Knowledge transfer and innovation diffusion

IDRIC Project 9.3

 

Background

The capacity of regional industrial clusters to implement green technologies and transition to green production processes is contingent on a number of knowledge and technology frontiers.  The way knowledge is created and exchanged depends on the networks of collaboration.  A proxy for which are patent author networks and patent citation networks.  The position of innovative corporations and researchers in this multi-layered structure is predictive of performance.

Prof Dimitris Christopoulos

Prof Dimitris Christopoulos

Principal Investigator
Heriot-Watt University

Project Team

Heriot-Watt University:

Prof Heather McGregor
Dr David Dekker
Prof Umit Bititci

Aim

By examining the pattern of collaboration and distinguishing between exploratory and exploitative research we investigate how these systems of knowledge are associated to technological and financial risk in different sectors.

We demonstrate that the study of patent citation and patent collaborator networks can predict the emergence of new technological fields.  At the same time, the innovation rate in a field, (i.e. the improvement in the boundary of the technological frontier) is associated to investment risk.  These risks have to be longitudinally and contingently examined to be able to assess investments in emerging fields such as the ones linked to decarbonization and the green transition.

EXAMPLE: Technological Frontier Networks

Business innovation networks facilitate the creation of new ideas.  More importantly they represent the structure of connections between knowledge and knowledge creators.  These networks define technological domains. One type of outcome that knowledge networks produce, are patent networks. We have demonstrated that a number of network metrics in a technological domain are associated with the rate of technological improvement, (also known as Moore’s law).

Why is TRI important for emission reduction?

More Detail

Meet the Team

 

Team 1

Prof Heather McGregor

Heriot-Watt University

Team 1

Dr David Dekker

Heriot-Watt University

Team 1

Prof Umit Bititci

Heriot-Watt University

Team 1

Prof Heather McGregor

Heriot-Watt University

Team 1

Dr David Dekker

Heriot-Watt University

Team 1

Prof Umit Bititci

Heriot-Watt University

Case Study / Progress

WORK PACKAGES

We employ social network analysis in conjunction with descriptive, visual and inferential analytic methods. Through our research we:

  1. Identify and compare best innovation practice within UK clusters and specific sectors;
  2. Identify latent capacity in systems of knowledge exchange;
  3. Consider innovation advantages and disadvantages among the UK industrial clusters;
  4. Examine risk associated with key technological sectors;
  5. Contribute to the improvement of standards (e.g. ISO 30401); and
  6. Provide guidance on the policy implications of our findings.

Planned Outputs

Multiple peer reviewed conference papers delivered and a number of journal papers under review.