A Pre-specified Blockmodeling to Analyze Structural Dynamics in Innovation Networks

In recent decades economic theory has highlighted the benefits produced by networks of organizations in fostering innovation. A number of public policies were put in place to favor these innovation networks throughout Europe. The top-down institution of a number of specialized technological districts in Italy has been one of the main outcomes of this new wave of policies, in mid-2000. The aim of this paper is to explore what impact the institution of technological districts had on collaborative patterns over time. Using a pre-specified blockmodeling, observed network configurations obtained by the co-participation to R&D projects undertaken by organizations involved in a technological district are compared with a theoretical core-periphery structure in a 8-years time interval. The analyses of networks over time show that collaborative patterns have evolved from a core-periphery structure towards a complete network in which each research group is connected with the others.