# The Multilayer Structure of Corporate Networks

## TL;DR

This paper constructs and analyzes a multilayer network of corporate interactions in Germany and the UK, revealing complex overlaps and relationships between different types of company connections and their influence on company performance.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel multilayer network combining various corporate interaction types and analyzes their structural overlap and implications for company ecosystems.

## Key findings

- Different network types have significant overlap and complementarity.
- The combined network structure is more complex than individual networks.
- Initial insights into the relationship between network position and company performance.

## Abstract

Various company interactions can be described by networks, for instance the ownership networks and the board membership networks. To understand the ecosystem of companies, these interactions cannot be seen in isolation. For this purpose we construct a new multilayer network of interactions between companies in Germany and in the United Kingdom, combining ownership links, social ties through joint board directors, R\&D collaborations and stock correlations in one linked multiplex dataset. We describe the features of this network and show there exists a non-trivial overlap between these different types of networks, where the different types of connections complement each other and make the overall structure more complex. This highlights that corporate control, boardroom influence and other connections have different structures and together make an even smaller corporate world than previously reported. We have a first look at the relation between company performance and location in the network structure.