Exploring the formation mechanism of new energy vehicle industry-university-research innovation network: the role of structural, cognitive and relational social capital

The purpose of this paper is to consider the joint action of structural, cognitive and relational social capital, and to explore the formation mechanism of the innovation network of new energy vehicles (NEV). The research data come from China's NEV cooperative invention patent applications from 2001 to 2019. This paper uses the exponential random graph model (ERGM) to study the impact of different dimensions of social capital on the NEV industry-university-research (I-U-R) innovation network. The results show that from the perspective of structural capital, the closed network structure has a positive impact on the formation of NEV I-U-R innovation network. From the perspective of cognitive capital, the homogeneity of knowledge base has a positive effect on the formation of the NEV I-U-R innovation network, and the innovation subjects with the same knowledge base breadth and the same knowledge base depth are more inclined to form a cooperative relationship. For relational capital, institutional environment similarity and organizational structure similarity are important factors affecting the formation of NEV I-U-R innovation network to a similar extent. The findings of this study provide scientific references for promoting the sustainable development of I-U-R innovation network in NEV industry.