关键词: 地理距离；法律制度临近；国际知识扩散, 多层非线性混合模型

Abstract: Based on the patent citation data of forty-one countries from three innovative leading countries, this paper investigates the geographic location and institutional proximity mode of knowledge diffusion. The results show that the legal institutional proximity definitely exits except for geographic localization mode in international knowledge diffusion. The countries with same legal origin have higher knowledge diffusion strength than otherwise. But the IPR institutional difference has no effect on knowledge diffusion. No substitutability or complementary effect is found between geographic location and legal institutional proximity mode means that further attention should be paid on the research of the different mechanism or channel of two modes. Lastly, we discuss the policy implication of these findings in term of promoting international knowledge diffusion.

Key words: geographic distance, legal institutional proximity, international knowledge diffusion, multilevel nonlinear mixed model