Robustness of knowledge networks in the Yangtze River Delta and their impact on innovation performance under random and targeted attacks
In the new development paradigm,enhancing the robustness of the urban knowledge network in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)is increasingly recognized as an effective strategy to address the challenges of"anti-globalization"in global technological cooperation and to promote high-quality integrated development.This study is based on the authorized invention patent data from 2017 to 2021 for 41 cities in the YRD.It constructs intra-city knowledge networks using four-digit technology categories as nodes and the frequency of technology combinations as connections.The study evaluates the robustness of knowledge networks by simulating both random and deliberate attacks and calculating the network collapse threshold.A panel econometric model is employed to explore the impact on city innovation performance.The findings reveal that:(1)The knowledge networks in YRD cities exhibit stronger resilience to random attacks compared to deliberate attacks.(2)The overall robustness of these networks shows a pattern of high in the east and low in the west,influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic,with an initial rise followed by a decline.Under deliberate attacks,Hangzhou,Shanghai,Nanjing,and Ningbo consistently rank in the top four in network robustness,while Chizhou ranks last.(3)The overall robustness of the YRD knowledge network,under both random and deliberate attacks,surpasses that of individual cities'networks.Enhancing cross-city and cross-sector technology integration opportunities increases the network's ability to resist risks.Over five years,the rate of cross-sector technology integration in the YRD increased from 41％to 47％.(4)After controlling for related and unrelated variety of knowledge,and network centrality in cooperative networks,regression analysis shows a positive correlation between the robustness of city knowledge networks and innovation performance.The impact of knowledge network robustness on innovation is more significant during deliberate attacks compared to random attacks.Even when substituting the network collapse threshold with network efficiency ratio for robustness testing,the regression results remain significant.Finally,the study recommends consolidating technological innovation efforts in core technology areas,including separation technology,digital data processing,material testing or analysis,clean technology,and polymer compounds-five fields that hold central positions in knowledge networks.Strengthening inter-city technological complementarity is also advised to enhance the robustness of the knowledge network in YRD cities.
knowledge networksrobustnessinnovationrandom attackstargeted attacksYangtze River Delta
万方数据
维普
