Modelling the Impact of Network Social Capital on Business and Technological Innovations

In this paper, we construct a macroeconomic growth model where social capital embedded in collaborative networks of firms (such as corporate partnerships and research consortia) increase the rate of technological and business innovations in high-tech industries. Social capital is created via network-building activities and through “learning-by-doing”. We derive the optimal quantity of resources that should be channelled away from pure production into activities that build network social capital, and study both the comparative statics and transitional dynamics of the model. We also examine the implications of the model for policymakers interested in formulating innovation policies.