Network of Innovators : A Synthesis of Research Issues

Explores new developments in research on networks of innovators in the 1980s. Synthesis of the empirical literature on networking shows the importance of formal and especially informal networks - through linkages with universities, government laboratories, consultants, research associations, and other firms - in the innovation process. According to the literature, beneath formal networks lie informal social networks. Personal relationships, whether characterized by trust, confidence, or fear, play a key role in how these networks operate, so considering cultural factors can be crucial. Using the MERIT Data Bank, which consists of data on new agreements between firms in the 1980s, and then studying the specific case of Japan as a highly effective model, the changing patterns of collaboration are summarized. These include the upsurge of research collaboration, and the changing nature of older networking relationships. Conclusions show that changes in networking have occurred as a means and result of rapid development of new generic technologies. With its rapid change design, customization and flexibility, systemic nature, and complexity, information technology is predicted to lead to a permanent industrial shift. Longitudinal studies on the evolution of networks are now required to study the trends and strategies of formal and informal networks at the regional, national, and international levels. The developments in networking suggest important implications for social science theory, as collaboration between geographers, economists, and organizational theorists will most effectively structure the multidimensional study of networking. (CJC)