The literature has documented two patterns of knowledge exchange: free sharing of knowledge and barter exchange. The former has been coined as collective invention, while the latter is observed in the form of R&D alliance. This study, for the first time, compares these two modes of cooperation in creating and diffusing new knowledge. Doing so, we take seriously the network character of knowledge and the skewed distribution of innovation size by proposing a novel model. In this model, knowledge is represented by distinct letters and words constructed thereof and accumulated by agents over time. Discovering new words agents recombine available knowledge pieces not randomly but following certain ideas, semi-definite structures on what words can be further constructed. We proceed by allocating agents in a network and allowing them to cooperate over direct ties either in a regime of collective invention or bilateral R&D alliances. We find networks with skewed degree distribution as most productive under R&D alliances and perfect IPR since they best concentrate scarce resources in discovering different knowledge combinations. In contrast, under collective invention and imperfect IPR, clustered networks better diffuse valuable ideas and knowledge resulting in the overall superior performance. Furthermore, under imperfect IPR, collective invention raises the inequality in payoffs among agents in networks with skewed degree distribution but reduces it for clustered topologies. The latter brings a novel explanation on why industries in the past have experienced a shift in the dominant pattern of knowledge exchange.

文献记录了两种知识交换模式：知识的自由共享和易货交换。前者被称为集体发明，而后者则以研发联盟的形式被观察到。这项研究首次比较了在创造和传播新知识方面的两种合作模式。这样做，我们通过提出一种新颖的模型来认真对待知识的网络特征和创新规模的不对称分布。在此模型中，知识由构造的不同字母和单词表示，并由代理随时间累积。发现新单词的代理人不是随机地而是按照某些想法重组可用的知识片段，就可以进一步构造哪些单词的半确定结构。我们通过在网络中分配代理并允许他们在集体发明或双边研发联盟的直接关系中进行合作来进行。我们发现，在研发联盟和完善的IPR下，倾斜度分布不均的网络生产力最高，因为它们可以将稀缺资源最佳地用于发现不同的知识组合。相反，在集体发明和不完善的IPR下，集群网络更好地传播了宝贵的思想和知识，从而带来了总体上的卓越性能。此外，在IPR不够完善的情况下，集体发明会增加具有偏斜度分布的网络中代理之间的收益不平等，但会降低其在集群拓扑中的不平等。