Collaborator Selection and Paths to Enhance Exploratory Innovation: Should Inventor Collaboration Seek Common Ground or Preserve Differences?

We investigate why inventors choose specific collaborators and how different collaboration patterns shape the relationship between network stability and exploratory innovation in interdisciplinary contexts. Using nano-energy patents (1998-2021) from the Derwent World Patent Index, we find that collaboration network stability hinders exploratory innovation, and this effect is moderated by assortativity. We classify collaborations into two types based on inventors' assortativity and network location: high assortativity collaboration, where core (peripheral) inventors work with others in similar locations, and low assortativity collaboration, where inventors collaborate across different network locations. We further examine how these collaborations influence the impact mechanism, challenging the conventional assumption of core-core collaboration. Robustness tests, including narrowed sample windows and alternative variable measures, confirm the consistency of results. Our findings provide nuanced insights into how partner selection and collaboration structures affect exploratory innovation, offering practical guidance for managers seeking to design effective collaboration strategies in technology-driven and interdisciplinary organizations. Managerial Relevance Statement-This study offers actionable insights for managers tasked with organizing and leading innovation teams in dynamic interdisciplinary environments. Our finding that network stability impedes exploratory innovation underscores the importance of reconsidering collaborator selection. Managers should carefully balance the benefits of predictable, stable networks with the need for fresh perspectives. Notably, individual inventor collaborative preferences—the tendency to collaborate with similar peers (assortativity)—should also be closely monitored. As the effects of these preferences vary depending on an inventor's position within the network, organizations should promote cross-boundary collaboration, particularly between core and peripheral members. Such collaboration fosters the exchange of heterogeneous ideas and mitigates cognitive inertia. By aligning collaboration preferences with strategic network locations, organizations can sustain exploratory innovation and remain competitive in rapidly evolving technological landscapes. This study also contributes to the following SDGs: SDG 7, SDG 17.