Adapting under pressure: resilience characteristics and evolution dynamics of innovation networks in China’s integrated circuit industry

The integrated circuit (IC) industry is a strategic, foundational, and leading sector critical to national economic development. This study investigates how external shocks influence internal innovation activities within the IC industry, focusing on the characteristics and evolutionary driving factors of innovation network resilience. Using patent cooperation data from China's IC industry from 2011 to 2020, a systematic resilience measurement framework is constructed to measure resilience and elucidate the dynamic evolution of the innovation network. Furthermore, the exponential random graph model is used to empirically analyze the mechanisms driving the evolution of innovation network resilience. Findings indicate that general resilience in the innovation network is declining, while node resilience exhibits dynamic changes over time. Network structure significantly enhances innovation network resilience, with geographical and organisational proximity also playing critical roles in strengthening resilience. These insights offer actionable strategies for stabilising innovation networks, bolstering resistance to shocks, and promoting sustainable development in the IC industry.