Releasing the power of innovation: How can a double-layer innovation network promote enterprise innovation from a patent perspective?

In the context of a highly competitive market, the innovation network characterized by cost sharing and risk dispersion has emerged as an effective organizational structure for companies seeking to minimize expenses and overcome resource constraints. However, how to effectively use the innovation network to transform the external resources into the core competitive advantage is still a significant challenge. Drawing upon the innovation network theory and patent information from Chinese new energy vehicle public companies, this study constructs a dual-layered "relational-knowledge" innovation network. Subsequently, the research synthesizes the relational network, knowledge network, and both strategic and substantive innovations of enterprises into a cohesive framework. It further investigates the impact of this double-layer innovation network on the substantive and strategic innovations of enterprises. The findings indicate that: (1) Moderate levels of relational openness and knowledge complexity significantly promote both strategic and substantive innovation. (2) Relational stock plays a significant role in promoting both strategic and substantive innovation. (3) Higher levels of knowledge concentration are not conducive to innovation. These results demonstrate consistency across various robustness tests. Furthermore, this study investigated the heterogeneous impact of innovation networks on strategic innovation and substantial innovation when considering different ownership properties of enterprises. The conclusions offer theoretical insights that can assist enterprises in making innovative decisions and enhancing their competitive advantage.