Spatio-temporal evolution of technology flows in China: patent licensing networks 2000–2017

Technology transfer has become a vital pipeline for acquiring external knowledge. In this study, we propose new evidence on Chinese knowledge flows at a provincial scale based on patent licensing data at the China National Intellectual Property Administration, involving 31 Chinese provinces and all foreign entities. For temporal features, licensing frequencies, the type of patent licensors, the distribution and transfer speed by technical fields were first present. Then, topological structures and centrality rankings, spatial evolution and reciprocity, and blockmodeling were performed in sequence for network analysis. The major findings are: (1) foreign technology played an important role in China and is still an important knowledge source; (2) individuals and enterprises dominate the technology output, and the role of universities and research institutes as innovation engines has not been fully realized; (3) the technical fields of performing, operations, and transporting have extremely active market performance and are favored by market players; (4) patent licensing networks present clear small-world phenomenon, and there is a conspicuous regional hierarchical structure for patent-expanding capabilities in various provinces; (5) an integrally compact, locally dispersed, and multi-core structure centered on Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Beijing is being formed in the networks; (6) three blocks that play different roles in the patent licensing network are distinguished: source, absorber and beginner. This paper provides important implications for considering the impacts of technology transfer policies implemented so far, and can be useful for making evidence-based policies to establish a more effective national technology transfer system.