# Does repetition equal more of the same? tie strength and thematic orientation in R&D networks

## TL;DR

This paper explores whether repeated research collaborations lead to exploring new topics or just deepening existing ones.

## Contribution

It introduces the role of network diversity in enabling exploration within repeated R&D partnerships.

## Key findings

- Strong ties do not always mean focusing on the same topic.
- Exploration is more likely when one partner has a diverse network.
- Repeated collaborations can lead to new knowledge when partners access novel connections.

## Abstract

Despite organizations’ documented tendency to repeat research collaborations with prior partners, scholarly understanding on the implications of recurring interactions for the content of the collaboration has been fairly limited. This paper investigates whether and under what conditions organizations use repeated research partnerships to explore new topics, as opposed to deepening their expertise in a single one (exploitation). The empirical analysis is based on the Spanish region of Valencia and its publicly funded R&D network. Employing lexical similarity to compare the topic and content of project abstracts, we find that strong ties are not always associated with the exploitation of the same topic. Yet, exploration is more likely when at least one of the partners mobilizes a network of distinct contacts and can access novel knowledge.