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Exploring and visualizing spatial-temporal evolution of patent collaboration networks: A case of China's intelligent manufacturing equipment industry

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  • Li, Fangye
  • Liu, Weiwei
  • Bi, Kexin

Abstract

With the integration of intelligent manufacturing (IM) technology and the manufacturing industry, the intelligent manufacturing equipment industry (IMEI) has become the focus of a new round of industrial revolution. This integration has led to a new revolution in the manufacturing industry and is key to transforming China into a manufacturing country with international competitiveness. However, China's IMEI is in the development stage, thus presenting a major challenge to it becoming a competitive core industry. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the IMEI patent collaboration network and analyze its evolutionary characteristics, which can improve not only the innovation ability of network organizations but also the overall competitiveness of the IMEI. This study employs social network analysis (SNA) to study the evolution of the patent collaboration network of China's IMEI. The results show that the number of co-patents for the IMEI field in China has obvious stage characteristics, the collaborative innovation patterns adopted by different provinces vary, and the State Grid has a strong influence on the network. The scale of the patent collaboration network is gradually expanding, exhibiting a “small-world” structure. Jiangsu mainly innovates through intra-provincial collaboration. Provinces such as Beijing, Guangdong and Shandong are more inclined to inter-provincial collaboration.

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  • Li, Fangye & Liu, Weiwei & Bi, Kexin, 2021. "Exploring and visualizing spatial-temporal evolution of patent collaboration networks: A case of China's intelligent manufacturing equipment industry," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:64:y:2021:i:c:s0160791x20312860
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101483
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