AUTHOR=Ren Zhimin , Yu Jiaao , Qiu Liping , Hong Xuya , Wei Shaobin , Zhou Haiyan , Hu Xiao , Zhang Xiaolei , Zhang Wei , Bathuure Isaac Akpemah , Yang Qican , Su Ning , Lee Wei , Wang Xiaoping , Hu Hao 

TITLE=Research on the evolution of the Chinese urban biomedicine innovation network pattern: An analysis using multispatial scales

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1036586

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.1036586

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=This paper addresses the spatial pattern of urban biomedicine innovation networks before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic by separately using four scales, i.e., the national scale, interregional scale, urban agglomeration scale, and provincial scale, on the basis of Chinese biomedicine patent data from the incoPat global patent database (GPD) (2001-2020) and using the method of social network analysis (SNA). Through the research, it is found that (1) on the national scale, the Chinese biomedicine innovation network becomes denser from west to the east as its complexity continuously increases. Its spatial structure takes the form of a radial network pattern with Beijing and Shanghai as its centers. The COVID-19 pandemic has not had an obvious impact on this network. (2) On the interregional scale, the strength of interregional network ties is greater than that of intraregional network ties. The eastern, central and western biomedicine innovation networks appear to be heterogeneous networks with regional central cities as the cores. (3) At the urban agglomeration scale, the strength of intraurban-agglomeration network ties is greater than that of interurban-agglomeration network ties. The three major urban agglomerations have formed radial spatial patterns with central cities as the hubs. (4) At the provincial scale, the intraprovincial networks have poor connectivity and low internal ties strength, which manifest as core-periphery structures with the provincial capitals as centers.