Data from: Technology networks: the autocatalytic origins of innovation

We analyse the autocatalytic structure of technological networks and evaluate its significance for the dynamics of innovation patenting. To this aim, we define a directed network of technological fields based on the International Patents Classification, in which a source node is connected to a receiver node via a link if patenting activity in the source field anticipates patents in the receiver field in the same region more frequently than we would expect at random. We show that the evolution of the technology network is compatible with the presence of a growing autocatalytic structure, i.e. a portion of the network in which technological fields mutually benefit from being connected to one another. We further show that technological fields in the core of the autocatalytic set display greater fitness, i.e. they tend to appear in a greater number of patents, thus suggesting the presence of positive spillovers as well as positive reinforcement. Finally, we observe that core shifts take place whereby different groups of technology fields alternate within the autocatalytic structure; this points to the importance of recombinant innovation taking place between close as well as distant fields of the hierarchical classification of technological fields.本研究剖析技术网络的自催化结构，并评估其对创新专利申请动态的影响意义。 为此，我们基于国际专利分类法（International Patents Classification）构建技术领域有向网络：若同一区域内源技术领域的专利申请活动，相较于随机预期的频率，更频繁地先行催生接收技术领域的专利，则源节点与接收节点之间将通过一条连接边相连。 研究表明，技术网络的演化与不断扩张的自催化结构的存在相契合——这类结构指的是网络中若干技术领域通过彼此连接实现互利共赢的子网络。 进一步研究发现，自催化集核心圈层的技术领域展现出更高的适配活力：这类领域往往在更多专利中被提及，这表明其存在正外部性与正强化效应。 最后，我们观察到核心圈层发生转移的现象，即不同技术领域群组在自催化结构中交替占据核心位置；这一现象凸显了重组式创新的重要性——这类创新既发生在技术层级分类体系中相近的领域之间，也发生在相距较远的领域之间。