A Comparative Study On The Evolution Of Regional Knowledge Network Structure In China

In the age of knowledge economy, many cities choose to cooperation with other cities to enhance their competitiveness. Therefore, it is significance to study the feature and evolution of knowledge network structure among cities.Biotechnology is one of high-techs which have been repeatedly stressed by the Chinese government. Its research results bring chemical, pharmaceutical, environmental protection and other industries profound change, and knowledge spillover effect amonge them is obvious. Moreover, with futher research, the level of cooperation amonge knowledge bodys in biotechnology is increasing. Therefore, it is easy to trace the knowledge flows in biotechnology.In view of this, this paper takes statistical data of the scientific papers published in cooperation about the biotechnology both in the database of Thompson R ISI Web of Knowledge (ISI) and Chinese Scientific and Technical Journals (Journal of Chongqing VIP) from 2000 to 2012 as data source, combining geography theories and sociology theories and using social network analysis software UCINET and geographical information system software ArcGIS to analysis structure characteristic of knowledge network among cities in China. On this basis, this paper also studys the the topological and spatial structure characteristics of the knowledge networks of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD). Finally, it analyzes the influence factors of network’s structure. The main conclusions are as follows:First, the structure of knowledge network among cities exists regional differences, but the difference is gradually improving. In the early stages of network formation, the spatial difference of knowledge network’s structure is very obvious. Scientific and technological cooperation mainly happens among a number of cities which in the eastern coastal areas. As time goes on, affected by several center cities and spindles, some midwest cities join the knowledge network, and some of them become secondary center cities.Second, the structures of knowledge network are different between PRD and YRD in the same level. Firstly, at the international level, compared with the PRD, the difference of nodes degree of knowledge network in YRD decreases.It strengthens the indirect contact among nodes in knowledge network. Secondly, at the national level, the scope of the knowledge network in YRD is lager, allowing more midwestern cities to participate in the knowledge network. Finally, at the regional level, the structure of knowledge network in PRD is relatively simple, taking Guangzhou as the center city and Guangzhou-Shenzhen as the spindle. Nanjing, Shanghai and Hangzhou are the centre cities of the spatial structure of knowledge network in YRD and Shanghai-Nanjing, Shanghai-Hangzhou are its spindles. Overall, the size、tie and average degree of topological structures of knowledge network of the YRD are significantly higher than the PRDThird, network structure of each region exist longitudinal differences at the international, national and regional levels. At the national level, the value of betweenness in YRD knowledge network is greatest, but its value is gradually reduced. In 2006-2012, the values of three levels are similar. Compared with the international, national level, the nodes in PRD network at regional level prefer direct contactFourth, on different spatial and temporal scales, multidimensional distance has different effects on the structure of knowledge network. Cooperation matrix is significantly positively correlated with social distance, organizational distance, and is significantly negatively correlated with cognitive distance. Impact of geographical distance on knowledge network structure is instability.