主讲人：Jie (April) Cai，Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

题目：Innovation and Endogenous Knowledge Network Dynamics

主持人：余昌华、薛思帆（北京大学国家发展研究院）

时间：2025年4月8日（周二）上午10:30-12:00（北京时间）

地点：131教室

摘要：

We study innovation and endogenous knowledge-network evolution in a general equilibrium framework with heterogeneous firms and long-run growth. The empirical examination uses patent-citation data to track the formation of new links in the knowledge network across technological categories. We find that these new links are formed infrequently and tend to connect high-quality innovations and large firms on both ends. Formation of such new links boosts innovation and real performance of firms on both ends with positive spillovers to other firms. We build a tractable model to rationalize these findings and study the aggregate implications of knowledge-network dynamics. In the model, the knowledge network evolves endogenously as each firm searches for others as knowledge-input suppliers and attracts others as users of its own knowledge. We characterize the stationary equilibrium path in closed-form and show that denser networks are associated with faster growth. The calibrated model suggests that cross category knowledge network dynamics account for more than a half of growth in the US and explain almost two thirds of the growth slowdown.

主讲人介绍：

Jie (April) Cai is a tenured associate professor at School of Economics, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Jie got her PhD of Economics from University of British Columbia in 2009. Her field of research is economic growth and international trade. She has published in peer reviewed journals such as Journal of International Economics, Review of Economic Studies, American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics and Economic Modelling.