Influence of cognitive, geographical, and collaborative proximity on knowledge production of Canadian nanotechnology

Incorporating existing knowledge is vital for innovating, discovering, and generating new ideas. Knowledge production through research and invention is the key to scientific and technological development. As an emerging technology, nanotechnology has already proved its great potential for the global economy, attracting considerable federal investments. Canada is reported as one of the major players in producing nanotechnology research. In this paper, we focused on the main drivers of knowledge production and diffusion by analyzing Canadian nanotechnology researchers. We hypothesized that knowledge production in Canadian nanotechnology is influenced by three key proximity factors, namely cognitive, geographical, and collaborative. Using statistical analysis, social network analysis, and machine learning techniques we comprehensively assessed the influence of the proximity factors on academic knowledge production. Our results not only prove a significant impact of the three key proximity factors but also their predictive potential.