From 21 to 22 November 2019, the fifth EAEPE RA [X] "Networks" Workshop took place at the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) in Stuttgart. The international workshop series on "Networks" was initiated in 2015 by Muhamed Kudic (University of Bremen) and since then has been dedicated to a new topic every year. This year's topic was "Innovation Networks and Economic Transition".
The working group was present with several research contributions. In the session moderated by Jutta Günther, Katharina Friz (University of Bremen) and Patrick Wolf (ZSW) presented a paper on "New indicators for transformative technological fields". This contribution deals with the indicator-based measurement of dynamic technology fields and was developed within the consortium project Neo-Indikatorik, which is funded by the BMBF and develops a methodical "prototype" for empirical observation of the structural dynamics of companies. The project is carried out in cooperation with the Stifterverband, the FOM Hochschule Essen and the ZSW.
Jessica Birkholz (University of Bremen) presented her research paper on "The Role of Entrepreneurial Exploration and Exploitation for the Transformation of Regional Knowledge Bases". Her research focuses on the role of regional characteristics for the absorption capacity of knowledge at different levels of aggregation. The paper is part of her cumulative dissertation.
Mariia Shkolnykova (University of Bremen) presented a paper on "Who shapes plant biotechnology in Germany? Joint analysis of the evolution of co-authors' and co-inventors' networks". In this paper, she analyses the co-evolution of patent and publication networks using the example of German biotechnology. She developed the research question and the conceptual framework for this research work during her research stay at the NIFU in Oslo in spring 2019.
The workshop was organised by Tobias Buchmann (ZSW) in cooperation with the working group of Jutta Günther (University of Bremen) and Andreas Pyka (University of Hohenheim). The interdisciplinary event brought together around 30 scientists from Germany and abroad. At the workshop lectures on system and network dynamics, transformation processes and innovation policy were held and discussed. Two keynote speeches held by Paolo Saviotti and Mark Knell rounded off the programme.
