Revisiting Frequency and Spatial Distribution: Innovation Collaboration for Biotech Firms

On-going debates rage over the to what extent spatial proximity, on the one hand, versus global interactions on the other hand, affect economic development. Spatial proximity of networks and firms with their partners are claimed as important for a number of phenomena, including firm survival, innovativeness and regional economic development. However, while some theories stress the importance of the spatial dimension, whereas other argues that the world is getting more and more globalized. Rather than assuming spatial proximity and collaboration affect innovation, this paper starts by questioning the extent to which collaboration and regions matter in relation to innovation. This paper addresses the frequency of different types and different forms of colocated partners for collaboration – based on an assumption that the firm places strategic value on choice of partners for innovation.