A Theory of Knowledge Growth

Table of Contents......Page 6
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 10
INTRODUCTION......Page 12
Abstract......Page 16
I. The self-reinforcing growth of codified and accessible knowledge......Page 17
II. Public knowledge and economic growth......Page 19
III. Knowledge production function......Page 20
IV. Invention as knowledge hybridization......Page 22
V. The network structure of knowledge growth......Page 24
Abstract......Page 28
I. What is a patent?......Page 29
II. Knowledge spillovers......Page 31
III. Knowledge output......Page 33
IV. Knowledge domains......Page 36
V. The network model of knowledge growth......Page 37
VI. Conclusions......Page 39
Appendix......Page 40
Abstract......Page 42
I. Patent production......Page 43
II. I. Citations made and received......Page 48
II. II. Citation lags......Page 51
III. The NBER data as indicators of knowledge dynamics......Page 54
III. I. Time of patent grant......Page 55
III. III. Data truncation......Page 56
III. IV. Network evolution......Page 59
Abstract......Page 60
I. Network components......Page 61
II. Network visualization......Page 62
II. I. Weak ties and backbone structure......Page 63
II. II. The evolution of the ICT cluster......Page 68
III. Small-world analysis......Page 71
IV. Triadic census......Page 74
V. Conclusions......Page 77
Abstract......Page 78
I. I. Towards a heavy-tail distribution?......Page 81
I. II. Converging to a common size?......Page 86
I. III. Domains’ steady-state sizes......Page 87
II. Explaining the concentration of knowledge progress......Page 90
III. Conclusions......Page 92
Abstract......Page 96
I. A network representation of specialization and brokerage......Page 97
II. Creativity, specialization and brokerage......Page 100
III. Hypotheses......Page 104
IV. Statistical model......Page 105
V. Analysis......Page 108
VI. Conclusions......Page 112
Appendix......Page 114
Abstract......Page 116
I. Long-term effects of specialization and brokerage......Page 115
I. I. Between-effects estimation......Page 117
I. II. Level effects......Page 119
II. Rank re-ordering of domains’ sizes......Page 122
III. Risk, specialization, and brokerage......Page 125
IV. Niche overlap and the creative potential of structural holes......Page 126
V. Conclusions......Page 132
Abstract......Page 134
I. Findings......Page 135
II. Contributions to science......Page 137
III. Policy and investment implications......Page 139
IV. Future research......Page 140
V. Conclusions......Page 143
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 144
SAMENVATTING (Summary in Dutch)......Page 156