Technology Spillovers among Innovation Agents from the Perspective of Network Connectedness

Abstract

By constructing a technology spillover connectedness index and connectedness matrix, this paper studies the technology spillover connectedness among innovation agents in China from the perspective of network topology. An empirical study based on invention patent data finds that there is noticeable technology spillover connectedness among the six innovation agents: central enterprises, other domestic enterprises, universities and scientific research institutes, troops, individuals and other organizations, and foreign-funded enterprises. Other domestic enterprises are the hub of technology spillover connectedness among these agents, while foreign-funded enterprises play a limited role. The study of further subdividing foreign-funded enterprises according to their sources finds that the United States, South Korea, and Japan are the centers of technology spillover connectedness in China. The dynamic evolution of technology spillover connectedness shows that the total technology spillover connectedness among innovation agents presents an obvious downward trend, which is closely related to the complex and changeable international economic situation and the uncertainty of China’s economic policy in recent years. This paper concludes with insights into how China uses the spillover connectedness among innovation agents to spur agents’ innovation performance and promote the nation’s economic growth and competitiveness.