Is inventor network structure a predictor of cluster evolution?

Geographical clusters are significant drivers of regional economic growth and competitiveness in today's economy. Recent studies have shown that geographically limited knowledge diffusion which results from inventor movements within clusters is a facilitating factor to regional innovation output and therefore to the development of clusters. However, it remains unclear whether the dynamics of inventor movements can be used as an indicator for different stages of cluster progression. In this study, using patent co-authorship data, we construct inventor networks for two telecom clusters, New Jersey and Texas. Based on the longitudinal analysis of inventor network properties and interviews with the key inventors maintaining the networks, we seek to gain a better understanding of 1) how the properties of inventor networks across the two clusters reflect their difference in fundamental “typology” of clusters; and 2) are the patterns of inventor network structures and properties over time indicative of the change in viability of the clusters. Our findings suggest that the cluster “typology” is a key factor determining the structure of the inventor networks in a geographical cluster. Over time, as the economic and social conditions of a cluster change, the regional inventor networks change their performance accordingly. Importantly, the cluster “typology” may be a significant moderating factor for the relationship between the inventor network performance and the cluster's development.