The cognitive and geographical structure of knowledge links and how they influence firms’ innovation performance

Broekel, Tom and Boschma, Ron (2017): The cognitive and geographical structure of knowledge links and how they influence firms’ innovation performance. Published in: Regional Statistics , Vol. 6, No. 2 (February 2017): pp. 3-26.

Abstract

Firms’ embeddedness in knowledge networks has received much attention in literature. However, little is known about the structure of firms’ knowledge exchange with respect to different types of proximities. Based on survey data of 295 firms in 8 European regions, we show that firms’ knowledge exchange systematically differs in their geographical and cognitive dimensions. We find that firms’ innovation performance is enhanced if the firm primarily links to technologically related as well as technologically similar organizations. Connecting with organizations at different geographical levels yields positive effects as well.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: geographical proximity knowledge networks technological relatedness innovation performance
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D85 - Network Formation and Analysis: Theory; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O18 - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis ; Housing ; Infrastructure; 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

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