A complexity approach to innovation networks. The case of the aircraft industry (1909–1997)

Abstract

Successful innovation depends on complementary competencies in networks of producers, users, and governmental bodies. The effects of complementarities within innovation networks are modeled using Kauffman's NK-model. From the model, the hypothesis is derived that producers, users, and governments self-organize in specialized innovation networks: producers of particular technologies increasingly focus on particular user markets in particular countries. Data on 863 aircraft models (1909–1997) show these strong specialization patterns in the post-war period. Policy implications are indicated emphasizing the recent rise in transnational collaborations, which can be understood as a means of escaping historical specialization patterns.