Simulation of knowledge transfer in complex networks by coupling ABM and GIS: a local road freight transport system as a case study

Abstract Some complex social networks are driven by adaptive and co-evolutionary patterns. However, these can be difficult to detect and analyse since the links between actors are circumstantial and often not revealed. This paper employs a GIS-integrated agent-based approach to simulate co-evolution in a complex social network. A case study is proposed for the modelling of contractual relationships between road freight transport companies. The model employs empirical data from a survey of transport companies located in the Basque Country (Spain) and utilises a community detection algorithm to observe the effect of cluster size in the network. Additionally, a local spatial association indicator is employed to identify potentially favourable environments. The model enables the evolution of the network, leading to more complex collaborative structures. By means of iterative simulations, the study demonstrates how collaborative networks self-organise by distributing activity and knowledge and evolving into complex polarised systems. Furthermore, the simulations with different minimum cluster sizes indicate that clusters benefit the agents that are part of them, although they are not a determining factor in the network participation of other non-clustered agents.