ABSTRACT

Brokers play a critical role in the evolution of innovation systems by accessing and diffusing external knowledge. However, while brokers’ activity allows benefits for the entire system, it entails costs for those who play the broker role. Using patent data to analyse inter-city networks in Latin America, we identify broker cities and estimate the effects of brokerage on patenting outcomes between 2006 and 2017. Our findings reveal that cities holding a central position in the network show higher patenting activity; however, being a broker, particularly connecting Latin American cities with the rest of the world, negatively influences patenting outcomes.

摘要

经纪人通过获取和传播外部知识在创新系统的演变中发挥着关键作用。然而，虽然经纪人的活动为整个系统带来了好处，但对于扮演经纪人角色的人来说却需要付出代价。使用专利数据分析拉丁美洲的城市间网络，我们确定了代理城市并估计了代理对 2006 年至 2017 年专利成果的影响。我们的研究结果表明，在网络中占据中心地位的城市显示出更高的专利活动；然而，作为经纪人，尤其是将拉丁美洲城市与世界其他地区联系起来的经纪人，会对专利申请结果产生负面影响。