New tech spaces for old tech places? Exploring the network of research and technology organizations across North Italian Regions

This paper explores the industrial affiliation and linkages of research and technology organizations (RTOs) in nine North Italian regions highly specialized in advanced manufacturing and introduces a methodology to assess the potential for a cross-regional technology platform. RTOs are supposed to operate in the development and application phases of innovation and are expected to provide access to key enabling technologies and R&D infrastructures. An original survey panel of 55 Italian RTOs is used and Social network analysis is introduced to assess the potential of RTOs to operate as a single cross-regional platform across key industrial and technology domains. Centrality measures are used to build an empirical model on the factors that drive the higher centrality of RTOs. Centrality is increased by convergence on few key technology priorities and is positively correlated with collaborative ventures, the number of contracts with firms and the presence of distinctive R&D infrastructures. Such a platform rests on specialized regional hubs, it operates with no gatekeepers and it only partially exploits geographical and technological proximity within the network. Future research avenues are discussed to improve the function of technology diffusion of RTOs in a cross-regional perspective.     

长江三角洲船舶代理服务业空间组织网络时空演化——基于两省一市分析

选取2010年和2015年长三角地区船舶代理企业为研究样本,运用定量与定性相结合的方法,分别探析了多层尺度下长三角地区船舶代理企业的空间分布特征和以地级城市为载体的船舶代理服务业空间组织网络时空演化。研究发现：长三角地区船舶代理企业机构空间分布呈现出明显地域差异,区域和城市尺度上非均衡分布较为显著;长三角地区船舶代理服务业空间组织网络具有显著层级特征和明显的位序关系;由船舶代理企业组织构成的四大城市（上海、南京、苏州与宁波）现已成为空间组织网络主干联系的中心节点。同时,传统“T字型”主干区正在向外扩展,区域一体化趋势正在加强。宏观背景、区域机制与企业机制共同推动长三角地区船舶代理服务业空间组织网络时空演变。     

京津冀交通路网结构特征及其演变的分形刻画

交通一体化是京津冀协同发展的基础和前提，合理的交通网络结构对提升城市群整体效能意义重大。本文基于1995-2030年多源交通路网数据，运用分形思想，研究京津冀以城市群为节点体系的交通路网空间结构特征及演化趋势。主要结论如下：①京津冀高等级路网仍有一定扩展潜力，交通网络整体等级结构尚不稳定，未达到一种优化的分形递阶状态。②各级路网空间分布具有自仿射特征，但各向异性扩展强度正在逐渐减弱，城镇化和交通一体化战略的实施正在促进各级路网逐渐向自相似的结构一体化方向演化。③交通路网空间结构演化与城镇用地结构不同步，可能与系统所处城镇化发展阶段有关。④高等级路网分维演化服从次数大于1的logistic模型，按照规划预期，各级路网空间发育将相继在2040年前后达到饱和；但按照规划设计高速公路建设将过度饱和，未来应及时调整规划。     

Lead Isotope Analyses Revealed the Key Role of Chang'an in the Mirror Production and Distribution Network During the Han Dynasty

Chang'an (now Xi'an) was the capital of the Western Han Dynasty and the starting point of the Silk Road. In the light of the importance of Chang'an as the centre of politics, economy and cultural interaction, the overarching question proposed in this paper is focused on its role in the mirror production and distribution network during Han period. On the basis of chemical and lead isotopic analyses of 34 Han mirrors, this paper discusses the potential existence of a mirror production centre in Chang'an. Meanwhile, a comparative study with mirrors uncovered from the south‐western frontier and from Central Asian and North‐East Asian countries offers new insight into these related issues.     

European cultural diplomacy: diaspora relations with Kazakhstan

Abstract

Cultural diplomacy using diasporic communities as facilitators of interaction between states has long been important. This article suggests a typology of networks of communication derived from a case study of long-established diasporas living in post-independence Kazakhstan and their relationship with their European ‘homelands’. The typology juxtaposes the official stance of homeland governments expressed in formal and legal provisions with the lived experience of the diaspora communities. The study highlights the benefits of developing vibrant ‘valued’ networks of communication embracing both local diasporas and homeland embassies and agencies. In such cases, diplomatic benefits accrue to the homeland and local communities are empowered. Similarly, failing to capitalise on positive sentiment with some infrastructural support may leave an ‘expressive’ network as one of neglected potential.     

Young people's involvement in policy research

This article reviews the legacy of young people's involvement in policy research in the UK and proposes an approach of collaboration with young people that may be useful in other settings. It critiques the sociocultural and socioeconomic context relevant to young people's involvement in research, using the Young Researcher Network (YRN) as a case study. A key benefit of using the YRN has been the ability to identify and analyse potential barriers and facilitators influencing the relationships of young people and organisations whilst both groups worked together to improve policy. This allowed young people to connect to the policy environment in a meaningful way. The approach has been embedded into The Office for the Children's Commissioner in England, the National Institute for Health Research as well as other leading youth organisations in the UK, which is likely to increase the direct involvement of young people in policy research.     

Partnership Networks for Urban Development: How Structure is Shaped by Risk

In delivering public policy, governments worldwide increasingly partner with diverse sets of stakeholders. This spreads commercial risk, but particularly where agendas diverge, introduces new risks related to trust in relationships. The “risk hypothesis” distinguishes between networks for “cooperation” problems, where partners have high individual payoffs for uncooperative behaviors, and “coordination” problems, where partners subscribe to a common goal and uncooperative behaviors are less rewarding. We used mixed‐methods to study networks of local and state government, developers, and consultants that center on joint‐venture partnerships for developing new urban, residential projects. Statistical network methods showed that within the mix of partners involved in development projects, only state governments displayed structural patterns associated with solving “cooperation” problems (rather than coordination). In other words, the patterns of state government interactions showed they are most exposed to risky relationships. In contrast to the state governments’ apparent exposure to risk, qualitative data showed they are not only well trusted but also overall the partnership networks reported very low levels of conflict. By exploring the distribution of “cooperation” and “coordination,” we identified which stakeholders perceived most risk. In our case, how the state governments’ structure interactions in response to risky relationships leads to an overall network characterized by trust.     

The role of aviation networks for urban development

City officials are continuously working to attract airlines willing to fly to new destinations. The inherent expectation is that a more extensive aviation network stimulates economic growth. This paper investigates empirically the causal implication of this hypothesis. Using data on nonstop flights by origin and destination over the period 1984–2013, we propose a new measure for a metropolitan area's connectivity to the national aviation network. We then use this measure to investigate its contribution to local economic development, as captured by the growth in population, in total employment, in per-capita income, and new firm entry. To ensure causality, we use instrumental variable methods that exploit geography and destination airports growth as a way to capture the exogenous variation in the likelihood to add new travel routes. Our results suggest that a metropolitan area's air connectivity, resulting from an expansive local aviation network, has a positive effect on population, on employment and on the number of businesses established in that location.     

The Advocacy Coalition Index: A new approach for identifying advocacy coalitions

Policy scholars have increasingly focused on collaborative and competitive relationships between stakeholder coalitions. The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) in particular has directed scholarly attention toward such relationships. The ACF defines advocacy coalitions as groups of actors who share beliefs and coordinate their action. However, previous research has been inconsistent in defining and measuring coalitions, which has hampered comparative research and theory building. We present a method called the Advocacy Coalition Index, which measures belief similarity and the coordination of action in a manner that makes it possible to assess the extent to which advocacy coalitions are found in policy subsystems, whether subgroups resemble coalitions, and how individual actors contribute to coalition formation. The index provides a standardized method for identifying coalitions that can be applied to comparative research. To illustrate the effectiveness of the index, we analyze two climate change policy subsystems, namely Finland and Sweden, which have been shown to differ in terms of the association of belief similarity with coordination. We demonstrate that the index performs well in identifying the different types of subsystems, coalitions, and actors that contribute the most to coalition formation, as well as those involved in cross-coalition brokerage.     

节庆事件对区域旅游流空间网络的影响效应和机制研究

以洛阳牡丹花节为例,通过多源数据的融合,运用社会网络、因子分析方法,探究节庆事件对区域旅游流空间网络的影响效应及机制。结果表明：节庆事件对区域旅游流空间网络影响表现为协同、弱化及蜂聚三种效应,不同效应影响机制不同。其中,节点的等级和知名度优势非常明显的态势下,产生显著的协同效应;节庆游憩区内的低等级节点出现轻微的节庆弱化效应,区域外节点主要受到空间交通距离限制产生了显著的节庆弱化效应;旅游等级很强且旅游承载量优势非常明显的非节庆旅游节点,以及等级、知名度或地理区位较强的节庆旅游节点呈现出强蜂聚效应,以上条件均不强的节庆旅游节点仅发生弱集聚效应。