What is behind the structure of regional networks in the German biotechnology industry?

Strotebeck, Falk (2010): What is behind the structure of regional networks in the German biotechnology industry?

Abstract

By using methods of network analysis I uncover the underlying structure of cooperation-linkages within and between regions on firm level for the German biotechnology industry. I show that intraregional as well as interregional linkages expose a distinctive set of regions as the most important players in the German biotechnology. These regions cannot be located in one specific spatially delimited area but are distributed over wide distances. The description shows that regarding the biotechnology industry neither local clustering nor far-ranging cooperation on its own seems to be sufficient when thinking about the role of distance.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: network analysis, interregional cooperation, network structure, centrality
• Subjects: L - Industrial Organization > L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior > L22 - Firm Organization and Market Structure; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O33 - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences ; Diffusion Processes; R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R1 - General Regional Economics > R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

References

Arthur, B. W. (1989). Competing Technologies, Increasing Returns, and Lock-In by Historical events. The Economic Journal, 99: 116-131.

Barabàsi, A.-L. (2003). Linked. New York: Plume.

Barabàsi, A.-L., and Albert, R. (1999). Emergence of Scaling in Random networks. Science, 286/15: 509-512.

Berger, C. (2005). Technologiepolitik und Innovationsförderung in Bayern. In: Krumbein, W.; Ziegler, A. (Eds). Perspektiven der Technologie- und Innovationsförderung in Deutschland, 26-50. Marburg: Schueren.

Bianconi, G., and Barabàsi, A.-L. (2001). Competition and multiscaling in evolving networks. Europhysics Letters, 54/4: 436-442.

Biocom Ag (2005). BioTechnologie - Das Jahr- und Adressbuch 2005. Mietzsch, A. (Ed). 19. Jahrgang, Berlin.

Biotechnologie.de (2008). Genzentren in Deutschland: Keimzellen der Biotech-Forschung. biotechnologie.de PDF Service.

Boschma, R. A. (2005). Proximity and Innovation: A critical Assessment. Regional Studies, 39/ 1: 61-74.

Burt, R. S. (1999). The Social Capital of Opinion Leaders. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 566: 37-54.

Burt, R. S. (1976). Positions in Networks. Social Forces, 55/1: 93-122.

Cohen, W. M., and Levinthal, D. A. (1990). Absorptive Capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35: 128-152.

David, P. A. (1985). Clio and the Economics of QWERTY. The American Economic Review, 75/2: 332-337, Papers and Proceedings of the Ninety-Seventh Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association.

De Nooy, W.; Mrvar, A.; and Batagelj, V. (2005). Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek. In: Granovetter, M. S. (Ed). Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences, No. 27, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dohse, D. (2005). Clusterorientierte Technologiepolitik in Deutschland: Konzepte und Erfahrungen. Technikfolgeabschätzung – Theorie und Praxis, 1/14: 33-41.

Freeman, L. C. (1978/79). Centrality in Social Networks – Conceptual Clarification. Social Networks, 1/3: 215-239.

Gertler, M. S.; Levitte, Y. M. (2005). Local Nodes in Global Networks: The Geography of Knowledge Flows in Biotechnology Innovation, Industry and Innovation, 12/4, 487-507.

Grabher, G. (1993). The weakness of strong ties. In: Grabher, G. (Ed). The embedded firm – On the socioeconomics of industrial networks, 255-277, London: Thomson Learning.

Granovetter, M. S. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties. The American Journal of Sociology, 78/6: 1360-1380. Jansen, D. (2006). Einfuehrung in die Netzwerkanalyse. 3. Edition, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.

Maggioni, M. A. (2002). Clustering Dynamics and the Location of High-Tech-Firms. Heidelberg, New York: Physica-Verlag.

Rogers, E. M. (2003) Diffusion of Innovations, 5. Edition, New York: free press, New York.

Scheidegger, N. (2010). Strukturelle Löcher. In: Stegbauer, C.; Häußling, R. (Eds). Handbuch der Netzwerkforschung, 145-155, 1. Edition, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.

Scott, J. (1994). Social network analysis: a handbook. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Tarde, G. (1903). The Laws of Imitation. 2. Edition, Reprint 1962, New York: Henry Holt & Company.

Ter Wal, A. L. J., and Boschma, R. A. (2009). Applying social network analysis in economic geography: framing some key analytic issues. Ann Reg Sci, 43: 739-756.

Trappmann, M.; Humell, H. J.; and Sodeur, W. (2005). Strukturanalyse sozialer Netzwerke. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.

Trott, P.; Cordey-Hayes, M.; and Seaton, R. A. F (1995). Inward technology transfer as an interactive process. Technovation, 15/1: 25-43.

Welsch, J. (2005). Innovationspolitik. Wiesbaden: Gabler.

Windrum, P. (1999). Unlocking a lock-in: towards a model of technological succession. Research Memoranda 010, MERIT, Maastricht.