This article investigates the development of supplier–supplier innovations that occur when two firms that are part of the same supply network co‐patent a new product. This study unravels how the structure of the supply network influences each firm's ability to form supplier–supplier innovations with other network members. Specifically, we investigate how supplier degree centrality influences the generation of supplier–supplier innovations, and the extent to which this relationship is moderated by the structural embeddedness of firms in the supply network. Using data from the Toyota supply network, the results reveal that a firm's ability to co‐develop supplier–supplier innovations with other network members depends on its number of ties and their direction within the supply network. Although betweenness centrality has no significant moderating effect, closeness centrality, and embeddedness in small world clusters negatively moderate the relationship between supplier degree centrality and supplier–supplier innovations. Additionally, the number of manufacturing plants a firm operates in Japan strengthens the positive effect supplier degree centrality has on the development of supplier–supplier innovations.

中文翻译：

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在丰田供应网络中探索供应商-供应商的创新：供应网络的角度

本文研究了当同一供应网络中的两家公司为一项新产品申请专利时发生的供应商-供应商创新的发展。这项研究揭示了供应网络的结构如何影响每个公司与其他网络成员形成供应商-供应商创新的能力。具体来说，我们研究了供应商度中心性如何影响供应商-供应商创新的产生，以及这种关系在多大程度上被公司在供应网络中的结构嵌入所调节。使用来自丰田供应网络的数据，结果表明，一家公司与其他网络成员共同开发供应商-供应商创新的能力取决于其联系的数量及其在供应网络中的发展方向。尽管中间性中心性没有显着的调节作用，但紧密性中心性和小世界集群中的嵌入性不利地缓和了供应商度中心性和供应商-供应商创新之间的关系。此外，公司在日本经营的制造工厂数量增加了供应商集中度对供应商-供应商创新发展的积极影响。