Measuring the Global Digital Technology Innovation Network in the Construction Industry

Digital technology innovation is widely recognized as critical for the digital transformation of the construction industry. However, only a few studies have focused on this topic. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel method that consists of big data textual analysis to identify digital technology patents and social network analysis to construct a digital technology innovation network for exploring the development of digital technology innovation in the construction industry using patent data from all over the world. The findings indicate that the global digital technology innovation network in the construction industry is a scale-free network. During the period from 2003 to 2022, the number of nodes increased from 2,494 to 7,119, and the average degree grew from 11.312 to 21.388, indicating that the size of the network increased. Modularity decreased from 0.757 to 0.488, and the average clustering coefficient decreased from 0.825 to 0.694, indicating that the stability of the community structure in the network gradually weakened. Global digital technology innovation was most prevalent in field B (performing operations, transporting) in the construction industry, while H02G3/04, H02G3/08, H01L31/042, H02G1/02, H02S40/38, H02J7/35 and H02S20/30 played key connecting roles in linking digital technology innovation network communities. In addition, the construction industry exhibited the highest levels of integrated innovation with power electronic components manufacturing in the digital economy industry. This paper provides a new perspective for measuring the development of digital technology innovation in the construction industry and guiding its future development in this industry.