Research On Evolution Of Regional Knowledge Networks

In the era of knowledge-based economy,the competition among regions or countries has increasingly evolved into issue of knowledge creation.Inter-organizational cooperation among innovation entities such as enterprises,universities,research institutes and governments in different spatial units is increasing.How to acquire and absorb knowledge by inter-organizational cooperation,in order to realize the transformation,integration and creation of new knowledge is the key to enhance regional innovation.The equipment manufacturing includes seven categories: General equipment manufacturing,Special equipment manufacturing,Metal products,Transportation equipment manufacturing,Electrical equipment manufacturing,Electronics and Communications equipment manufacturing,Instrumentation,cultural and office equipment.It is defined as a kind of industry which provides support for other economic development sectors like national electricity,metallurgy and national defense construction.Yangtze economic zone are divided into three major metropolis regions: Yangtze River Delta,Central metropolis region of Yangtze economic zone and Western metropolis region of Yangtze economic zone.Knowledge network is divided into two sub-networks: Basic research knowledge network and technology application knowledge network.It is a strong evidence of research for interaction of multiple knowledge networks and evolution path of inter-regional networksEconomic research normally discusses innovation at firm level based on the perspective of technological innovation.Geography studies pay more attention to role of space in knowledge creation.Recently,economic geographers have drawn attention from location study to convection spaces.Since 1980 s,researchers have paid attention to the relationship between localization and inner-regional organizational cooperation from the perspective of industrial clusters and regional innovation system.In addition,others focused on relational economic geography,emphasize global production networks and global innovation networks.How to achieve inter-regional cooperation through multi-level relationships and finally realize knowledge creation has become key research issue.After analyzing the knowledge innovation process of China’s equipment manufacturing industry,this paper proved that network connectivity can overcome the viscosity produced by geographical distance.This confirms the fact of Bathelt that knowledge exchange is an important source of innovation in different space.Discussing the problem of how to realize inter-regional network cooperation by multi-organizational relations.This paper proved that universities act as network bridge for China’s equipment manufacturing industry.On one hand,it is because proximity promotes the establishment of connections of knowledge network;on the other hand,gradual improvement of network connectivity improves cross regional bridging conditions,and realizing inter-regional knowledge creation or knowledge flow.From organizational relation perspective,universities and colleges now involved in knowledge creation activities will on one hand innovate in the field of natural science theory,moreover,on the other hand,they become technical knowledge creation partners that are increasingly required by firms.Universities are more involved in technological research and commercial achievement protection activities.These are two different kinds of knowledge creation activities.Cooperation with colleges and universities is no longer limited to knowledge sharing and overflow within region.For knowledge creation of equipment manufacturing industry,specialized technology colleges and universities are strongly improving network connectivity,we argue that the bridging role of these universities is not only limited within region,but more importantly,act as inter-regional knowledge bridge.The overall framework and the reasoning of the ideas of this paper benefited from Prof.Gang ZENGs‘ guidance and the long-term accumulation of our research team in the field of innovation network and knowledge creation.Since 2013,the field interview on regional equipment manufacturing enterprises in eastern and western regions of China has become basis for important assumptions and empirical studies in this article.This paper conducts regional knowledge network interaction between theoretical hypothesis and empirical evidence,based on interviews from China International Industry Fair during 2013-2017,interviews with South-western experts research from China and Germany,interviews from Automotive Show in Shanghai,and other first-hand information during years of field investigation with equipment industrial firms.Research on network construction and pathway of multi-regional and multi-level knowledge network is base on integrating of China’s State Intellectual Property Office database co-patent data,China Knowledge Network co-publication data,National Bureau of Statistics Industrial Economics Statistical Yearbook data.The main conclusions as follows:(1)Collaboration with specialized technology universities or research institutes will enhance connectivity of knowledge network and enable inter-regional bridging.This paper argues that the cooperative relationship with universities is not limited to traditional role of theoretical knowledge creation.(2)Network interacted among regions in the path of development.Reasons for difference is that regions with highest level of economic development and innovation in Yangtze River Delta rely on their technological superiority to further enhance their cooperation in basic knowledge of the region and realize inter-connection between their own knowledge sub-networks and promote virtuous and innovative spillover of knowledge within and across regions.However,this is not evidence that regions with relatively weak regional advantages can only be disadvantaged in innovation of knowledge and technology,and does not mean that regions can only seek innovative knowledge or technology to catch up by upgrading its own innovation environment.Regions such as central and Western metropolis areas have their own knowledge-creation condition,the development path is opposite to Yangtze River Delta.There is certain difference in the mode of action in which knowledge-based cooperative relations need to be established.When there is not enough technology-oriented cooperation that can directly achieve large number of cross-regional technologies,on one hand,it is important to clarify advantages and routes of its own regions by improving technological upgrading and its own innovation environment.Inter-regional cooperation in basic knowledge based on cooperation in basic science research and knowledge transformation demand will also lead to flow and sharing of technical knowledge among regions.Ultimately regions will achieve technological innovation among firms or between firms and universities across different regions.(3)The three regions in Yangtze economic zone have different pathways in knowledge network.Technology colleges and universities enhance network connectivity and help to achieve inter-regional knowledge bridging.From perspective of inter-regional network connectivity,Yangtze River Delta follow bottom-up technology-oriented pathway,while central and Western metropolis regions follow Top-down basics knowledge apply oriented development paths.On one hand,transformation of basic research on new knowledge in Yangtze River Delta is not prominent.Market demand and new technological firm demand are important motivators for development of regional knowledge networks and play leading role in the entire pathway.The innovation of this research is on one hand to demonstrate important role of relationship with colleges and specialized technology universities in equipment manufacturing,in inter-regional knowledge flow and bridging.On the other hand,attempts to clarify mechanism of relationship between developed and developing regional innovation pathway,provide basis for further research on interaction between multi-level knowledge and innovation networks,and to a certain extent,help to formulate more accurate differences of regional mobility and synergetic development strategies for inter-regional technology and knowledge.Looking forward,it is proposed to step forward the theory and research methods of multi-level overall network relations research.