Where do breakthroughs originate? Utilizing patent knowledge network to identify breakthrough technological innovations

Breakthrough technological innovations have the potential to disrupt technological paradigms and are crucial drivers of technological progress. Understanding the sources of such innovations requires analyzing their knowledge composition. While previous studies have provided valuable insights into this area, they often overlook the transferability of knowledge, which can impact the accuracy of measuring knowledge novelty. To address this gap, we conceptualize the knowledge flow process of breakthrough technological innovation using the BVSR model and propose a novel method for modeling knowledge networks at the patent level. This approach effectively quantifies the knowledge structure and combination within a patent, enabling the identification of technological novelty and assessment of its impact. In an empirical analysis of 4684 pharmaceutical patents, we identified 723 breakthrough technological innovations across five distinct knowledge structures. Finally, a series of robustness checks further validated the validity and robustness of our identification results.