Abstract: The core issue focused in this paper is: how to construct an effective industry-university-institute-user (IURU) collaboration innovation mode combining its mechanism guided by the demands of users? Around this problem, the resource dependence theory (RDT) is bridged with modularity theory and collaboration theory, and the influential relationship of the cross coordination of RFT and modularity on IURU collaboration innovation is analyzed. Moving forward, the IURU collaboration innovation organization network model featuring module as interaction carrier, is designed followed by the module-based coordination mechanism. Some conclusions are drawn after further checking with case study, which includes: (1)In the modular IURU collaboration innovation organization network, RDT is able to facilitate the cooperative innovation among multiple stakeholders. Meanwhile, modularity may not only alleviate the excessive dependence of external resources, but acts as the integrator between innovation demand side and supply side; (2) modularity can be adopted to promote users’ requirements analysis?module innovation?resource configuration?organization collaboration, and it is also useful for defining the IURU collaboration innovation focus and strategy; (3) the module-based coordination mechanism (formal constraint mechanism, continuous interaction mechanism and modular product architecture (MPA) coordination mechanism) is helpful for enhancing the knowledge interaction and knowledge innovation among enterprise, university, institute, etc. which is also useful for promoting the sustainable operation of IURU collaboration innovation organization network.

Key words:  industry-university-research-user (IURU), collaboration innovation, resource dependence, modularity, coordination mechanism