Science Research Management ›› 2024, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (2): 93-104.DOI: 10.19571/j.cnki.1000-2995.2024.02.010

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Construction and analysis of open-source innovation multiplex networks:A case study of Baidu Apollo

Li Yingzi1, Zhang Bingxue2, Yang Mingxuan1   

  1. 1. School of Economics and Management, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
    2. School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2022-08-08 Revised:2023-09-27 Online:2024-02-20 Published:2024-01-23

Abstract:     Enterprises are placing greater emphasis on external knowledge and creative resources under digital background. The application of “open-source” model is gradually expanding from software to manufacturing. Enterprises are engaging in open-source innovation for resource agglomeration, knowledge fusion and value co-creation. In the context of open-source model, the diversity and autonomy of agents makes the innovation network more heterogeneous and weaker-connected. Taking Baidu Apollo as an example, this paper found that Apollo open-source innovation multiplex networks have been constructed with two dimensions: technology level and market level firstly. Secondly, the node centrality, layer centrality, clustering coefficient, faction and other indicators of each layer of the multiplex network were analyzed. Finally, the application trend, network characteristics and risks of open-source model were summarized. It was found that: the open network is based on collaborative innovation under the leadership of the core enterprise, which promotes its dynamic evolution by continuously attracting diversified agents. Based on the conclusion, ideas for constructing open-source innovation networks for large enterprises and medium-sized enterprises were proposed in this paper. The former mainly is self-constructed with the goal of empowering partners and value co-creation. The latter adopts the approach of embedding networks with the purpose of improving innovation performance and impact. The main implications of this paper include two aspects. First, at the theoretical level, multiplex networks were adopted to describe the interaction and collaboration of agents in the open-source innovation process, which reflects diversity of agents and their hierarchical interaction more clearly. It opens up a new perspective on enterprise application of open-source model: from the collaborative innovation at a single level to the complex interaction at multiple levels. This will provide important theoretical support for the further development and application. Second, at the application level, the main relationships were analyzed in each layer of the network, and the main characteristics of the open-source innovation network was abstracted, and the application framework of open-source models for different types enterprise was designed from the perspective of network construction. 

Key words: open-source innovation, multiplex network, network construction