Knowledge recombination and resilience in cross-domain innovation network

The deep integration of digital technology and manufacturing has made cross-domain knowledge recombination a central mechanism for industrial innovation and structural upgrading. However, existing studies have paid limited attention to how cross-domain knowledge is organized and translated into innovation through collaborative network at the industrial level. To address this gap, this study maps technological integration relationships onto industrial knowledge recombination by constructing a cross-domain network based on 10,552 patent co-occurrence data from 2014 to 2024. We systematically examine the structural characteristics, formation mechanisms, and stability under disruption and link reinforcement scenarios. The results show that industrial knowledge nodes expand from 139 to 415, revealing a pronounced core-periphery structure dominated by manufacturing-related nodes. Knowledge recombination is jointly shaped by preferential attachment, local structural proximity, and homophily in domain attributes. Further analysis indicates that the resilience of cross-domain innovation network depends disproportionately on a limited set of key knowledge hubs. Targeted disruptions to highly central nodes lead to rapid decline in network stability, whereas, under equivalent link investment constraint, reinforcing connections around structurally central nodes yields significantly greater improvements in network robustness. The findings show that both cross-domain knowledge recombination and system resilience are shaped by industrial network structures, underscoring the value of structure-oriented approaches to the governance and optimization of cross-domain innovation under uncertainty.