Analysis of Characteristics of Cooperation Network of Smart Agriculture Technology Companies: China as an Example

Abstract

The development of new technology and the Internet has provided opportunities for the development of smart agriculture, but at present, the development of smart agriculture is still in the primary stage and faces many urgent technical problems, so most companies enhance their technological innovation capabilities through cooperation with other companies. This paper analyzes the characteristics of cooperation networks of smart agriculture technology companies and the differences in different stages by collecting companies with which smart agriculture technology companies have cooperation relationships and applying social network analysis. The results show that there are few cooperative relationships between smart agriculture technology companies, mostly with large information technology companies (e.g., Huawei and Alibaba), research institutes, and other non-agricultural companies. In the cooperation network, large information technology companies such as Huawei and Alibaba, China Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences occupy important positions. However, the overall network density is low, and the cooperation is not tight enough, indicating that the development of smart agriculture technology companies needs to be improved. The findings of the study can provide suggestions for the development of smart agricultural technology companies.