Drawing on complexity theory, we investigate the structuring processes and underlying mechanisms underpinning the emergence of a new technology. Empirically, we track the emergence of blockchain technology by examining international patents issued between 2009 and 2020. Our results indicate that technology emergence follows an evolutionary trajectory that progresses from disordered to structured interactions among the technological elements, culminating in the formation of a technological core that acts as a pole of attraction for further interactions and delineates boundaries within the technological domain. Technology structuring is fueled by what we term “technology fitness” and “self-reinforcing” mechanisms that progressively transform primitive structures into more complex, self-organized configurations. Our study offers a novel framework of technology emergence, highlighting how dispersed bits of technological knowledge gradually aggregate into complex structures that define the specific trajectory of a particular domain.

中文翻译：

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技术出现作为一个结构化过程：区块链的复杂性理论视角

借鉴复杂性理论，我们研究了支撑新技术出现的结构化过程和潜在机制。根据经验，我们通过检查 2009 年至 2020 年间颁发的国际专利来追踪区块链技术的出现。我们的结果表明，技术出现遵循一条进化轨迹，从技术要素之间的无序交互发展到结构化交互，最终形成一个技术核心，充当进一步互动的吸引力极，并划定技术领域内的边界。技术结构化是由我们所说的“技术适应性”和“自我强化”机制推动的，这些机制逐渐将原始结构转变为更复杂的自组织配置。我们的研究提供了一个新颖的技术出现框架，强调分散的技术知识如何逐渐聚合成复杂的结构，从而定义特定领域的特定轨迹。