Understanding the resilience of intercity innovation networks – Nature

 

Report on Intercity Innovation Network Resilience and Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Resilience and innovation are identified as pivotal attributes for achieving regional sustainable development, directly contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, in a world marked by uncertainty, regional innovation faces significant challenges. This report examines the role of Intercity Innovation Networks (IINs) in fostering resilient regional innovation systems aligned with the SDGs. These networks, built on collaborative efforts between cities, enhance collective capacity to withstand external shocks, thereby supporting SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

This report proposes a systematic framework for Intercity Innovation Network Resilience (IINR), defined as the dynamic capacity of these networks to respond to external shocks. The framework utilizes a “structure–process–performance” approach to provide a holistic understanding of IINR.

• Resilient Performance: Observable outcomes in innovation outputs.
• Resilient Structure: The underlying architecture of collaborative networks.
• Resilient Process: The multiscale knowledge dynamics that explain how IINR develops.

This framework provides a robust foundation for observing, evaluating, and simulating innovation resilience, offering critical insights for policymakers aiming to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

1. Introduction: Aligning Regional Innovation with Sustainable Development Goals

Innovation is a primary driver of resilient and sustainable regional development, underpinning progress towards several SDGs, including SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). As global economic uncertainties and external shocks (e.g., pandemics, financial crises) escalate, the capacity of regional innovation systems to withstand these pressures has become a critical concern. Building resilient innovation systems is therefore essential for ensuring long-term progress on the SDGs.

A network-based approach, particularly through the lens of Intercity Innovation Networks (IINs), offers a powerful paradigm for understanding regional innovation resilience. By fostering collaboration, IINs enable cities to leverage complementary resources and knowledge, creating synergies that enhance their adaptive capacity. This directly supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and contributes to the development of resilient urban communities as envisioned in SDG 11. This report synthesizes existing research to propose a comprehensive framework for IINR, aiming to bridge a critical gap in understanding how to build and maintain innovation capacity in turbulent environments.

2. Analytical Perspectives for Resilient Intercity Innovation Networks (IINs)

To analyze the multifaceted concept of IINR, this report integrates three complementary perspectives derived from studies on regional, network, and innovation resilience. Each perspective offers unique insights into how IINs contribute to sustainable development.

2.1. The Evolutionary Perspective: Tracking Progress Towards SDG 8 and SDG 9

This perspective assesses regional resilience by examining development trajectories over time. It focuses on a region’s capacity for both short-term adaptation and long-term adaptability, which are crucial for sustaining economic growth (SDG 8) and fostering inclusive and sustainable industrialization (SDG 9). Key considerations include:

• Path Dependence: How historical development paths influence a region’s ability to respond to shocks.
• Path Creation: The capacity to forge new innovation trajectories by leveraging diverse knowledge bases and adaptive governance.
• Role of Institutions: The importance of a dynamic institutional framework in mobilizing knowledge and resources during crises to support sustained innovation.

2.2. The Structural Perspective: Building Resilient Infrastructure (SDG 9)

This perspective analyzes network resilience through the lens of system structure and topology. It treats IINs as a form of critical infrastructure whose robustness is essential for maintaining innovation flows. This aligns directly with the goal of building resilient infrastructure under SDG 9. Analysis from this perspective focuses on:

• Network Robustness: The ability of the network to maintain connectivity and functionality despite the failure of nodes (cities) or edges (collaborative links).
• Self-Organization and Adaptation: The capacity of networks to spontaneously reorganize and strategically reconfigure connections to absorb shocks and recover functionality.
• Structural Properties: Key attributes such as centralization, diversity, and cohesion that determine the network’s inherent resilience.

2.3. The Organizational Perspective: Fostering Partnerships for Innovation (SDG 17)

This perspective examines resilience based on the micro-level interaction mechanisms among innovation actors (firms, universities, governments). It emphasizes that innovation is a social process driven by knowledge exchange and collaboration, which is the foundation of effective partnerships (SDG 17). This view highlights:

• Knowledge Dynamics: The creation, flow, and diffusion of knowledge through “local buzz” and “global pipelines” as mechanisms for resilience.
• Network Topology and Knowledge Flow: How network structures, such as core-periphery configurations, facilitate knowledge circulation and enhance the system’s ability to withstand shocks.
• Multi-Actor Collaboration: The role of interactions between diverse agents in driving adaptive responses and sustaining innovation output during crises.

3. A Framework for Intercity Innovation Network Resilience (IINR)

Integrating the three analytical perspectives, this report proposes a systematic “structure–process–performance” framework to conceptualize and analyze IINR. This framework provides a holistic model for understanding how collaborative urban networks can drive progress on the SDGs.

3.1. Conceptualization of IINR for Sustainable Development

Intercity Innovation Network Resilience (IINR) is defined as the dynamic capacity embedded in the responses of intercity innovation networks to external shocks, rooted in the collaborative innovation among cities. This capacity enables the network to sustain or redirect its innovation trajectories, ensuring continued progress towards long-term sustainable development objectives. IINR is characterized by its focus on:

1. Regionality and Scale: Analyzing resilience from an urban geography perspective, where cities are nodes in a regional system.
2. Knowledge Dynamics: Incorporating the spatial mechanisms of knowledge spillover as central to innovation resilience.
3. Networked Structure: Viewing the IIN as both a model of innovation connections and a system with unique structural properties.
4. Temporal Dynamics: Covering both immediate shock responses and long-term adaptations crucial for sustainable growth.

3.2. The “Structure–Process–Performance” Framework

The IINR framework is composed of three interconnected dimensions that together explain how resilience is formed and expressed in the context of achieving the SDGs.

• Resilient Performance: The external expression of resilience, measured by the stability and growth of innovation outputs. This directly reflects progress on SDG 9. It includes:
  • Resistance: The ability to withstand the initial impact of a shock.
  • Recoverability: The speed and extent to which innovation momentum is regained post-shock.
  • Adaptability: The long-term capacity to create new innovation pathways, ensuring sustainable growth (SDG 8).
• Resilient Structure: The internal source of resilience, determined by the topological and spatial properties of the IIN. A resilient structure is a form of resilient infrastructure (SDG 9) that supports sustainable communities (SDG 11). Key properties include:
  • Network Centralization
  • Assortativity
  • Transmissibility
  • Cohesion and Diversity
• Resilient Process: The dynamic mechanism linking structure to performance. It involves the multiscale interactions and decisions of innovation agents that drive the network’s response to shocks. This process embodies the collaborative spirit of SDG 17 and includes:
  • Micro-Level Decisions: Adaptive behaviors of firms, universities, and governments in response to shocks.
  • Macro-Level Shifts: Changes in intercity collaboration patterns and the overall network structure.

4. Strategic Research Directions for Sustainable and Resilient Innovation

Applying the IINR framework requires focused research on its three core dimensions to generate actionable insights for advancing the SDGs.

4.1. Observing Resilient Performance for SDG Attainment

Future research should adopt an evolutionary perspective to assess IINR, moving beyond shock-specific analysis to examine long-term development trajectories. This approach will better capture the adaptive capacity needed for sustained progress on SDG 8 and SDG 9. Methodologies should include long-term time-series analysis to track the robustness, volatility, and growth trends of regional innovation.

4.2. Evaluating Resilient Structures for Sustainable Infrastructure (SDG 9 & 11)

The link between network structure and resilience requires further empirical validation. Research should focus on the dynamic evolution of IIN structures over time, rather than relying on static snapshots. Advanced simulation models that account for the socio-economic complexities of innovation are needed to move beyond simple node/edge removal scenarios. This will help inform the design of more resilient urban systems and innovation infrastructure, contributing to SDG 9 and SDG 11.

4.3. Analyzing Resilient Processes to Strengthen Partnerships (SDG 17)

Understanding the resilient process requires a systematic dissection of both micro- and macro-level dynamics. Qualitative surveys and case studies are needed to capture the specific reactions of innovation agents to external shocks. This micro-level understanding must be linked to macro-level shifts in intercity collaborations. Such analysis will clarify how to foster more effective partnerships (SDG 17) that enhance the collective resilience of the entire innovation ecosystem.

5. Conclusion: Advancing SDGs through Resilient Innovation Networks

In an era of increasing uncertainty, building resilient Intercity Innovation Networks (IINs) is a critical strategy for achieving innovation-driven sustainable development. This report has proposed a comprehensive “structure–process–performance” framework for understanding and analyzing Intercity Innovation Network Resilience (IINR). This framework integrates multiple disciplinary perspectives to provide a holistic view of how collaborative city networks can withstand shocks and adapt to changing conditions.

By focusing on resilient performance, structure, and process, the IINR framework offers a clear methodology for researchers and policymakers to evaluate and strengthen regional innovation systems. Further empirical application of this framework will deepen our understanding of regional innovation resilience and provide actionable insights for creating more sustainable, innovative, and resilient cities and communities, thereby contributing directly to the achievement of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   The article is fundamentally about fostering innovation and building resilient systems for regional development. It explicitly states, “Innovation is acknowledged as a key driver of resilient and sustainable regional development.” The entire discussion revolves around “regional innovation systems,” “intercity innovation networks,” and the “production and flow of knowledge,” which are core components of SDG 9’s focus on building resilient infrastructure and promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   The article’s focus is on the regional and city level, aiming to make them more resilient and sustainable. It discusses “intercity innovation networks” and “regional sustainable development.” The concept of “intercity innovation network resilience (IINR)” is defined as the capacity of these networks to withstand “external shocks” such as “financial crises, pandemics” and natural disasters. This directly aligns with SDG 11’s goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, particularly in their ability to adapt to and recover from shocks.

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   The mechanism proposed for achieving innovation and resilience is through collaboration. The article emphasizes that “Intercity innovation networks, built on collaborative efforts between cities, enable regions to harness collective strength.” It explores how “intercity collaborations” and “networked regional innovation systems” are formed and how they function. This focus on partnerships, knowledge sharing, and collaborative networks to achieve sustainable development goals is the central theme of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers… and public and private research and development spending.

    The article directly addresses this target by focusing on “regional innovation resilience,” “knowledge dynamics,” and the need for a “robust foundation for observing, evaluating, and simulating innovation resilience.” It discusses concepts like “innovation outputs” and “enterprise R&D expenditures,” which are central to measuring progress under Target 9.5.

  • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.

    The article conceptualizes “intercity innovation networks (IINs)” as a form of regional infrastructure. It argues that these networks, “Grounded in infrastructure connections, industrial linkages, social relations, and various forms of ‘flow’,” are critical for enhancing “long-term regional innovation performance” and resilience, thus contributing to the development of resilient regional infrastructure as specified in this target.

• Under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.

    The article’s framework for “intercity innovation network resilience (IINR)” is a model for strengthening regional development planning. By analyzing “intercity collaborations to leverage bilateral knowledge and resources,” the article provides a lens for understanding and improving the economic and social links between urban areas to foster “resilient and sustainable regional development.”

  • Target 11.b: …substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… resilience to disasters…

    The central theme of the article is building resilience to external shocks. It defines IINR as “the dynamic capacity inherent in the responses of intercity innovation networks to external shocks” and proposes a framework to observe and evaluate this resilience. This directly supports the implementation of plans and policies aimed at increasing the resilience of cities to disasters, as called for in Target 11.b.

• Under SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Target 17.6: Enhance… regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing…

    The article’s analysis of “intercity innovation networks” is a direct examination of regional cooperation on science, technology, and innovation (STI). It explores how “collaborations between cities” facilitate “knowledge spillovers” and the sharing of “bilateral knowledge and resources,” which are the core activities described in this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article proposes a theoretical framework that implies several indicators for measuring resilience and innovation within intercity networks.

1. Indicators for Innovation Output (Relevant to Target 9.5):

   The article explicitly mentions several indicators to measure “innovation output.” It states that resilient performance is “represented by patents, publications, and other forms of achievements.” It also refers to “enterprise R&D expenditures” as an indicator of innovation inputs and mentions the “patent growth rate” as a measurable outcome.

2. Indicators for Resilience Performance (Relevant to Target 11.b):

   The proposed framework breaks down “resilient performance” into three measurable aspects, each with implied indicators:

   • Resistance: Measured by “the observed frequency of recession periods” and “the severity of innovation downturns during single recessions.”
   • Recoverability: Measured by “the recovery rate of innovation output.”
   • Adaptability: Measured by “the overall growth trends in innovation output.”
3. Indicators for Network Structure and Collaboration (Relevant to Targets 9.1 and 17.6):

   To measure the “resilient structure” of the innovation network, the article suggests analyzing its topological properties. It states that “structural properties such as network centralization, assortativity, transmissibility, cohesion, and diversity influence cross-boundary cooperation.” These network metrics serve as indicators of the strength, nature, and resilience of the collaborative partnerships between cities.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure	9.5: Enhance scientific research and upgrade technological capabilities, encouraging innovation. 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient regional infrastructure.	Innovation outputs (patents, publications) Patent growth rate Enterprise R&D expenditures Structural properties of innovation networks (centralization, assortativity, etc.)
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.a: Support positive economic and social links between urban areas through regional development planning. 11.b: Increase the number of cities implementing integrated plans for resilience to disasters.	Resistance metrics: Frequency of recession periods, severity of innovation downturns. Recoverability metrics: Recovery rate of innovation output. Adaptability metrics: Overall growth trends in innovation output.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	17.6: Enhance regional cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation, and enhance knowledge sharing.	Metrics of intercity collaboration (e.g., number and strength of network ties) Measures of knowledge flow and spillovers between cities Network structure indicators (cohesion, diversity) reflecting the quality of partnerships

Source: nature.com