| Abstract: |
Building on previous literature providing extensive evidence on flows of
knowledge generated by inter-firm agreements, in this paper we aim to analyse
how the occurrence of such collaborations is driven by the multi-dimensional
proximity among participants and by their position within firms’ network. More
specifically, we assess how the likelihood that two firms set up a partnership
is influenced by their bilateral geographical, technological, organizational,
institutional and social proximity and by their position within networks in
terms of centrality and closeness. Our analysis is based on agreements in the
form of joint ventures or strategic alliances, announced over the period
2005-2012, in which at least one partner is localised in Italy. We consider
the full range of economic activities and this allow us to offer a general
scenario and to specifically investigate the role of technological relatedness
across different sectors. The econometric analysis, based on the logistic
framework for rare events, yielded three noteworthy results. First, all the
five dimensions of proximity jointly exert a positive and relevant effect in
determining the probability of inter-firm knowledge exchanges, signalling that
they are complementary rather than substitute channels. Second, the higher
impact on probability is due to the technological proximity, followed by the
geographical one, while the other proximities (social, institutional and
organizational) have a limited effect. Third, we find evidence on the positive
role played by networks, through preferential attachment and transitivity
effects, in enhancing the probability of inter-firm agreements. |