The Role of Personal Proximity in Collaborations:The Case of Dutch Nanotechnology

Proximity in various forms drives collaborations and innovation. The relationship betweenproximity and innovation has been studied extensively. Most of the studies have focused ondimensions of proximity exogenous to the individual, such as one’s personal characteristics orworking style. However, as we will show in this paper, personal proximity – close similarityin terms of personal traits, behavioural patterns, and the degree to which individuals enjoyeach other’s company – affects research collaborations. In particular, whether and to whatextent partners “click” can make or break a collaboration. We conduct a multiple-case studyof research collaborations of Dutch nanotechnology scientists. Our qualitative analysis revealsthe role of personal proximity, relative to other dimensions of proximity, in the formation ofresearch collaborations and in shaping their output.