响。结果表明：在全国总样本下,良好的区域创新环境显著促进本地区科技人才集聚,并对周围地区产生虹吸效应;在分样本情境下,地区创新环境对科技人才集聚的影响具有空间异质性,在东、中、西部地区,创新环境均对本地科技人才集聚产生不同程度的促进作用,其中,东部和中部地区创新环境的本地科技人才集聚作用最显著,西部地区相对较弱,同时,东部地区创新环境对邻近地区科技人才集聚具有显著虹吸效应,而中部地区和西部地区未有体现。据此,针对不同区域提出不同创新环境改善建议,以促进科技人才集聚。     

长三角城市群协同创新网络演化动力研究：基于指数随机图模型

利用2009-2018年长三角城市群产学研联合申请专利数构建协同创新网络,建立指数随机图模型（ERGM）,预测长三角城市群协同创新网络演化动力。实证结果表明,协同创新网络存在传递性,倾向于形成中介-2路径的开放式三角形结构;城市拥有的知识元素属性、经济发展水平和科研投入力度会对网络演化产生差异化影响;知识邻近性和组织邻近性在长三角城市群协同创新网络关系形成中始终发挥积极作用,制度邻近性和社会邻近性在网络演化前期发挥积极作用,但是伴随协同创新的深入,二者不利于协同创新网络合作关系形成。因此,政府应该引导各城市因地制宜制定创新战略,发挥各自资源与产业优势,助力构建高效交互的协同创新网络。     

知识作用视角下城市间环境规制异质性与绿色创新质量研究

城市环境规制刻画了地方政府在绿色创新中的角色特征。基于我国279个地级市面板数据,从知识作用视角,采用负二项分布模型测度我国城市环境规制强度的地区差异性对城市绿色创新质量的影响机制。研究发现：①邻近城市的高环境规制强度对本地绿色创新质量产生抑制作用,该抑制作用通过城市间知识宽度缩小、知识距离扩大两类中介效应影响本地绿色创新质量;②城市间的知识平衡度在邻近城市环境规制强度与本地绿色创新质量关系中发挥调节效应,当城市间知识平衡度较高时,邻近城市的高环境规制强度对本地绿色创新质量的影响由负转正。由此,获得如下政策启示：地方政府应重视环境规制政策带来的知识成分变化与知识结构调整,促进环境政策与绿色创新政策协同,同时,不同地方间应深化绿色创新主体合作机制,促进知识流动,提升城市绿色创新质量。     

技术多元化对企业持续创新的影响——基于佳能的纵向案例分析

基于资源能力和知识学习的视角,采用单案例研究方法探索了日本佳能公司的技术多元化战略的形成及演化过程,进而总结了技术多元化对企业持续创新的影响机制。研究发现:技术机会能力、产品开发战略以及外部知识获取在技术多元化影响企业持续创新的过程中起中介作用;不同类型的技术多元化对企业持续创新的影响路径存在差异。     

国际合资企业IJVs的研发环境与产品创新：技术创新成果保护的调节作用

目前成立在华国际合资企业是我国引进外商投资的重要途径之一。本文通过实证研究探究在华国际合资企业研发环境与其产品创新绩效之间的关系。研究结果显示,在华IJVs所处的研发环境中,政府支持、市场环境、知识环境以及市场对创新的需求都对产品创新绩效具有直接影响,基础设施与社会环境这一因素对在华IJVs产品创新的影响并不显著。研究还发现,在华国际合资企业采取技术创新成果的竞争性保护措施和法律保护措施均会对在华IJVs研发环境和产品创新之间的关系产生调节作用。     

Economics of soft innovation: a review article

This article identifies and articulates the foundations of the theoretical approach of the new book ‘Soft innovation: Economics, product aesthetics and the creative industries’ by Professor Paul Stoneman. This book is likely to open a new research area within the economics of innovation. The source of economic growth and prosperity is technological change and the economics of innovation to date has mainly focused on technological approaches to innovation. However, the development of the technological base of product and process can explain only a part of economic growth as soft innovation represents a relevant additional source of economic development that has received little attention so far. The source of a unified economic approach for soft innovation relies on Lancaster's theory of consumer behaviour coupled with the variety approach, innovation in services and the economics of knowledge. It appears as though industry structures favouring the successive emergence of new variants are characterised by soft innovations.     

制造企业服务增强对技术创新及企业绩效的影响

在全球化与超竞争趋势下，服务增强和技术创新成为我国制造企业实现价值链攀升的关键。相比于技术创新，服务增强的作用机制仍存在争议。因此，将服务增强与技术创新纳入同一框架，深入分析制造企业服务增强对技术创新及企业绩效的影响，并探讨了环境动荡性对服务增强与企业绩效的调节作用。研究表明：支持企业产品的服务增强（SSP）对技术创新和企业绩效呈倒U型影响，而支持客户行为的服务增强（SSC）对技术创新和企业绩效有促进作用；技术创新在服务增强与企业绩效的关系中发挥“桥梁”作用；环境动荡性对SSP与企业绩效的关系不存在调节作用，但正向调节SSC与企业绩效的关系。