The Global Network of Embodied R&D Flows

Through an original combination of the World Input-Output Dataset and OECD data on Analytical Business Enterprise R&D, we build up a longitudinal network of 690 nodes (23 industries in 30 countries) from 2009 to 2013. Drawing on complex network analysis techniques, we examine the relational properties of the industry-country nodes, identify the most central ones, and detect the clusters that they form. While the diffusion of embodied R&D is highly pervasive, the linkages across industries are asymmetric and polarised. The position and role of the industry-country nodes in the network show a high variability both over time and across its network dimensions. Furthermore, except for transportation and ICT related industries, embodied R&D flows are largely confined within national borders