How do gatekeepers in networks influence the production of new knowledge? Evidence from Brazilian co-invention networks

In co-invention networks, gatekeepers mediate technical knowledge exchange between economic agents and help overcome technological barriers and regional lock-in. This study aims to investigate co-inventors' inventive activity and the potential effects of being a gatekeeper in a technologically underdeveloped country such as Brazil. A hierarchical two-level model is applied for this purpose, considering individual and regional effects. The main results show that patent production at the individual level depends on their positioning as, or their direct collaborations with, gatekeepers in a co-invention network. Results also show that other individual factors that are relevant to improving inventors' inventive activity are having diversified knowledge, working in the industrial sector, and earning a higher salary in particular sectors, such as the manufacturing industry and higher education. Regional characteristics, such as GDP per capita and related and unrelated variety, also affect the inventors' performance.