How do Institutions Deal With Different Dimensions of Scientific Collaborations? An Analysis of Distance and Stability in the Co-Authorship of the Biotech Sector

Scientific collaborations may present very differentiated characteristics and many dimensions may be taken into consideration. Among such characteristics, we consider the following: the spatial distance between the collaborating institutions, the institutional distance (we assume that there is institutional distance if the collaborating institutions are of a different kind), the stability of the collaborations (if they are occasional or repeated) and the content of the research (if basic or applied). We analyse what kind of relationship exists between such dimensions. The phenomenon of collaborations among different institutions (firms, universities, hospitals and research centres) is seen through the lens of co-authorship of scientific publications in the Italian “red” biotech sector. As empirical tools, we adopt some indexes built in the context of the social network analysis (the E-I index and the equivalence coefficient) usually used in different applications. This kind of analysis may highlight how knowledge flows among innovative agents and should be taken into consideration by the policy maker that aims to promote research collaboration between different institutions.