Tracing the Evolution Patterns of Patent Cooperation: Taking the OECD Members and Their Key Partners as a Case Study

The globalization of science and technology has brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Based on large-scale granted international cooperation patent data, this study adopts the social network analysis and tech mining approach to present the network structure and stage characteristics of 44 countries (38 OECD member countries, 5 key partners, and Russia) from 1980 to 2019. The results show that: (1) cooperation is characterized by broadening and deepening in the overall trend but loosening at individual stages; (2) The core-periphery structure runs throughout all stages, but the core layer of countries changes, from the dominance of European countries to the absolute dominance of the United States; (3) A cooperation relationship centered on the United States and closely linked among European countries was formed at each stage. Scientific and technological strength, geopolitical relations, and political interests were several factors that influenced the partner selection. The results provide data support for understanding the historical situation and evolution of global cooperation.